A love to last forever...

Adoy's 9/12/08 wedding!

2008-08-27T16:16:00.001-04:00

It’s been a while since my last update on this blog… though I must admit that I have created this only for the wedding.

Anyway, my brother is getting married on September 12th. I’m sure everyone back home is busy and excited at this time. (Too bad I can’t even be a part of this special event. It’s… complicated and… just the thought of it makes me feel really sad!) Here are some of the wedding details that my brother has mentioned to me:

Ceremony - Manila Cathedral
Reception - “Casa Blanca”
Catering – Almond Catering International
Photo/Video - Nice Print Photography
Hair & Make up – Val Villarin
Groom’s Attire – Kingsmen
Souvenir – wine glass with engrave
Bridal Car – blue BMW
Coordination – Bobby Galang

I’m sure they’re almost set by now. I just wish it’ll be exactly how my brother expects it to be.

2006-02-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

Ok that was just a break when I did the post on the album layout... well since it is still related to the wedding. So... check THIS out for my continuous journey to life.

album layout

2006-01-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

There are 1700+ shots taken by Mimi and Karl during the wedding. And most of our family and friends commented that a day is not enough to view everything. So… take a look at the album layout and we hope you’ll like it… :)

blog freeze

2005-12-21T15:16:00.000-05:00

While the title says ‘A Love to last forever’, this is still considered a wedding blog… a diary for the entire wedding planning. There are no more preparations involved. Irvin is not even here with me yet. So I may not post temporarily for now but you can always visit my personal blog…

anxiety

2005-12-14T09:39:00.000-05:00

Irvin got a new schedule for the interview which is only a little over than 3 weeks from now. The thing is I haven’t received the documents yet from the law office. I make constant follow-ups but I keep on getting excuses. I’m just worried it might not get there in time due to the holiday season. I just want this settled once and for all. Our hopes are really high. We’ve waited long enough for this.

postponed! tsk tsk tsk...

2005-12-09T14:20:00.000-05:00

Irvin’s supposed interview this December 14th has been rescheduled next month. The documents needed for his interview is still being processed. I expect to get everything done by next week. Well, hopefully… Too bad I was even hoping he could be here for the holidays! Sigh*

Suppliers' Ratings Part 3

2005-12-06T14:57:00.000-05:00

Hair/Make-up Artist : Jasmine Mendiola (hairstylist – Ney)
Contact Info : jayphen@hotmail.com / http://jazzmendiola.blogspot.com
Rate: P15k (15% bridal fair booking discount, 10% full payment discount) + P1k 2nd trial
Inclusions: hair & make up services for the bride + 5 people, 1st trial make up for the bride which was deducted upon booking
Rating : 2

Plus:
- friendly
- open to anything
- provided beauty tips (in the form of flash cards)
- works fast

Minus (for Ney, the hairstylist):
- slow
- had a hard time styling short haired moms
- needs more experience

*There’s no question on Jasmine’s ability to make you look fabulous on your wedding. That is one thing for sure. She’s also concerned if you have specific preferences. In fact she asked me for the exact look that I want... if there’s a particular color that I prefer…things like that. Ney on the other hand, is basically a nice person. But I would say is still in the beginners’ level. He needs more experience. He would pin a portion but will take it off again. He did this for quite a few times. It’s no big deal to me but I just felt that he wasn’t ‘that’ sure of what he was doing or should I say what he wanted to do. But in fairness, Irvin said I looked lovely on that day…both with the hair and the make-up.

Entourage gowns : Mrs. Leonie Bautista
Contact Info :
Rate : P1500 each for adults; P1k each for flower girls
Rating : 3

Plus:
- reasonably priced
- accessible
- refunded some gowns
- did some repairs at no extra cost

Minus:
- poor quality of sewing
- no lining
- some gowns are stained
- can’t exactly copy the design

*If you’re really on a budget, Mrs. Bautista is the answer. But I hope no one will get me wrong on that. Her rates are really affordable. But it’s just that she wasn’t really able to make the gowns according to our expectations. We only had one fitting and while the entourage members including Irvin’s mom were there, they already did the adjustments on the gowns… on the spot. But to our surprise, Irvin’s mom’s gown design was somehow changed that it wouldn’t even fit her. She also didn’t use a thick lining considering that the top fabric is chiffon. Irvin’s mom was really disappointed. But Mrs. Bautista being nice, she gave us a refund on that.

Barong : Belen’s
Contact Info : Baclaran
Rate : P850 – pina jusi (male entourage); P3.5k - pina (Irvin’s dad)
Rating : 3

*We didn’t want to spend too much for the barongs. In the 1st place, it’ll be the entourage (other than the family) who will pay for it. The barongs were not really of good quality. I would say they just fall on a passing mark. But they weren’t that bad either.

String Ensemble : Bernie Pasamba
Contact Info : www.berniepasamba.net
Rate : P12k (quartet) + P4k (1 singer)
Inclusions : 3 hours total playing time for the ceremony and reception
Rating : 1

Plus:
- on time
- played well
- great singer
- enjoyed and praised by most guests
- presentable

*Everyone was happy with the music specifically with the singer’s performance. They were all ears the whole time he was singing. I’m not sure about the singer’s name but it was the guy who is in the website’s sample music. Too bad they already left when we had the 1st dance.

Bridal Transportation : Streetline Bridal Cars/Dream Cars
Contact Info : 645-1982
Rate : P12k
Inclusions: bug’s eye Mercedes Benz (MB) for 3 hours, 1 MB van for 10 hours, 1 MB van for 5 hours
Rating: Rating : 2

Plus:
- courteous drivers
- arrived early

Minus:
- one driver was sneaky

*Irvin already gave P500 for the gas, tipped him good and yet he still asked for another P200 for gas.

Florist : Cathy Gancenia
Contact Info : www.iflowersspeak.com
Rate : P20k + P600 for flower girls’ headdresses
Inclusions: 20 piece miniature mango calla lilies, 5 entourage bouquets – combination of roses, mums, carnation, and gerberas, 2 flower baskets, 2 bouquets for the moms, 18 – 4 piece calla lily centerpiece, flowers for the couple’s table and presidential table, church upgrade
Rating : 2

Plus:
- nice selection of flowers
- guests liked the centerpiece set up
- accommodated last minute request (headdresses)

Minus (as per Irvin):
- lacks professionalism
- doesn’t know how to handle clients
- unpredictable

*There is no question with regards to Cathy’s flowers. They were all beautiful especially my bouquet. I have actually sent her an email which goes…

Cathy dear,

The flowers were just amazing. The bouquet arrangements were nice. The color combination was great. I specifically liked my bouquet. It was so gorgeous. It was exactly what I wanted. Too bad I completely forgot about preserving it right away. Who knows I might contact you again someday just to make another one for me! The church aisle couldn’t also be more beautiful because of the added callas on the pews and the ferns on the ground. Some guests were even commenting on how elegant the centerpieces are. I wanted to maintain simplicity from the start and I guess you made just that, simple and elegant. It was truly exceptional!

Thank you so much for everything. The beauty of your work has truly added to the wonderful wedding memories that we’ll cherish forever.

More power to you!

Best Regards,

Faye (& Irvin)

But…Irvin and I both find her unpredictable. Remember that incident that we almost lost a florist?! We think that she needs to learn how to better deal with her clients. It’s not that easy to satisfy others’ needs but it has to be handled with professionalism at least.

Video/AVP Services : Buddy Gancenia
Contact Info : www.buddygancenia.com
Rate : P20k
Inclusions: 1 video coverage, 2 – 30 to 45 minute edited DVDs, and free picture AVP
Rating : 1

Plus:
- well-done AVP
- remarkable attitude

*Irvin liked his work the very 1st time he saw his samples. He also appreciates Buddy’s being remarkably nice. We both liked the AVP he made for us. He is very creative. We’ll give a separate rating on the video once we get it.

Hotel Accommodation : Dusit Hotel Nikko
Contact Info : Ate Bebeth (632)867-3333
Rate: gift from Irvin’s brother and sis-in-law
Inclusions: 2 rooms for overnight stay with buffet breakfast
Rating : 2

Plus:
- nice hotel
- clean
- courteous staff
- good food

Minus:
- inefficient customer service

*Ate Bebeth, sister of Ate Irmee, is the best. She was always there to make sure everything was well taken cared of. But she was off when we checked out and unfortunately, I had to wait long getting our things. I actually asked the front desk employee if he could send a bell boy to the room when I was surrendering the key and he said yes. Having waited for a while, I asked him again only to know that he hasn’t given the key to the bell boy.

It was almost the end of October when Irvin asked me if I brought my niece to the Café for breakfast. I was wondering why he would ask me all of a sudden. So I was like ‘Yyyeeaahh?!’ Surprisingly, they charged us an additional of P800+ just because they go by the headcount. My niece didn’t even eat though my sister was trying to feed her from her plate. And in as much as I want to understand their rules, I still don’t see any reason why they can’t at least inform their client for the additional charge when in fact they asked me to sign the voucher/s. Oh well…

Honeymoon Destination : Club Paradise Resort, Palawan
Contact Info : http://palawan.com
Rate: P22,800 – 2 nights, 3 days accommodation; P5295 each – roundtrip airfare
Inclusions: full board meals (buffet), welcome drink, romantic dinner set up, airport transfers, choice of an island to visit, souvenir
Rating : 1

Plus:
- the best
- great customer service
- good selection of food
- courteous staff
- clean environment

*The reservation was originally from October 3rd-5th. But we weren’t able to board the plane on the 3rd just because we didn’t have P400 for the terminal fee. All of my money including Irvin’s were in his clutch bag that he unfortunately left in his car when his dad took us to TAI taxi service. Asian Spirit didn’t really let us go even though his dad was already on way to the airport. I understand that they couldn’t just trust us but they didn’t even accept credit card. We had no choice but to let it pass. We tried getting another flight that same day but I guess it wasn’t really for us. I contacted our travel agent (wife of my former officemate in the Philippines), who I think was still sleeping. She was nice enough to make arrangements with Club Paradise. She had to make a written request and Club Paradise accepted. Jeez this lady is definitely rated as 1! So the reservation has been changed to October 4th-6th. But there was no available seats on the flight back to Manila on the 6th. Irvin and I decided that we just extend one more day. We just thought of the extra time that we’ll be together rather than the P9k that will cost us for an extra night. We really had a good time. It’s the best service that you can get. But one thing that we realized, you can’t stay there for more than 4 days. Too much relaxation can also make you feel bored. Plus the fact that it’s an island in the middle of the sea. You can’t just go out to go wherever you want to.

And if I am to rate Asian Spirit, I would give their customer service a 5. They are not flexible. They are not customer service oriented people. They were even late for almost an hour on our flight back to Manila.

Coordination Services : The Aisle Runner
Contact Info : Wednesday Torrejos / theaislerunner@yahoo.com
Rate: P23k (partial coordination… but offered a full coordination being a friend of Irvin for the same price.)
Rating : 4

*From the start, I wasn’t fully satisfied with the limited suppliers that she gave us. I think it’s only fair to say that it was I who supplied most of the information to her and credit should be given to w@w for that. But giving her the benefit of the doubt, she might really have these suppliers info only that they are out of our budget. But I was expecting that it’s still her job to find suppliers who can fit into our budget. She needed constant follow-ups. It takes a while before she updates you on things. I remember her one time saying she’s a silent worker…that I just have to see it for my self come wedding day. This was one thing I could never understand. I believe it’s her duty to keep us informed of where we are in terms of the planning. Anyway, Ate Irmee being the keen observant sent her an email detailing the many glitches of the wedding. Read on…

She wasn’t at the hotel to make sure everything is taken cared of…not even one from her team. She prepared a call time for the suppliers and she wasn’t even there to make a follow up on that. Jasmine was late per schedule and the groom’s family wasn’t attended first when they should have since they’re leaving the hotel before me. Irvin was waiting for Mimi/Karl thinking that there was still a photo shoot when they’ve already left. We decided to prepare at the hotel since we only have 1-cam set up. Of course, Irvin had to be included in the video also. My brothers had to carry all the tokens/stuffs to the venue in their ‘barongs’. Imagine carrying wine bottles, frames and paper bags only to find out later that they were not even distributed to the guests!

Ate Irmee had to go back and forth to my room and Irvin’s attending to our needs.

The pillows and the flowers that were used in the photo shoot at the hotel arrived late because my brothers were late. What if the processional had to start and they weren’t there yet! They were going to march without the flowers and the pillows.

The missalettes weren’t even distributed. No one from their team distributed those…only to find out that those were just piled up and being made toys by the kids while the mass is going on. I had to photocopy and collate these missalettes on the eve of our wedding so that guests will be able to read them. Time, money and efforts were made here but became useless due to Aisle Runners lack of planning! Irvin and I slept almost 4 AM two days before the wedding just to do those.

I asked for the program way ahead so I would know the flow but our coordinator said she doesn’t usually give it to the couple as it might spoil the surprise. We were kind of expecting something because this will be her turf, the only part of the wedding that was not influenced by us but still she failed. People started to leave early because the program is too slow or dull. The table hopping should be before people line up for food so that all the guests will have the chance to be photographed with the bride and groom. The speeches of the parents should be right after dinner and she should have informed them beforehand so that they could prepare and not just stand there and be humiliated because they were not informed. Then the giving of the token for parents comes next. As expected, these were overlooked and the surprise gift for the parents was not given at the program proper. Not only did she forget about the parents’ token but also the guests! She should have assigned someone to distribute them after dinner and not just leave it at the reception area expecting the guests to get it themselves. Irvin and I along with my brother spent sleepless nights printing the guest sheets only to be thrown away after the wedding. It was not even announced by the emcees. We were expecting her to have informed the guests while waiting for the bride and groom having a photo shoot at the garden. We dreamt of a perfect wedding that’s why we were hands on in the preparation and even hired her to help us but there was lack of planning and coordination on her part that some important things were overlooked. We were expecting a more personalized service from her and that we will be satisfied with the coordination services she provided considering that she’s a friend of Irvin.

To john and benz, thank you so much for putting up Weddings At Work. I had some difficulties in the planning but everything seemed easier because of the much available information from the group. I wish you many more successful years to come!

And to all dear w@wies, you guys are just amazing! Thank you for the unending help. I feel bad in a way though because I couldn’t be much of assistance to you…well being overseas. Bear with me for using that as an excuse. :) I agree with what most w@wies say that this group is more than wedding planning. I have gained friends and I had so much fun!

two-thumbs up for V!!!

2005-11-30T16:52:00.000-05:00

I’m so happy to know that Veluz won the 2005 Supplier of the Year Award from W@W. Well, she truly deserves it! And I’m very proud to say that I made the right choice of getting her to do my gown.

It was sometime September 2004 when I inquired from her. Initially, I told her that I don’t want an expensive gown. It was something that’ll be worn only once anyway and just for a few hours unlike the rings which are lifetime. She made me realize that it is also important for a bride to feel gorgeous on her dress and that it’ll also be a lifetime memory being in the pictures. She is very friendly and fun to deal with. She wouldn’t push you whether directly or indirectly to get her. She would give tips even if it’s not yet a sure deal. She just doesn’t make sure about her creation being almost perfect but her relationship to her clients as well. And like what I always say, she’s such an angel…a best friend of a tensed and stressed bride on her wedding day.

Below are some of my favorites from V’s emails:

I dont want people looking at the hemline and checking the beadwork instead of seeing the bride's expression when she walks down the aisle. – 9/15/04

hi hi hi yup, i am quite friendly. I always end up nga being good friends with my clients eh.Brides never fail to excite me. Ang saya kasi talaga ng kinakasal, probably because I had so much fun during my wedding. And i love my work, its like dressing up Barbie for her big day with Ken :) Ang saya di ba? – 9/16/04

I agree that the rings are worth investing on. But remember that your pictures wearing your gown will also last you a lifetime. Even your grandchildren will appreciate what you wore when you got married. The memory that you felt beautiful wearing your wedding gown will linger. Besides, that's the first thing people talk about during and after the wedding, right? - was the gown beautiful? how did she look like? No kidding!!! :-) It's not because i make gowns that i think this way. It's a thing with girls, right? hehehe :-) – 10/07/04

Take care, ms. Bride – 10/19/04

I miss your email, totoo, napa-smile nga ako when I saw your name on my inbox eh. Cute ni irvin hehehehehe :-) bait bait pa. You're blessed. Pakasalan mo kaya? Hahahahahaha – 3/14/05

Ingat ingat ka ha, syempre, excited din ako makita ka no at ma-fit ka finally in the flesh hahahahaha! – 7/20/05

And to you V… my sincerest congratulations! More power! Mwah! :)

congratulations mimi & karl!

2005-11-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Mimi Abesamis and Karl de Leon for being on the top 5 in W@W 2005 Supplier of the Year. These two are just awesome. They are indeed very promising photographers. Keep up the good work, guys!

'pasko'

2005-11-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

I know it's still a little over than a month before Christmas. It's not even Thanksgiving yet but time flies so fast. I can hear Christmas songs being played everywhere and it just makes me so sad. It’ll be my 4th this year celebrating it without those people really close to my heart. I just wish I can be home again in this time of the year.

What is so special about Christmas in the Philippines anyway? Hmmm…

1. World’s longest Christmas season - This may be considered a negative to some but it’s a fact that most people take their vacation early to prepare. Or they may be at work physically but definitely not their thoughts.
2. Family get-together - warmth of celebrating it with every member of the family
3. The traditional “Simbang Gabi” - refers to 9 day dawn masses which starts on December 16th. It similar to that of the Spanish tradition called Misas de Gallo or gift masses.
4. “Noche Buena” - a lavish feast of food and a get together of all Filipino families. It’s like an open house celebration where family, friends and neighbors drop by to wish every family member ‘Maligayang Pasko’
5. ‘Bibingka’ - rice cake with salted egg and fresh coconut
6. ‘Puto-bumbong’ - rice steamed inside a small bamboo tube
7. ‘Caroling’ - house to house visit with musical instruments to serenade
8. ‘Panunuluyan’ - re-enactment of Mary & Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem
9. New clothes and lots of gifts for children
10. ‘Parol’ - star-shaped lanterns with candles/lights inside
11. ‘Kris Kringle’ - exchange gifts
12. ‘Mano po Ninong/Ninang’ - a tradition for children to visit their godparents where they take their hands to their forehead to show respect. It is also believed that the children receive a blessing or a gift by doing this.
13. ‘Maligayang Pasko’ - traditional greeting in Filipino referred to as Merry Christmas

Whew! I’m sure there are a lot more. Who wouldn't miss this occasion! Now, will you agree with me that Christmas in the Philippines is special?!

authenticated marriage cert.

2005-11-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Sometimes complying on standard procedures can be a pain in the neck. Take for instance the process of an authenticated marriage contract. We were married on October 1st and San Agustin Church forwarded the document to the Manila City Hall on the 10th. I think it still depends on the church but the norm is within 2 weeks from the wedding date.

When Irvin inquired at the City Hall, he was told that it usually takes 2 months before they will submit it to the NSO. But mind you… you can actually request for a certified true copy for a fee (about P80 I think) and they will automatically give a copy to the NSO as well. Luckily enough, they have already forwarded the contract on the 17th … few days before our request.

Now, the NSO said it’ll take 3-6 months for the authentication. Again, you can request for an expedite process, of course, for a fee but without guarantee. We didn’t want to take all these troubles and uncertainties so we asked some friends who might know someone working for the NSO. We actually found two... 1) Irvin’s neighbor and 2) my friend Maridel’s contact. No. 1 said she can’t promise anything but she’ll try. No. 2, on the other hand, said we can have it in 2-3 weeks. I won’t anymore tell the story on how frustrating our dealing with no. 2 has become. In short, no. 1 who didn’t promise anything gave us what we needed in 5 days. Yey! With that, we have decided to inform no. 2 that we already have a copy. We’ll just give her something for all the troubles we have caused her.

And so with that, Irvin can now apply for the US Visa anytime. We are really hoping that there wouldn’t be any problems on his application…

suppliers' ratings part 2

2005-11-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

Designer : Veluz (Niko)
Contact Info : www.veluz.biz
Rate: P44k+ (5% discount was given for paying in full on October 2004)
Inclusions: bridal gown in pina silk fabric, veil, 2nd veil, another veil supposed to be for the reception at no extra charge, shoes (also in pina) and bag, 2 pillows, garter, cord
Rating : 1

Plus:
- excellent service from inquiry up to the wedding day
- very personalized
- accommodating
- assisted on the wedding day (Niko set up the gown and all the accessories the night before)
- bride’s best friend
- great rapport with her customers

*Veluz was personally there to assist me. The best thing that I like about her is her being frank and honest. She was like my best friend telling me what’s good and what’s not. She would whisper it to me so she wouldn’t offend other people. She was the one who reminded me of the perfume. She sprayed it on me actually. Veluz was literally carrying my train from the time I left the room till I got in the bridal car. While waiting for my turn to march, she was in the bridal car with me giving me all sorts of encouragement, fixing my hair even though it was already done...and my veil. Niko, on the other hand, put on my earrings. He was like a boy scout ready with so much helpful stuffs like hair wax, gel, and pins.

Groom’s Barong : Tesoro’s
Contact Info : 844-4253 (Pasay Road, Makati)
Rate : almost P8k
Rating : 2

Plus:
- speedy service
- easy to deal with
- custom made

Minus:
- a portion of the barong didn’t have embroidery
- pricey

Groom’s pants : Onesimus
Contact Info : SM Southmall Branch
Rate : P1200
Rating : 2

Plus:
- affordable
- wide selection of fabrics

Minus:
- still needed some repairs

Groom’s shoes : Bristol
Contact Info : SM outlets
Rate : P2k
Rating : 1

Plus:
- comfortable
- affordable

Photographer/s : Mimi Abesamis/Karl de Leon
Contact Info : www.fotogra.ph
Rate : P38k (less 5% w@wie discount)
Inclusions: min of 700 digital shots, 50 12x12 prints in a classic layout (similar to the Darwin-Pazette and Jules-Assunta albums) 40-page 11x14 magnetic album, proofs in CD, studio or on-location pre-nuptial pictorial, two photographers
Rating : 1

Plus:
- early birds
- accommodating
- patient
- easy to get along with
- great shots (1700+)
- value for money

*They’re just simple…very down-to-earth…silent workers with quality and impressive results. Irvin told them from the start that we’re not naturally photogenic. In simple terms, we really don’t know how to pose and how to smile properly. But they captured every precious moment of the wedding. We looked good on most of the pictures.

Cake Artist : Alex Franco
Contact Info : www.alexfrancocakes.com
Rate : P12k + P1500 (flower decorations)
Inclusions: 5 all edible layers with different flavors, chocolate mousse with mango fillings on all layers, 1 extra small cake, 30 pieces brownies, miniature doves in a cage, cake topper, 16 pullouts with wishes, free use of steel based stands and utensils
Rating: 1

Plus:
- great tasting cake (most guests liked it!)
- plentiful flowers used for the decoration
- briefing on how to properly cut the cake

*Alex initially gave a sample cake to our coordinator but having learned how I love cakes, he gave me another one when we met him…with my name on it. It was the thoughtfulness that I like most about Alex. His wife, who was friendly and charming, was there as he couldn’t make it.

Rings : J&E Jewellery
Contact Info : Bong
Rate : P80k
Inclusions: 2 wedding rings with 5 diamonds on each (TCW 1.12), 0.50 carat engagement ring, cut - princess, clarity - VS1, color – I, J
Rating: 3

Plus:
- goes to his client/s during meetings
- nicely done engagement ring
- nice person in general

Minus:
- wedding bands not polished enough
- verbally promised a VVS1 clarity and colorless stones
- no certification provided (He made his own certification though.)

*He initially gave a quote of almost P100k for a 1/3 carat engagement ring and 0.58 t.c.w. wedding rings. I got really excited when he agreed to give us a price discount and upgrading the stone weight. I reiterated the specs just to make sure and our coordinator assured that. But to my dismay, they’re not according to what was agreed.

Souvenir maker : Roneena, Inc.
Contact Info : SM Southmall Branch
Rate : P50/piece, P1200 front mold, P1200 back mold
Rating : 4

Plus:
- accessible

Minus:
- needed consistent follow ups
- untidy boxes
- lots of rejects (We had to ask them to replace those.)
- slow worker
- pricey (as per husband)
*Special thanks to Abie ni Howell for the idea. We tried contacting their supplier but things didn’t work so we had to look for another one.

suppliers' ratings part 1

2005-11-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

SUPPLIERS’ RATINGS on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest

Church : San Agustin Church
Contact Info : Belen / 527-4060
Rate : P18500
Inclusions: basic flower arrangement, officiating priest, an hour rental, electricity
Extras : P1000 fee for the use of the choir loft
Rating : 2

Plus:
- historical
- old in structure
- great carvings
- accessible / near the reception venue
- easy to talk to staff

Minus:
- pricey
- under time pressure (Ceremony has to be finished in 45 minutes so you’ll have 15 more minutes for the picture-taking)
- crowded parking space (Weddings are like one after the other)
- P1k extra charge for the choir loft use (top view picture-taking)
- Well-known (It was only August of 2004 when we inquired. We originally wanted an October 8th wedding but when we called after 5 days, it was already booked)

*I personally feel that due to the strictness in time, weddings have become like a business for profit. They have 8 weddings a day in the 1st place. And just imagine rushing the ceremony so there’s time for the photo shoot!

Officiating Priest : Msgr. Melchor David
Contact Info : confidential
Rate : family friend
Rating : 1

Plus:
- great homily
- talks very clearly
- personalized advices

*It was supposed to be the in-house priest who will officiate the wedding but to our surprise, it was Msgr. David who was at the altar. He even said hi to me when I was still in the bridal car. So I had no idea whatsoever at all.

Reception Venue/Caterer : Fr. Blanco’s / Skyline
Contact Info : Naty / 527-7551
Rate : P10000 venue rental; P600/head for food
Inclusions: venue rental, buffet dinner-salad, a choice of one pork/chicken, beef and seafood dishes, vegetable dish, pasta, choice of 2 kinds of dessert, soup for the presidential table, doves for release, torch parade, guest book, centerpiece arrangements, chairs & tables skirting
Extras : P1000 fee for the photo shoot at the Ruins
Rating : 2

Plus:
- beautiful place
- perfect in pictures
- nice set up
- great tasting food
- courteous and uniformed waiters
- left-over foods were wrapped
- easy to talk to staff
- flower centerpieces not availed were still given to us which Cathy has used

Minus:
- P1k extra charge for picture-taking at the Ruins
- Long wait in refilling the trays
- Chicken noodle soup was served instead of clear asparagus soup

suppliers' ratings in progress...

2005-11-08T17:48:00.000-05:00

Hi, all! Sorry I can't update our blog that often. I'm currently drafting the suppliers' ratings though... so I hope you'll come visit again. :)

the week of the wedding...

2005-11-03T15:44:00.000-05:00

This may look like a short-cut but a week before the wedding was when we did all the guest sheets and the missalettes. The layout of the guest sheets was designed by my brother who was also one of the emcees during the wedding. I printed everything while Irvin was cutting them based on our desired size. We didn’t have much time to make our own missalette especially that San Agustin is very strict with the readings and time as well. We just copied whatever they normally use. My brother just had to fix the cover layout so it’ll look nice. We went to SM to buy the ties for the male entourage. We even went to Tutuban to buy ribbons for the boxes. Some shawls were also bought from Arlene of La Herminia. It was my 1st time to see a pina silk shawl and they’re really nice especially the colored ones. We wrapped the gifts and souvenirs. Then, I went to Veluz’s house on Thursday, September 29th to see the whole package...final gown and accessories (pillows, brooches, etc.). Irvin was just outside always. Of course, I didn’t want him to see my gown.

A day before the wedding I checked in at Dusit Hotel Nikko. Irvin was with me and Ate Irmee (his sis-in-law) as well. After checking in, Irvin just accompanied us to the room and left. Kuya Lito (his brother) arrived later that day though. We even went to National Bookstore and made more copies of the missalette. Then, I had another trial with Jasmine…this time using pink tones. I showed Ney the new hairstyle (courtesy of Veluz) that I want. We didn’t have a lot of time then so he wasn’t really able to show me the look that I like. But he assured me it wouldn’t be a problem come wedding day. We finished around 7:30 PM and Jasmine was nice enough to just ask for P1k. She usually charged P2k for a trial. But when I was getting money from my wallet, I only had P700 cash. I was so humiliated that time. I didn’t know what to do. So I had to tell Jasmine that I don’t have enough cash. Well it didn’t become a problem. She said… ‘Don’t worry about it.’ I just had to give her the balance on the wedding day itself. Afterwards, I went to SM to get peso. To my surprise foreign exchange has already closed for the day. I didn’t have dinner yet and I was so hungry that time. And fast food chains don’t accept credit cards. Well I went to a Vietnamese restaurant inside Dusit and there was my P500 worth dinner. I asked my sister to accompany me but she had classes that night and so I was all alone. Up to that time, I didn’t feel any tension. I was fine. Really! I even put on acrylic nails and didn’t finish until a little past midnight. I slept well actually.

Then, I had my breakfast at the café at 7AM of my wedding day. Jeez I can’t swallow the food. I felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. But I knew I have to eat. I contacted my sister and asked her to come early with my niece. I spent almost 2 hours and a half in the café. Well a part of that was because I’ve waited for my sister to finish eating. I was also worried that time because it was raining. And it just won’t stop. Duh! I’m having a garden reception! Soon enough, we went back to the room. I took a bath and realized it’s already 10AM (call time for most suppliers) and I don’t see any suppliers yet. Then, there was Mimi, Karl and Marc at exactly 10:12AM…my early birds. Ney came next. He was already setting up my hair with his benders when Jasmine arrived. From this time on, I think everything went in a flash. I can barely remember all the details no matter what I do. We didn’t waste any time. Mimi and Karl started taking pictures of the wedding stuffs. Jasmine started with my make-up. I think that was 11 AM or a little past 11 when Buddy and Cathy arrived. Oh my! The flowers were gorgeous especially my bouquet. I specifically liked that! It was exactly what I wanted. Veluz and Niko came. Our coordinator got there a little later to pick up the stuffs that need to be brought to the church. Ate Irmee (poor Ate Irmee!) being 7 months pregnant had to go back and forth to bring food for us. Well Irvin went to buy it with her but still. All I’m saying is that there wasn’t any coordinator present to assist us…not even one. Anyway, as most of the brides say, you will really come to a point that you have to let go. You won’t like everything ruined just because of the small things. Jasmine also did the make up of 5 more people. Veluz helped me put on my gown. Jasmine did some retouching. And Ney spent so much time on my Mama’s hair. I felt really bad because Irvin’s mom was still waiting then. It’s already past 3 pm and we were still at the hotel. Veluz was carrying my train all the way from the time I left the room at Dusit. Irvin and his family who are supposed to be at the church before us were still there. They couldn’t leave because Mimi and Karl were still taking pictures of me at the lobby. In conclusion, I left the hotel earlier than my then groom. Everyone was worried. There was traffic everywhere. I was already at the church but my family was still on the way. Some of the wedding stuffs were with them. But God is so good that it wasn’t even drizzling at that time.

Veluz went in the bridal car as soon my Mama stepped out. She was such an angel. Niko was always on the go too. He was like a boy scout always ready with things. He had hair wax, hair gel, scissors, etc. Veluz had to cut the excess/unwanted hair strands sticking out. She was fixing my veil. She was really making sure I looked perfect. I saw some friends who came closer to the bridal car just to say hi. I saw some people whom I haven’t seen in years. There was a mixture of emotions. Finally, it was time for our processional march. I was supposed to have a closed door entrance but our coordinator told me the church staff said we’re running out of time. I couldn’t even remember what song was played during the entourage’s march. Then, the singer from the Bernie Pasamba group started singing the song ‘You’re Still You’. I thought I will cry. I was nervous yes but I was all smiles. I was having goose-bumps but I was fine. All the butterflies in my stomach that morning were suddenly gone. I felt like a star. All eyes were on me. There were a lot of cameras. There were those people whom I want to witness a very important day in my life. And much to my surprise, it was Msgr. Melchor David, a family friend priest, who was at the altar to celebrate the mass. Previously, my father asked me if I want him to conduct the ceremony for us. I wanted to of course but we thought of just using the SAC priest since it was part of the package. It made it more meaningful considering the fact that it was Msgr. David who blessed our marriage. Thanks to my sister who has been very helpful. She was always fixing my train. She was always ready to assist with whatever I needed.

The ceremony was finished. We had some more pictorials at the Ruins while the guests were settling in their seats. Buddy had prepared a picture AVP for the guests to watch while waiting for us. I’m not sure what time the photo shoot was finished but Mama has been complaining as to why it took us a long time before showing up at the reception. My sister delivered the welcome remarks and there we were, a very happy couple seeing all those people to celebrate with us. I was just kind of disappointed upon looking at the unoccupied tables. Prior to the wedding, I asked the coordinator for the list of the RSVP. And knowing Filipinos, most of us do not really adhere to this RSVP thing. I did the confirmation myself to every single one of them. I would say we got a 95% confirmed guests. So we paid Skyline. But sad to say, a lot of them didn’t show up. What can we do! Again, I had to let go. I didn’t want the event to suffer. The food was good. We made an excellent choice in the food selection. Yes I did eat! I was so hungry. We had the table hopping while the guests were still eating. That was the time that we got to talk to them even just for a short while. Marlon, Irvin’s best friend and best man then delivered the toast speech. My Papa even had an unexpected speech. He was relating the story of me telling him at the age of 4 how I can literally divide my body when it was time for me to go back to my grandparents’. By the way, I grew up and stayed with my grandparents till 12 years old. I was really controlling my tears. But Mimi and Karl still captured that moment… me biting my lips so as not to cry. Mama, on the other hand, presented her gift to us. It was a prayer printed on a paper with our picture on the background. She read the prayer. It was a nice and touching one. Irvin’s parents didn’t say much other than congratulations and thank you. My best friend Caryl from college and Irvin’s friend Andrew also said a few words. We had the traditional cake cutting. Alex’s cake was beautiful. It was truly eye-catching. And it tasted really good. His wife was there since he didn’t make it. We also had the cake served to the guests. Then we had the wine toasting. We had our 1st dance as a couple. The program sequencing was not really done properly. We didn’t even do the money dance anymore as a lot of people have already left at that time. We gave our thank you speech and said good night. All the left-over food was wrapped. We were interviewed by Buddy afterwards. He basically just asked about how we feel about the whole event. He also asked some things about the preparation especially that I was an overseas bride. And finally, Irvin’s family dropped us at Dusit before they went home. What happened next? Well, we opened all the gifts we got and we were so busy counting the money we received. :)

it's been a month...

2005-11-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

Today is November 1st, 2:01pm, New York time and it's already been a month since we got married. It seems like it was only yesterday as the memories are still fresh. Oh well... it was really a happy one. I came back to the States just two weeks ago (October 16th) but i feel like I've been here longer than that. I really had fun during my stay in Manila. It was also a great chance being with loved-ones and friends as well. I wish I'm still there...

1st week in Manila...

2005-10-26T16:47:00.000-04:00

I arrived in Manila on a Sunday, September 18th, barely 2 weeks before the wedding. I was so worried then thinking of the so many things left undone. Suppliers’ meetings were set even before I flew in.

We went to San Agustin Church come Tuesday for the canonical interview. A man entered the room without us realizing that it was the priest who will interview us. Well he didn’t look like a priest especially that he was in civilian clothes. He just asked a few things about the preparation. Then, told me the story of a show on television about a feud between a protestant and “iglesia ni kristo”.

I also had a fitting with Veluz that same day. It was my 1st time to have met her but it’s as if I’ve already known her for a long time. As soon as she saw me, she said… “Faye, ang payat mo! Patingin nga ng likod mo! (Faye, you’re so skinny! Can I see your back?)” She was telling me how the webcam can fool us that I look a little different in person. Then, she went saying… “I’m going to change the design of your gown whether you like it or not!” I didn’t even try at how the original design will look on me. Veluz folded the straps right away making the neckline lower and attached some strings to it. I was hesitant at first. I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable just because the marks in my back will be visible. Veluz kept on reassuring me that it looks nice. She also had to adjust my gown 3 inches down. Yes! I lost weight! Haha! More pictures here...

September 21st was when I had the trial make up with Jasmine Mendiola. Irvin and I went to Azta Salon in Metrowalk, Ortigas. We were a little early to make sure we won’t be late for our 11am appointment and also because we’re both not familiar to the place. As we were walking, a lady called me and it was Jasmine. Jeez! Imagine she recognized me even if it was just the 1st time for us to meet in person. Anyway, I had my trial. She used peach tones. I liked it actually! Ney, her hairstylist, fixed my hair. I didn’t like the 1st one he made on my hair. I told him I want something simple and clean. So then he made a soft looking chignon. More pictures here... We have met Mimi and Karl at around 2:30 PM for the pre-nuptial shoot. Eco Park is a nice spot. There were a lot of students that time undergoing their field trip. Mimi and Karl are nice. We’ve told them from the start that we’re not a natural actor. Irvin even told them they might have a hard time with us. I think they did but overall, it went on smoothly. Well, the pre-nup pictures turned out great.

It was my interview at the US Embassy the next day. Tension was high. Everyone was hoping I could get the visa. I was scheduled for a 7:30 AM interview. It even poured hard while we were still outside the gate. I just treated that as a blessing. Then, it was time. I was interviewed by an American guy who I think was more of the serious type. He asked for so many documents and there were some questions that have been raised repeatedly. Maybe he was checking for consistency. To cut the long story short, I got approved. Yey! I went back to Veluz in the afternoon for another fitting. It was ok but there were still some adjustments to be made. I also showed Veluz my trial hair and make up pictures. She suggested a different hairstyle which I actually wore on my wedding. And she was also honest enough to comment on the make up. She said a different shade might look better on me.

Irvin was wondering why we still need to meet Alex (our cake artist). In the 1st place, we’ve already agreed with the cake design, the flower decorations and the flavors. Anyway, we met him on September 23rd at 6 PM. Now the answer to our question is…he kind of lectures on how to cut the cake so it won’t fall and will look good on pictures, how to handle the knife, etc. He even gave us a sample cake. We literally practiced cutting it.

Then, I had my bridal shower that night. It was just a simple gathering. There were only 6 of us. We had dinner at Bon Appetit in Rustan’s, they gave some gifts, and we had coffee at Gloria Jean’s.

Come Saturday, September 24th, we went to San Agustin for our pre-cana seminar. It went on for almost 4 hours. The speaker was good. And I think everyone was attentive. Who wouldn’t be when the topic is about love right! I met Alynn and her husband, Nong-nong.

We had the rehearsal on the AM of September 25th. Wednesday, our coordinator, just briefly explained the entourage’s role/s. She basically taught them how to walk, how to hold the bouquet, how to put the veil and the cord, etc. Then, Irvin and his family came in the afternoon for the traditional ‘pamamanhikan’ (a tradition in the Philippines wherein the guy’s family formally asks for the woman’s hand in marriage). It was just a simple gathering aside from the fact that it was the 1st time for our families to have met. Yes he’s been my boyfriend for 11 years and 8 months but they have never met! Everyone enjoyed the food and we surely had a great time.

To be continued…

wanna see our picture AVP?!

2005-10-25T10:54:00.000-04:00

Buddy Gancenia, the supplier we got for the video, updated his website and included a portion of our picture avp in it. He really did a great job on that. It was so nice. It looked like something with a story. Sequencing was good. It had a dramatic effect. Many thanks to you Buddy!

Click on this, scroll down to the Pre-Nup Video section and click on Picture AVP.

Have fun watching!

another post by Karl...

2005-10-20T13:31:00.000-04:00

Here's another post by Karl. He included one of our 1st dance pictures. Cool! :) It may not be a big deal to some but I really find this simple recognition flattering... yes even if it's just a picture!

i'm back...

2005-10-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

I’m back in NY! It has been a great month for me to have stayed in the Philippines with hubby, family and friends. We were out almost everyday. I was physically tired but I was fine because of the overwhelming happiness I had. I missed blogging. I didn’t have much time going online. Besides, dial up service is really slow.

Mimi & Karl uploaded our wedding photos in their website really fast. Irvin and I are just so happy and excited about it. Those pictures are the unedited ones. Everything is there including those shots of me before the make-up looking like a witch. Haha! It was also nice of Mimi to have made a post about the wedding in her blog which can be found here.

Jasmine, my make-up artist was also bugging me during my last week for the pictures. She was to join the bridal fair on that weekend. But I left the picture CDs from Mimi at the photo developing center. Then, I realized that I have saved those pictures we picked out for our album. So I sent her some and guess what?! She also made a post in her blog. Cool!!! I was just thinking why she thought of the title “Cold Feet and Calla Lilies”?! Hmmm… I never felt any cold feet. I was certain from the start of marrying Irvin. Let’s just say cold feet can be described as nervousness. I was tensed that time because I didn’t want the guests to be disappointed. I want them to enjoy. I want the event to be special and memorable. There were some glitches which I know are unavoidable but we still had a good time.

Thank you, guys! I can't make a detailed post yet as I'm really busy. But you definitely helped make our wedding a memorable one. Mwah! :)

i'm breaking out!

2005-09-07T13:03:00.000-04:00

Jeez! I’m breaking out!!! As the wedding gets nearer, all the more that these pimples are coming out! I got acne on my face and neck. Most people say it is stress. I try to go to bed early but couldn’t sleep right away. I’m also trying not to think of the wedding but can’t help it. What if they won’t go away till the wedding?! What if Jasmine (my make up artist) can’t do anything about it?! Oh my! It’ll be evident in the pictures! What am I supposed to do???

wedding gift

2005-09-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

Gifts already started coming in. I got checks from Manang Glo, Ate Mercy, Maridel and Tita Gie. Thanks so much, guys! It was very much appreciated. Too bad you can’t celebrate with us.

one month to go...

2005-09-01T11:36:00.000-04:00

Today is exactly one month to go before the wedding. I have mixed feelings right now... excited... tensed... happy... worried.. etc. etc. I know there's no such thing as perfect but just like what I told Wednesday (our planner), I just want to have an organized and a memorable wedding. I believe everyone would agree with me in that sense. Jeez! It's seems like it was only yesterday when we started planning and now we'll be getting married in 30 days. :)

repeating our wedding channel announcement...

2005-08-31T16:55:00.000-04:00

About the couple
Faye is 30 years of age and works as an accountant in a Korean firm. She is currently based in New York, USA. During her spare time she likes watching movies, cooking, singing as well as reading books, specifically that of Ronald Reagan's life story.

Irvin is likewise 30 years of age and currently resides in Las Piñas City, Philippines where he works as an Investment Assistant for China Banking Corporation. He also likes to cook and loves music very much. He is interested in sports and considers basketball as his favorite.

Faye is perceived by their friends and relatives to be the more frank and vocal between the two, while Irvin is the 'silent water runs deep' type of guy. Be that as it may, they both complement each other very well.

How they met
During that time (1993), Faye was a student at St. Paul College of Manila where she was studying BS Accountancy while helping her parents in running their printing business. On the other hand, Irvin was a graduating student at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros Manila.

So you ask...how did these two people meet? It was actually more of a set-up (over the phone) by Marilou, Faye's younger sister, and Gerard, Irvin's friend-neighbor (special thanks to both). At first, both were hesitant and uneasy because they felt that it is not the conventional way of getting to know a person, but persistence eventually prevailed, and they agreed to talk. Their first conversation was followed by another, then another, and another. It then became a daily ritual without them knowing it. From then on they never let the day pass by without hearing each other's voice. After a month or so of conversing over the phone, a feeling of curiosity grew between them and so they both agreed it's time to meet...and so they did. They met at Greenbelt Church in Makati. It was a short meeting though for Faye had to rush home. Apparently, both liked each other and went on their daily conversations, until Irvin began the ardent task of courting her on Christmas eve of the same year. But patience is a virtue as they say for he was rewarded with a sweet 'yes!'

Finally, after ten years and seven months of hardships, tribulations and happy moments, both decided to embark on a life-long journey together in taking their relationship to the ultimate level - marriage.

The engagement
Traditionally, an engagement is when a man surprises her loved one by giving a ring in a romantic and unexpected way, then followed by the words 'will you marry me?' Not for these two, however. 'The element of surprise' is taken away by their being miles away from each other. So instead, the engagement was more of an agreement between the two that it is time for them to be together for the rest of their lives. So in August of 2004, they got engaged and is now eagerly waiting for that 'big day' to come where they will be united, in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men.

About the ceremony
Date: October 1, 2005 4:00 PM
Location: San Agustin Church
Address: Gen. Luna St. Intramuros, Manila (632)527-4060

Brief History...San Agustin is one of the four Philippine Baroque Churches, the oldest stone church in Metro Manila which was built in 1586 and completed in 1606. An intricately carved door opens to the church. Of great interest are the XIXth century chandeliers, the pulpit, the side chapels, the tombstone on the floorings, and an 18th century pipe organ. It has withstood the ravages of time both brought by nature and by man.

Please make sure to come on time for the ceremony as it will start at exactly 4:00 PM. The wedding attire for guests is strictly formal/barong tagalog.

About the reception
Date: October 1, 2005 5:00 PM
Location: Father Blanco's Garden
Address: Gen Luna St. Intramuros, Manila (632)527-7553

Brief Description...Father Manuel Blanco published a book called "Flora de Filipinas" in 1883. ... The garden is perfect for quiet, contemplative moments. ...

Reception will follow immediately after the wedding ceremony. Dinner will be served at 6:00 PM.

The wedding party
Faye’s Attendants
Marilou Linsangan – Maid of Honor (Bride’s Sister)
Michael Linsangan – Groomsman (Bride’s Brother)
Daighne Marjorie Linsangan – Flower Girl (Bride’s Niece)
Harvey Revillas – Bible/Rosary Bearer (Bride’s Cousin)

Irvin’s Attendants
Rhea Sharyn Castillo – Bridesmaid (Groom’s Sister)
Marlon Vincent Mariano – Best Man (Groom’s Friend)
Aloysius Miguel Castillo – Ring Bearer (Groom’s Nephew)
Luigi Castillo – Coin Bearer (Groom’s Nephew)
Andrea Cuenco – Flower Girl (Groom’s Goddaughter)

PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
Mr. Francisco Linsangan
Mr. Kenneth Vachon
Mr. Ermito Adlawan
Mr. Emilio Pugeda
Mr. Manolito Flores
Mr. Bienvenido Hidalgo
Mr. Anson Ong
Mr. Rolando Flores

Mrs. Ma. Velia Sulit
Mrs. Necena Castillo
Mrs. Felicitas de Ocampo
Mrs. Felina Flores
Ms. Yolanda Linsangan
Ms. Emma Paggabao
Mrs. Consuelo Ong
Mrs. Nimfa Cabuhat

SECONDARY SPONSORS
Candle
Mr. Harry Bato
Ms. Rowena Cuenco

Veil
Mr. Erwin Jude Lim
Ms. Ruby Theresa Aga

Cord
Mr. Ferdinand Pakingan
Ms. Caryl Nagal

Wedding details
The wedding motif will be rust/burnt orange with wine red and matte gold as accent colors.

The bride will wear a pina silk semi-haltered gown accentuated with embroidery and beads by Veluz. The groom, on the other hand, will wear a 'pina barong' in chinese collar by Tesoro's and black pants by Onesimus.

The female entourage will wear a rust orange shantung gown with wine red and matte gold pipings while the male will be dressed in traditional Barong Tagalog in light beige color.

Flowers will be provided by Cathy Gancenia of iflowersspeak. She will be using white calla lilies, combination of red, yellow and orange roses, gerberas, carnations and mums.

The bridal cake will be a 5-layered one with different flavors by Alex Franco.

A string quartet by Bernie Pasamba will give solemnity and elegance to the whole event.

Photography will be handled by Mimi Abesamis and Karl de Leon of fotogra. Videography, on the other hand, will be by Buddy Gancenia.

The whole affair will be coordinated by Wednesday Torrejos and her team from The Aisle Runner.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE COUPLE:
We would like to thank our family and friends for giving us the support and blessing. It will give us joy and honor to see you all as we celebrate the most important event of our lives.

Special thanks to those relatives and friends coming from overseas: Uncle Ken, Tita Laling and Joe (Massachusetts); Tita Baby and Raphael (Switzerland); Manang Fely (New York) and Maridel (Texas).
Also, we invite you to take a look at our blog - http://irvinandfaye.blogspot.com and our photos - http://community.webshots.com/user/if100105 which will be updated from time to time once they become available so be sure to check it out again! And don't forget to sign in our guestbook!

Irvin & Faye

If we can be of further assistance to you, don't hesitate to contact Faye or Irvin by email at faye070574@yahoo.com or irbinito74@yahoo.com

Guestbook
Malu Vargas - Canada 5182005
TO THE FUTURE MR. & MRS. IRVIN CASTILLO. THE NAME HAS A SWEET SOUND TO IT. AM SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE BACK IN EACH OTHERS ARMS. IT WAS REALLY MEANT TO BE. DON'T FORGET TO PUT CHRIST IN THE CENTER OF YOUR MARITAL LIFE. HE SHOULD BE THE ONLY 3RD PARTY THAT YOU SHOULD ALLOW IN. THE ROAD TO WEDDED BLISS IS STREWN WITH BOTH PETALS AND THORNS, AND YOU WOULD NEED THE GOOD LORD TO WALK THE PATH WITH BOTH OF YOU.

buddy gancenia - quezon city, Philippines 3262005
hi faye and irvin, di sinasadya, saw ur site. baka lang ur still looking for a videographer and florist, kindly visits www.buddygancenia.com and iflowersspeak.com thanks

Rene Adiao - Manila, Philippines 1072005
it says, 'Finally, after ten years and seven months (..or longer!!) of hardships, tribulations and happy moments,... ' whoa!! that strengthens the bond even before your inseparable life together!! Congratulations to you for the greatest decision you've made together as two people IN LOVE. YOU WILL BE A WONDERFUL AND HAPPY COUPLE. May you be blessed, as you put LOVE as the main ingredient in your marriage recipe! (You will have to cook it too! hehehe)

liezl nera - 12072004
hi, faye : ) im a wawie,too! (and a paulinian) grabe, dito pa tayo mag meet ulit : ) enjoy your preps : ) just let me know it you need help, k? good luck : )

Arlene Castor - Batangas City, Philippines 11182004
Congratulations to both of you. This wedding is long over due. I'm glad that you will finally tie the knot. All the best!

Micah Sulit - , Philippines 11142004
Congratulations and best wishes, Tita Faye! God bless! :)

Zaida Mannetta - Pt. Washington, NY, United States 11052004
Seems that this union has been a long time coming. In the not too distant future, you can see the happy couple. Best of everything on your wedding day and for every day thereafter.

dudes gonzales-pinili - Makati, Philippines 11042004
hi bride and groom! you've made the best choice of your lives (: Congratulations and all the best!

Marivel Sulit - 11042004
Hello Faye and Irvin, what can i say.... you two were really MFEO... Made For Each Other. 'til death do you part. God bless, Marivel

Ruby Theresa Herrera-Aga - Manila, Philippines 11032004
Congratulations to both of you. Finally, the long wait is over. May you bring into your marriage, the love and friendship you both are good at giving.

Caryl Nagal - 10272004
Hi Faye & Irvin, Im so happy and getting excited for your forthcoming wedding.... Finally, you've made it. And i want both of you to know, that im always here if you need help... Bestfriend... this is it! enjoy and have fun preparing for your wedding.... im so much happy for you... good site, huh! :)

Vic Lay - 10182004
Hey Faye, I'm proud of you for being able to figure out the settings, and to maintain both sites in such organized way. Keep up the good works =) Vic.

Irmee - 10172004
Hi, congratulations on your engagement and I'm honored to be the first one to sign here....am glad too to be part of your preparations....don't worry, not only during the preps and the wedding will I be there but also after, we'll be "bilas" forever remember... c")

a little of everything...

2005-08-26T13:44:00.000-04:00

Invitation
Our invitations are finally done. Irvin picked them up last Wednesday. The thing is the RSVP card came out with borders (top & bottom). It had it in the draft that Ate Irmee made which she didn’t delete thinking that it won’t anymore be visible when printed. Unfortunately, it was. Irvin and Ate Irmee like it. They said it looks like the place cards used at hotels and that it looks even nicer. I wanted to have it re-run at first but was convinced that it’ll be an add-on emphasis. So we’re keeping them as is. I just hope the recipients will like it. We have yet to decide whether we’ll have calligraphy for the envelopes. If and then, we have to send them this weekend so we can start mailing/handing-out on Monday.

Rings
I’ve seen our wedding rings and my ER. I just so like them that all the more I can’t wait to be home. Ate Irmee showed them to me through the webcam as Irvin was at work that time. Irvin said his ring is not that polished. There are little holes that are really visible. I told him to just return it so the jeweler can fix it.

Gowns
The entourage gowns are ready for pick up this Sunday. I just hope they won’t have anymore adjustments. More so, I am expecting for a nicely done gowns with the accents and all. Ate Irmee will also have her measurements done. And since we can’t find a better design for Nanay, we’ll just use this one I saw from a wawie’s (can’t really remember who!) wedding. Wednesday said we’ll be using shantung fabric for her. I don’t think I like the idea though. This design will really look at its best in pina. But since it’s going to be very expensive, maybe we can have organza at least or chiffon. Shantung is very stiff for an old woman like Nanay. I will have yet to discuss this with Wednesday.

Wedding Banns / Permit to Marry
I made a post earlier worrying about these forms required by San Agustin. I don’t really think they practice it here. But I did call the Rectory (Parish Office) and inquired. I was asked to leave the forms and just pick up the next day. I got more worried upon hearing that. I said to myself, ‘how can they publish it if it’s ready for pick up tomorrow?!’ And so I went there and got the forms. Fr. Ceriello filled them up himself with the church seal and a notation ‘not published’. So we just have to explain this to San Agustin later.

Video
I don’t have a clear idea yet as to how we will do the video. But basically there will be interviewees. Questions will have to come from us. Wednesday suggested that we include the story of how Irvin and I met. I’m fine with that. We just don’t want the showbiz type of video and revealing information that are too personal. There are things that are still better left unsaid don’t you agree?!

Program
Wednesday said this should be something I shouldn’t know in detail. She wants to keep some as a surprise which I don’t really mind. She just basically gave me an outline of what should be in the program. I also discussed with Irvin how we will do the 1st dance. Traditionally, it’s only the bride, her father, the groom and his mother who do this dance. But we have agreed that my Mama and his Dad will also participate. We’ve already decided on the songs to be played. It’s just a matter of the sequence.

My shoes/bag
Niko has sent me 2 designs for the shoes. It wasn’t hard to decide at all and I picked this. It’ll be in ‘Callado’. I don’t want it to be too pointed (in the front) neither a stiletto or square type of heel. I want something in between with a shape that’ll also look sexy. He also asked me which design I want for the bag. While there’s not much too choose from in Veluz’s website, I picked one. But I still asked Niko to send me more pictures.

Irvin’s attire
Irvin's attire are now complete. Well aside from the undergarments. He already has the barong from Tesoro's, pants from Onesimus and shoes from Bristol. I actually asked him why he got that kind of shoes. No offense but Irvin's fetish is shoes. So I was kind of expecting him to buy a more expensive brand. But he said he liked the style and it's comfortable.

Itinerary
Wednesday has provided me a partial list of meeting schedules with suppliers. I want to make sure we’ll do this ahead so I could still squeeze in some personal matters like get together with friends and visiting relatives. Our pre-nuptial pictorial is already scheduled. We can’t decide on the venue though. I came up with this idea of pretending to be golfers. I just don’t want it to look so fancy so we’ll see. I wonder if we need to be members or something so they will accommodate us. Hmmm… Alex wants to meet us too. Wednesday said he wants us to taste his cake. I love that! Haha!

Singer
Originally we were thinking of having an all instrumental music at the reception. Personally, we find it more classy and elegant (no offense to anyone) with just music swinging in the air. Then we’ll make use of the church singer that’s actually part of the package. But having heard some not so nice feedbacks about the singer, we thought of just getting one from our string ensemble. And it’s not really cheap. Then we’re thinking if we’ll just have 1 or 2?! Will it be a male or a female?! Will it be just for the church or both church and reception?! Will it really be worth it to think that San Agustin is really strict with the time?! He/she might not be able to sing everything at the church. I heard they even recite the Lord’s Prayer sometimes. Having considered all these, we’ve decided not to have vocals at all.

The wedding is really fast approaching. I’m already having mixed feelings…excited… tensed… stressed… happy. Name it! In fact, I’m worried about my skin again. Yes my skin! I have a lot of pimples in my forehead and all around my neck. What can I do! I can’t sleep well even if I go to bed early! I already lost 5 lbs. Well I’d like to take this on the positive perspective. I’m avoiding fatty foods. What else do you think?!

wedding invitation

2005-08-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

Our main invite and entourage list will be 7” x 7” in size except for the RSVP card which will be 3.5” x 5”. Earlier, we were torn between the fonts ‘Regency’ and ‘Beautiful’. We have decided that while we want the font to be really nice, we also have to consider its readability. And so Regency was chosen. Then another issue came up. Is the hologram/watermark supposed to be only on the main invitation?! Generally speaking, yes!!! Ate Irmee (Hi, Ate Irms! Thanks ha!) has modified the draft I originally made to include the hologram. Now Irvin came up with this idea to put a hologram in the RSVP. It actually looks nicer and I like it! But… it’s only the entourage list that doesn’t have a hologram. Should we leave it like that or better to just put a hologram on all the 3 sheets?!

hairstyles...again

2005-08-10T12:02:00.000-04:00

I keep on searching through the net but up to this time, I haven't found the hairstyle for me. There might be some styles that I like but can't say I want it for myself. I've asked the group for other websites that I can look at and Abby(Don) gave me some ideas.

There are 294 different styles in the bridalinsider website but these are the only ones that I liked. Now which one do you think is the nicest among them all?!

invite fonts / ring thickness

2005-08-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

invites
We’re using 2 fonts for the invites…Copperplate Gothic Bold and some other script type of font. Irvin and I originally wanted the Carpenter font. We both find it very elegant and formal for an invitation. But when Kuya Louie (his cousin) made the draft of the entourage list, they are not that nice in terms of readability. The size of our invites is 7" x 7" by the way. Anyway, we asked his cousin to make 2 more drafts using this time the fonts Beautiful and Regency. Irvin has asked me to discuss this with Ate Irmee (his sis-in-law) and decide. Now, I’m having a hard time choosing between the two. Which one would you go for? Beautiful or Regency?

wedding bands
Irvin showed me the setting of our rings through the webcam. The very first thing I noticed was its uneven thickness. I told him I personally don’t like it. I told him maybe we can just make the bottom part thicker so it’ll be even! Wednesday has talked with Bong (our ring supplier) if we can do that and unfortunately, he’s not suggesting it. He said a ring that’s too thick will specifically not look good on me. It was made that way to accommodate the stones in which he said is 10 pointers each. I made a post to w@w and thanks to Francis ni Pia that I actually understood what that meant. There were some other members who gave their views on this. Bottom line is… rings with stones are generally like that. So I did some research in the net and found this…

So I guess they can’t really be even unless the stones are really small. I have to say I’m now more convinced regarding the issue. And as long as it's not much of a difference, I think I'll go for it.

tagged!

2005-08-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

I’ve been tagged by Alynn!

1. What are the things you enjoy doing even when there’s no one around you?

- Singing. No matter what I’m doing…wherever I am… whatever time of the day… I just love to sing. In fact, I sometimes sing not realizing I’m at the office. Most of my female co-workers would know it’s me coming in the rest room when they hear someone singing.
- Cleaning/Organizing things. Just like Alynn, this is something that I do even when there’s no one around. I just do this on a regular basis. I’m a person who doesn’t like mess.

2. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level?

- Massage. This makes me feel relaxed and in cloud 9. I just can’t do it regularly here being very expensive. The cheapest is $65 an hour plus tax and tip. I’ve had it as a gift on my birthday. They do offer 30 minute massages though but I won’t be satisfied with that.
- Warm bath. I feel fresh and clean. It’s like it washes away all the stress you’re having. Haha! Well, sort of…
- Unexpected call/letter. Who wouldn’t like this?! It just melts my heart and makes me feel really good. It’s something when you know you’re being remembered.

3. Tag 5 friends and ask them to post it in theirs.

- Pao
- Alma
- Abie
- Kitts
- Meng

TO DO...

2005-08-02T15:17:00.000-04:00

I thought we’re almost done having booked the major suppliers. But as I was doing this TO DO LIST, I realized there are a lot more little details that need to be taken cared of. Otherwise, it won’t complete the package not to mention that the wedding is only 58 days away…

Church (San Agustin)
1. Full payment
2. P1k fee separately for ‘The Ruins’ and the loft
3. P200 each for 4 more PS
4. wedding banns
5. permit to marry

Reception Venue (Fr. Blanco’s Garden)
1. Reception lay-out
2. Wedding program

Caterer (Skyline)
1. Full payment
2. Replacements of items we’re not availing of (centerpieces, guestbook, dove release, torch)
3. Finalize menu

Cake (Alex Franco)
1. Design including flowers and/or fruits
2. Flavor/s

Bride’s Attire (Veluz)
1. Next fitting
2. Hairpiece
3. Brooch for the entourage
4. Shoes
5. Undergarments

Groom’s Attire (barong by Tesoro’s / pants by Onesimus)
1. Pants
2. Shoes
3. Undergarments

Attire-Female Entourage (Leony Bautista)
1. Fabric availability
2. 1st fitting schedule
3. discuss thoroughly the gown designs (esp. that of the moms’)
4. 2 more SS to be measured on August 6th

Attire-Male Entourage (Belen)
1. Everything fits well?

Rings (Bong)
1. finalize specs

Photo (Mimi Abesamis & Karl de Leon)
1. 2nd payment
2. schedule pre-nup pictorials

Video (Buddy Gancenia)
1. video concept

AVP (Buddy Gancenia) - free

Projector & Screen (???)
1. hunt for vendor

Invites (Kuya Louie)
1. pick-up sample invite

Florist (Cathy Gancenia)
1. 2 additional bouquets

Strings (Bernie Pasamba)
1. finalize songs
2. Wedding singer/s – soprano?
3. sound system

Sound System (???)
1. inquire from Skyline

Hair & Make-Up (Jasmine Mendiola)
1. trial schedule – Sept. 24th

Bridal Transport (Streetline Bridal Cars)
1. additional van for only 2 hours

Hotel Accommodations (Dusit Hotel Nikko)
1. reservations

Keepsake (Roneena, Inc.)
1. done
2. packaging

Appreciation Gifts
1. We already have some ideas but we’ll probably do this when I get home.

Other Bits and Pieces
1. Missal – DIY? Draft?
2. Coins (Aras) – c/o Tita Baby (Swiss Francs)
3. Coin Basket/Box – to buy when I get home or ask Veluz if she can make it a part of the pillow
4. Secondary Veil – c/o Veluz
5. Leg/Bible Garter – c/o Veluz
6. Cord – c/o Veluz
7. Bible – to buy when I get home
8. Rosary – c/o Faye
9. Matches - DIY
10. Candles – to buy when I get home
11. Ring/Coin pillows – c/o Veluz
12. Guest Sheets – DIY; when I get home
13. Luminaries – DIY; when I get home
14. Frames for table nos. – DIY; when I get home
15. Place Cards – DIY; when I get home

how many more days?!

2005-07-28T15:33:00.000-04:00

It’s only 65 days to go before the wedding. Say what?! Yes it’s only a little more than 2 months and we’re getting married. Seems like it’s only yesterday when we started with the planning…booking the church, the reception venue and the gown designer. Well these are the first 3 suppliers that we booked. Looks like it’s hard at first having no idea where to start but everything just went on naturally. Of course, researches and suggestions from people (like the w@wies) helped a lot. And another exciting part of all these, I’m finally going home… I’m finally going to see my fiancé, family and friends. Well it’s been more than 3 years. Thanks to technology I can see Irvin through the webcam. I just hope everything will turn out fine. I mean I know there’s no such thing as perfect but I’m really looking forward to having a memorable one.

something uncalled-for...

2005-07-22T12:04:00.000-04:00

This has nothing to do with the wedding preparation whatsoever. I’m just doing this post so that friends like you will understand the whole situation especially if you have read the messages left in my shoutbox by someone named “LARA”. Below is the post I sent to weddings at work:

hi, guys!

someone by the name 'Lara' left messages in my blog's shoutbox and i must say she's really mad. she's claiming that i made some crap comments on beaded gowns which i am not even aware of. i don't remember i commented anything on beaded gowns other than that of one wawie (i'm sorry i forgot your name!) who shared her gown design. i must admit i don't remember what i wrote in reply to her post. but as a reminder...each one of us has the freedom to say what we want with precaution of course. we're all matured people here and we will not just give nasty remarks uncalled for. i have no intention whatsoever to make other brides feel bad about anything. but if i say something 'negative' or should i say you don't expect, that is just my personal opinion. you're soliciting for advices from the group. don't expect everything to be according to what you want to hear. because if you do, i don't think you still need to get opinions from others. just follow what you want.

whoever you are, i shouldn't be affected with what you wrote, which by the way, i have included in this post. but i'm just not used to someone having bitter feelings at me...even if I DO NOT KNOW YOU! i would suggest that you make sure first if that's really me who made those crap remarks before you say something offensive to me. AND IF I HURT YOU IN ANY WAY, I AM REALLY SORRY!!!

Lara's unedited message in my blog:
You know I don’t like the crap you say about beaded gowns, if someone will give it to you for free I’m sure you’ll jump up and down. Your gown could pass for a bridesmaid’s dress by the way, it’s really plain looking. And guess what you don’t like a saint either, not even close. So if I were you, stop saying crap about beaded gowns if you that gown anyway, it won’t suit you. even if it’s made by a famous designer it will look something from divisoria if you wear it.

At first I was already thinking it was because of the comment that I gave Cathy about her gown design. But I wasn’t sure until Cathy herself sent the exact email I sent to the group which can be seen below:

hi, cathy! that's a nice pick! i find that more elegant than those with too much embro/beadwork designs. will definitely want to see it in your gown para makitaang overall effect. happy preps!

I may have hurt her in a way but this is just my personal opinion which I know I am entitled to...so to Lara: If you got upset with this one statement that I replied to Cathy, I am really sorry. It was never my intention for you to feel that way. But then again, that doesn't give you the right to say what you have said in my blog.

And as for the messages in my shoutbox, I'm not going to delete it so it'll serve as a reminder, not just for me but also for you, to be extra careful...

Bridal Shower

2005-07-20T15:02:00.000-04:00

I just read a post by Alynn on the bridal shower that she recently had. Will I have one?! I don’t know. I really don’t. It doesn’t matter, anyway. But I will have to say it’s nice to experience one. I’m not sure if my friends are planning one for me…not even my sister/sisters-in-law though Ate Irmee asked me one time about it. I’m like… ’Not that I know!’ The only thing I’m sure about is I don’t want something that is too vulgar. It’s cute to have some sexy lingerie but let’s leave it at that. Besides, I wouldn’t want Irvin to have some sort of ‘naughty’ stag party too. Maybe you're already thinking how KJ I can be?! Na-ah!!! It is my personal choice.

pictures! pictures!

2005-07-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

I have finally received the pictures from Irvin. Check them out...

'The Ruins' Sketch
The SAC Sketch
Coin Souvenir
Another shot of the coin souvenir

souvenirs are here...

2005-07-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

Irvin already got the coins the other night. As usual, there are no pictures yet. I don’t think I should expect him to do that really fast. Haha! Anyway, the coins came in single boxes. I thought it was a relief thinking we don’t need to buy the boxes anymore but they’re not nice he said. Some of them are already torn and folded. Besides, the color is blue. He has sorted them and found some in rough finish. And since he has learned that the supplier made a mistake by making 200 pieces, I guess he could just ask for replacements. Apparently, they don’t want to give the extras to us. I wonder if they will sell those at half the price?! Hmmm…

recent events...

2005-07-11T17:46:00.000-04:00

I try to sleep more during weekends. I usually get up late and avoid doing too much things. I got a text from Irvin on Saturday at around 9am saying…

Gud am. How r u? K naman lakad nmin, d lng nkumple2 ung s mga kids. Dscus k n lng syo wen we chat tom. Ingat k, food m n I luv u! :) btw, ung eng ring m s .50 crat.

Uh-oh!!! Do you think I could still sleep?! I grabbed the phone with my eyes still half opened and called him. At first I was like… how did your day go? Blah blah blah… blah blah blah… blah blah blah… Then he mentioned about my engagement ring which he was able to negotiate from 0.35 carat to a 0.50 carat. Geez! I couldn’t explain how happy I was upon hearing that. I’m sure any woman wants to have a nice diamond ring! And of course, the bigger it is the better. Haha!

Irvin already gave the 50% down payment to both Buddy and Cathy last Saturday. If I understood it right, he has already signed the contract for the video but not on the flowers. Cathy still needs to make some revisions…minor ones.

Also, they already bought the ‘barongs’ for the male (adult) entourage from Belen’s in Baclaran. He got pina-jusi at a very good price. Well at least for me. He’s having second thoughts though on his dad’s ‘barong’. He said he didn’t notice the quality of the seams. I’m just not sure if he could still return it. But maybe he could replace it with something else.

He also went to Tesoro’s and had his measurements taken. I think it’ll be ready in 2 weeks. He will wear a Chinese-collared ‘barong’ in pina silk. We also didn’t know that they don’t make pants so Irvin will just go to Onesimus for that.

By the way, I got the swatches that same day from Irvin. I like it! It's gorgeous though I would say it's still darker than Jen's motif. But I would like to give it the benefit of the doubt since it's hard to compare an actual swatch with a picture. I think I'd still go for this one.

bits and pieces...

2005-07-08T14:06:00.000-04:00

Cake design

We haven’t decided yet what design we’re going to have for the bridal cake. But we’ve narrowed down our choices into 2 at least.

This design is perfect for a citrus motif but since ours will be rust orange with wine red and matte gold as accent colors, we’re thinking of having fruits like oranges, yellow pears, cherries, red raspberries or strawberries instead.

And since we’re not getting the centerpieces from Skyline, maybe we can just ask them to decorate the cake table with flowers. Hmmm…

This other design is also nice except that it’s decorated with flowers. And it looks a lot taller too.

**********
Gown Design for ‘Nanay’

I’ve been looking for a suitable design for ‘Nanay’ ever since her measurements were taken but couldn’t really find one. Then, I’ve came across this simple yet nice design while browsing through the pictures of past brides (w@wies).

**********
Others

I’m waiting for the sample swatch that Irvin sent me. Wednesday said it’s the color that I want which is in Shantung fabric. She said it just came out. Well I really hope so. We have to start making the gowns for the entourage since we only have a little less than 3 months left.

Previously, we have asked our coin supplier to revise the back portion (ruins). Irvin already saw it but wasn’t able to get a picture. He has instructed them to go ahead with the production. They said it’ll be finished in 1-2 weeks.

Ermita Church can no longer produce another copy confirmation certificate since all of their files were destroyed for whatever reason I just can’t remember exactly. They are willing to just issue a certificate saying I was confirmed at that church but San Agustin Church still wants the original copy as well. So I’ll be sending it to Irvin as soon as possible.

Irvin and Wednesday will be meeting up with our ring supplier, Bong, tomorrow to finalize the rings. Irvin has to make sure on the widths of my rings. He doesn’t want them too wide since I have small fingers. They will also meet Buddy and Cathy for the contract signing and down payment. I just asked Irvin to clarify some issues with Cathy before he signs up.

attire

2005-07-01T17:55:00.000-04:00

It was the measurement taking for the entourage last Sunday. 2 of the Secondary Sponsors (Ruby and Caryl) will have theirs on the 1st week of August since Caryl is still in HK. It practically went well except that Irvin forgot to take the measurements of my brother, Adoy and my cousin, Harvey who will be the Bible bearer. The thing is…Mama hasn’t decided yet on what design she wants. She didn’t like any of the designs provided by Veluz and most of all, she’s not comfortable wearing a ‘terno’. So I said we’ll let her think more as we still have time.

Earlier this week, Irvin told me he got to talk to my Papa regarding the ‘barong’ he’s going to use for our wedding. There is a specific store where Papa wants to get his ‘barong’. But he was also saying he’ll just use his old one which he only wore for 3 hours at a wedding of my god-sister Fritzie. Papa also reiterated that he’s really comfortable in that other than the fact that there’s no need to spend for a new one. Irvin just told him that I want everything new. You know that feeling of being sentimental thinking that I’m the 1st in the family to get married and that he has already worn that. Oh well…

It was only last night that I phoned my family. It was Papa who picked up and same thing he told me what he told Irvin. So I just asked him very clearly if it’ll be ok with him not to buy a new one. And he said, ‘yes’. So end of conversation. I agreed with that. I also thought maybe this is the best way. I know my father. He’s very picky on what he wears. It’s more of comfort. It doesn’t matter whether it’ll be expensive or cheap as long as he’s not uneasy.

I also got to talk to my Mama. And I’m happy to know that she finally decided on the gown design. But… she wants another ‘modista’ to make it for her. She asked if it’s ok with me and she also asked for the budget. And we both agreed. She was trying to explain the design and fabric to be used but I must admit I’m not that familiar with fabrics.

Bottom line… I’m happy because we’ve finalized the issue on my parent’s attires.

coins

2005-06-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, Irvin already got the samples made by the supplier for our wedding keepsake. They made the commemorative coins (thanks to abie and howell for the idea!) in gold, silver and bronze. I like it very much and find it really nice. It’s a good thing Irvin and I happened to like the same finish…bronze. The diameter is about an inch and a half. This is definitely bigger than the P5 coin. I think this is about the same size as the old P1 coin. The ‘head’ shows San Agustin Church with the year it was founded at the bottom. The ‘tail’ on the other hand, has the ruins of Fr. Blanco’s Garden. We’ll have to ask them to remake the ruins though. It is beautiful but they made it too perfect. Thus, it doesn’t really look like the ruins. Also, our names and wedding date will be part of the back label. Irvin didn’t take pictures though. But I’ve asked him to take some shots including the drawing (made by his dad) we provided the supplier. We haven’t finalized yet as to how we will pack these coins. Wednesday suggested a velvet pouch or a red box with an orange ribbon to match our motif. I’ll make another post should the pictures be available.

2nd fitting with Veluz

2005-06-16T00:50:00.000-04:00

I just had my 2nd fitting with Veluz earlier. Gosh! I didn’t really expect it’ll last for 2 hours. I was already excited when I got the fitting garment earlier…all the more when I actually tried it on. I felt like I was ready to walk down the aisle. It’s just a fitting garment and it looked good. Veluz was happy and excited too. There are still some adjustments to be made though…just minor. Well it’s a little loose on my tummy and on the upper chest. Haha! Yeah on the chest area… Geez! And it’s kind of tight too in the armpits. It’s uncomfortable I should say. Veluz said nothing to worry about. We could take care of all these when I get there in September.

She said she has already asked the supplier in Lumban to start the production of the embroidery. It’s expected to be done by end of July. She said we’ll do the beading of the bodice later for we might have some revisions still. I’m so happy with the train length though I must admit I can’t imagine how hard it’ll be at the reception. Veluz said she’ll put a button at the center back hipline then a short string on the middle part of the train. During the reception, I could just ask somebody to attach that string to the button to shorten the train. That is what you call ‘bustling’. She also asked me if I want a petticoat for my gown. I’m like…leave it to the professionals. She said she thinks it’s better to have one and besides, the gown will be heavy. So with the petticoat, it’ll help carry the overall weight. She also mentioned about the seamlines of the skirt which was not in her sketch. She said it’s needed to create a flare for the skirt. This is one thing I like about her. She will let you know every single detail. She will not assume that I didn’t notice that whatsoever.

Regarding the shoes, she said she always suggests for a close toe kind of shoes. Niko will send me some shoe designs and brooches as well. We’re putting a brooch on the gown of the entourage. Veluz has also mentioned she’ll ask Niko to design a hairpiece for me. Great!!!

One very good advice I got from her tonight is that never worry too much of the gown. It’ll get dirty no matter what and it’s meant to be. Don’t even make your groom uncomfortable just because you yourself are not. Relax and have fun at the reception!

You can see the pictures right here.

hairstyles to choose from...

2005-06-15T15:37:00.000-04:00

I’m still undecided up to now as to what kind of hairstyle will I have. All I know is I want an updo…a little loose chignon maybe. Anyway, I’ve gathered some nice hairstyles from www.weddingchannel.com and www.theknot.com. Here goes…

Oscar Updo - This updo which sits further back on the head is dramatic without seeming over the top. You'll look as good from the back as you will from the front. This is perfect for the die-hard romantic.

Floral Chignon - Stunning and simple, a chignon is one of the most elegant bridal looks going today. A flower adds a delicate touch. This is perfect for the glamour girl.

Lovely Locks - This curled updo is pinned in numerous places so that the curls cascade in different directions.

Back Story - This simple chignon is pulled into a fan-shape where the hair radiates out from the center of the bun.

Prim & Proper - This back-do is composed of large loops, which gives the look visual interest and dimension.

On the other hand, I’m also thinking of…hmmm…sporting a more carefree hairstyle for the reception like this…

Long Hair

What do you think? Maybe you can help me decide?!

planning updates...

2005-06-13T17:22:00.000-04:00

Church (San Agustin)
1. paid the reservation fee
2. full payment due 2 weeks before the wedding
3. pay the fee for additional PS and use of the loft

Reception Venue (Fr. Blanco’s Garden)
1. paid in full (4 hour rental)

Caterer (Skyline)
1. paid the reservation fee
2. food tasting & contract signing done
3. paid 70% to date
4. confirm replacements of items we’re not availing of (centerpieces, guestbook, dove release, torch)
5. finalize the menu
6. full payment due on September 16th

Cake (Alex Franco)
1. finalize cake design
2. payment due on the day

Bride’s Attire (Veluz)
1. bride’s package already paid in full on October 2004
2. 1st fitting (bodice) done
3. started the embro production on June 1st
4. 2nd fitting garment now with me awaiting chat schedule with Veluz
5. schedule a meeting to discuss entourage gown details

Groom’s Attire (Tesoro’s)
1. schedule measurement taking
2. start looking for shoes

Attire-Female Entourage (Leony Bautista)
1. down payment was made
2. measurement taking scheduled on June 26th
3. set up another schedule for 2 SS sometime early August
4. discuss thoroughly the gown designs (esp. that of the moms’)
5. ask the vendor to present more swatches
6. Wednesday to find more swatches also
7. finalize the fabric to be used by June 26th
8. hunt for brooches (rhinestones/gemstones)

Attire-Male Entourage (???)
1. look for a reasonably priced barong and pants supplier (pina, pina jusi, jusi)

Rings (Bong)
1. designs already discussed
2. set up another meeting to finalize the specs (esp. the ring widths)
3. make a down payment if needed

Photo (Mimi Abesamis & Karl de Leon)
1. down payment was made
2. 50% ??? before the wedding
3. schedule pre-nup pictorials on September 24th
4. balance due upon delivery

Video (Buddy Gancenia)
1. the contract has been reviewed and revised
2. schedule the contract signing and make the down payment

AVP (Buddy Gancenia) - free

Projector & Screen (???)
1. hunt for vendor

Invites (Kuya Louie)
1. drafted the invite wordings; for revision
2. bought the paper from Delpa
3. schedule a meeting to finalize the design and layout

Florist (Cathy Gancenia)
1. awaiting contract revisions for review
2. check with SAC if there’s a wedding scheduled before us so we know how Cathy can do the arrangement
3. check with SAC if colored flowers are acceptable for the arrangement
4. discuss the details with Cathy (kind of flowers to be used, concept, design, etc.)

Strings (Bernie Pasamba)
1. paid 50%
2. currently doing the song selection

Sound System (???)
1. inquire from Skyline

Hair & Make-Up (Jasmine Mendiola)
1. trial when I get home – preferably on September 24th
2. down payment to be deposited to her account on June 13th

Bridal Transport (Streetline Bridal Cars)
1. down payment was made – bug’s eye MB for the bridal car and 2 vans
2. full payment due on the day

Hotel Accommodations (Dusit Hotel Nikko)
1. make the reservations asap

Keepsake (???)
1. sketch done (by Irvin’s dad)
2. gave a copy of the drawing to the vendor
3. awaiting sample

Appreciation Gifts
1. We already have some ideas but we’ll probably do this when I get home.

Other Bits and Pieces
1. Missal – DIY?
2. Coins (Aras) – c/o Tita Baby (Swiss Francs)
3. Coin Basket/Box – to buy when I get home
4. Secondary Veil – c/o Veluz
5. Leg/Bible Garter – c/o Veluz
6. Cord – c/o Veluz
7. Bible – to buy when I get home
8. Rosary – c/o Faye
9. Matches - DIY
10. Candles – to buy when I get home
11. Ring/Coin pillows – c/o Veluz
12. Guest Sheets – DIY; when I get home
13. Luminaries – DIY; when I get home
14. Frames for table nos. – DIY; when I get home
15. Place Cards – DIY; when I get home

'the make-up artist'

2005-06-13T16:13:00.000-04:00

It was through Shelley who’s also a member of Weddings at Work that I’ve learned of Jasmine Mendiola. I’ve seen her portfolio and the way she did the make-ups is just impressive. She mostly used nude/bare colors which I really like. And I must say I’m kind of biased in that sense. I find it very natural-looking.

Anyway, I sent her an e-mail right away to inquire on her rates. Soon enough, she replied. Her hair and make-up package is P12k for the bride plus 3 more adults. Then, it’s P1500 for every additional head. I got a very good impression on her. I would say she’s professional to deal with and she values what her client wants. Here’s an excerpt from her e-mail…

I'll be at the PERFECT BEGINNINGS 2 at the Megatrade Hall 1 on June 11 & 12 if you want to meet me. Perhaps we can talk about your wedding, the look you want and how it will fit best to your gown, your motif, wedding and reception venue, etc. I am looking forward to working with you, Faye! If there's anything you might need, feel free to contact me. My mobile number is 09267442778. Thanks again & best wishes!

I replied and basically told her about my dilemma. I wasn’t really sure how to handle the situation on the artist. I was worried then that I might not be able to find a good artist if I don’t book as early as now. On the other hand, I might not like the outcome of the trial if I book someone now. Anyway, she was already giving tips in her next e-mail. She was suggesting things that are not really biased on her part. She was still giving me the freedom to choose. Also, she explained thoroughly how she works. She does the make-up herself but usually gets an assistant depending on the number of people getting the make-up done. She has a hairstylist. I must admit that I find the hairstyles in her portfolio too simple for a wedding though. But she said we can work it out! I guess I’ll just look for some in the magazines or websites and have it copied. More importantly, I expressed my concern on having a different look from all the others. She said it’s covered! Nice huh!

Wednesday went to see her at the fair last Saturday. It’s so happened also that she was doing a trial make-up. Wednesday said she’s rather nice and she’s actually giving tips while working. She was telling the people watching what’s nice to use…what will last…etc. etc. We had to decide right away to avail of her promo (15% discount). She agreed to accept the confirmation by phone and we’ll just deposit the down payment should we decide to get her.

We were considering 2 more artists that Wednesday referred…Ricky Dalu (used to work for Patrick Rosas) and Red Reyes. Wednesday has given all the pros and cons. She said Ricky and Jasmine have the same ‘forte’. She also tried negotiating with Ricky. By the way, I’ve seen Ricky’s works in the Metro Weddings Magazine with Claudine Barretto in the cover page and he is sooo good. He really does good quality make up. But having considered everything, we’ve decided to get Jasmine.

The Question Game

2005-06-10T17:27:00.000-04:00

Marj introduced this game to me. Hard as it may seem, I never thought it will be as simple as it is. It’s also a perfect way to know more about your friends. Here goes…

1. If you have the luxury of money and can quit your current job, which line of work would you do? - Public Service. I have always wanted to help the needy. It breaks my heart accepting the fact that not all humans are equal...status-wise. It gives me a feeling of disgust knowing that the poor are not treated fairly at times. I remember telling Irvin how I want to contribute to charitable organizations or sponsor a child but it’s just something that we can’t afford yet right now especially on a regular basis. I used to contribute to UNICEF though when I was still in the Philippines. While it may not be big of an amount, I know it helped in a way.

2. What is your idea of a perfect day? – To me walking barefoot hand in hand with my special someone by the beach would be perfect. Feeling the coolness of the breeze, breathing fresh air, hearing the sounds of the waves, and listening to the chirping of the birds make me feel at peace. Besides, being away from the usual is something...busy life in the city...traffic...crowded streets. Hmmm...

3. Would you rather live in a penthouse in the city or a mansion in the country? – I’d love to live in a countryside mansion. Why? I’m basically a lover of nature. The serenity of a place is very important to me not to mention the bountiful flowers and plants surrounding you, the laid-back kind of life and many others.

4. Which famous or infamous person do you secretly have a crush on? – I have always thought of Hugh Jackman as sexy and good-looking. You can’t just imagine the excitement I felt when I watched his musical play entitled ‘The Boy from Oz’. I had no idea he can sing until I’ve seen that play. Who wouldn’t have a crush on someone with good looks, great in acting and has an excellent voice.
I don’t think it’s a secret though. A lot of my friends know I have a crush on him…even Irvin I should say.

5. If you can have one talent, what would it be? – Paint/Draw. I have always admired my brother Adoy’s talent in drawing. It’s a great way to describe creativity other than the fact of expressing one’s self.

Here are The Official Interview Game Rules:

1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

If you don’t have a blog, I will still ask you 5 unique questions and you can post your answers here.

Good thing blogger has an edit button! Haha! I forgot to include the rules. Marj had to remind me.

2nd fitting garment has arrived!

2005-06-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

I got the fitting garment yesterday which was sent by Veluz two weeks ago. I’m just glad we didn’t have problems with the mailing this time. I can’t explain the excitement I had when I received it to think that it’s just a fitting garment. Veluz made it with the skirt this time. I love the train so much! I actually tried it on and it was just gorgeous. But it still needs some adjustment though. I already sent an e-mail to Veluz asking for a fitting schedule…through the web cam of course.

we've decided to get iflowersspeak!

2005-05-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

I called Wednesday last night and asked her how the conversation with Cathy went. As I was told, the client who booked her for October 1st is only for the entourage flowers/bouquets and the wedding will be in the morning. It was Wednesday who actually asked her if she could still accommodate us in which she said yes. I have already discussed this with Irvin even before I spoke with Wednesday. Having laid down all the pros and cons, we have decided to get Cathy Gancenia’s services. We hope that we can work smoothly together. We just hope for the best.

Buddy Gancenia will do our video!

2005-05-24T09:04:00.000-04:00

Finally, our dilemma with the video is over. We got Buddy Gancenia. I actually asked Irvin to make sure that it’s confirmed. I don’t anymore want to share another sad experience later on. We’ll schedule a meeting for the contract signing right away.

on iflowersspeak still...

2005-05-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

Irvin called Cathy earlier to clarify what really happened. It didn’t matter anymore despite the fact that Irvin voiced out our side. Cathy insisted on her policy that she goes for the client who books first. I’m not saying Cathy is not nice. In fact both Irvin and Wednesday even confirmed that. I just don’t get it why she will do that. I was just expecting some professionalism on her part and also some courtesy to us since we have always been in constant communication with her. And granting that I have not confirmed my booking, I still believe we both agreed on something that she didn’t actually comply with. She didn’t even tell us that she's considering another client with the same wedding date as ours. I mean she could have at least informed us so we know where we stand. Now Irvin asked me if we’ll reconsider let’s say she can cover 2 weddings. Should we? I really don’t know. This post is not to judge her whatsoever. I’m just trying to send the message that while she may have dealt in really great manner with other clients, it’s so happened there were some inconsistencies in our dealings with her.

iflowersspeak

2005-05-23T14:26:00.000-04:00

I have another sad experience (with a vendor) to share...

Based on my previous post, Irvin and Wednesday had a meeting with Buddy and Cathy Gancenia on May 14th. Irvin got so convinced in getting Buddy. He really liked the quality of his work based on the sample videos shown to him.

Cathy, on the other hand, has envisioned everything that we want for the flower arrangement. She even gave other suggestions that would make it even better. Wednesday has emailed me a brief description of what Cathy intends to do with the arrangement which I have also posted earlier. Tuesday, May 17th, I e-mailed Cathy asking for a detailed proposal. My only purpose is for me to have a better idea of the whole picture from a supplier's perspective. She replied and asked me to give her until Monday, May 23rd to have the proposal ready. She said she's busy and she had a wedding last saturday. I said I'm fine with that and I'll just wait for Monday then. Guess what??? She sent me an email today saying someone already booked her on our wedding. aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I really don't know how to react to that! 1st, she's the one who said Monday because she's too busy to accomodate the request when she got my e-mail. 2nd, having said that, I'm kind of expecting that she would at least give some consideration to me. I think I should have really been given the chance. She could have told me she needs me to decide now because there's someone who wants to book her. I understand that any supplier wants a sure deal but all I'm saying is I'm just waiting for her proposal really. I have asked her a week ago and since she couldn't do it immediately, I agreed to wait till the date she said she can do it. Am I expecting too much? I don't really know. Maybe I am to some of you. But why didn't I make a pencil-booking then? I also don't know. I'm not even sure if she accepts pencil booking. And I didn't even ask just to make sure.

I usually call Irvin at 8:30 am but since I can't wait for later, I had to wake him up just to tell him the bad news. He said let's just look for another florist but then a little later, I got a text from him saying he couldn't sleep anymore. He's obviously disheartened.

What are we going to do next? Well, we're back to zero!

Teddy Manuel of Flowers & Events

2005-05-18T12:57:00.000-04:00

I also got a proposal from Teddy. I should say it's over our budget but I like his work. I find it really nice and of quality.

Hi, Milett and Edith! I really like your wedding set up. Thus, I'm borrowing some of your wedding details. I hope you don’t mind. Thanks.

Here are some samples from Millett and Jojo's Wedding:

Some more pictures from Edith and Tito's Wedding:

meeting with Skyline and The Gancenias

2005-05-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

I promised to make another post with regards to the meeting with Skyline, Buddy and Cathy Gancenias so here’s an excerpt from Wednesday’s email:

I’ll start with Cathy first- Basically we discussed the flowers that she intends to use for your wedding. Definitely no mums but if ever, she will get the nicer ones. These mums are the ones less used in church set up. The flowers will be liliums, roses, gerberas, calla lilies and for your bouquet the mini callas in orange (imported variety). In my opinion, these choices are okay, considering your requirements of elegant and beautiful. I've discussed with her our conversation on the centerpieces of callas in long clear vases with pebbles or other fillers and she has envisioned the look we wanted. She also said that she wanted berries as fillers for your bouquet. In our discussion, she said that white callas will be used as centerpieces for the guests and for the presidential set up, she will use orange flowers, with touches of yellow and red, which are replicas of your accent colors. I agreed with that and I think it will create a focal point in the reception. For the church, she will use a combination of the flowers and that instead of the tulle used in the church, she will bring her own. When we went to skyline for food tasting, we first viewed the church as it has an ongoing wedding. And the flowers in the church are very disappointing. They are wilted, looks old, not fresh and poorly arranged. Of course, I will ask for a lay out or design from her so that you will know exactly what she will do. For the entourage, she will use callas as per your requirement or if you want, we can have the entos have gerberas with roses (to break the callas), mothers will use liliums (they are pretty flowers) and for you the mini callas. If you want all entos including mothers and sponsors will carry white flowers para sa iyo lang ang orange.

Reception - There was a set up at Father Blanco's yesterday and the motif was an orange hue but not rust orange. The presidential set up used tiffany chairs and for the guests, the usual mono block with white skirt and orange ribbons. Personally, I do not like ribbons on chairs. Its so common and very 80's. If you which to decorate your chairs, I’d like something updated, like green stalks, flowers or twigs or maybe a butterfly stocking. Anyways, I already know where to put the luminaries. It will be at the entrance where all guests come in and where you and Irvin give us the grand entrance. In the pictures you sent, I saw red luminaries and I think it’s dramatic and maybe you would like them red. For your gazebo, I will have to coordinate with your chosen florist and Skyline because the design that Skyline normally creates is also outdated. I was thinking less fru-fru but more elegance in the form of candles and hanging lamps or flowers. But the flowers have to be minimal. I hope you can imagine what I’m telling you. The fountain area can be kept bare and instead of flowers I want it lit with candles of different sizes. I think it’s more elegant, less fru-fru and has drama into it. Don’t worry, I’m not being theatrical, but aside from the presidential set up, the fountain area is a good focal point.

She stressed that the flowers are guaranteed fresh and the creative presentation will be that of your liking. Payment terms are 25% upon booking, 25% one mo. before the event and 50% upon delivery of flowers.

I met a coordinator that day, which I believe is handling on the day preps only kasi the way I looked at it, she has no control over the lay out of the reception. Anyways, she asked me the date of your wedding and i said Oct. 1, and without batting an eyelash she immediately said, rather sarcastically, "well you should have a plan B kasi it’s the rainy season". I wanted to tell her, but of course I know, but I opted to smile. But in reality, I have a plan B, just in case. But you know, I told Irvin and your Mama that nothing is impossible with prayer. Let’s pray for good weather as early as now.

Food Taste - As I've told you, there is a function last Saturday so we were able to sample their menu. For the food taste, only main courses are sampled. The menu of the event were Blue Marlin in Garlic, Chicken Ala Kiev, Lasagna and Lengua Financiera. I then opted to sample: Grilled Beef Vermouth, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Seafood Ala Pobre and Fettuccini Puttanesca. Irvin, your mom and I loved the Lengua but your Mama and myself wanted the pastel variety, but the thing is, we are hesitant that not all people eat Lengua, so we opted for the beef vermouth. The Seafood Ala Pobre is really good and it has shrimp and blue marlin but your Mama said na baka tipirin tayo sa shrimp kasi mahal, and per Irvin you really wanted the blue marlin, so we went with that. The blue marlin was also good. Irvin chose Lasagna over Puttanesca and for chicken, the obvious choice was Cordon Bleu. All the food items were good. Soup is served only for the presidential. However, I don’t know what soup. I’ll just ask them.

In the amenities for the wedding package, I told skyline that there's a possibility that we will not use their centerpieces and some other items and we wanted something in exchange. Sabi they will confirm with their boss first. Basically, here are the items we're not getting from skyline:

guestbook and pen (very ordinary kasi)
cake
doves with cage
emcee
centerpieces and floral arrangements for presidential set up
torch parade

Buddy -His reality videos are very nice and hi-tech. He made a good oral presentation and he emphasized capturing the moments. I liked his system of having a shot list, that way he won’t miss out on good photo op locations and highlight what is needed. For the concept of the video, you may have to discuss that with him or meet with him if there is still time. He mentioned that the early booking is necessary for him to conceptualize the video in collaboration with you and Irvin.

We were not able to buy paper last Saturday. As it turned out, half day ang DELPA. Anyway, we have time.

There you go! Irvin and I are in the process of deciding right now. By the way, I also got other quotations via the e-mail.

what's new?

2005-05-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

I had an almost 2 hour conversation with Wednesday (our coordinator) last Sunday. We’ve discussed a lot of things but we didn’t cover everything still.

We are scheduled to have the food tasting and contract signing with Skyline this coming Saturday. They will also have a meeting with Buddy and Cathy Gancenia for the video and flower services. I just hope it’ll turn out ok.

Bouquets – I’ll definitely have orange calla lilies with either red or green berries. I’m sure it’ll look nice. Then the matron of honor, bridesmaid and secondary sponsors will have the same kind of flower only that it’ll be white. We’ll just ask the florist for recommendations on what flower/s will be nice for the moms, principal sponsors and flower girls. But most likely, it’ll be roses, gerberas or mums. What do you think of these bouquets? I want something more of orange though. These are kind of light for me. I think deep or dark orange is better! Hmmm...

Centerpieces – We’ll have white calla lilies, maybe about 3-4 pieces, in a tall clear vase. We want it simple but classy. I saw this centerpiece in the website of 2171 Floral Creations (see below) and I kind of liked it. We have to modify or do something more to it though. We might use orange colored water to incorporate in our motif. Then Wednesday suggested that we put pebbles inside. Nice, right! We’ll also have votive candles of about 4 pieces on the table and some scattered petals. We haven’t decided on the petal colors though.

Table Number – We’ll have our pictures from childhood to present, together or not, printed and use it for the guests’ table numbers. Isn’t that cool!

This is all so far. I’ll make another update maybe after their meeting with Skyline and The Gancenias.

on video

2005-04-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

I just want to vent out our problem with who to get for the video. It’s as if I want to scream just to lessen whatever heavy feeling I have right now. I set up a budget of P15k for the video. I even asked the w@w group before for recommendations. Then, Cynch (hi, cynch!) introduced Threelogy. I know it’s over the budget but having 2 cam set up then is already a good deal. They even made it 3 cam at the latter part of 2004. I told Irvin about it and his initial reaction was he’s not that confident since they are new in the business plus the fact that we wanted to stick to our budget. I specifically told Irvin to make sure we’ll book the video before the end of the year as they will increase their rates for sure come 2005. Things got so complicated… h2b was busy at work… there were too many holidays... etc. etc. Now, Threelogy increased their P20k package to P23k but having canvassed from other suppliers, they’re still the cheapest/reasonable considering a 3 cam set up with AVP. So we decided to just get them. Never mind if it’s over the budget. Our coordinator has been trying to get in touch with Bong these past few days but to no avail. Now I got an e-mail from the coordinator saying THREELOGY IS ALREADY BOOKED ON OUR WEDDING DAY!!! I am so frustrated. I don’t know what we are going to do now. We might just stick to 1 cam set up and maybe just do the AVP ourselves.

she says...

2005-04-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

What are the qualities that I like about Irvin? Hmmm… well, I sort of tackled this already in my post about cold feet in November but here are they anyway…

*Nice – very courteous and well-mannered; the soft spoken type; not showy but simply sweet
*Sensible – not much of a talker but is definitely clever
*Family oriented – I admire how he is to his family which is not really common to guys. His closeness to each and every one of them gives me the assurance that he will be a good husband. He doesn’t go out often…more of a home body type of person.

Physically,

*Well-groomed – his finger/toe nails are always clean; very picky in terms of what to wear; brushes his teeth a lot; his shoes are always well-shined
*Height
*Eyes

Negatives?

*Secretive – He just won’t open up about everything especially those that will make me worry. In a way his intentions are good but I would prefer him to be open.
*Yes, now & No, later – He has this attitude that he will say yes just to please me. He just doesn’t want to argue about it any further. Few days will pass and it will come out that he didn’t really mean the yes.

he says...

2005-04-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

It’s always nice to reminisce especially those sweet moments you’ve shared with your loved-one. You may have been together for a very long time but you’re never tired of remembering the good old times. I was on the phone with Irvin earlier and I asked him this… “What qualities did you really find in me that made you love me?”

He said…

*Conservative – Lagi lang daw ako nasa bahay; marunong sa household chores; naghuhugas ng plato; nagluluto. In short, simple lang.
*Family oriented – He said I’m not selfish. I always think of other people. Di daw ako materyosa.
*Just – He said I always think of what’s fair. I don’t decide on things that will only benefit me. I’m considerate of other people at all times. In fact, we fight about it sometimes. I have this attitude that I don’t care if there’s nothing left for me as long as I know they are happy.

Physically,

*Maputi
*Matangos ang ilong
*Maganda
*Mahaba ang kilay
*Malambing (ex. lagi daw ako nakahawak sa kanya)

There are negatives of course. Know what those are?

Nagger – I really have the tendency to be like this when I’m mad and when I feel I’m not being heard. I may be sweet but I can be the total opposite when I’m angry.
Stubborn – I must admit I fight for what I believe is right. It may already be unreasonable sometimes but I don’t really listen. Also, I must get it should I have wanted it.

Well, they say no two people are alike. It’s up to you to compromise and adjust to each other for the relationship to stay healthy. It’s a lifetime process not just for couples but for everyone. We should learn how to appreciate the positives in the same way that we should also learn how to accept the negatives.

keepsakes

2005-04-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

From the start, I really like audio CDs for our wedding keepsakes. I even had this crazy idea that we’ll ask the String Ensemble to play and record the songs even though I know it’s going to be really expensive. But then I dumped the idea thinking more of the practical side. Irvin is not really particular on these things. He prioritizes what I want and he’s very supportive.

Anyway, I got to see the wedding souvenirs (commemorative coins) of Abie & Howell which I like so much that I really want to have that for our wedding. Abie gave me the contact information of their supplier in which Irvin immediately contacted. Irvin didn’t have a good impression on him. Well that’s another story! But anyway, Irvin tried inquiring from a shop making trophies at SM Southmall. He was given a price that’s P10 higher than Abie’s supplier. In fairness, it’s a little bigger. But the mold is P1200 for the front and P1500 for the back. Why? I also don’t know. I was hesitant at first and Irvin suggested that he’ll just go to Recto to scout for other suppliers. Then, I just realized it’s not worth all the hassles so I told Irvin to just talk to that shop at SM. Guess what? He went there last night and another guy was saying the price they gave Irvin is only for the front. So meaning, times two! Holly molly cow! Excuse me! I told Irvin maybe it’s better to talk to the manager or the owner. He’ll go back there this Thursday.

By the way, special thanks to Daddy (Irvin’s Dad) for the drawing that we will be giving to the supplier.

Mrs. B

2005-04-18T11:06:00.000-04:00

I just hang up with Irvin and he just came home from a meeting with Mrs. Leony Bautista. It went well and I think we got reasonable quotes from her. We already made the down payment and the measurement taking is scheduled on the last week of June. Irvin has also seen some ‘barongs’ and he said they are nice. We’ll just have Jusi for the male entourage and Pina Jusi for the dads. He said the sample shown to him for the latter looks so good and really formal. There was also a design made for my grandma. I will have yet to see it though. I think Mrs. B suggested a chiffon material for that. Anyway, at least I still have 2 months more to finalize the color (motif) and the designs. My Mama hasn’t made up her mind yet on this.

Also, thanks to Wednesday for being so persistent on things like this. Irvin told me how Mrs. B finds her so concerned on every single detail. I’m just very glad with the fact that we can count on our coordinator.

on weddings

2005-04-13T17:40:00.000-04:00

-wedding expenses-

Why is it so expensive to get married today?! Some people say it depends on how you want the wedding to be…how many guests…whose services are you getting whether they are well known in the industry or they’re just starting…and so many other things. We’ve originally set up a budget that we thought is reasonable enough for 200 guests at a garden reception. Don’t get married if you’re not ready financially? Duh! I don’t think the budget set is small. With the economy today and the value of money, it’s very hard to determine when you will be ready. And I guess most people will agree with me that it’s more than just a wedding. We are going to start a family and the preparation is not just emotionally and physically but financially too. Sometimes I tell myself it maybe because I want too many things for my wedding?! Doesn’t anybody want what’s best for this one-time occasion! Well…well…well! Solution? Mmm…At least always scout for reasonably priced with quality services suppliers.

**********

-mothers-

Irvin’s mom wants to wear a ‘terno’ for the wedding. But my mama doesn’t want it. I told this to Veluz and she asked me to encourage my mother. She was just saying it’s better if both of them will wear a ‘terno’. The thing is, my mama thinks she’ll look really old in that design. She even said she’ll look ‘BIG’. As in literally big!

Veluz said chiffon fabric will look nice for ‘terno’. She also mentioned that canary yellow can be used if the moms don’t want the kind of green that she originally suggested. My mama doesn’t also want yellow. Waah! I don’t anymore know what to do. I was telling Irvin I didn’t really anticipate before how hard it is to handle these things. I thought it’s just simple. Designs have already been provided in the first place. Veluz has already suggested fabric type to be used. Whew!

My 1st fitting with Veluz!

2005-04-04T17:49:00.000-04:00

I was online last night at around 9pm to have a chat with Veluz. She was already online even before me. She said she was excited for my first fitting. Well let me just call it ‘fitting’ even though we just did it through the internet and the webcam. She only made a fitting garment for the bodice of my wedding gown. Veluz is really nice to talk to…fun I should say! If I am happy and excited with how I looked in that fitting garment, so is she. You can tell it from her voice. Anyway, I didn’t have anyone to assist me. I didn’t even have pictures taken. Maybe I’ll do that later. She was patient enough to guide me through the marking and measuring. After I have put all the markings, she drew the bodice, made dotted lines on the original measurements and made solid lines for the parts that I have marked. Then, she put letters on every part so it’ll be easier for me to measure. Who would ever think it’s not that hard to do over the internet! We still spent some time over the phone talking about some other details. I told I want the chain design for the bodice over ‘sulihiya’ and ‘callado’. She did tell me she wants ‘callado’ best among others. But she really has this way of explaining how my choice will look nice on the gown. We also talked about designs of the entourage gowns.

My Tita Laling called afterwards and telling her what happened to my chat with Veluz, she suggested for me to have the ‘callado’ instead. She was saying it’s better to have a simple bodice so the embroidery pattern will look at its best. She said it has to be the embroidery which should be the highlight. Now I’m having second thoughts about it. I think I’ll discuss it with Veluz again. Hmmm…what ya think?!

I got it!

2005-04-02T23:28:00.000-05:00

I met my Mama’s client/friend earlier of the day. Finally, I got the portfolio and fitting garment. I can’t explain the excitement I felt when I actually saw the swatches. Come to think of it, it’s not yet the gown! It’s just the swatches but…they are so gorgeous. I can’t wait! I am just so happy that I made the right decision of choosing ‘pina’ fabric for my wedding gown. And the options for the bodice…oh my! They are so nice. Veluz asked me to choose between 3 designs…‘sulihiya’, chain or callado. It’s really hard to make a choice but I think I’ll go for the chain design. I have a scheduled chat with her tomorrow night. She wants to see the fitting garment on me. I tried it on earlier. I think it’s a little loose on the bust area and also on both sides right below the armpit. And perhaps, I will ask her to lower the neckline a little bit. She also included the sizing pattern for the shoes.

Also, Wednesday sent some fabric swatches for the entourage gowns. Her A and B samples are exactly the same as those that were sent by Veluz before. I am really having a hard time deciding between the two. While there are other choices, I have already eliminated them. I’m planning to ask Veluz’s ideas tomorrow so maybe I could come up with a decision from there.

it's Irvin's birthday on March 30th

2005-03-30T16:39:00.000-05:00

It’s my dear sweetheart’s birthday! Well, I forgot that this blog is set up as Manila time. It’s already March 31st in the Philippines and I could have made my post yesterday. Whatever! Anyway...

Happy Birthday, Irvin! Wishing you more years to come! All the Best!

still waiting...

2005-03-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

It’s hopeless! I think Veluz’s mail was lost. I still didn’t receive it but she didn’t get it back either. Anyway, Irvin went to her house on March 14th to get a new set. Veluz gave him her reference copies of everything. We originally thought of sending it through a courier service but a friend of my Mama will be coming over for a vacation. Actually, she’s already here since the 23rd. So my Mama suggested that it be sent through her. I will meet with her this Saturday. Irvin showed me the sample embroidery through the webcam. I got so excited that I can’t wait to see it!

Dilemma on receiving international mails

2005-03-11T10:55:00.000-05:00

Irvin signed the contract with Veluz when he paid my bridal package in full October of last year. Veluz has prepared the portfolio which includes the sample swatches of the fabrics she's going to use for my dress, my copy of the contract, the original copy of the design we picked, and I’m not sure what else. She sent it to me by registered mail on jan14 through the Philippine Postal Service. I was already getting worried then since I get most mails from outside the US within 7-10 days. And then, Wednesday said, registered mail usually takes longer. After almost a month, Veluz got it back saying it was opened here. I think the contents were not properly reported sort of. Anyway, she sent it again by ordinary mail on feb18 and believe it or not, I haven't received it up to now. Geez! I've already checked it with the US Postal Office and still waiting for the results of their investigation. I also couldn’t give them specific details since I don’t have any tracking no. I mean it's ok if I don't get the portfolio. Irvin can just keep it for me. But what about the fitting garment. Veluz is supposed to send this on Tuesday, Mar15 based on her latest e-mail. What if I don’t get this still? I can't be in the Philippines personally to have fittings so I have to get the fitting garment no matter what. waaaahhh...

ooops..i forgot two more

2005-03-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

19. Strings - Wednesday has pencil booked us with Leggiero but we're still looking for other groups. We've been getting not so good reviews on them especially in terms of their punctuality. They have reasonable rates though, in fairness to them.
20. HMU - We're considering Ross Regala. Many w@wies have given good ratings on him. I couldn't have TMU until I get home 2 weeks before the wedding. We still don't know how to handle this one. Irvin said Wednesday knows a lot of HMU artists so we'll see.

Update on the wedding preps

2005-03-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

1. San Agustin Church – paid reservation fee of P5k
2. Fr. Blanco’s Garden (reception venue) - paid in full (P10k rental for 4hrs.)
3. Makati Skyline (caterer) - paid reservation fee of P20k (balance deductible);
4. Bride’s Attire (Veluz) - Bridal package complete with gown, shoes & accessories (veil, 2nd veil,leg & bible garter, arrhae&ring pillows, & cord) which was paid in full on Oct’04. I haven’t received the portfolio yet. It was already checked with the local post office (USPS). I’m just waiting for the results of their investigation. My measurements were already submitted on Feb20. Veluz is supposed to send the fitting garment on Mar13.
5. Groom’s Attire (Veluz) - Nothing has been done yet.
6. Ento Attire - Designs are available courtesy of Veluz. We just have to ask the moms to choose which is which. We are really considering Mrs. Bautista for the entourage gowns. I was also thinking of getting the 'barongs' from her. Wednesday will meet with her again to get sample swatches and finalize pricing.
7. Rings - Irvin has met the jeweler that Wednesday was recommending. He has seen some samples. We were already given a package price for the ER and bands. We still have to set up another meeting for specs finalization.
8. Photographer (Mimi Abesamis & Karl de Leon) - paid the P10k down payment
9. Videographer - wala pa
10. Cake (Alex Franco) - He doesn't accept down payment or reservation fee. Wednesday will discuss with him the design by next week.
11. Bridal Car (Streetline Bridal Cars) - paid the reservation fee of P500. The details of the package that we got can be seen from my previous post.
12. Florist - don't know yet
13. Keepsake for the guest - none yet
14. Gifts for the Ento - Nothing has been finalized yet.
15. Invites, RSVP & TY cards (Kuya Louie) - I have already made a draft of the invite, rsvp & the insert. Wednesday is suggesting for some revisions. We're thinking of having a really simple design for this... monogram of our initials on the invite proper, embossed wordings in black, etc.
16. Missal - We're not sure yet but more or less DIY.
17. CEE or DW Seminar - No idea yet
18. Wedding Paraphernalia
a. Arrhae - silver CHF5 coins (swiss francs c/o Tita Baby from Switzerland)
b. Basket or Box whatever for the arrhae - none yet
c. Bible - none yet
d. Luminaries - DIY
e. Guest Sheets - DIY. We're thinking of incorporating our pre-nups pics on these but no idea yet as to the design proper.
f. Back drop (sort of streamer) - I'm just thinking of this. Irvin doesn't even have an idea yet that I want us to have this.
g. Feather pen - still looking for a nice one

I'm not sure if I have listed everything...but I think these are all.

changed our 'leave us a note' portion

2005-03-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

I have removed tagboard feature from our blog as it is always down. I don’t know why they are having troubles with their server most of the time. Of course I want our relatives, friends and visitors to always have a way to communicate with us. Anyway, I registered from myshoutbox and tadaah… check it out! Remember to leave us a note ok!

streetline bridal cars

2005-03-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, our coordinator, went to the NBC tent last Saturday for the wedding expo. I’ve been encouraging Irvin to go there but he really doesn’t want to. Anyway, Wednesday has already booked us with Streetline Bridal Cars. The package is not cheap but I think P12k is already reasonable for an MB Bug eye bridal car and 2 vans. Their package IV worth P8500 includes 3 hour use of the bridal car with driver, fuel and bouquet; and 10 hour use of the van. We just added another van with only 5 hour use. But drivers and gas are not actually part of the price on both vans.

Papal Blessing

2005-02-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

during the start of the preps, i saw this post from w@w that there are actually some couples getting a blessing from the pope for their wedding. i don't know why but i told myself i also want this. it just feels different. i can remember the very first time i saw pope john paul II during the world youth day in the phils. i was really touched and teary eyed for reasons i don't know. gotta ask irvin if he likes the idea.

adding photos

2005-02-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

finally, i now know how to include photos in the blog without even uploading the pictures. thanks to some w@wies who actually replied to my inquiry and gave me some advices. i should say i am more comfortable doing it now. we'll see...

dream rings

2005-02-16T22:12:00.000-05:00

look at these rings! aren't they lovely?! who wouldn't want to have these?! princess cut diamonds are just perfect. they are very elegant...very extraordinary...very eye catching. i don't want the side stones for the engagement ring though. i would just love to have these! hmmm...

bridal set

and what about this? i think this is also nice. simple but classy. i would rather have this kind than round edged rings. and who would ever think that the stones are only 0.25 t.c.w.?!

wedding motif

2005-02-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

this is the exact color that i want for the motif. irvin has actually sent me some sample swatches from veluz. they are nice. it's just that it doesn't have this exact 'one' that i really want. we'll keep on looking. irvin might go to divi to get some samples.

before i forget, it's marivel who's wearing the rust orange gown. she was my former boss when i used to work for castrol phils. with her is another good friend of mine, fhatty.

rust orange gown

February 14th

2005-02-15T20:52:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to post last night but got too lazy to do it. Anyway, most wawies say, enjoy the “V” day, it being your last as single. Well, not for me. I was just home just like an ordinary day after work. But both Irvin and I hope that this will be the last that we are apart on special occasion like this. Hopefully we can have the best from next year on. I was actually telling him how I miss receiving flowers. It’s been a long time since. And even if he can, I don’t think I’ll be comfortable with that. We’re both practical persons. But we did send each other sweet notes/card of course. We talked on the phone as usual. And… that’s about it! - faye

8 months to go...

2005-02-03T15:02:00.000-05:00

It’s been a very long time since my last post. I’m kind of stressed out already. It’s only 8 months away and there are still a lot to be done.

We haven’t decided on the video yet. We don’t even know who to get. We’ve been trying to scout for an affordable 2 cam set up but they are mostly P20k and above.

Also, we’ve been discussing the entourage gowns for a while now. I didn’t know it’s harder than I thought. Up to now, we don’t have the actual material and color yet. I’m not even sure if they have rust orange (terracotta) in shantung fabric. We don’t know yet who will make the gowns. They are mostly expensive. If I only have a big budget I’ll definitely get Veluz. At least I’ll be sure one big headache will be gone. Mrs. Bautista is definitely affordable. Wednesday said her gowns are priced at P1500 regardless of fabric. That is very cheap and I think she makes nice gowns based on the w@wies’ reviews on her.

Irvin and I were talking about the invites. We were thinking of having a simple but formal invitation. We might have a plain paper or something with a simple border. We are also considering having our initials as a background picture or maybe as a header. I don’t know yet! But at least, Irvin has already mentioned it to Kuya Louie (his cousin who will make the invites).

We can’t decide yet on the keepsakes for the guests. I really want a music CD but still trying to find alternatives. I want something that guests will definitely use. Figurines can be thrown away or stored in the garage especially with our names imprinted on it. Besides, it is already common. Candle holder is another thing. You can just buy it anywhere at a cheap price. I love candles very much especially scented ones but I just don’t like it for the souvenirs.

I guess we’ll just have to decide once and for all so we could accomplish things. - faye

temporary bookings made

2004-12-19T21:23:00.000-05:00

Since I’ve been hearing a lot of good comments about Alex Franco’s cakes and Irvin has already tasted his cake, we have temporarily booked him for our wedding. We have yet to confirm later if we will really ask him to do our wedding cake.

Also, we’re still undecided for the videographer up to now. We have pencil booked Emil Buencamino for 1 camera set up. But I have suggested to Irvin to look for other videographers. We might inquire from Bob Nicolas and Threelogy. We’re hoping we could settle this within the year. I know it’s 10 days away but we will try. - faye

Mimi & Karl will be our photographers for the wedding!

2004-12-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since my last post. There’s not much things that had happened but for those times that I was silent, we were busy finding a photographer. Wednesday (our coordinator) has made a pencil booking with Mimi Abesamis. I think I’ve said before that I’m already convinced in getting her but of course, we have yet to see her sample pictures and albums. Wednesday has also met with John Mateos Ong. He offered a free pre-nuptial pictorial had we booked on or before November 30. John is still a little expensive compared to Mimi. Anyway, Irvin had a meeting with Mimi Sunday morning. She brought with her some sample albums. We were trying to haggle for more freebies like portrait, additional pages for the album or even mini albums for the parents. Unfortunately, only the pre-nups will be included in the package. Irvin liked the scratch proof album. We have agreed that a down payment will be made should he like any of the samples. And so he did. We now have Mimi and Karl as our official photographers. - faye

meeting with Wednesday...

2004-11-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

Irvin had a meeting with Wednesday, our wedding coordinator, last Sunday. She is currently negotiating with Charles Villanueva and Nelson Villarica. Their packages are kind of pricey and definitely more than what we have budgeted. She said she’ll also be meeting Dino Lara. Based on the posts of some w@wies, he’s also expensive. But we’ll see… Anyway, I have requested her to check on Mimi Abesamis and John Mateos Ong. We have already inquired from them before and what we need now is to see the actual products.

Wednesday also asked about the entourage gowns. She said Beng, the gown-maker that she referred, gave a quote of P2k for each gown. I’m still clarifying if this will be uniform for all MOH, SS and BM. I have sent Wednesday some gown designs from the internet. Basically, I want to have some variations for the gowns. They will have the same cut and length of skirt but with different designs of bodice (top). I am still waiting for an update on this.

I really want a rust orange motif. But she’s suggesting to have an accent color. I don’t mind the idea at all. But right now, we can’t decide yet which is which. We can have another color as part of the gown but I still want the rust orange to be the dominant one. - faye

'Cold feet'

2004-11-10T14:36:00.000-05:00

A w@wie who’s getting married in 3 weeks posted something about what they call ‘cold feet’. I really didn’t know what that is at first. Then, as I went on reading the e-mail, I found out that it has something to do with a soon-to-be-married person’s fears. A lot of other w@wies gave their pieces of advice. I didn’t anymore express my sympathy though I really feel sorry for her.

Her post actually made me think. A lot of questions came in to my mind. Why am I not experiencing that? Is it because it’s still 11 months away and I don’t feel the pressure yet? Is it because I have already conditioned myself to the fact that I’m getting married? Am I marrying the right person? Am I really ready for this lifetime commitment? Am I afraid to lose my individuality and freedom?

It’s been exactly 10 years, 9 months and 2 weeks from the day that I gave him my ‘sweet yes’. I haven’t visited home for 2 years and 8 months now. Having been in a relationship like ours is never easy. We’ve been through a lot of things – good and bad alike. We’ve had the worst situation you could ever imagine. During those early years together, we were not really traveling to places. We were not even going out that often. Going to church, dining out at a restaurant, once in while going to the theaters and most of the time staying either at our house or at his has become a routine. The only places that we’ve been to if I remember it right are Tagaytay (which my parents don’t know) and Puerto Galera. Sometimes I ask myself why. Well, I have strict parents and that’s already given. But my Mama sort of gave us the freedom to do whatever we want to do after graduation. I can’t also say we don’t want to do it because we both love to go to places as far as I know. Why then? I don’t know. I really don’t. But having a good relationship will not just be based on that aspect I believe. I can proudly say we know each other pretty well. We’ve learned a lot from each other and we still are.

Am I really marrying the right person? YES! And even if you ask me over and over again, my answer will still be yes. Irvin is a very nice person. He is not the showy type but is definitely sweet in many other aspects. He is not much of a talker either but very sensible when he speaks. He always thinks of me first before his own self. He is very responsible and I’m pretty sure he can be a good provider. He is a home body type of person and very family-oriented. This is basically the reason why we’re getting into fights lately. For the longest time that I’ve known him, I never met any of his high school friends and now that I’m miles away, he goes out with them and stays out late. It’s not that I don’t want him to enjoy but it’s more of I don’t know who’s he with. The worst is he goes home really late. Oh well that’s another story. But in fairness to him, I know he’s just trying to have some fun and he knows what he’s doing for sure. One thing that I don’t like about him is that he will keep everything (especially problems and negative sides of things) to himself. He wouldn’t want to give me something to worry about…to think about. He will try to resolve it by himself as much as possible. Bottom line is I always tell him we should share both the positives and…the negatives. That’s basically the reason why we have each other.

Am I losing my individuality and freedom? Yes and No! It really depends on how you look at it. In some ways, I will have to consult my other half or maybe I should say it’ll be a two persons’ decision especially if we’re talking about the family that we are trying to build. It is a part of being married. Two people are being united in marriage to become one. You can’t just have your own perspective in everything. Before I even decided to marry him, I have already thought of the many possible things that marriage will change. It’s not anyone’s responsibility but ours…both of us will be responsible in making our married life happy. On the other hand, marrying him will not mean that I’m leaving my own friends…that I can’t anymore do what I want…that I have to be with him all the time… that I can’t anymore buy things for myself. My friends could also become his friends. I could still go out with my friends in the same way that he also can. The only thing is there are limitations. There are a lot of things to be considered.

Marriage is a lifetime commitment. It is a gift from God. It is the best thing that you can share with your loved-one. All I can say is I can’t wait to walk down the aisle, be married to him and be with him for as long as I live. - faye

Irvin met Veluz for the 1st time...

2004-11-03T10:06:00.000-05:00

Irvin has met Veluz earlier at 8pm. She called him last Sunday and they have agreed to meet today but the time wasn’t clear enough. He tried calling her this afternoon but was told that she went to the shop in Malate. Then, he can’t contact her. At first, he thought she forgot about the meeting but he later found out he has a text message from her.

Anyway, Irvin said he finds Veluz very friendly. He hasn’t even come in the gate yet and she already said ‘hi, Irvin!’ He said she’s fun who just talks about a lot of things. She even said that she knows he doesn’t know anything about these stuffs. Ha ha! What can you expect from guys, right? The important thing is I will look pretty in that dress in his eyes. Hmmm… He has seen a gown that she made for an exhibit though it was pink in color and with beadwork design only. Also, swatches were shown to him. He said he finds them nice. And he now has an idea how the ethnic embroidery design looks like. Irvin has paid Veluz in full to avail the discount. She, in turn, will send the portfolio to me (the contract, swatches, sample of embroidery, measurement guide, etc.). And as usual, Veluz said ‘ingat’ (take care) when Irvin left. This is the very 1st good thing that I noticed about her.

Veluz sent me the working schedule via the e-mail. She needs to have my measurements by February 20 next year and we’ll go from there. I’m very excited though I’m kind of having a hard time losing weight. The thing is the more that I tell myself to refrain from eating too much especially sweets, all the more that I’m craving for food. Haay… We’ll see… - faye

vendors' rates are increasing...

2004-10-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

Irvin and I thought that preparing our wedding one year ahead will give as a hassle-free wedding, we were wrong. One "big" disadvantage is that suppliers/vendors will tend to increase their rates/fees for the next year. It’s either we pay now to avail of the old rate or pay later with the new rate. I’m not even sure if blocking off the dates would mean we have to pay in full or if partial payment will do. I feel like we don’t have enough time to scout for other suppliers considering that there’s only 2 months left before the year ends.

So far, we have only reserved San Agustin (ceremony), Fr. Blanco’s and Makati Skyline (reception) and Veluz (bridal gown). Makati Skyline has already increased their rates from P550 to P600 per head. Geez! That’s a big increase! We want to book a photographer/videographer as early as now but we’re still having a hard time choosing. We have only alloted P50k for that but most of the good ones charge more than what we can afford. Right now, we’re considering Mimi Abesamis and John Mateos Ong. Irvin just needs to see how their magnetic album looks like. He has seen that of Ariel Javelosa’s and he finds it really nice. The thing is he's so expensive, and we’re not even sure if he’ll be the one to cover our wedding considering his tight schedule. Mimi and John, however, don’t include blow-up portraits in their packages. They said based on experience, couples prefer different designs so they advise their clients to have their own portrait done, that way it'll be a lot cheaper and more importantly, we have the freehand in choosing what type of materials to be used, in other words, you'll get your money's worth than that of a free portrait. By the way, John is giving the pre-nuptial pictorials for free, but only if we book within the year.

There are still a lot of things to worry about. To sum it up, planning for the wedding is really fun and exciting but stressful at the same time. Haay… - faye

yipee! veluz is making my gown...

2004-10-17T23:05:00.000-04:00

finally, we have decided to get veluz. there were 9 designs that we chose from although what we picked is somewhat similar to some of the others. anyway, she's going to make a semi-haltered pina silk gown. there will be embroidery and beadwork in the center front and back with the back having the same pattern all the way to the hemline. it's not as sexy as those strapless gowns but i like it. really! i'm happy with the design! i can't wait till she starts doing my gown.

we didn't actually consider inquiring from other designers. from the very first time i got veluz's reply to my e-mail, i got to like her immediately. i find her friendly and professional. she really explains everything that you need to know about a certain thing in detail.

the thing is... it's way over our budget. 50% more than what we originally set . geez! i'm really glad that irvin supports me on this. we just hope that we made the right decision and that it's going to be worth it. i myself in particular, expects it to be really beautiful. i hope so... - faye

gown design by Veluz

Chat with Veluz

2004-10-14T22:19:00.000-04:00

haay, another day has ended. i'm a little bit tired. so many things to do at work. irvin actually reminded me to go to bed early considering i slept really late last night or should i say this morning. ha ha! i told him i'm not gonna even open the computer but here i am creating a new post. i just had a chat with veluz. i had asked her to make new sketches for me the other day. the first set (about 5 designs) she made were kind of 'sexy' since they're mostly open back but this time i have asked her for covered ones. anyway, it's really hard to pick because all of them are just sooo pretty. i even told her, maybe it'll make it easy for me if she tells me the prices. ha ha! i remember when she asked me before what my job is. then i said i do accounting and she said 'kaya pala strict sa budget'. right now, i have gotten all the prices for the new sketches and all i need to do is discuss it with irvin (keeping my fingers crossed). hope we could finalize things with veluz the soonest. -faye

Yey! Our blog is up and running!

2004-10-14T08:59:00.000-04:00

yes! as in yes! i have already set up our blog. thanks to clarice! i was up till almost 3am, new york time. ha ha! it may still have changes later on but it's up and running. haay... i feel so relieved. i have experienced the worst while making the blog last night. did it 3x. for some reason i don't know everything that i did the 1st time was gone. geez! then of course, i had to bother clarice again who was doing their invites and gave me the web address of pageresource. i think it's working fine now though i have a little concern on the countdown?! looks like it's not correct. anyway, i'll wait for the reply from nerdsonsite support. -faye

Setting up of a Blogsite

2004-10-13T14:59:00.000-04:00

this is the first time for me to post. at first i thought it was easy to make a blogsite...but i was wrong. keeping the exact template with the steps to follow will make it easier, modifying the homepage however is a headache. i even asked help from our MIS dept. it's taking too much time before he can even figure it out so i said, 'forget it! i'll just ask help from mailto:mw@wies.. i know that in anything you do, getting started is most the difficult part. i'm sure it will be a lot easier once i've learned the basics. still waiting for the e-mails from w@wies. haay... -faye