Prep Dress

I don't like to wear bathrobe or lingerie robe during preparation kasi parang panahon pa ata ng mama ko yun hehehe. I saw this blog of a bride na her designer made a dress exactly like her bridesmaid for her wedding prep. Kaya it gave me an idea na magpatahi ng dress instead na robe. Pero ang problem with her pictures, ndi mo na alam sino yung bride sa pictures niya with her bridesmaids na they were gathered around the wedding gown on the molder.

So instead of pink or light brown dress, I opted for the chocolate brown para maiba (ndi na akong mukhang bridesmaid, para na ako yung make up artist! hehe). Hindi pa yan yung final belt, sobra lang yan sa tela ng damit ni Georgia. Sa davao na ako maghahanap ng tela na lighter pink.


I got it awhile ago from the sastre, ang luwang na nga kasi pumayat ako from the time of fitting. May maganda rin naidulot yung sobrang busy ko sa work kasi pumayat ako na ndi ko nalalaman. Biruin nyo ba naman, ndi na ako nag mmeryenda or dinner for almost two weeks para mahabol lang yung deadline. Ayoko kasing may maiwang work during vacation kaya kayod kalabaw, and of course para sa diet na rin. hehehe. Buti na lang I have a planner or else nag nervous breakdown na ako. =)

I bought the tela together with the entourage's at Tutuban Centermall. Tip lang don't buy dun sa Tutuban mall na may dalawang escalator sa entrance. It's more expensive there and konti lang yung choices. Go to the mall across, yung may mga food stalls, just go inside and you will find wedding gowns, barongs..etc.. and when you walk farther, you will find the textiles. Almost 25% cheaper than the big Tutuban mall. The cheapest and widest selection is the store named Blue Chip.

I bought the chiffon for P45 per yard na 60 width and the lining for P20. But when I inquired at Glorietta, they sell it for P100! exact type of tela. Then sa Tutuban mall it costs P55.

My sastre is Aling Fe whose shop is at Liwayway Street JP Rizal. Magaling siya and marami syang mananahi so ndi ka matatakot na baka ndi niya matapos on time. Labor for that dress costs P600. Sayang nga kulang yung tela nabili ko, more shearing pa sana. Aling Fe's contact number is 870-5649. What's good about her is her shop opens until 12 am or longer. Walang problem sa pag appointment, so okay na okay for a working bride like me. Her specialty actually are gowns, nung kinuha ko nga yung dress ko, she was doing Sarah Geronimo's dress. hehehe showbiz.

Souvenir

This is our souvenir, an aromatherapy set since Dan and I love yung amoy spa ang room, our favorite scent is Citronella. Sayang we couldn't choose the scents kasi assorted sya, ndi nga ako sigurado kung may citronella. I bought one set just like this last december for myself, kaya when we're planning the wedding ito talaga yung first choice ko for a souvenir. I just doubted kung meron pang ganun at these time, and thank God nakita ko yung store sa 168 Pasilio IL, walang ibang stall dun na nagbebenta ng souvenirs so you won't miss it. Ang bait pa ng chinese na may-ari binigyan pa niya ako ng libreng imported candies while Dan was out looking for an ATM machine. The original price was P50 but we were able to haggle it to P33. =)

Now the dilemma is how to wrap it. Dapat lagyan na lang ng ribbon pero ndi matibay yung plastic wrapper niya, napupunit agad, so dapat balutin. At first we wrapped it in japanese paper since oriental naman ang theme namin, pero ang pangit ng dating. Until I saw a mahjong paper at National bookstore, and then tie it with a pink ribbon. Wattyathink? Okay ba? I will still go and find a better option, pero ang hirap humanap ng wrapper ngayon na ndi xmas season.

Tiara

My designer sent me the photo of my tiara. Yun pa lang ang natatapos, yung gown ko, next week pa daw. I love the tiara, exactly how I wanted it.. pero ndi ko lang alam paano sya isusuot hehehe.. i just love the pearls and the bling-blings. I never really want just a simple headband type tiara for my wedding, but I bought one for lizette the maid of honor hehehe.

This tiara is especially made for me, sabi ni designer ipakatay daw sa akong pusod na hair. Medyo ndi ko pa ma imagine, so I let Oniel show the tiara to the make up artist.

Speaking of tiaras, last, last weekend I was able to buy a headband tiara at Quiapo. I just found a store that sells cheap priced accessories. Mas magaganda pa sa nakikita nyo sa malls. Mahihilo ka sa dami, like there's a super bling-bling set of necklace and earrings, fully studded with "diamonds" that costs only P320... which if sa mall, it could easily cost P1500 or more. But the catch is, you have to buy at least 6 items (pwede assorted) kasi wholesale dun. So to be able to buy lizette's two-layered diamond headband which costs only P160, I bought some stuff like the Charrol bracelet which only costs P40, pero sa greenhills P200 yun, and I also bought my cousin a small tiara for P65 (the same tiara costs P100 in divisoria).

I forgot the name of the store, basta it's along the alley perpendicular Quiapo church, mga two stores away from Wellmanson, which is a popular store for assorted beads and accessory materials. I couldn't believe I sweeped Divisoria, Binondo and Quiapo in just one day for the souvenirs, beads for my chord, laces for the souvenirs and bouquet and tiaras. Nun ko lang nalaman na magkakatabi lang pala yung mga lugar na yan. Buti na lang masipag sa ganyan ang mga tita ko at kahit mainit at least comfortable kami sa car during byahe. Hindi ko ma-imagine mag commute with all those stuff that we bought.

Moon River galore

Moon River, wider than a mile,

I'm crossing you in style some day.

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

wherever you're going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.

There's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end--

waiting 'round the bend,

my huckleberry friend,

Moon River and me.

Thank God we finished the invitation cards! and most are distributed already. If ever I'm going to marry again, I will never ever make Do-It-Yourself invites again. Ours was just simple, but the cutting and especially the clay-wax seal takes time and not to mention the mess. We have to re-do some invites because we accidentally burned them with the candle hihihi. Masaya na sana ako kung hello kitty stickers na lang ang ginamit to seal the cards, pero pinagpilitan talaga ni Dan ang wax seal. Since the candle wax has the tendency to destroy the paper, we mixed some clay.

So last night we finally had time to practice the waltz dance I found in Youtube. Because Dan doesn't want a long dance, we chose the song moonriver. Actually, it was Oniel, the planner, who chose that song. Hindi ata sya pang wedding.. pero kevs, it's a classic and i love it.

To my surprise, Dan was a better dancer than me, ballroom kasi daw ang PE niya hehehe. Ako kasi folk dance, so hanggang swing lang alam ko. We practiced the simple steps for an hour.. but we were sweating a lot na, ug gihangak pa jud.. kulang talaga kami sa exercise! tsk tsk.

Wedding Prep Day 1

Last week of March - My planner friend told me that St. Paul is free on June 2 and sent me pics of the reception venue options.

April 8 - I called up my mom and told her that I am getting married. It goes like this, I called her up on her cellphone:
Ring.. Ring.. Ring
Mama: hello?
Ria: Hello mama?
Mama: bakit man?
Ria: magpakasal na kami ni Dan.
Mama: HA?!
(and you can guess what happens next)

April 12 - Booked my flight to Davao online. Had overtime at work until 10:30 pm.

April 13 - Left Manila at 4 am and arrived in Davao at 7:30 am. Slept until 8:30 am. Oniel my planner and Dan went to the house. Plotted our day's schedule, called up the church to check kung masisingit pa ako sa May 19. Since ndi, June 2 na talaga.

• 9:30 We passed by the church to make an appointment with the priest and booked our schedule. Then off we went to City Hall to file for our marriage license. Since maraming kilala si mama doon, we finished faster than usual.
• 10:30 After that we went to Marco Polo to check the place and asked for their package, which costs 1,200 per person. Nahilo ata si Dan sa presyo, so we went to our next option in Davao Convention Center which offers a more reasonable price and package, ndi namin nagustuhan ang carpet kasi marumi na so we just put it in our shortlist.
• 12:00 My brother suggested that we can check Ladislawa Village Clubhouse, Dan loved the place because it is secluded and very intimate. But i didn't really like it because it was too small.
• 1:00 My Dad said to also check Tulip Grand Plaza, a new place sa kanto ng village namin. It is a smaller version of Davao Convention Center that offers the same package and price kasi pareho lang ang may-ari. For me it was perfect, it is near the church and it is still new and the size is big enough for dancing. =)
• 1:30 Went back to the house for a sumptuous lunch. And asked my Kuya if he can suggest some names for our photo and video. He suggested his artist friends from Alchemy of Light and Vision. This is the production house that creates digital films, like the well-awarded Ang Huling Balya (something like that).
• 2:30 We went to meet the photo and videographer my kuya suggested. I liked the photog right away, kasi madali kausap and magaling sa candid shots. Which is good for my idea about my prenup pics. He is a cinematographer also, he's name is Mark Limbaga. So I booked him right away for the next day's prenup pictorial.
• 3:30 Met with my gown designer. I can't post his name because he is a designer of a well known shop in Davao and he is making my gown "under the table". He is a friend of my planner and I found out that he is also a barkada of our kapitbahay. He gave me a cheap package for 12k, kasama na ang swarovski studded tiara. =) I really liked his design, I first showed him a design from Monique Luillher, but he said it was expensive kasi lace lahat. So he created another design which I liked better. Ang tawag niya sa design ko is "simple na bigaon". =)
• 5:00 While waiting for the designer, Oniel showed us selections of the videog/photog in Davao. I originally wanted Lito Sy but he was too expensive, plus ndi naman talaga si Lito Sy ang kukuha. So we settled with Kenneth Arquiza of Edit Station One because of his reasonable price and nice work, he is not as amazing as my dream man Jason Magbanua pero okay na. With Photog, I wanted the famous Joseph Benavides because he already knows my angles pero more than that I want my dearest friends to relax and enjoy on my wedding. So this time, I'm giving him a break and mingle with the chicks than crawling and sweating to get the best shots. ;p Pero sana kunan pa rin niya ako ng pictures hehehe. Anyways, while fitting and talking with the designer, Oniel was making as an appointment with Kenneth and then head off to Obrero in his studio. Talking to kenneth was like haggling some stuff in Divisoria, he wanted us to make a down payment right away so he was saying na baka tumaas na presyo nya next day. Buti na lang mas matigas mag negotiate si Oniel, ndi nadala sa kanyang intsik style.
• 6:30 Went to Golden Touch, a flowershop, event stylist owned by Oniel's barkada. Bongga talaga ang designs niya and pati presyo niya. He is out of our budget, konti na lang ka-presyo na niya ang food cost namin. He is worth it naman, pero spending too much on decorations is not on our list. Oniel tried to haggle though, pero ayaw ata niya. Good thing, Oniel found a better way. Kilala niya yung main artist ng Golden Touch. =)
• 8:00 Back at home and had dinner. After dinner, Oniel and Dan plotted the budget in Excel. Ang saya ni Dan kasi the wedding became cheaper than he expected. Thanks to Oniel and his connections.
• 9:00 The day isn't over yet, we wasted no time. After the budget plotting, my brother drove us to different hotels and apartelle near the church for our guests from Manila and Cebu. We chose Jogue's Apartelle because it was very near the church and the place is so charming. =)

The How

Okay before I start mumbling about the preparations, it think it's just right to spill the tale on how it all started. I heard some terrible judgements why I'm getting married so fast, 1. That I am pregnant.. well I can't blame you on that though, but NO I AM NOT. 2. That I am still not over my ex, and I am just pressured to get married because he is getting married at the end of this month. Eeeww.. that's too cliche an issue already. I am actually, genuinely happy for him and I hope some people can move on. hehehe. Isa pa, it has been proven time and again that you can never pressure a man to marry you. Lumuha ka man ng dugo, humingi ka man ng 15 million worth of engagement ring, if he is not ready or at least see you as his wife, walang kasal na mangyayari kahit maghintay ka pa ng isang dekada. devah?

It all started last October if you still remember my entry in my old blog when Dan gave me the ring. It was spontaneous, we were walking along the train station and he gave me the giftbox with the ring in it and said I am the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The 10 diamonds mean the latest will be 10 months. There was no definite date yet at that time because he still has to see through his company's stability when he gets back to the Philippines. It wasn't your usual proposal, my cynical me even thought maybe it's just his hobby to give diamond rings. hehehe. After all that I have witnessed from previous relationships of my friends or even mine, I simply stopped believing in engagement.

I wanted to tell my friends that I was 'kinda' enganged but I don't want to jinx it. At the back of my mind I thought he wasn't serious about it.

Then came March when he asked me again about the date, he even wanted to get married right away at that month, kaya daw niya ang 2 weeks preparation, kahit sya na daw lahat gagawa. We just have many possible career opportunities going to happen on the second half of the year, that is why we wanted to marry before July. But I said I want a well-prepared wedding naman with a significant date. I really wanted to do it on my birthday month which is May because, first I'm really forgetful about dates so when it's done days after my birthday, it wouldn't be hard to remember our anniversary.. bwehehehe. Second, I don't want to be a June bride hehehe.

I asked my planner friend if it is feasible to have a wedding on May and he said yes, so I originally planned it to be May 19. But June 2 is the only available schedule in my church at St. Paul Parish. I grew up going to that church and I don't want to be married anywhere else. So June 2 it is. =)

And so that's it, I am getting married, simply because Dan wants to marry me, no pressure and all. =) And if it seem so fast to you, it's because, hindi man sa pagmamayabang, he has the money to spend now, he is spending for everything and all I had to do was choose a date that I like.

And like what Harry said to Sally, "if you found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, you can't wait to start the rest of your life right away."

A Whirlwind Romance

I am getting married! =)

Many people including my parents were shocked by our decision to get married soon. Most of my friends and relatives thought I was pregnant but I have to disappoint them because I am not. When Dan asked me for a date, I said I want it on May because it's my birthday month and it wouldn't be hard to remember our anniversary (I am very bad with dates). I just don't get it why you need 6 months or 1 year of preparation for a wedding, before setting a date you have to be really, really sure that he is the one.. which is the most important part.. the party and the ceremony are just icing on the cake. Another reason why I don't want a long preparation is the stress and anticipation before the big day. The longer the preparation, the longer the torture of worrying about the details. Maybe 2 months is enough.. because I need to concentrate on other stuff, which I can only do after the hullabaloo.

Since there are no more available dates in St. Paul Parish for the month of May, we opted for June 2 (which is the only available date left for June). Mark the date!

So this is my new blog where I will narrate how we manage to pull together (or not) a wedding for barely 2 months. =) For the couples out there who are planning a wedding, this will be your feasible study if it is possible to create a beautiful wedding in 2 months. Come with me and let's see how everything will turn out. =)