Jinggoy and Maya

Pamamanhikan

2008-12-09T00:13:00.004+08:00

We almost didn't push through with our "pamamanhikan". Good thing Jingg's surgery had to be moved after the wedding.

We still called this a pamamanhikan even if we didn't hold it in our house. The guy's family usually visit the girl's home and they all do the planning.

Since we've already finished planning the wedding, it was just an informal one wherein our parents met, shared stories, ideas, and sentiments.

Emotional. I was really, really happy my folks got to meet Tita Becky (Jinggoy's mom), soon to be my Mama. :)

Ate Bombs, Kuya Jong and their kids were also there to meet my folks.

Dinner at Cabalen was sulit. Jinggs and I both felt the same way when our folks met. Relieved and truly happy. Above all that, we're really thankful this event pushed through.

Seated from left: Simon, Xandi, Tita Becky, Dad, and Mom
Standing: Ate Bombo, Kuya Jong, Hunter, Jinggoy, and Maya

The best man ever!

2008-11-29T12:30:00.003+08:00

Talk about best men...
Good thing we have cute li'l kids as ring bearers.

invitations are out!

2008-11-29T12:29:00.001+08:00

yep! got our invitations last week. just a bit busy printing the names and sorting them.

got to see Knought's and Ria's gowns fit. getting excited now!

Will be fitting my own gown on Monday! :)

another crayzeh Monday

2008-11-17T22:15:00.002+08:00

I woke up pretty late for Divi, so I wasted no time heading there.
Got my ribbons for our souvenirs. Yey! I can work on them again! It's the main reason why I went to Divi.
Got pencils.. lots of them!
Got 6 big confetti poppers at 70 bucks a pop! bargain indeed!

I still have to buy a lot of stuff but probably do it very early on a weekend. Divi is still the best choice but there's also Greenhills. It's Christmas season, it'll get worse. I am prepared!

Anyway, headed to Hizon's and met with our events planner, Drew. Paid 25% of the total as well.

We then proceeded to our venue, the Greenhills West Clubhouse where Marj, our coordinator was waiting for us.

We were able to talk about the layout and the plan for the reception. I have a few takeaways as well. The couple table will be placed at the... and the buffet tables will be.... the VIP table will be... zzzziiiiiiiipping my mouth shut now.

Afterwhich, we also met with our very good friend Meanne (sans Juancho) of Sensitivity Lights and Sounds. She gave us the final contract and the plan for the simple drapes for the venue.

We then paid the venue in full. Mr. Dennis Talion has been nice to us and we want to make sure we don't have any unpaid dues. hehehe

Such a busy wedding planning day ended and we went to The Block. It was already evening. We were supposed to pick up the gas range mom bought last Friday but it won't fit in TaBY. We'll have it delivered to the house instead. Yey, I can bake again! woohoo!

Malling at The Block and Trinoma, couldn't find a gift for Hunter. :(

We'll be getting our invites on Saturday! Yey! I hope it won't be too late for us to distribute them. hehehe

A very busy Lunes

2008-11-12T20:27:00.005+08:00

Jinggoy and I got our marriage license early at the city hall. We had to wait longer than expected though. It was the first thing we really wanted to accomplish that day but it was also the reason why we were late for our next appointment. Yep, we now have the power to get married! It's valid for 120 days.

We also got into a slight accident along East Avenue when a rock as big as a tennis ball hit our windshield. Hard rock did hit us hard. Thank God, it didn't smash the glass and good thing I didn't stop nor swerve the car; else, I might bump into another vehicle. A bus might have run over that rock along the road.

Anyway, we then headed to MPO's office. Ms. Marijo wasn't available, so we were able to talk to the orchestra's main man, Mr. Rodel Colmenar. Such a nice guy! We were able to finish our lineup of songs for the mass and some of the important parts of the program.

Had late lunch at Subway's and met up with our OTD (on the day coordinator) and our emcee Ms. Marj Dizon with Drew, our AE (Account Executive) from our caterer, Hizon's.

We were able to accomplish a lot but we're not yet done. I still have a lot of takeaways. Drew, Marj and Jinggs and I still have to meet up again so they can check our venue and do more planning.

After our busy day, I started painting the closets of our future space in our house.

Whew!

As for the invites, we're planning to finalize and pay everything on Saturday.

ttfn!

Update: Invitation

2008-11-01T12:49:00.003+08:00

Jinggs picked our mock-up invitation yesterday. We still have a few middle initials to complete, a few colors to clarify and some "bitin" sentences to fix. We didn't base our wordings on the canned texts they provided.

It's just simple one, no extravagant details.

Picture of the invite? I think I can still keep the element of surprise intact on this one.

A very fulfilling Jueves

2008-11-01T08:36:00.008+08:00

Yes, this blog entry was supposed to be posted last Thursday. I got too tired, I got too busy, I got too sad (not with Jinggoy), I got too upset (again, not with Jinggoy).

We started our Thursday kinda late because he had to finish his work.

Application for marriage license

We got to the city hall for our marriage license. We applied for our cedulas (community tax certificates) requested for our forms. We weren't able to pay for the forms at once because of lunch break. Just before the lunch break, we took a peek at the long queue and we hoped they'll all be gone later.

Good thing there was a public library nearby, so we killed time there.

After lunch, we were surprised there wasn't any line at all. We got our forms, had them notarized, submitted photocopies of our birth certificates and precana certificate. They didn't ask for our cedulas or ID photos! gah! I don't mind, we'll get our marriage license on the 10th of Nov!

After the city hall, we went to Trinoma and waited until 4pm. I got a picture with Kowalski from Madagascar 2!

Prenup pictures!

We then headed to Redfox's Studio along Congressional to pick up our prenup photos (engagement pictures).

At last!

Here's a peek at their recommended photos...

I can't upload all the pictures (they're 1.64Gb, 400++ in total)

You can check them out in my photobucket!

practicing some handwriting skills

2008-10-30T09:25:00.004+08:00

That is, if i have any.

I've been using the keyboard for years and a pen has become only an accessory now.

I bought a cheap-o calligraphy pen just to practice. I don't think I can make use of this art when printing names on our invitations.

I still have a lot of practice to do.

Obviously, I didn't put lines as my guide, so that's one big thing. Plus, the letter "s" (on my my chest?) and "o" suck! All in all, my handwriting sucks!

a more accomplished Saturday

2008-10-25T17:46:00.002+08:00

I thought we'd start early and accomplish a lot, but since we both slept peacefully, we started our day a bit late.

We skipped playing badminton and instead, went to Magnolia ice cream house, Parfaits and Splits! hahaha there goes the exercise!

We then headed to Jinggoy's parish and we got his baptismal certificate.

Afterwhich, we dropped by Santuario to get our precana certificate and submit the requirements. Yipee!

Last thing on our list was to go to Mega to deposit some more moolah for our savings. Yey! We got to accomplish some more wedding stuff and... nevermind. lessons learned!

Yep, getting married is not a simple breeze. There are a lot of times you'll get suffocated too.

What's next on our itinerary? Maybe our gift registry and hopefully, the license to get married!

THMU and prenup

2008-10-23T08:31:00.005+08:00

w@w jargon, eh? hahah
THMU - Trial hair & make-up
prenup - prenuptial shoot for our engagement photos

Unfortunately, we were late with both our apartments. We had to get money from the bank.

The look!

Karen (Makeup Studio by Madge) did my makeup while her partner, Joel did my hair.

Had 2 setups for my hair done by Joel - a sample one for the wedding which is an updo with curls bundled up at the top, and another one, a half updo for the prenup.

Karen has been a batchmate of mine since grade school. We became classmates in high school and a year in college before I transferred to UP Diliman.

Ms. Madge also arrived while Joel was doing my hair. I had to hear a few good news from their team too! Can't spill the beans, though! Congratulations to you guys! You rock!

Anyway, Karen did my neat makeup and she made me feel really confident with my look. She's really the best!

One thing though, I was just worried on the maintenance of my eye brows. I don't shave them but she did. She told me not to worry, she's just a text away and 2 blocks away from my house! hehehe

Anyway, after the makeup, we rushed to our location just in Quezon City to meet with our photographer, Mr. Derek De los Santos of Redfox Photography.

The Prenup

It was hot and good thing my makeup was still in tiptop shape despite the perspiration. Just a blot of tissue and oil absorbent sheet does the fix.

At first, I felt awkward with all the people looking but Jinggoy didn't care. So I thought, "ok, i don't care about what they think too!" We were enjoying the shoot, mainggit sila!

Sir Derek made us feel comfy all throughout the shoot. Just a slight acting needed but the rest were done (almost) naturally, thus, it was just pure fun! No stiff necks here, unlike what happened to his other 2 brides. Jinggs and I are normally sweet wherever we go, so it was literally just like a walk in the park.

After some shots, Sir Derek showed us what he got from his cam. They were just fantastic! No Photoshop needed, or maybe just some minimal editing to be done - my bilbil, my strap peeping, a bead of perspiration here and there... ummm.. yeah, just minimal.

After the shoot, we had dinner at Trellis and talked about the additional details for the wedding.

Can't wait to see the pix in a week from now! :)

Wedding rings final update

2008-10-18T20:20:00.003+08:00

Got our wedding rings already! Since my previous post, we just waited for a couple of days for Goldenhills' text message.

They just fit perfectly now!

The engravings are correct, no more editing nor corrections made.

They finalized everything and included a cutesy li'l diamond inside the rings too! :)

We also got our free arrhae (got the silver one) but we're planning to use our own set of coins which includes ones from countries we've visited. US, El Salvador and Euro coins galore!

Anyway, Goldenhills will probably be the first supplier I'll give my ratings but I'll save it after the wedding once we've worn the rings for more than 24 hours. hehehe

Save, save, save!

Can't wait for our prenup this Wednesday!

viewed our rings!

2008-10-13T16:01:00.001+08:00

Jinggs and I went to Goldenhills (The Block) to view our rings.

Silly me, I forgot our receipt! Good thing they still accommodated us and we were able to have our wedding date added in the engraving.

Weird because the rings had to be resized. They were half size smaller from the time we had our measurements taken during the expo compared to our current measurements.

Pictures? NAH! It's all white-gold with 1 small diamond each. When our rings are put side by side, a heart is formed embracing the 2 diamonds.

At first, we didn't want stones in our rings, but when we saw the design, we just thought it's symbolic too, of our love (call me mushy or even cheesy, i don't care!). We couldnt ask the jeweler to remove the diamonds, but we also thought the rings are beautiful with the stones. I just had it made all white gold. Originally, the heart is yellow-gold. I'm not a big fan of yellow gold. Plus, as a promo of the jeweler, they'll be adding a diamond each inside the rings!

Wedding cakes and toppers

2008-10-01T19:54:00.011+08:00

We already have a wedding cake, provided by Mr. Alex Franco. No cake topper here, just fresh flowers and fresh fruits to accent 5 tiers of real cake.

Still, it won't stop me from checking out some wedding-cake related stuff.

Scroll down, watch and enjoy the clips.

Good thing this didn't happen when we bought our wedding cake. hehehe

This one's really cute!

Some cake toppers

Do they have this version in headsets and Avaya Callmasters? We might be interested! ;)

How about "the bride waits while the groom is still shopping" version?

Gotcha!

"Oh no, you don't!"

drag him this way?

or this? :)

This last one is not about cakes but about planning.

Mind you, I'm not at that point yet. :D

That's about it for now!

Bachelorette.com has free shipping on all orders over $75.00.

WTF?

2008-09-30T11:03:00.004+08:00

This is so off-topic. Pardon me, I'm just pissed off at how the chocolate industry has been affected by these melamine-tainted milk and dairy products.

The issue has been going on for more than a week now but I've been really affected just recently because.... CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS ARE INCLUDED. gaaaaah!

Since I was a kid, I've been taught not to use melamine wares in microwave because it's hazardous to our health. These grownups, I'm not saying who, but they manufacture milk and f*ckin ADD melamine to their products!

Think, man, think! It's all but selfishness! F*ck!

Now, where do I get safe, clean chocolates? Can anyone tell me where i can buy Cluizel, Valrhon a and Amedei here in the Philippines?

Cadbury recalls Chinese-made candy in chemical scare

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British confectioner Cadbury has recalled all of its Chinese-made candy products over fears that they may be contaminated with the chemical melamine, a company statement said Monday.

A researcher in Wuhan, China, last week checks for melamine in milk samples collected from stores.

"The products that are affected by this withdrawal include a range of Cadbury chocolate products and Choclairs, all produced in our Beijing plant," Cadbury said in a statement.

Some or all of the products were exported to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, the Pacific island of Nauru and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, according to the company.

Cadbury said that it is implementing new food safety and quality checks at its Beijing plant and that fresh candies will be manufactured.

The candy maker is the latest company to get caught up in China's tainted-milk scandal. Melamine was first found in powdered infant formula but has since been traced to dozens of other products.

Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how scare affects companies outside China »

Chinese police have arrested 40 people in the tainted-milk scandal, including 22 announced Monday in northern China's Hebei province. Nineteen of those were managers of pastures, breeding farms and milk-purchasing stations, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a panel investigating the case.

Authorities say they raided 41 locations in Hebei and seized 490 pounds (222 kilograms) of melamine.

Eighteen arrests were announced earlier. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk. The brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper.

The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said.

Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Some Chinese dairy plants have added it to milk products to make it seem to have a higher protein level.

Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year.

Health experts say that ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition.

The following 11 products are included in the recall, according to Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety:

• Cadbury Dark Chocette, 45 grams.
• Cadbury Dark Chocette, 80 grams.
• Cadbury Eclairs, 180 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Pumpkin, 150 grams.
• Cadbury Dark Chocolate, 40 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dark Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Cookies Chocolate Bulk Pack, 5 kilograms.
• Cadbury Hazelnut Praline Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 312 grams.
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate (2008 Chinese New Year), 300 grams.

Source: CNN.com

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Funny Wedding One-Liners

2008-09-29T16:17:00.001+08:00

I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I did! :)

· Never marry a man for money. You'll have to earn every penny.

· The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once.

· Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.

· Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.

· With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

· My wife says I never listen, or something like that...

· We have a quiet home life. I don't speak to her and she doesn't speak to me.

· The wise never marry - And when they marry they become otherwise.

· Love is blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener.

· Men are all the same - they just have different faces so you can tell them apart.

· When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife.

· When I married MR. RIGHT, I didn't know his first name was ALWAYS!

· Words to live by - do not argue with a spouse who is packing your parachute.

· You know the honeymoon is pretty much over when you start to go out with the boys on Wednesday nights, and so does she.

· The trouble with being the best man at a wedding is that you never get to prove it."

· Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe.

· If you want a committed man look in a mental hospital.

· Losing a husband can be hard. In my case, it was damned near impossible.

· Drink 'till she's cute, but stop before the wedding.

· A man said his credit card was stolen but he decided not to report it because the thief was spending less than his wife did.

· Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; the trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

· Did you hear about the wife who shot her husband with a bow and arrow because she didn't want to wake the children?

· Before we got married I caught her in my arms. Now I catch her in my pockets.

· He met her in a revolving door and has been going around with her ever since.

· Behind every successful man, there is a woman - And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two!

· Every man/woman should marry - After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.

· Our marriage was a love match, plain and simple. She was plain and I was simple!

· Before marriage & after marriage [ sms joke ]

He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
She: Do you want me to leave?
He: NO! Don't even think about it.
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: NO! Why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Yes!
She: Will you hit me?
He: No way! I'm not such kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes.

(then read from bottom to top)

Top 10 stupid things our fiances say to make us crazy

2008-09-23T20:19:00.002+08:00

10. "Are you wearing one of those 'dusters' over your face?"
9. "I know the wedding is next week, but when do I need to get measured for my tux?"
8. "Can we wear tuxes like those guys in Dumb & Dumber?"
7. "Can we dance our first dance to 'Low rider' or 'Let's get drunk & screw'?"
6. "Do we need centerpieces?"
5. "Your wedding dress cost HOW MUCH?? – Why can't you just rent a dress?"
4. "What day are we getting married? --- Wait the Buckeyes are playing that day!!!"
3. 'Why do we have to register for gifts? -- Well can we register at Bass Pro Shops?"
2. "Someone called about flowers or the cake or something. I didn't get their name or number…"
1. When you ask him what he thinks, he says "It doesn't matter to me" then as soon as you make a decision -- he all of the sudden cares and doesn't like the decision you made!!!

I'm thankful Jinggoy is very supportive and he's not in any way, transforming me to a bridezilla. As for #1, he usually says "It doesn't matter to me" and adds "...as long as you're happy with it."

SWEET!

lots of accomplishments!

2008-09-06T19:29:00.007+08:00

Saturday
woke up early for a weekend to accomplish 2 things:
1. Pay Greenhills West our venue rental
2. Go to the Wedding Expo '08

We got to accomplish #1 plus, we were able to talk to Mr. Talion (from Greenhills West Homeowners Association) regarding the function rooms we had to rent too. We also took photos of the venue and all our questions answered. Mr. Talion is such a nice guy!

We got to pay the full amount for the main hall and we have yet to pay the additional 4 function rooms. :)

Since Julie (our AE from Hizon's) had a function here, we were assured there'll be no regrets getting the additional function rooms to fit 250 heads.

Then, we headed to the Wedding Expo in PICC.

We got to book our invites from Printed Matter and we got book our wedding rings from Goldenhills. YEY!

After the Wedding Expo, Jinggs and I headed to the Mall of Asia for some ice cream! He had a fruit sundae something and I had my Belgian Waffles! Yummy! We love Haagen Dazs!

Yummy, noh?

Just for laughs, I'd just want to share you a list of rejected wedding band inscriptions...

A lifetime is all that I need... (to wreck yours)
A Perfect Fit ... (until I ate that box of ho hos)
All My Heart ... (and all my family, including Mom who hates you)
Always and forever ... (nagging you)
Baby, I'm Amazed By You ... (that you're so gullible)
Body, Mind And Heart ... (I own your ass)
Bound To An Angel ... (a Hell's Angel)
Burning for you ... (or maybe that's the Gonorrhea)
Committed to you ... (I should be committed BY you to a mental facility)
Don't Hope, Believe ... (I'll leave)
Endless Love ... (of cats)
Eternally Yours ... (like fruitcake)
Eternity ... (pray for death)
Everything I Do, I Do It For You ... (except that stuff I do to myself when you're gone)
Faithful & True ... (just not to you)
For Whither Thou Goest I Will Follow ... (thanks to the unenforceable stalker laws)
For You Alone ... (can drive me nuts)
Forever ... (or until something better comes along)
Forever Dancing To The Beat Of Your Heart ... (and I can't wait for it to stop)
Forever Entwined ... (in debt)
Forever Friends ... (in a platonic kind of way)
Forever In My Heart ... (and in my wallet)
Forever Together ... (even in the bathroom)
Forevermore ... (stupid Raven)
Forget Me Not ... (or my lawyer will make sure you remember)
Friends & Lovers ... (Well, friends)
From This Day Forward ... (you will have no peace or piece)
Grow Old With Me ... (until your secretary finishes high school)
I Could Not Ask For More ... (but I will anyway)
I did ... (with your brother)
I Do Not Wish To Love Any Other ... (right now, but the day isn't over)
I Finally Found You ... (stop trying to get away!)
I found love, and love was you ... (and your sister)
I Have Nothing More To Give You But My Heart ... (I just didn't know you'd take it from my ass)
I Knew From The Moment I Met You ... (because you slept with me that night)
I love you period ... (just not YOUR period)
I Promise You Forever ... (without parole)
I'm Amazed By You ... (how can someone so stupid not get hit by a car?)
It's Been You All The Time ... (looking in my bathroom window)
Joy without end (will end without joy)
Life Has Begun ... (to get really bad)
Love • Faith • Honesty ... (•Misery•Therapy)
Love Conquers All ... (mercifully, so does death)
Love, honor and obey. ... (Yeah right)
Mine ... (all your stuff)
My Cup Runneth Over ... (clean that up you slob)
My Dream Came True ... (Nightmares are dreams, right?)

My Life Began With You ... (and ended with you too)
Never shall we be parted … (those handcuffs are titanium!)
No holding back ... (my farts anymore)
Now I Am Complete ... (-ly in control)
Share Everything ... (well your stuff)
Solid Gold ... (digger)
Sparkle Of My Life ... (twinkle in my pants)
Take me ... (shopping)
Thank the Lord ... (No more blowjobs)
The Best Things Are Free ... (but you need to buy me everything else)
This the best ... (I will ever look)
Til My Dying Day ... (preferably from natural causes)
Today I Married My Friend ... (boy was my fiancé pissed)
Two Bodies, One Life ... (sentence if we got caught)
With Arms Wide Open ... (and mouth that never closes)
Wrapped around my finger ... (just like you)
You are my life ... (sentence)
You Are So Beautiful ... (when you're naked)
You Are The Reason ... (they made Prozac)
You Are The Reason I Am ... (not in police custody)
You give me butterflies ... (or is that gas?)
You Own My Heart ... (and apparently my ass too)
You're the best ... (I could do)
You're Still The One ... (who won't close the bathroom door)
You're still the One ... (who pays my bills)
You're The Answer To My Everything ... (or so you keep telling me)
You're The Answer To My Prayers ... (Why does God hate me?)
XOXOXOXO … (You suck at tic-tac-toe)

Source: Socyberty

prob: invitations

2008-09-01T11:52:00.003+08:00

well, we still do not have any invitations nor wedding bands yet. we'll probably scout for them on Saturday during the wedding expo.

Yes, we have to make the invitations our top in our priority list.

Here are a few wedding bloopers i got from w@w and youtube.

Enjoy!

Booked: Florist!

2008-08-24T23:38:00.003+08:00

I was able to set up an appointment with Mang Boy Mahusay (w@wie favorite) at Dangwa a week ago. He's got a lot of good feedbacks from weddingsatwork but a couple of negatives as well.

He wasn't at their stall but my mom and I were accompanied to his house.

We got our package (flowers for me, moms, all the ladies of the entourage, and for the car) for a bargain price of.... hahah SECRET!

I still have to call him up because I forgot the ones for our offertory.

booked: musicians!

2008-08-14T20:36:00.002+08:00

aside from having my simple dream wedding in Caleruega, I also wished to have a quartet. Well, if we can't have the former, we can settle with the latter. :)

Ms. Marijo Colmenar (Manila Philharmonic Orchestra) was so nice to accommodate us for our big date despite her fully-booked January 3. yipee!

updates, updates!

2008-08-06T19:57:00.002+08:00

We finally have an emcee! Well, it's no surprise because her team will also be handling my coordination. :) Ms. Marj Dizon will be our emcee for the big day.

Anyway, we'll also be scouting for a florist on the 18th (a non-working holiday).

Hmmm... what else? I've been working on the souvenirs. I bought some stuff from divi and I'll be using my glue gun and a pair of scissors to finish up the stuff. Hopefully, I can tie 'em all up by december. hahaha

Sensitivity

2008-06-09T16:17:00.003+08:00

Good thing it's a holiday. It's been a while since I added another supplier to our list of booked ones.

This afternoon, I met up with Knought, my maid of honor to have her measurements taken at Zandra's boutique. After that, my hon and I met up with Meanne Fondevilla of Sensitivity Lights & Sounds. She's really a treasure. First time I conversed with her, aside from bumping into her during one of the wedding expos in Megamall. She's super super nice!

She's Junie's (Jinggoy's sister) friend from Sykes. Yep, all of us worked in Sykes: Jinggoy, me, Meanne. Junie and Chummy (her fiancé) are still working there.

Anyway, we almost signed the contract but she made a few revisions. We're still undecided if we're getting strings or a band. It's actually one of my dilemmas. I didn't want to get any because I think we can't afford it. Jinggs is always confident with our budget, so he says we can. So, we might get one.

We'll meet up with them this week for the downpayment and to sign the contract.

Hay, expenses, expenses! Good luck!

A li'l sumthin' sumthin'

2008-06-02T14:25:00.003+08:00

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something new"

...and something stolen! hehehe

Well, we almost had a "something stolen" - a ring pillow Ryan used during Ron and Kat's wedding which was in our car. We returned it after a couple of days to the couple, during Keti's wedding.

Something old

This represents continuity. The bride may use something passed on from her grandmother to her mother, usually a heirloom; or it may be a family jewelry from another relative. I'll probably ask my mom for that. She'll probably hand me down something... or else!

Something new

Something that symbolizes a new union that will be created during the wedding, an optimism/positivism for the future and/or new hope.

This one can be your gown, your flowers, anything newly-bought. It's not that hard to have a "something new" during the wedding, right? Not unless you borrowed everything up to the last detail from other people.

My "something new" for the wedding will be my gown. :)

Something borrowed

They say it's about borrowed happiness.

Well, the "something borrowed" should be an item from a happily-married woman, therefore, lending her own happiness in marriage to the bride.

This item should be returned afterwards. If you don't return it, it'll turn out to be your "something stolen".

Not yet sure what this item will be during my wedding. I'll have months to think about and more time to bother other people.

Something blue

In ancient times, this symbolized faithfulness, purity and loyalty. Now, I've read some pages, it's now about fidelity, good fortune and love. Whatever blue means, again, it'll be for the couple's union.

It wouldn't hurt if you wear something blue - it may be a garter (the one you usually toss), a blue flower in your headdress or maybe your whole wedding theme.

Maybe my garter will be blue. My wedding theme's far from blue, so I really have to think about what this will be.

Got yours by this time?

got OTD!

2008-05-27T15:06:00.003+08:00

*OTD-On the Day Coordinator

well, it was actually a difficult choice.

I have been scouting for a good OTD, and a reasonable one, for months. I came across a host, Ms. Marjorie Dizon instead.

I initially asked about her hosting rates and then, I asked her about her OTD rates as well. We ended up booking her as our OTD coordinator but not as a host (yet). We might. :)

I'll probably need to check out how other emcees fare as hosts. Jinggoy is very picky and difficult to please. His requirement: must speak better English than him.

uh-oh!

Wedding Workout

2008-05-08T11:02:00.003+08:00

msn.com seems to post a lot of wedding-related stuff recently. Got this one from them.

Wedding Workout
by Kate Dailey for ExerciseTV

Every bride wants to look amazing in her wedding dress. But surviving your wedding day is a separate challenge altogether. The happiest day of your life is also a grueling, intense, marathon of a day—and one done in a corset and heels. That’s why we found the best tips to beat common wedding conundrums—and unveiled some new moves from Violet Zaki’s Bridal Body Burn Workout. Follow these steps to ensure that you start AND end the day looking fantastic.

PROBLEM: You have to spend an entire hour standing in front of your friends and family—no slouching or fidgeting!

SOLUTION: Add this move to your workout in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. It will work your triceps, shoulders, upper back, core, glutes, and thighs, and improve balance, all of which will help perfect your posture.

With a set of 5-pound weights, stand on your right leg with a soft knee. Lift your left knee to hip level, and bring your arms extended behind you with weights in both hands. Bring your hands closer together, almost touching. Open your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together. As you lift your arms up and away from your body, rotate your lift knee to the left keeping your hips and shoulders still. As you lower your arms, bring your knee back to the front. Do 10-12 reps on each leg with two counts up and two counts down.

“During the ceremony think about lengthening the back of your neck so that you look taller, confident, elegant and graceful,” says Zaki. “Avoid locking your knees—release them so that you are able to stand in those cute shoes for hours on end.”

PROBLEM: A pro (or a steady-handed pal) applied perfect makeup in the morning, but it has to last all day.

SOLUTION: Be sure to apply an oil-free moisturizer and a shine free primer before you have your makeup applied. “You don’t want to use a primer every day, because it blocks the pores and can lead to breakouts,” says Keri Ellet, celebrity makeup artist at the Jim Wayne Salon in Beverly Hills, Calif. “But for special occasions, it seals the pores and prevents the makeup from being absorbed into your skin.” Once your makeup is applied, seal it in a matte mineral powder.

PROBLEM: You’ll need a lot of calories and nutrients to get you through the day, but you’re also trying to squeeze into your dress.

SOLUTION: Fill up on lots of lean protein, which will give you long-lasting energy without upsetting your stomach. “It’s not going to hold onto extra water and make you feel puffy and bloated, like fiber may,” says Keri Glassman, owner of Nutritious Life, a nutrition consulting firm in New York City. Have fresh turkey, an egg-white omelet, or hard-boiled eggs.

Be sure to eat enough—no one wants a woozy bride. During the day, snack on edamame or nuts, which will give you a mix of good fat and protein. Berries offer a good mix of fiber and natural sugars, but will stain if you get sloppy, so try some peanut butter on a banana for a similar effect.

PROBLEM: To look perfect in pictures, you need to hold your bouquet high—but it’s heavier than you thought.

SOLUTION: Prepare your biceps, shoulders, glutes, and quads with this move, which will also help your balance and core. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with 5-pound weights in each hand, palms facing away from you. Squat, bringing your elbows to your knees, raising the weights into a bicep curl. Come out of the squat and stand, lifting your heels while extending your arms overhead turning palms away from you. Do these slowly, for three sets of 12.

“While holding your bouquet on your special day, pull your elbows in and be sure to have your hands in line with your elbows,” says Zaki.

PROBLEM: A ceremony full of laughter and tears has left you looking worn out.

SOLUTION: The most important thing you can do to freshen up your makeup is not re-applying your blush or your lipstick, but your under-eye concealer. “Tears, smiling—that’s a lot of wear and tear around your eyes, and it’s really easy to accumulate lines,” says Ellet. Using a Q-tip and makeup remover, remove the morning’s concealer and replaced it with a fresh application mid-day. “Your whole face looks so much fresher if you do that,” Ellet says.

Save some energy for after the big day because that's when the real fun begins. If you get started on it now, the Honeymoon Hot Body workout above will help you look look your best and feel great about your body on your wedding night.

a forwarded text from dad

2008-05-08T10:55:00.002+08:00

dad sent me a text message last saturday. Been forgetting to post this one.

Jacob and Ruth, both 89, are planning their wedding.

They visit a pharmacy and ask: "Do you carry medicines to control blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol?

"Do you have Viagra?

"How about drugs to promote blood circulation and memory?

"Medicines against arthritis and osteoporosis?

"Do you carry adult diapers?

"What about wheelchairs and walkers?"

The pharmacist says "YES" to all.

"In that case," says Jacob, "we'd like to choose your store for our Bridal Registry."

losing weight :(

2008-05-06T13:16:00.003+08:00

I've been trying to lose weight each week but during the beginning of the succeeding week, I gain them all back.

Jinggs and I have passion for food... good food, that is. We get to see each other only on weekends and that's where the binging begins.

We (or maybe just I, because he's not that interested) have to lose weight!

note to self: MAYA, READ!

Got this from msn.com:

Q: My fiancée recently tried on her wedding dress and had trouble zipping it up because she has gained weight in her back, middle, sides and breasts. Are there any exercises she can do to fit into her dress?

A: You don’t mention how soon your wedding is, but if it’s in a month or less, having the dress altered is probably a better solution.

If your fiancée has gained weight in her torso, she has gained fat. Specific core exercises that target the abs and back may help her to firm up, but they won’t slim her down because this type of exercise does not reduce fat. The best way to lose inches is to eat more healthfully and to do more cardio workouts such as walking, running, cardio machines and aerobics classes.

It’s unclear exactly how much weight loss corresponds to a certain amount of inch loss, since different people gain and lose fat in different places. The rule of thumb is that losing 10 pounds equals one dress size, but that’s not foolproof. Some women find that losing even 5 pounds can make their clothes looser.

Although your bride-to-be may want to reduce her calorie intake, she shouldn’t go on a crash diet because, while she may be skinnier on her wedding day, she may also look unhealthy and feel weak and fatigued as a result. One to two pounds a week is the healthiest weight-loss goal, but it requires a concerted effort to eat smaller portions and cut out the junk, as well as doing regular exercise on most days of the week.

As for a food plan, some people recommend cutting out carbs to reduce bloating and drop weight fast. However, bad breath can accompany a low-carb diet (and who wants halitosis on her wedding day—or wedding night!). Also, low-carb diets can cause extraordinary fatigue.

The most sensible way for your fiancée to tackle this problem is to follow a healthful diet that consists of small, regular meals. If she has trouble eating well during this super-busy pre-wedding time, she can order diet dishes prepared by a company that offers home delivery, or she can buy frozen diet dinners. It would also be a good idea to knock out all the unnecessary calories found in sweetened drinks and alcohol.

As for exercise, she should gradually build up to at least 60 minutes of cardio per day. A certified personal trainer can help her stick to a plan. Some trainers specialize in getting brides in shape for the big day.

password-protected

2008-05-03T18:44:00.004+08:00

I have placed a password in our weddingannouncer page.

Why? First, more people will know about our wedding. If we didn't send them invitations, either we'll hurt their feelings or they'll hurt ours. We're a peace-lovin' couple.

Also, we do not want to have an increase in the number of heads we've reserved for the caterer. Besides, there's a strict number of heads the venue can accommodate. We don't want to spend more for a bigger venue and spend more for additional heads. It's not easy to save up money. We're not rich.

Second, some ideas and designs are meant to be kept confidential. Some suppliers/vendors will opt not to have their designs and ideas copied by other people. I have high respect for them for not copying other people's work, but there are others who blatantly copy other people's works.

Also, I don't want to see the same idea/design in a different blog/wedding page way ahead of my wedding. I don't want to be the one who will imitate another bride's idea (invitation, venue, flowers, etc.), worse, gown.

I'm sorry, I don't want to sound rude or selfish but I just want to respect other people's ideas.

You can email me at mayacabrera at msn dot com

Thanks!

Maya

gown, gown, gown! yipee!

2008-04-29T09:18:00.006+08:00

I just posted the other entry when Zandra's email came in. She sent me the images of my gown she sketched for me! yipee!!!

Front:

Ecru-colored a-line silhouette made with duchess satin and lace. Silver and transparent beads accent the gown.

Back:

Court train with a 5-yard mantilla veil. (whoops! see front image for mantilla veil)

* I've removed the images as requested by special people close to my heart. send me an email if you want to take a peek at the sketch of the gown.

A visit to Zandra Lim's boutique

2008-04-29T08:40:00.003+08:00

Mom and I visited Zandra last night.

She's preggy and her tummy grew really bigger. She's got some cold right now and I do hope she gets well pretty soon.

We were able to take a look at different fabric swatches and narrow down on a few. We also got to talk on a few stuff regarding the entourage and also paid 50% of the total package.

I'm so happy to have one big thing accomplished.

Hon and i still have to fill in the missing links in our entourage list. they have to have their measurements taken until the first week of June.

I'll have to meet up with her on Friday for some the designs for the entourage gowns. yey!

The color of the swatches look really different in a scanned image, and probably in a photograph. I've scanned the swatches. I'll be uploading the photographed swatches later.

Dark chocolate is good for pregnant women: study

2008-04-28T11:29:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A daily snack of quality dark chocolate is healthy for pregnant women and protects them from possible high blood pressure problems, a medical study said Monday.

By biting into rich, dark chocolate, there is a 69 percent less chance of contracting preeclampsia, a major pregnancy complication with cardiovascular manifestations such as hypertension that affects up to eight percent of pregnancies, said Dr. Elizabeth Triche.

The associate director at the Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric & Environmental Epidemiology, at Yale University, co-authored the 1996-2000 study of 2,291 women published in the May issue of Epidemiology.

The study method measured the density of theobromine -- a chemical in chocolate -- in the arterial cord blood extracted from the umbilical cord at delivery.

The primary effects of theobromine include diuresis, myocardial stimulation and vasodilatation. Other chemicals in chocolate include magnesium, which lowers hypertension, and flavanoids, which are potent antioxidants, the study said.

"Quantifying self-reported chocolate and cocoa consumption is extremely difficult due to considerable variation in the cocoa content of chocolate products," Triche said.

"The darker (the chocolate) is, the better it is. The more highly processed, the more fat and sweet it is, the less it contains theobromine," she said, adding that theobromine concentrations in chocolate vary from 0.15 percent to 0.46 percent.

"In this prospective cohort of pregnant women, we observed that chocolate consumption, as measured by cord serum levels of the biomarker theobromine, was associated with lower risk of preeclampsia," the study concluded.

"It's like eating a good quality chocolate bar every day," said Triche.

Source: Yahoo News

*I'm not pregnant but this might sound interesting. :)

some wedding-related videos.. enjoy!

2008-04-10T18:32:00.002+08:00

A brief guide about bridesmaids

First Dance

Wedding Cake booked!

2008-04-07T14:22:00.003+08:00

We were able to book our wedding cake with Mr. Alex Franco.

We met up with him last night and he was such a nice person.

There are a lot of reasons why we decided to get him:

- His cakes are all edible - all 5 layers. Other bakeshops can create only 3 layers with the same price (just a part of the bottom layer is edible). A lot cannot create ALL edible cake layers.
- He has a wider range of flavors. We're kinda sick with the generic flavors other vendors offer - apple walnut, butter pound, carrot cake, chocolate fudge, butter rum cake... what else is new?
- I may have liked how these fad, fancy fondant cakes look, but he makes simple but classy cakes.

When we met up with him, there are a lot more reasons why we liked him:
- He's easy to talk to
- He knows what he is doing
- He taught us how to slice our cake
- His package includes an additional 30 small fudge brownie pieces
- He doesn't ask for a downpayment
- We'll be getting a free chocolate cake on our wedding day :)
- He gave us a free cake last night!

We'll have a cake just like the one pictured. Jinggoy likes the steel cake stand so much. We'll have fruits and flowers garnished in the cake with a gold ribbon and red pearls as accents for every layer.

Another thing accomplished! What's next? :)

blog updates, ideas, etc.

2008-04-06T18:27:00.002+08:00

I'm thinking of creating another page for our wedding... more features, flash stuff, more pictures, and maybe, just maybe, our own domain and space.

Then I realized it's just another set of expenses :(

It'll be great for the out of towners, those who will be coming in from the US, Spain and London, but I'll probably stick to the free stuff - weddingannouncer.com and blogspot! yey!

Oh, we'll be meeting up with Mr. Alex Franco tonight and talk about our cakes! :)

Update: Couturier chosen!

2008-04-01T19:00:00.005+08:00

Mom and I arrived at Zandra Lim's boutique 15 minutes earlier. She was more than ready to talk to us.

I showed her a gown I really liked (that's the one on the left side) and she recommended some stuff to fit my budget.

She asked me what I liked in the gown. I told her I love how lace flatters the feminine body, the way the fabric embraces and hides the tummy, the a-line skirt, and of course, the mantilla veil.

She suggested some hues which will be fit for our theme, the type of fabric they can use, and what fit will look better for a heavy-bodied me.

She then worked on her design, both front and back. Mom and I loved it! Even if it's just a sketch, the design pops out. It also shows with how intricate her work will be - both lace and some beads.

The price was reasonable. I wrote about how reasonable a gown's price is and hers is just really reasonable... well, sulit!

I still have do discuss with my honey regarding the entourage's gowns, but for sure, we'll take Zandra for my gown.

rant and rave: couture and cake

2008-04-01T15:16:00.003+08:00

Rant: contacted cecilio abad via email inquiring how much my preferred gown will cost, as well as the costs for bridesmaids and mothers. I initially forgot to attach the two files but still tried to be down to earth and polite so I did my email in Filipino...

He did answer my question but not the other question about the cost of the bridesmaids' and mothers' gowns.

So short and yes, straight but probably lacked some customer service skills.

I still appreciate his time in answering my email. Unfortunately, based on the email, he gave the price and immediately closed the door. I won't waste my money with a person who can probably make good gowns but has an attitude. I know there are some other coutures who can make better gowns than him. tsk tsk tsk

Hi maya,

Ang ganung gown ay nagkakahalaga ng P56,879.01

maraming salamat,
cecilio abad

m c wrote:

Sorry about that.
Thanks!

Maya

Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:20:15 -0700
From: cecilioabadcouture@yahoo.com.ph
Subject: Re: Inquiry
To: xxxx@msn.com

maya, wala pong naka attach na file.

m c wrote:

Hi Sir Cecil,

Inquire lang po ako kung magkano aabutin sa gown na ganito (2 attached files). Hindi ko rin po sure kung anu-ano yung klase ng mga fabric, except for the spanish lace na nasa top and veil.

Magkano din po kaya yung gowns nyo sa ento and mothers?

Thank you!

Maya

RAVE!!!
I got to talk to Mr. Alex Franco regarding our cake. He's so nice, kalog and very accommodating! We've set up an appointment on Sunday. He asked me NOT to bring money for the downpayment because he doesn't usually ask for DPs.

I've seen his works from his webpage (http://www.alexfrancocakes.com/) and tasted it during Cathee's wedding. Superb!

He makes good-looking cakes which are definitely delish, plus, he's a kind and easy to talk to person! No wonder he's successful!

Another little rave!
I got a text from Zandra Lim confirming our appointment later. I'll be seeing her later.

---
Kudos for Mr. Alex and Zandra!

dilemma: couture

2008-03-30T20:25:00.003+08:00

it's probably a couple of months since I'm torn with who to get as my couture for my gown and my entourage's. Budget has been a concern for me, so I'm trying to look for a a couture who offers reasonable prices.

Everyone's prices are always reasonable. The intricacy of the beadworks has always been their main focus and that's where the "reasonable" thing varies. If a famous designer offers a gown for 50k minimum, for him, it's reasonable. For me, it's not. My gown's lace, no beadwork required.

I've contacted Zandra Lim but the appointment has always been moved to a later date. :( I like her works and Cathee was her client. Cathee highly recommends her. Still my first choice.

I've visited Jae Eleria of Eleria Manila. He's my cousin's friend. His works are nice, he is nice. His packages start at PhP40,000 but based on my gown's design, the package is PhP55,000.

Cathee also recommended Farley (for my ento's gowns) but I haven't contacted him. His office is in Malabon... quite far from where I live. Measurements can be taken at our house or in a specific place where the rest of my entourage can go.

I've also contacted Leonie Bautista. I thought she still has a stall in Tutuban. When we went there more than a month ago, she gave up her space and holds office in Las Piñas. :(

Karen Reyes, my friend and makeup artist recommended Veronika Velayo. A new name in the business. She specializes in lace gowns, but I found her price a bit steep. I also found a negative feedback regarding her.

Joel Bautista's bridal gowns start at PhP25,000 but there's no appeal. Sorry.

Veluz Reyes.. a good name in the industry has gowns ranging from Php 45,000 to Php130,000. Her ento gowns start at Php 5,500 while moms' gowns start at PhP8,500. Quality is what she's known for. Taga-UP pa! :)

The Perfect Gown Depot of Malou Castillejos offers a reasonable package which starts at PhP 67,000 which includes the bridal gown, 1 maid of honor, 2 bridesmaids, 3 secondary sponsors, 2 flowergirls, and wedding accessories. Not appealing to me too.

Michelle Lim's gowns range from Php30,000 to PhP80,000.

Jinggoy's sister, Junie, also gave me a number for a couture who made a wedding gown for a friend of hers. If you recall Belle's wedding gown in "Beauty and the Beast", that mananahi was able to replicate it perfectly. I still have to contact that nameless tailor/couture. :D

I also asked my cousin Ging regarding the couture who made her countless dresses during her debut last June. She had 2 coutures for that event. One was her cousin (father's side) and the other, someone who makes gowns for another actress. I haven't gotten the contact numbers for those coutures.

Haaaay, I'm giving myself a deadline for this. Maybe next week? How about in a couple of weeks? Next, next week? Next, next week? It's just 9 months and 4 days until the big day.

yay!

Update: Paid P/V 25%

2008-03-26T12:05:00.002+08:00

Yey! We got to pay Redfox 25% already.
We still have to pay probably 50% during our prenup, which will probably be on October.
We also talked to Gemma and Bobby. They showed us nice prenup pics in Intramuros (Casa Manila). :)

After paying Redfox, we proceeded to Dexter's in Katipunan.

We inquired about their cakes and a 3-layered cake, bottom only edible will cost us 20K. Hmmmm... Some cakes will have all edible layers at that price. it's just that we don't like the flavors and sometimes, the design.

We'll probably talk to Alex Franco instead.

just trying out something

2008-03-18T19:27:00.003+08:00

i stumbled upon this new service by Animoto.com... you'll get to create your own 30-second slideshow with your own pictures for free.

mom's thoughts

2008-03-18T06:56:00.001+08:00

My mom and I dropped by Zandra Lim's boutique to set an appointment yesterday. Zandra wasn't around so we'll meet up with her this afternoon instead.

Last night, we were in the living room while I was telling her about our wedding plans and the current trends in wedding.

I showed her what prenup pictures are and had her watch Cathee and Mike's AVP during their wedding.

I showed her pictures of different people who will be involved in our entourage.

I forgot whose pictures we were looking at, but all of a sudden, she said, "magkamukha kayo ni jinggoy". I was like, "huh?".

Yeah, that came from my mom. Usually, moms tell you that you look as pretty as them, but my mom is definitely one of a kind!

a day at the bridal fair

2008-03-09T18:00:00.007+08:00

Jinggoy and I headed to the bridal fair saturday afternoon. We tried to sneak this into our schedule because:
1. I was sick.
2. I had to go home by 3pm and work.
3. Traffic was terrible.

Anyway, I was able to drive and we got to avoid heavy traffic (i feel i drive like a cabbie!).

We got to PICC (remembering ASEAN days) and the parking was full :(

Cakes

We checked out a lot of cakes. Unfortunately, my honey didn't like the flavors. Common flavors they have are apple-walnut, banana-walnut, butter pound, butter cake, chocolate, carrot-walnut.

Sugarbox had strawberry shortcake but they can't make a cake that's ALL edible. :( It's just disappointing to know that you're paying thousands (minimum is 10k) for a 3-layered cake with just the bottom part edible. ugh!

we didn't get to book for our cake :(

Photo-Video Coverage

We were a bit sad we didn't get to book almost anything. Getting a photo-video coverage was also a dilemma for us.

For months, we've been deciding which to choose. Jinggoy is very picky when it comes to pictures. We had a hard time with the photographers because he didn't like them.

During a weddings and debuts fair in megamall, we came across a new name: Red Fox Photography. My hon was glued to their works. Editing was nicely-done. Classic shots - just what my honey wanted. The co-owner, Bobby delos Santos was easy to talk to and he knows what he is doing. We didnt book them yet but it had a big potential.

Jorge was also one photographer we were looking into. We might get a lot of freebies but we still had to look into their works.

After another wedding fair with the absence of Red Fox, we were more likely leaning into Jorge.

When we got to PICC, I told my hon to finalize the photographer. We're glad Red Fox was there. Sir Bobby was nice and he remembered us, as well as the packages we talked about. We finalized a few things and booked them.

Got my mag!

I've been planning to buy a Wedding Essentials magazine for weeks now, but it costs PhP350. While we were there, my hon bought me one! I was so happy!

We left the venue and he got excited to read it... yep, he was the one who wanted to read it! LOL when he opened the bag, the guy placed an outdated magazine! grrrr!

good thing we were still in the vicinity of PICC, minus the parking slot. :( I just asked the guard if we can park for a while near the entrance while I had the magazine changed. I got to change it, I just had to add an additional P50 because the guy charged us PhP300 for back issue. just got a bit disappointed with that. we didn't check everything before we left. I had to run back and forth because I didn't bring any money with me.

At least I got my mag.. thanks to my honey!

One reason why I was trying to get hold of this copy is because of the different themes they have, especially SPANISH! yebah!

too bad, we don't have the Spanish-ey venue like Barbara's or somewhere in Intramuros, nor the budget to pay for an events stylist but the mag gave me more ideas (aside from the ones which i already have in mind - cigar souvenirs, abanicos, mantille de manila, peinetas, etc).

updates

We have the colors already: Red and gold (as what my aunt told my mom, "the colors of the Spanish flag!"). hahaha My aunts won't miss Spain while they're here for a vacation during our wedding!

We have souvenirs too for the guests! I still have to do the packaging - buy organzas, sew them and put ribbons!

Our entourage is complete. it's just a matter of informing the people.

I still do not have a couturier, gown designer or someone who'll make the gowns for the entourage. i know, it's a major thing and I have to look for one asap.

I'll probably do some DIY with the smaller stuff so I can cut down on our expenses.

I'm not thinking there's still a lot of time. Little by little, I do get things done and booked. I don't want to end like a bridezilla! :)

Bride sues runaway groom

2008-03-06T11:08:00.003+08:00

Janice, my officemate, was telling us about this story she read in a news site.
The guy is such a jerk and an asshole! THE NERVE!

Bride sues runaway groom

A CIVIL case for damages and attorneys fees was filed yesterday against a man who left his bride-to-be waiting in the altar right before they were supposed to exchange their “I dos”.

Lilibeth Gaviola wants the Regional Trial Court (RTC) to compel her would-be husband, Ryan Sesante, to pay close to P500,000 in actual damages, including the expenses incurred for the wedding, moral damages and attorney’s fees.

She said the incident (their scheduled wedding last Dec. 22) left her feeling downgraded. Her “shameful story” appeared in the newspapers and became the subject of a few commentaries.

“Plaintiff has no more choice except to go to court and seek therein relief for the injustice and pain that she had suffered from the hands of defendant,” Gaviola said.

In her complaint, Gaviola narrated how she met Sesante back in college when they were classmates taking up accounting at the Southwestern University.

She said they graduated together and found work separately, meeting again accidentally only in December 2005 at the Saint Vincent Church in Barangay Sambag II.

Sesante, she said, courted her sometime after that and, by February 2006, they were sweethearts.

After a year of being steady, they then decided to get married, with Sesante asking Gaviola’s hand from her parents last June 17.

“The parties arranged for their wedding, starting with getting of the marriage license and church requirements, then arranging for the principal and secondary sponsors, place of reception, invitations and other details for the wedding. The reception was booked at Royal Concourse, with 100 persons reserved for the occasion. Invitations to relatives and close friends were made (as well as) video coverage of the wedding and reception,” she said.

In the morning of the wedding, Gaviola said she was at the Golden Peak Hotel together with her make-up artist, getting ready for the big day.

She, on board the bridal car, was already at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish on Escario St. Cebu City 15 minutes before the schedule.

Sesante arrived half an hour late.

“Upon defendant’s arrival, his mother immediately wore the barong over him with his eyes seemed teary. Then, the wedding ceremony started with the priest harping on the delay as it commenced,” Gaviola said.

The ceremony, albeit a bit behind schedule, progressed without a hitch until the part where vows are exchanged.

She alleged that when the priest asked him if if he was willing to take Gaviola as her lawfully wedded wife, a girl wearing a skirt and eyeglasses shouted to the priest to stop the wedding and called out Sesante’s name twice.

Sesante, in turn, “without any hesitation or saying something or anything, turned his back and walked very fast toward the lady. They then hugged each other and went outside the church together.”

Gaviola said the priest even called out to Sesante, asking him to come back. And when he did not, the priest even went after him. But, to no avail.

In the end, the crowd proceeded to the restaurant for the banquet. She, on the other hand, went home with her parents, depressed. (KNR)

Source: Sun Star Cebu

makeup artist!

2008-02-25T17:18:00.003+08:00

We went to the bridal fair at the megamall on the 16th.

At the fair, someone called out my name. It was Karen Reyes! A classmate of mine back in high school and a year in college, plus, a neighbor! she lives 2 blocks away from my house.

She's a makeup artist under Madge Lejano. So wonderful to see her there.

I've actually considered Madge Lejano and Eddie Bruan but after seeing Karen, I have set my mind on getting her as my makeup artist instead.

I got to talk to my hon's sister, Junie. We talked about our wedding plans. She's almost done and i'm not halfway through. Our weddings are just 2 weeks apart. Yay! She also told me she'll be getting Karen as her makeup artist, another reason to get her for my wedding!

I found Karen's number after a couple of weeks. Contacted her and I'll be signing the contract probably within this week.

One down... what's next?? :)

monograms, anyone?

2008-02-19T22:13:00.010+08:00

i'm still unsure of our wedding motif.

at first, i thought of red and white. red and orange is a bit loud. keti suggested, red, white and gold. now, i'm thinking of probably using red and gold. not for a chinese good luck theme, but for a Spanish flair! :)

Need your inputs on these. which one should we use? i'm very much open to suggestions. :)

This one, is of course, a silhouette of a bull. You'll see this silhouette on top of hills or mountains in Spain and is always colored black. It's somewhat a national symbol of Spain. It's called "The Osborne's Bull".

I'm still trying to work on how to make it look like gold. If it's printed out, it should be a golden bull.

If we're going for a classic theme, not a contemporary one, ditch this.

These four hearts are somewhat inspired by some Spanish lace. I just liked the stamp of the heart and just decided to play with it. :) You can click on any image to check out the larger img.

Well, the one on top is the very first one i made. next two are some of the last I made.

Ethics-wise, these 2 monograms shouldn't be used in invitations. They're for receptions or after the wedding ceremony. I wont use them. Just practicing.

Choosing the Wedding Party

2008-02-14T11:10:00.005+08:00

Well, for a couple of weeks now, I have been a bit confused and torn as to who to choose for the bridal party, especially on my side.

Last Sunday, we were able to plot our list. We have yet to contact those people in our bridal party.

--

taken from bwedd (Brillian Wedding Pages) - http://www.bwedd.com/CEBride/CEBNewsletter_46.asp

Choosing the Wedding Party

Think that choosing the bridal party for your wedding is easy? Think again.

There is actually a lot of thought that should go into choosing your wedding party. You may think that you should just pick your best friends, and often this will be true, but there is much more to consider before making the decision.

First, it is a good idea to make a list of the potential people you and your fiancé would like to include in your wedding party. You may discover that you would like to have 5 people stand up on your side, while he only really wants 2 people to stand up on his side. There is no rule that says that you have to have the same number on both sides, so discuss what you think is right for you both.

Second, take a good look at the people on your list. Keep in mind that standing up in a wedding can be expensive. Is there anyone on your list that you don't feel you could place this burden on? Are there other ways to include this person in your wedding (for example, a reader, personal attendant, etc.)?

Next, are there any people on your list who you think may be overly critical or undermining of your plans? On your wedding day and the months before you don't want someone questioning your every move. Constructive criticism is helpful, but a controlling personality could raise tensions and bring lots of stress. If there are people like this, try and find a role for them that better suits their personality. Maybe you need someone to coordinate the wedding party as to when they should walk down the aisle. Or, someone to make sure the cake is in the right spot and on time.

When choosing your maid of honor and best man, think about who has been there in times of trouble in your life. Who do you think will always be there for you in the future? Hopefully, there will be one person who stands out, but if there are more you can always have two maids of honor. In fact, you can pretty much do whatever you want, within reason. It is your wedding!

Don't feel pressured to choose bridesmaids based upon whose weddings you were asked to stand up in. You may hurt some feelings slightly, but you need to do what is right for you. In the end, a true friend will understand your decision and be supportive of it, despite their initial feelings.

Finally, don't forget to keep in mind things like - how much room there will be at the bridal table (can you fit everyone?), pictures (are there too many people to fit in a photo?), the ceremony (will there be a place for everyone to stand?), and other issues that may affect your decision.

Your wedding is a time to celebrate the love that you share, not a time to concentrate on cultivating your friendships. Surround yourselves with the people who support this love, who have helped you along the way, and who you think will uplift your marriage in the future!

Venue here, venue here!

2008-02-10T22:34:00.001+08:00

We got to book our venue and we got to pay our reservation fee last Saturday!

Finally, we have....
*drumrolls*

Greenhills West Clubhouse

Yipee!!!!!

That's one big step for Jinggoy and one big leap for Maya! :)

Mr. Dens was so accommodating and so nice! He's took us for a tour around the venue, gave some suggestions, and gave some tips too, regarding the venue.

Sunday, we also got to fill our list for the entourage. We'll just confirm the people in our list so we can have a finalized list!

Venue Search Part 1 (continued)

2008-01-23T21:47:00.000+08:00

Well, I was supposed to call GH West to inquire. Actually, my Tito Jairus (future ninong) helped us out. They have a friend who lives in GHW! Unfortunately, I forgot to call the admin today.

Prices:

North Greenhills Clubhouse - PhP11,000 (4 hours, i think) plus PhP5,000 cash bond

Greenhills West Multipurpose Hall - PhP 12,000 (non-resident with sponsor, 5 hours), PhP2,000 per additional hour, PhP5,000 refundable bond, PhP1,500 utility/electrical/security

Philippine Stock Exchange Auditorium - PhP 4,000/hr (minimum 3 hours) plus setup fee of PhP100/hour, plus personnel fee of PhP280/hr (all 4 crew), plus PhP 100/outlet for electricity, and lastly PhP 20,000 cash bond (WHEW!)

Hopefully, we can have Greenhills West booked/pencilbooked this week.

Good luck to us!

Venue Search Part 1

2007-12-19T17:51:00.000+08:00

First venue near SSJ that I checked was the North Greenhills Club House.
It was priced 11k for the first 4 hours with a security bond of 5k. Place was a bit small and there was a stairs which I might find impractical for the senior citizens.

December 15

Brought my hon to the North Greenhills Club House. He said it was ok. Just fits 250 but not much room for movement or activities. Price is ok. He didn't have the problem with the stairs. It's our first choice so far.

After NGH Club House, we tried to look for the Greenhills West Club House. It's a perfect venue for us. Ample parking space, reasonable price, venue fit for probably 250 people. Problem is, we have to have a GH West resident sponsor.

Lastly, we checked the venue at the Philippine Stock Exchange Building. I find the auditorium nice and spacious. People will have to pay for their own parking, though. P35/car for the whole event. Wall-to-wall carpet and it looks like a hotel ballroom. It's just located at the ground floor, so there won't be a prob with older people. It has a stage. That stage is a problem for Jinggoy. He doesn't want to be seated on a stage. He doesn't want our table to be placed on the stage. If we won't use the stage, the tables won't fit anymore. :(

Decisions, decisions...
The winner is the GH West Clubhouse with our big problem of looking for a sponsor who is a homeowner at GHW. Any volunteers? :D

Still searching...

Getting ready!

2007-12-03T12:36:00.000+08:00

We just got engaged on the 24th of November in Baguio.

Wedding will be some time in January, 2009. Just a couple of weeks after his li'l sister ties the knot with her fiancé.

We planned to go to Santuario de San Jose on Saturday, December 1. Unfortunately, he had a hangover from his colleague's stag party the previous night, so I had to go there on my own.

It'll probably feel different if we went there together, but just the same, I was happy. Had the date set to January 3, 2009, Saturday, 4:00pm.

After making a reservation with the church, I went to North Greenhills clubhouse to check on the possible venue.

Ms. Oline was very accommodating. The venue can accommodate up to 250 guests and they had a reasonable price. I still have to consult and bring my hon there for more inputs.

The next day, December 2, 2007, we met up with bespren Cathee. She's helping us a lot with the preparations. She brought us to Hizon's food tasting at the Blue Leaf at the Fort.

We paid our reservation!

So as of December 2, 2007:

Date of wedding: January 3, 2009, 4:00pm
Church: Santuario de San Jose, East Greenhills
Reception: NONE yet
Caterer: Hizon's

I'm so excited!

When we got home, Sunday, hon and I talked to my folks about our plans. Serious talk, asking for their blessing. They were very supportive of our decisions and if we need help, they're just around the corner. :)

He also sent a text message to his mom who resides in the States. She gave us our blessings and wishes us all the luck!

THIS IS IT!!!