Friday, June 29, 2007

A Wedding from London to Manila ( Alcalde - Baldevarona Wedding, June 29, 2007)





Janice and Ronald are both overseas based in London, England in the United Kingdom. Both have managed their careers in their adapted homeland. But for whatever reasons they have, its most pleasant to realize that they decided to get married here in our beloved homeland. There's nothing like getting married in your own country where we experience the true Filipino way of celebrating weddings.
My bride-client was a typical trusting bride choosing one of the three customized designs I submitted to her. I appreciated the confidence she had in me and made our working relationship much easier. Janice has opted to dress up at the bridal room of the Grand Terrace where she is having her reception. It was a good thing we left much earlier thinking it was a friday and the traffic would be horrendous. True enough, coming from our office in Makati, we realized the heavy lunchtime traffic along the northbound of EDSA. We decided to reroute by passing thru the Fort Bonifacio area and leading to the C5 highway. It was a good thing that traffic was more manageable.
Arriving at the Grand Terrace half an hour earlier than our committed time to Janice was much better. I immediately noticed Janice when I entered her room. She looked so radiantly pretty and polished with her hair and make-up which was commissioned to Gloria Sy. An excellent female hair and make-up artist I must commend. No leg pulling of course. No friendship patronizing! Its all of a professional commenting.
After the all picture takings and video taking highlights , we then proceeded to the Iglesia Ni Cristo, V. Luna locale for her wedding ceremony. When Janice has commenced we her bridal march, we thought it was time to leave and our goodwill work has ended. I am so happy to have met Janice and Ronald and her entourage for making it easier for me to fulfill and complete my work as their chosen designer. I am always optimistic that clients like them comes my way.

1 comment:

janice said...

Joel Bautista is a great designer with true professionalism. This virtue is evident from the initial commissioning of the dress up until he sees the dress perform its duty – to look gorgeous on the bride, as she marches the aisle.

I was particularly impressed with the ease of communication between us, considering I was in London and he’s in Manila. He answered to my emails promptly and his equally professional assistant Paolo is always courteous both on the phone and during personal meetings. At first, I admit I was a bit apprehensive with the fabric/materials he will be using and with the measurements I sent him through email. This is only because I was thousands of miles away and was not physically present at consultations and measurements. But he made sure we agree on the fabric and materials by sending the swatches through a reputable courier company, so no miscommunication arises there. And when I arrived in Manila 3 weeks before the wedding for my first fitting, all my fears dissolved as the gown was near perfect in measurements, with only a few alterations and the gown met my expectations.

Joel also became our saviour when a ‘nightmare’ situation arises one week before the ‘big day’ – the bridesmaid dresses didn’t match the colour motif and was in shocking pink colour! None of my bridesmaids were confident in wearing the made dresses and I equally didn’t want them to wear those things at my wedding! I immediately contacted Joel for rescue and with his calm-mannered way, agreed to make 5 dresses in a space of one week. He sketched the pieces, we picked the fabric and as if by magic, they were all beautifully done in 5 days ready for fitting – ahead of deadline.

On the day of the wedding, with my hair and make-up ready and with Paolo and Manang ready to dress me up, I suddenly felt anxious that the march time was ticking ahead. But as soon I put my gown on, I immediately felt the essence of the dress as it came to its own. All my British colleagues praised how the gown looked stunning and commented that it has a sense of elegant romanticism to it. The beadwork definitely stood out in the photographs and the Swarovski crystals gave a hint of glitter. Though Joel have only seen me in pictures when he designed it, I really felt that the gown was ‘made’ for me, for it captured what I wanted my dress to be – and exceeded my expectation.

Joel Bautista knows his craft. He can sense the need of the bride and feels her personality when designing a gown. His true professionalism is the core of his service and his talent the heart of his designs. He understands that a perfectly made gown brings out the confidence in the bride and complements her ‘glow’ on her wedding day.