... the best has started


Photo courtesy of Doc Emer

These roads lead to our happiness...


yes, baby... the best is yet to come...

Practice...

My Baby admits he's nervous. Me, am just irritated and annoyed with the zoning thingie... and looking forward to the Holidays.

My Baby also had one important concern... how would we kiss, whe he gets told to KISS ME FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS HIS WIFE.

And so last night, we practiced.

It was hilarious!

It was exciting!

It was delicious!

It made us both nervous.

The Last 7 Days

Little annoying things are hounding us these days...

there's the payments of course :D Ekshuli, FIL was kind enough to pay for the rest of the catering requirements... He even accompanied Jojo there last monday... and he, too, fell in love with our reception venue.

am still doing some last-minute giftwrapping of tokens... have also started packing things to bring to the caterer on the 27th... and to the hotel.

single-handedly dealt with the missalettes... mastered the art of stapling them :) however, printing them sucked big time... i could never get them to perfectly be aligned when i print them back to back... printed a special set for us and the Priest (it was ring-binded for easier turning) and an a4-big copy for the readers

cleaned up my desk since i'd be away for some 2 weeks

we still don't have a concrete honeymoon venue... and too late i realized, i'd be having my period on january 1. tsk!

already, gifts have started pouring in... cash, kind...

we've also already laid down the linoleum at our bedroom (dad and jojo wanted vinyl tiles which i didn't want because i think am just going to ruin them while i'm still learning to keep house) and i've transferred some of our junk there already...

got most of the gowns from Tet... my Mom's and cousin's are both a little tight... and my niece's was long... but all in all, am just worried over MY gown, which Tet will deliver on the night of the 27th

still has to pass by St. Vincent's Parish Office to sign some sort of contract...but we've already paid the balance there too...

am currently dealing with the 2nd most dreadful thing about weddings (first is payments!!!): the seat plan.

i actually just want general table assignments and zoning of guests... i'd never even dream of listing down specific names per table... it's just not very flexible that way...

am realizing we're exceeding the 300 guests that are already paid for...

although there have been initial "so sorry, i'd be a no-show" calls already... i think we'd still hit 330 guests (considering the group/company/community invites we sent out)

and heaven help me, i still have to deliver an invite to my Ninang...

it's just that am also having sinus allergy attacks and rashes so i'm generally itchy and lazy

so yeah... PMS, wedding stress, nerves, sick nephew, allergies, holidays...



TIP TO THOSE WANTING TO GET MARRIED: Don't in December :D

anyway... now am going back to my dance practice for the office's Xmas Party!

(btw, congrats to my friends who are also December brides... like mai, jacque, chris and charie...)

The Last Anniversary

Days have been hectic and toxic as we cram work and preps and QT (quality time) into the remaining days leading to our wedding day.

We were both on leave last Monday, to fetch gowns and assist my just-arrived Mom with her errands and also consult with PICC and conduct numerous ocular inspections of our reception venue.

Yes, we've only just finalized our reception layout plan.

And my Mom still had a lot of things to be adjusted for her gown.

And my gown still has to be beaded. And Tet and company are having trouble getting it to fit perfectly around my bodice. May they be able to prop it up well... for I don't really want to flash my guests, exhbitionistic that I am.

And I have to wrap the other gifts to my entou... and package the goodie bags of the kids in our wedding party.

*~*

Yesterday was our last monthsary as an unmarried couple. And after the 28th, we'd be having two anniversary dates already... March 14 and December 28.

My Baby joined me as I went to St. Vincent's parish office to pay our remaining balance... he then brought me to work.

Later he fetched me from work (shucks, kaka-spoil!) to accompany me to PICC where we'd be meeting with our AEs from PICC and Barbara's, as well as our OTD coordinator.

Ycay (PICC AE) was very worried with the rains... and was infectious with her worry. She kept offering us their Banquet Hall instead... a ballroom of sorts with low ceilings and plush carpets that can accommodate 320 people. With fancy chandelier-like lighting, it overlooks our real venue, The Courtyard.

You can't go wrong with Banquet Hall... but I had my heart set on an outdoors reception. I've been asking myself a lot if I have the grace to take things in stride if we get a downpour before or during the reception. I've also been asking myself where i'd feel WORSE... having to relocate because of rain in the middle or before the reception program... or already switching to the banquet hall, and then have no rain on the night of my wedding.

Anyway, after being shown the Banquet Hall... we proceeded to the Courtyard. One option we have is to set things up at the Bridgeway... and have the spillover under a sheltered part of the Courtyard... IF it rains, or if it rained too much during the day that the entire Courtyard will be slippery.

I actually like that better... even if the lighting at the Bridgeway is plain fluorescent light at best. See, you still have some garden view and breeze will be flowing freely among us.

And then, for the first time ever since we first discovered the place... the lights were lit for us that night.

And Rowie (my coord) gasped and said, "Ay Mec, dito ka na lang!"

It was just really beautiful in a breathtakingly enchanted way... the fiber optic lights at the fountain quietly illuminated the place in such a way that you feel anything magical will happen anytime. Plant boxes were surrounded with lights on its grounds... two spotlights were also available... but everything was still pleasantly dark... Everything still seemed intimate... secret...

Perfect for luminaries... Perfect for use of spotlights... Perfect for torches...

Considering they removed all Christmas lights from the trees because of the government's austerity measures.

I'm almost tempted to purhcase huge Christmas balls to decorate the trees... or some lights... but there were too many trees to decorate... ahehe... and Japanese lanterns might take away from the mystical beauty of the place.

Haayy... Jojo was very much taken talaga with the place... it's super nakaka-in love!

Later we ate at Pier One, where he asked me to remind him time and again to date me. :)

*~*

So yes, I guess the decision is still to brave the weather and risk our guests, our awtfits, getting wet.

I rationalized that if other people I know managed to enjoy their wedding after guests have fled and taken shelter... after buffet tables have been moved, and programs disrupted... why can't we?

I've even a mind to dance in the rain w/ my Baby for really nice pictures and video footage.

:)

Besides, I further philosophized, our venue is concrete and stone... and we have a back-up plan... but thjere will be weddings at Puerta Real, Plaza Moriones, Father Blanco's Garden, baluarte de san Diego, Paco Park and Orchidarium too that same night...

And these places are true-blue gardens that will result in mud and muck and puddles for frogs and carabos.

The reception at Paco Park will also be for a golden wedding... magine old people getting wet and having to be carted off to dry places.

Ahehe.

Hindi ako mag-iisa... it won't be personal!

WeIrdLy KiLiG

Every morning, i'd be a little late going to work because mornings are colder, and it's getting harder and harder to leave my warm bed.

Anyway, I find myself in a great mood a lot the past mornings because, thanks to my mp3 player, I get to already enjoy the songs that are going to be played during our reception.

Of course, I didn't invlude anymore the repertoire Bernie Pasamba's group is in charge of... but it still creates this overwhelming excitement in me to listen to the back-up songs.

They're compiled in different folders... one for when guests are arriving, the other for back-up during dinner and Bernie's group is taking a break, one for when guests are leaving. There's also separate folders for the cake cutting and garter toss and father speeches.

Sigh.

Not only do I become more in love with Jojo, and more excited about our BIG NIGHT... but it's almost like getting married everyday.

Ahehe.

*~*

SIL has started wrapping up our giveaways. My sis and Dad helped Jojo and me to label the giveaways.

Pyro tried to help too. Almost broke some of the giveaways, hehe.

Saw our giveaways being sold at Rob Place for P75 each... Que barbaridad!

*~*

Renovations in the house are almost done now. Happiness :)

*~*

Heard from Tet that my gown still doesn't have beadings on. Hanube!!! But i'm also checking out hairpieces made by her sister when we get the entou gowns this Monday.

*~*

Next week, i'd be printing the missals already. Have started wrapping my gifts to the entou/sponsors.

*~*

Suddenly we're realy poor. Paying remaining balances is just criminally depressing.

But yes, am happy and kilig still.

Crunch, crunch time
Because the allergic episode I had some 2 weeks ago greatly weakened me, i'm being left gasping for breath everytime na lang na i'd be upset.

Plus, I started breaking out in pimples on my face and back. Ugh. (then again, my period was due)

Jojo decided we really need a coord now... and I caved in. (yeah, at first my pride refused to accept I needed outside help... and I didn't want to accept that people we counted on before cannot be counted upon anymore... thru no fault of their own naman talaga, though it drove home a point that NONE of our friends are involved with us in our wedding preps)

And so we hired Rowie of Workzone Professionals. Met with her last Saturday night at Figaro in LP (near Fernando's) and we discussed the on-the-day wedding activities. Rowie and I also made half-baked plans to go to White Bird, ahehe.

Yes, we clicked very much.

*~*

We also met with our emcee, Dulce (friend ni Yax), last Sunday. She was so sweet!!! Both Rowie and Dulce assured me that my wedding day will go fine now and I can truly, really, thoroughly relax.

Plus, we all agreed to enjoy the Holidays, hehe.

*~*

Superhumans that we are, my Baby and I also went to Divi yesterday to purchase wedding giveaways.

Now, we just need to print tags for them, have TY cards printed... and hopefully get the entire box brought to Jojo's house so his sister can start wrapping them up (because I really can't attend to that anymore, I can't even wrap the token gifts right).

*~*

More proof that we were superhuman (or proof that we could accomplish much if we weren't naturally lazy, hihi) was the trip to handyman later to purchase an exhaust fan and fluorescent lights, etc.

We also went through the house we'd be occupying and listed down repairs/improvements/modifications we want done, according to priority (and limited by budget). The new toilet bowl will be installed tomorrow, the exhaust fans this week, and hopefully, the extended countertop too. We'd have to buy tiles and linoleums and cabinet handles and cleaning aids too.

Hay.