Accomplishments indeed!
The past long weekend has been more productive actually. Do read on :)

PRIEST
Well, we finally got one! Karla was KIND enough to refer me to their parish priest, and since I trust her good taste, Jojo and I met with Father Ed Coroza. We missed his Mass (well, he held it in another parish) but he seemed ok to talk to. He was very accommodating and he is now checking our missal. See, Feast of the Innocents (Dec 28) is a religious feast and he promised to check if there are strict liturgies that could not be exchanged, even for a wedding.

And he texts back! How cooler can he be?!

INVITATIONS
Due to delays in the final list of sponsors (principal and secondary, mostly from my Baby's side), we've only just finalized the mock-up for the invites. Jojo spent the weekend at my house, and we were up till around 3:00 AM Sunday morning putting the finishing touches on the invites. We printed the mock ones Sunday night and also finished the map.

My sis and cousin liked the mocks so much, they thought we were shooting for a complete DIY. Well, it turns out that our invites are partly DIY because we came up with the layout and the monogram and etc. Raintree will just print it for us to get the yellow shade we really want.

And actually, the invites are very simple. Since the wedding is actually themeless save for the insistence on using citrus green, yellow and orange colors, and gerbera flowers everywhere, it's just going to be a sort of formal affair. That, and the fact that i've suddenly run out of all creative juices.

In fact, we got part of the idea of the invite from a menu card!

No pictures though because my camera is shot.

KISSING BELLS
We bought more bells at Divi and more ribbons (I bought a 1 1/2 inch thick organza ribbon this time). And lucky for me, who can't seem to ribbon up the organza well, my cousin started on them last night! Bwahahaha... she'd have them finished today. :)

GIFTS FOR ENTOU
I already ordered the bag charms for my female SS and MOH, and ordered some extra to send as tokens to our benefactors. We also bought some more piglets in Divi for other little girls who'd want one.

We're back to giving Becky's cakes to our PS (with framed photos with us at the wedding to follow).

GROOM'S PANTS
Bought 4 yards of Dacron Wool at Ylaya Textile Building (i dunno which shop), 2 yards each of black and caramel wool (we got the caramel wool at a discounted price of P175/yard, orig price is P190... yes, bless that lady). We've inquired from different shops in Makati (one haberdashery in Glorietta sells Dacron wool at P1k/yard, goodness!) and found one charging P1k for labor.

Jojo decided to try first the tailor near us. Turns out, they charge P350 per pants. We're getting his new pants on Nov. 20.

GUEST SHEETS, ETC.
Bought packs and packs of different-colored boards to print our guest sheets on. I intend to pack them in 10s to facilitate their distribution per table. I also have to finalize now the Kissing Bells instruction card. Am tempted to go cheesy but chances are, I won't.

What else... ah, the personal touch... Still really have to figure out that one.

STRING TRIO + TENOR
Jojo and I have decided very early in the wedding preps that we won't get a band nor string group for the reception. We said we'd make do with a good DJ and sound system. Getting Enigma also meant that we could offer videoke time to the elders if they choose to stay after the reception program (and finish off the free flowing booze while catching up on each other). We've also collected songs from our HS days to play for our friends.

All good. :)

But at the wedding expo last September, my Baby suddenly wanted musicians too. Granted we didn't have church musicians for the wedding ceremony yet. Still, we had to talk and agree again that we didin't allot money for them.

But two weeks ago, I just had to volunteer for April's parents' silver wedding anniversary, which led me to Bernie Pasamba. Yes, it's all April's fault that I was so touched by the music at her parents' reception, I absolutely gushed over this group! I seldom gush over something, sus!

But really, they were THAT good. It was as if the garden was ALIVE!!!

And I raved and raved and raved about them. And I was really sad not to have the P14k to get them.

But it turned out we do. Or that love will find a way.

After getting lost in both Glorietta and Greenbelt looking for Le Rosh Cafe last Saturday, we were able to pay downpayment already. We also requested for Austin (tenor) and Bernie (violin).

HOTEL FOR WEDDING PREPS
We were originally booked at Westin. Only, Westin has decided its grounds are off limits if you're not having your reception there. So that's goodbye photo ops. Westin also is very strict about bringin in snacks for the suppliers who will be fussing over you on your wedding day.

And although I have half-baked, devious plans of sneaking in food... it was just really a hassle I don't really want to be dealing with.

And then came an idea. Why not just forego the photo ops and get a cheaper hotel? Savings can go to Bernie Pasamaba payments instead! :)

So that's what we did. We're now booked at Pearl Manila (almost a stone's throw away from Paco Park, bwahaha) in a 2-bedroom suite (that's 70 sq. m. of space!) for 3 days-2 nights. Not only did we save some P5k on room accommodations (and it's an upgrade too, because our booking at Westin was only for standard rooms), we also saved on parking fees (Westin charges P100 which would really ruin pockets as people come and go, delivering food, running errands and what-nots) and corkage fees for snacks!

What's more, because the hotel is cheap, some friends and relatives are booking rooms there too :)

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AFTER THE WEDDING
My Dad gave us the option to use an apartment they're renting out (that's beside our house) for our intial home. Waking Jojo up, he agreed to the arrangements.

We really want a place that's not so near our homes to separate the life we're building together from our families. But this is the most practical arrangement financially (we can save the money instead as deposit for our future home), physically (it's near my work) and emotionally (Pyro will have his TCV surgery on January).

Now we can't wait for our tenants to leave so we can start repainting and whatever. We're also already antsy to buy our bed and maybe our first Christmas tree. :)

Still, I cannot help but be saddened that my Baby will have to leave the clean, peaceful BFRV village he's lived in most of his life... to join me in my part of Manila.

He admits he's hated our area ever since he first walked through its poo-ridden street. But it also just so happened that his love grew up there and he acknowledges that so far, nothing bad has happened to me yet.

And also, he said he'd be reminded every day to take me out of there and give me a better life.

(not that my parents didn't give me a good life, just because we grew up there)