Having experienced the hardship of putting together their own weddings, High School buddies Leah Ledesma, Marichelle Ligo, and Rachel Martelino Climent put up Bride’s Maids and Co., a wedding planning service in 1993. Unlike today, back then there were no wedding planners to speak of; every couple had to manage and plan their own dream weddings.

Climent shares: “Planning a modern wedding is much tougher nowadays, because people have day jobs, and have less time to plan and really focus on their wedding needs. That was a problem we all encountered when we got married, and it was a lot of work. So, we thought why not put up a company that will cater to people like us?” she said.

Starting a new business is hard enough, she said, what more a new industry? In a country where weddings were still considered a hands on event, the prospect of convincing people to essentially outsource the service was one of the initial challenge the group had to hurdle. According to Ledesma, they spent their first few months convincing people that their service was a necessity.

“We had a hard time convincing potential clients that there is a need to hire a wedding planner. We tried to explain that wedding planners were there to help them make smart decisions in planning their wedding,” she said.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THEIR FRIENDS

The group, having hit a road block in trying to convince other people to hire them, started researching about different suppliers, and wedding etiquette to give them a compelling proposition. Now armed with this additional knowledge, they then started calling their network of friends and relatives, pitching their new services and soliciting advice from their peers.

They booked their first client, a friend of one of the group members, in 1993. After the successful event, word of their new service started circulating among their network, which is primarily composed of affluent families and their relatives.

“We applied our personal experiences of grand parties growing up and the way we were brought up and integrated that into our business philosophy. We usually cater to big church weddings, usually Catholic ones, but we are also open to different kinds of weddings,” Ledesma said.

Typical Bride’s Maids and Co. weddings range from the traditional to the eclectic, depending on the preference and personality of the bride and groom. Their wedding packages range from P40,000 and up, which includes referrals to suppliers, budget tables, personal counseling on how to plan a wedding, and a timeline.

“I create a timetable just to give them a feel of how things happen and give them a budget table for them to feel a sense of reality. Sometimes, the job requires us to mingle with our clients’ family members, giving it a personal touch,” she said.

GROWING THE BUSINESS

Bride’s Maids and Co.’s clients include a virtual who’s who of Manila society: Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Senator Miguel Zubiri, Dato Arroyo, Jamby Madrigal, Ruffa Gutierrez, Albert Martinez, and others.

Although they have been primarily identified as a high end wedding service, the company has spawned a new, more affordable service called Junior Bride’s Maids and Co. This new venture, started in 2003, is aimed at getting more middle income clients to engage their renowned services. The fees range from P20,000 for an average of 100 guests.

“Our clients for Junior Bride’s Maids and Co. are younger and more knowledgeable about their needs and wants. They are also more artistic, and seem as excited as we were when we started,” Climent said.

Although it seems like a glamorous job coordinating weddings for famous people, the group says their jobs also entail a modicum of hard work and dedication.

“People think it’s a glamorous job, but we also get our hands dirty,” Ledesma said.

The group also said what sets them apart from other wedding planning services today is their style of work, a personalized approach to weddings, and they remain hands on and do not just rely on their staff. And for a bunch of bosom friends engaged in a business, these women avoid conflict by delegating each partner with a specific task to perform.

“We do not step on each other’s doors, it’s good that we separate and divide our responsibilities. In terms of the structure of our business, we have our own things, which we don’t touch,” Climent said.

As the business evolves, Brides Maids & Co.'s roster of senior members now include Leah Ledesma-Sanchez, Marichelle Ligo, Rachel Martelino-Climent and Gia Bernardo-So. Their Junior Brides Maids include Reena Gabriel, Joseph Vila, and Georgia Schulze-Del Rosario

CONTACT DETAILS:

Bride’s Maids and Co.
Unit 31-D #8 Wack Wack Condominium
Wack Wack Road, Mandaluyong City
TEL: 5359091
Email: bmcweddings@yahoo.com