Some people take photography classes, while others are simply born with a natural knack for it…read more Federico Cruz is most certainly the latter. Not only is he classified as a professional photographer, he also functions as a photojournalist and his services have been contracted by the likes of Rappler, Galeo Equipment, and San Roque Shipping. This gentleman knows what he's doing but as professional as he is, I would say that his greatest skill lies in making his photos feel extremely intimate and personal. When I look at them, it's as if I'm right there with the subject. Wedding photos, corporate events, birthday parties, etc... he's your guy.

I'm a filmmaker. So one of the first things I had to discover when I moved to Manila was where to…read moreprint some DVD labels and also do DVD authoring. Firstly I tried all the print shops in Salcedo Village area. None of them could print a simple DVD label. I was ready to give up when one day, while strolling down V.A.Rufino Street, I saw this tiny store with some computers. I came inside and asked the guy - Erwin Salak, he's the man! - if they could do this kind of service. Surprisingly he said yes! I gave him the DVDs and he printed the labels right away. The quality was very good and the price was very fair. Actually they can do all the authoring thing if you need - and also video editing, motion graphics and graphic design. They also work with events planning, so you can take a look at their photography and videography portfolio. Oh, and they take pictures for IDs. I highly recommend Erwin, the guy who saved me with my DVD label!

Lunar Saints Productions is one of the young and fresh video productions companies in the metro,…read moreawing clients with quality and professionally-made videos since 2010. It's not all videos they do though, they also specialize in events and its coverage (whether that be a wedding, debuts, a concert, a company night--you name it, they'd deliver). They're a full-on service, covering your production needs from casting, to shooting proper, to post-production processes. And the most amazing part? They are ran by young individuals, some even younger than me. Admirable! They were actually the company who did my audition video last year, which was one hell of an experience, by the way.

Created by a bunch of talented and enterprising young photographers and visual & multimedia…read moreartists, Shutter Panda is that go-to wedding & events photography company you want at your side when you're looking for youthful and vibrant coverage of some of your most important life memories as they happen. This laidback yet professional team puts personality in their commissioned works and services done for you, so it's not that run of the mill, plain coverage of just whatever. They're into telling stories and they can capture the art in the routine, regular things that happen in your events. In the end, they produce gorgeous, fun, functional, yet dramatic-and-sentimental-when-need-be works that you'll just be happy to have with you after everything.

I first encountered Shutterpanda Photography when my org Kythe-Ateneo got it to be one of the…read morepartners for our event I Am Hope 2015, where we brought kids with chronic illnesses out of their hospitals for an afternoon of fun and play. The results were absolutely beautiful, with candid shots of kids and their buddies overflowing in the album. I dabble into some photography myself, and I noticed the photographer for that day had preferred lower F-stop settings that blurred the background, making every photo seem more personal. Every photo ended up being so colorful and full of life, and I don't think there was a single photo on their album that didn't have a smile on it. Granted, it wasn't exactly a common event like a debut, wedding reception, or party, but I really think that Shutterpanda did a great job of documenting our event and showcasing what our advocacy was through their photos.

Have you ever wanted to try out photography officially but don't really know where to go? And it's…read morenot like you can grab some of the best models out there for you to try your skills on right? Well, here's veteran photographer Winston Baltasar, whose house doubles as his studio, Winsam Studio. Sir Winston holds photography workshops every couple of weeks, each with a different theme. One week might be capturing good sunsets, another might be working with water, and yet another might be a crash course on wedding photography. He invited me and 2 of my ballerina friends to his studio one time, as he was teaching movement photography. The range of photographers that attended was very diverse, from little to no experience at all, to experienced photographers just looking to keep their skills well-oiled. Oh, and did you know Sir Winston Baltasar is a huge Marvel fan as well? He even dresses up as Professor X (thanks to his bald head) at geek conventions!

This flower shop is a regular supplier of my current agency, Eon…read more I like the ease of choosing a bouquet fitting for the occasion I need from their website. They have prepared arrangements made for different occasions, and you can choose the arrangement you like from the accompanying photos. I also like that they allow billing so that it's not a problem when you need to order right away and you still need to issue the necessary paperwork for the cost estimates. For someone like me who doesn't know much about flowers, I like that I don't need to ask myself what kind of flowers I should choose. Frankly, I don't know the proper occasion to choose roses or tulips or orchids but because they have already outlined occasions and listed down recommended bouquets for these, and even created three options for each, I find that I am likely to go back to them when I have another requirement to send flowers. Next time you need flowers and you're a flower-idiot like me, look up Flower Towne online and give them a try!

Planning a wedding is very difficult. One of the many challenges is finding and comparing several…read moresuppliers from caterers to cake artists to event stylists to photographers and videographers to designers to make-up artists to printing presses to event planners. Good thing, there are wedding expos all year round. One of the bigger expos are the ones organized by Weddings & Beyond which holds several expos every year. In fact, there were way too many suppliers that I wasn't able to talk to each one in depth. Still, that's okay. It was a two-day event. Sadly, we were available only for the first day so we focused on the aspects that we give much importance to. Suppliers aside, I have to commend the big, well-maintained washrooms. It may seem like a petty concern, but, let's face it, if you have to stay in a place for one whole day and share the washroom with several others, there is reason to worry. Finally, I really advice couples to attend expos like this. They have raffles and give lots of freebies. Who knows, you may be the next winner of a honey moon trip or significant freebies from top suppliers.

I've lived in this village all my life so I think that it's fair to say that I've had sufficient…read moreexposure to this clubhouse. I've been able to attend events numerous times at the Valle Verde 1 Clubhouse and there is simply no comparison in terms of size and the appearance of the interiors. This I say in favor of the aforementioned. If you're looking for an affordable venue to hold a small party, this is it. You can also choose to decorate the place on your own to spruce it up. However, there is a decent park and playground for guests to linger in and walk around should they get bored.