A Wake-Up Call.

Van of the Coordinating Team,  Bleu Weddings and Events Management. A fatal accident after their out-of-town event in Batangas 

Dear Rebellious Brides (and Grooms),

Let us start this feature by being as frank as we possibly can. If YOU want to have a wedding outside of Manila, make sure you have the budget for it--and Out of Town Fees are NOT THE KIND OF FEES YOU SHOULD BE COMPLAINING ABOUT. We're sorry to say this, but just because it's your big day, doesn't give you the license to treat other people like sh*t. This feature is a re-post from Scribbles of an Event Planner . There's a reason why there's an Out-of-Town fee. And for your info, these fees are not even reflective of the kind of work that needs to be done for an out-of-town wedding. For your info as well, some suppliers have to book your event as a 3-day affair even if your wedding is just for 1 day because it entails the crew to be up and about for 3 days straight counting ingress-egress. So in truth, some suppliers actually earn less just to work on your wedding. So be GRATEFUL. Do not be bridezillas. For our Boracay wedding, we treated our talented dream team like they were FAMILY. Not only did we pay for the fees and provided for their boarding and lodging (w/c is pretty standard), we even gave them a per diem allowance, we provided them with welcome kits, and we even added wine in their rooms just as an added gesture. And during the reception, they were part of our guest count. And I'm not saying you have to do all of these things as well. But at the very least, do not scrimp on OOT fees. And again---it's okay to budget your wedding wisely but OOT Fees are NOT the kind of fees you should be asking for discount or worse, to be waived. BEHAVE, our dear Rebellious Brides. We do not want to hear that a reader of ours will be one of those difficult brides who are going bratty about out-of-town fees. This is the shocking truth, A wake-up call. And if you do not want OOT fees, then don't do your wedding outside of Manila. OWN UP to your decisions and know what it entails to have an out-of-town (or even out-of-the-country) wedding before you do it. 'Nuff said. And apologies if we are sounding really, really aggressive right now but we've heard of so many countless tales of other suppliers who have been treated badly and they are just too polite to say anything. So we just feel like we really had to make a stand on this as well.

Out of Town Events by Scribbles of an Event Planner 

Clients often complain that suppliers charge so much for out of town events. Depending on the distance, some would charge Php 5,000, others charge 20% of their total package cost while others would just request for a reimbursement of their expenses. But is it really enough? I don't really think so.

Out of town fees would cover fuel, toll fees and our time on the road. Not to mention the vehicle itself specially if the supplier is just going to rent one for the day. The list gets longer and more expensive if the trip will entail longer trips.

For the safety of our team, aside from out of town fees, we request for an overnight stay or three days and two nights stay with breakfast. It does not have to be at the same hotel or resort but we do request that it would be a suitable place for us to rest. Don't get me wrong. We love out of town events. We get to see new places, meet new people and enjoy the scenery. The downside? Long hours on the road and being on your feet for more than ten hours on the day of the event.

In our case, our Driver is also part of our Coordinating Team. He starts working the time he sits on the driver's seat and doesn't stop working until we reach home (if the client will not provide us a place to stay the night). So how many hours would that be? Let's compute: 3 to 4 hours road trip going to the venue (let's say Batangas) + 10 to 12 hours of Event Coordination + 3 to 4 hours road trip going home = approximately 20 hours of work / stress. Now that's torture if you ask me. Not to mention possible disaster on the road if he has to drive after the event. Can you spell R O A D  A C C I D E N T? How about if we suddenly get car trouble (flat tire, engine overheat, etc) in the middle of nowhere? I don't think it is safe to be at a dark unfamiliar road/place. It is best to really stay indoors where everyone is safe.

Speaking of accidents, our friends from Bleu Weddings and Events Management had an accident on their way back to Manila from a wedding they just finished coordinating at Batangas last October 2013.

They were so tired that night that everyone was asleep. Everyone was awakened when a sixteen wheeler truck struck their van. Bright lights, metal and blood were everywhere.

Front view - Van of the Coordinating Team

16 wheeler truck that struck the van of the Coordinating Team

Two of Ms. Bleu's injured staff

It is a good thing that everyone survived the accident. After seeing the condition of the van they were on, it could have been worst. This was really scary.

If the photos above didn't scare you, how about the ones below (taken in daylight).

I'm letting the photos speak for itself. We hope that with this you would realize why we ask for accommodations for out of town trips.

No one wants to get into an accident or end up dead. I know clients do not want to remember the day that their supplier got into an accident or ended up dead just because they didn't want to provide accommodations for an overnight stay.

Sorry to say this but it's the hard scary truth.

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