Supplier Ratings - Joaqui's 2nd Birthday Party

It has been customary for us n@wies (members of Newlyweds@Work) to post supplier ratings for events that we have had - baptisms or dedications and birthday parties. Supplier ratings from other n@wies have really helped me a lot in planning and choosing the right suppliers. I have also learned budget tips and DIY projects from the other members who have shared their experiences with regard to party planning. This is not to make biased opinions regarding any particular supplier, but just an honest review of their products and services during the event. Rates are 0 to 5, 5 being the highest score.



Venue, Invites, Food, Host, Entertainment: Jollibee Ever Ortigas
Rating: 5

We got their two function rooms as each could only accommodate 100 persons and with our expected number of guests, we decided to get both. They allow it only on weekdays and for a certain amount of food cost. Their function rooms were spacious and it already has cloth swags and some paper banderitas. The hosts during Joaqui's party were good and they had unique games for both children and adults. They also adhered to our specifications with regard to games and program flow. All 5 mascots were "well behaved" because I have attended some Jollibee parties where the mascots make inappropriate behaviors infront of the kids. The only negative point I think is that they should have added one or two more Smart crews for the number of guests we had. They were also supposed to give us gift checks from Toys R' Us worth P1,000 but up to now we have not received them.


Balloon Decorations: Jacque of Party Boosters
Rating: 5+

What can I say? Jacque is simply marvelous. I just specified our budget and we got more than what we expected. The place looked livelier and in a more "party" mood. She even added octopus balloons and these were a hit to our guests that some were taking out the balloons even before the party ended. At the end of the party, no balloons were left except for the two big balloon pillars. I even said to Jacque that it only shows that her balloon arrangements were pretty because everybody wanted to take them out.

Face Painter: c/o Party Boosters
Rate: 5+


We love the face painting! It was not just an ordinary face painting because she had glitter tattoos and body jewels added. The children loved their face painting especially the girls because of the intricate designs of the flowers. They worked nonstop during the duration of the party and there were some guests (including me) who had face painting even after the party (as in the crew were already cleaning up the area). They were also so nice and patient with the kids. Too bad Joaqui wasn't able to have his face painted.

Cake: Layers and Layers in Tiendesitas, Pasig City
Rating: 5+

I have never really tried their cakes, but a good friend of mine got her twins' baptismal cake and birthday cake from them so we've decided to order from them also. They were very easy to talk to and followed our specifications for the cake. It arrived on time and it tastes yummy too. The price is very reasonable. Cake was not allowed to be served at Jollibee and when we got home to cut it, the two-layered cake was really big.

Photographer: Guj Tungpalan of RedSheep Photography
Rating: 5

I heard of RedSheep from n@w and when I visited his web site, I really liked the pictures from the gallery and so I e-mailed him for inquiry, made the down payment and met him during the party. He was already at Jollibee when we arrived. The pictures came out really wonderful. He was able to capture important moments and although Joaqui does not readily smile in front of the camera, he was able to take a lot of shots of Joaqui smiling. His rates are affordable and the package for birthday parties comes with three 8R prints, a DVD copy of unlimited shots and an AVP.

Tarpaulin: IMSI in Cainta Greenland
Rate: 5

This was a last minute decision from us, so we were not able to make a layout of the tarpaulin. I only brought a copy of Joaqui's picture and chose from the available Sponge Bob layouts they have. All in all we were satisfied with the tarpaulin they made.

Loot bags: Divisoria Mall
Rating: 5++

Obviously this was a labor of love from us and Divisoria is still the best place to scout for loot bags and loot bag items. We only have a budget of P50 per loot bag and with that budget, we were able to buy a Sponge Bob lunch bag, Sponge Bob wallet, Sponge Bob sticker books, small Sponge Bob towel and a Sponge Bob blink pen. We bought 60 pieces of each, but just days before the party I had to add more. I had no strength to go back to Divisoria again, so we just went to St. Francis Square instead. We found similar items, but the price was 3 to 5 times higher. : ( The kids liked the loot bags and even some adults wanted to take it home as well. My sister-in-law who works for a Jollibee franchise just ordered Jollibee bag tags from their supplier. We had them put Joaqui's name and the date and place of the party at the back of the tag and we placed this on each bag.

Pabitin: Vente Store
Rating: 5

Again this is another spur of the moment for me. We were not supposed to have pabitin, but when I saw a Vente booth at Robinson's Cainta, I decided to have one anyway. There were lots of toys and craft items to choose from and we just bought 20 pieces for the pabitin. We also have some extra toys and game prizes from Joaqui's first birthday party and used them as well.

We could say that it was a successful 2nd birthday party after all. For us, what makes it successful is that we saw how everyone had fun during the party and even after the party, some of our neighborhood kids were still saying how they enjoyed celebrating Joaqui's birthday. I told my husband Jeff that I have decided that there would be no birthday party next year (sigh) for Joaqui, and we would just celebrate it as a family out of town or somewhere nice. The next birthday party would be when he is 7 years old. But then, that was what I said to him last year.; )

You can view pictures here and here.