I'm a Busy Bee

A tip for those dreaming/planning a wedding:

Don't set your date after the holidays.

It is a budget, timeline and planning nightmare! Waah!

Invites...Ready for Take Off

Last Saturday my pink fairies arrived at our home. We are to assemble the invite.

I let them decide the style on how to tie the ribbon of the invite since it is only one page. They can do which way they want to ribbon it. I have an organza ribbon in chocolate brown which I bought in Divisoria (P100 for 1 roll or 100 yards).

As they were doing that, I did the guest list. The names of the guests will be printed on a sticker paper so there is no need to handwrite the names in the invite. Lesson learned: Finalize the guest list, complete with their names and professional designations in life (Dr., Atty., Judge, etc.), before assembling your invites. It took time for me before I was able to finalize that list. The Cook didn't know the full names of some of his relatives. Argh!

Another lesson learned: You can print the "We have reserved ___ seats for you." in the invite. I was thinking of not putting that in the invite, thinking we could just spread this information through word of mouth that we are having a small wedding. But, my pink fairies said that guests will think twice of bringing their whole clan to the wedding if this vital information is printed in the invite. So, I printed the reserved seats info in sticker paper and decided to put it at the back of the invite.

At the end of the day, we were able to finish all the invites (too many. I overestimated).

Turning Green

I am now thinking of giving plant seedlings instead of kapeng Barako as souvenirs. I have read about giving eco-friendly favors such as bird seeds, flower bulbs, plants before. But I only really took this idea into consideration after reading My Quaint Life's blog about green souvenirs. Since it is cheap (you can get about P20/seedling), you can give your guests to plant trees and help Mother Nature.

So now, given the little time left till The Day (5 weekends!!), I am thinking how we can pull this off. I am mentally imagining which nurseries are in our area where we can buy the plants. Also, C, the wife of The Cook's brother, said the Horticulture department in UP Los Banos (UPLB) sells different kinds of seeddlings that I may want to check out.

Hope this wedding project turns out fine.

The Invites Have Arrived

The invites finally arrived yesterday! Yehey! I'm so excited to put ribbons in it and send them away. (giddy-yap!)

Marriage License

We were able to secure our marriage license at the municipal hall. Yey!

Meeting with the Florist

One Sunday, the Cook and I visited the florist, Lani, recommended by Inay and who takes care of the flowers in our church.

She was very helpful and gave alot of insights during our discussion. I told her I wanted Calla Lillies for the entourage and pink roses for my bouquet. For the aisle, initially, I was thinking of using a bunch of Asters to save costs but she said that option is more costly since it would take 2 kgs of Asters (around P320) to make an Aster bouquet. So, scrap that idea.

We talked about the flowers and leaves to use for the altar, the images of saints, corsage, etc. All in all, the total cost for the flowers is P2,000 (around ($41). Since she is a friend of Inay's, she gave a small fee for her labor. Thanks Sister Lanie!

(Excitedly) Waiting for the Invites

Cheps informed me that she will be sending the invites via courier today. Hopefully I will receive it tomorrow. Wootwoot! I'm so excited!

Love this Video

JK Wedding Entrance

I so love this video right now. If only we could do the same here...

Villa Luciana

After discarding the idea of having the reception at Villa Familia, the Cook and I went on looking for an alternative venue. I searched the Internet for possible venues near our area. I found a resort in San Pablo City that offers wedding packages. Their packages include: catering, venue, sound system, cake, room for an overnight stay and an emcee. All you need in a wedding reception, they have it. We were seriously considering holding the reception at this resort even if it is far from the church.

My BFF suggested a resort at a nearby baranggay. We went there to see the place. Coincidentally, there was a birthday party when we went to the resort. And Inay was a guest. :) We talked with the owner of the place and she gave us the price for renting the place. She was kind and since we are from the same area, she gave us a friendly-price. We asked if the sound system be included in her price. She said YES! So, the next day, we went back and paid the 50% downpayment to book the place.

So now, no more reception woes. And Cheps can now revise the invitation content and start printing. Woohoo!

Our rings

The Cook and I bought our wedding rings in Meycauayan, Bulacan. My college friend and Meycauayan native, M, helped us visit jelwery shops. She knows alot about buying jewelries so we're confident of buying the real kind and not the fake ones.

We went to Meycauayan early Saturday morning to avoid traffic and midday heat. Jewelry and pawn shops are everywhere in Meycauayan! It's kind of overwhelming. :)

Jewelry shops open at 10am and since we're early, we first ate breakfast at a nearby fastfood. After catching up stories with M, we started on our ring hunt.

Jewelries are priced by gram. In one of the shops, they price their rings as P1,400 per gram of gold. So, if your ring has 3 grams of gold, you'll pay P4,200 (around USD 87.5). Affordable, right? And you are guaranteed that you are buying the real thing.

We bought our rings in...(sorry, the name escapes me right now). We found our rings in a unique display of rings. Usually, you'll see jewelries in velvet boxes inside glass cabinets. In our case, we bought our rings from the what I call "rings-on-stick Collection". The rings are secured on a stick. Imagine your finger as the stick and you are wearing lots of rings in various designs and sizes. That's where we chose our rings. Notice that there are small tags in our rings. It shows how many grams of gold are used in the ring, the price and size.

Thanks M for helping us! Mwaaah!

Reception Woes

We are currently looking for an alternative reception venue. I love to have the reception at the Villa Familia Garden Resort but it seems it is not meant to be. The place is beautiful but the people working on booking the venue are difficult and confusing to talk with. Sad, but true.

September 2009
Inay and I visited the venue to see it for the first time. We were mesmerized and immediately liked the place. See post here. I told the resort staff that I want to use it for a wedding reception and she suggested alot of things like I can use the Master Bedroom during my pre-wedding photos, I can put the cake on the mini pool, etc. She said the rate in P6,000 for 12 hours of use. Affordable, right?

October 2009
The Cook and I went back to the resort for him to see the place and finally make the downpayment and book it for the wedding. The staff that I talked with before (Resort Staff 1) was on leave so we talked with another staff (Resort Staff 2). She called the owner of the resort to ask for the rates. She said it is now P8,000. Eight thousand?! A P2,000 increase from the previous month. I was taken aback by this since we budgeted P6,000 for venue rentals. We didn't book the place and will go back and talk to Resort Staff 1 in another time.

November 2009
We modified our budget to include the rental fee increase. I called the resort to see if Resort Staff 1 (RS1) is there. She isn't. The Cook and I went to the venue, hoping to finally book the place at P8,000. But lo and behold! Resort Staff 2 (RS2) said that their rate is P10,000. She said Resort Staff 1 thought that the event was for a birthday that's why she gave the P6,000 rate. I told her that it was impossible for RS1 to mistook the event as a birthday since I clearly told her that it was for a wedding. But RS2 insisted that there was a misunderstanding between me and RS1. And she gave other nonsense reasons why the rate is P10k (the guests are too many, they will have to pay more for the cleaning staff, etc). All bulls**t!

We were irritated by this constant changes in rental fees. They were booking the venue for other events, don't they know their rates that they keep on increasing it everytime we go there?! And this claim that there was a misunderstanding about what event the venue will be used, that's obviously a lie.

So now, that resort is off the list. I told Cheps not to start printing the invites since the reception venue is not yet final.

Pre-Cana Seminar

We were required to attend a Pre-Cana Seminar at the Parish. We registered for the Nov. 7-8 seminar. The next seminar will be on December which would be a little to late for us if we attend that schedule.

There were nine couples in the seminar and the first speaker was a retired teacher from the same school where Inay used to teach. She talked about responsibilities of a person to his/her partner. After an hour or so, another speaker came to discuss about Catechism. She also reminded us the prayers we should know as Catholics and how to properly make the sign of the Cross. :)

That afternoon, a retired teacher discussed about married life. About how to properly deal with marital problems that will arise. After the first day of seminar, I realized that what the speakers were teaching us was marriage is a very sacred thing and only death can make a couple part. Whatever problems, crisis, differences should be discussed by both partners, even with the help of a counselor to be able to resolve those. In short, there is no reason for a husband and wife to separate. Makes you think...

The next day, the seminar is only for a half-day. Another co-teacher of Inay was the speaker. :) And she always gave The Cook and my names whenever she gave sample situations. The Cook said among all the speakers, he liked this speaker best. He wasn't sleepy and learned alot from her. :)

I truly enjoyed these seminars. It makes you realize the gravity of the responsibilities you will be facing and the joys of married life. It prepares couples as they start on living as one.

Church Preparation

The Cook and I went to my Parish to fill out forms requesting our marriage. Both of us were given a form and would only answer in separate places, so as there will be no cheating. Hehe. The form contains questions about our religious backgrounds. Most are answerable by Yes or No.

After the sort of "religious pop quiz", Ms. Ana (the priest's secretary) gave us two booklets entitled "Sa Araw ng Aming Kasal". It contains all there is to know about Catholic weddings, including the Church's rules about the age of flower girls and ring bearers (should be 7 yo and up), number of principal sponsors (not too many. 4 is okay), etc. It also contains what happens during a wedding ceremony. We are to study the booklet since all we need to know about what happens in a wedding is in that booklet. Cost of the booklet: P50

Gifts for the Pink Fairies

From now on, I'll be calling my friends and relatives who will help us out in the wedding as "Pink Fairies".

As a token of gratitude to the help that they will be giving us, I thought of giving them small gifts. I'll give them shower gels and aromatherapy soaps. Good thing they were on sale that time! I think they are the first items that I bought related to the wedding.

Family Planning Seminar

A requirement in getting a marriage license is a certificate from a family planning seminar. It is held every Thursday afternoon at the Municipal Health Center. I took a leave for one Thursday and the Cook and I attended the said seminar.

We arrived at the Health Center and there were couples already waiting. We signed a log book and saw that most of our batchmates in the seminar are having their weddings in November. I thought, "Are we the only ones who attended the seminar too early?" But, scanning the pages, there were couples marrying in January who already attended the seminar. We were not alone. :)

The first topic, the speaker talked about having a married life and the responsibilities to your partner and future children. The second topic is about family planning methods. But I think the seminar was a little bit too late for some of the soon-to-be-wives since they are obviously soon-to-be-moms also. :)

When it was time to discuss the family planning methods, I was laughing when the speaker talked about condoms. She joked about how to put it and who should put it and discard it. I won't tell you who should do what. :)

After the seminar, the speaker gave us our certificates and told us that we may give a donation at their donation box.

I enjoyed the seminar since I learned alot (not only about family planning) but about living with another person for the rest of your life. I learned pointers on how to go about once I become a wife and a mother.

Requesting a Marriage License

The Cook and I filed a request for a marriage license at the Municipal Hall last October 23. We submitted our Birth Certificates and filled out a form. As we were doing this, I saw a high school classmate who's also filing for a marriage license. She's getting married in December to a British man. Congrats to you G!

When you're living in a small town, it's more likely that you'll meet someone you know wherever you are. Case in point, The Cook. When we where at the Municipal Hall, everyone whom we transacted business with knew him. His eldest brother works at the MH and they immediately recognized The Cook. Even the Cashier staff whom we paid the license to is a cousin of The Cook. Small world. Silent wedding, be gone.

After Municipal Hall, we went to the Parish and submitted my Affidavit of Baptism (since my Baptismal Certificate is nowhere to be found). They gave us another document confirming that I was indeed baptized as a Catholic. The secretary advised us to keep a copy of the two documents for future reference. Since my original Baptismal Certificate is gone, I have these two documents as proof of it.

Tuxedo Mask

Since we were in Divisoria, we also bought the fabrics to use in The Cook's tuxedo. At first, he told me it was OK to just rent a tux since he will not use it in the future. I am saddened by this thought. Yes, it would definitely save us alot of money to just rent a tux, but I can't let him wear something not his own, something that is not new.

We bought the fabrics for the tux in one small shop. Then, the saleslady informed us that we should buy other materials for the tux and referred us to another shop. In this second shop, the saleslady imeediately got the set for the makings of a tux and gave us the price. It seems that creating a tux is more "mabusisi", not to mention more costly than my gown. :)

Divisoria Day

A week before All Souls' Day (Halloween), my Tita, Inay and I went to Divisoria to buy the fabric that will be used in my gown. The night before the trip, I showed my Tita (who is a seamstress) the design of my gown. It is a simple one-shoulder gown. My Tita scrutinized the design and immediately knew what fabrics to use.

The Cook wasn't able to go with us because he has an appointment with a doctor. :(

We went to Tabora, the mecca of all clothing stuffs. My Tita is a frequent buyer (suki) in one of the many fabric shops in Tabora so we had lots of discounts (one fabric was P50 less per yard).

Here is where we bought the fabrics:


Here is my Tita, choosing fabrics:


For my gown, we bought the following fabrics:
Silk Georgette
Satin
Dupe-dyed
Gina cloth (lining)
Veil cloth

I forgot the prices though. But they were less than P1,500.

The fabric shop also sells wedding accessories so I bought the arrhae, cord and veil. I chose the simplest designs so I could personalize them myself. :)

Looking for a Photographer 2

I asked my sister, KC, if her officemate who is a photo hobbyist, could be our wedding photographer. That way, we could save a lot of money by hiring an amateur instead of a pro. But, she said her officemate cannot commit since they might have a client by January and they might not be able to take a leave from office. :(

I then asked my friend Cheps if she knows somebody to take our pictures. She said her sister and friends are photo enthusiasts and may be able to do wedding shots. Yippee!

Photography services down, now with the albums. Since we are inclined to hiring amateur photographers, I immediately searched the Internet for album makers. And I found out that there are services like that here in the Philippines. One is Picture Shop and the other is Photobook. You can check out ther websites and see their works and rates.

I told Inay about my idea of hiring an amateur yet artistic photographer and then sending our pictures to the album maker. This would definitely lessen the photography costs. Of course, being a mother, she had doubts about this idea. She said the photos may fade, wrinkle, etc. in time.

Then, the next day, much to my surprise, my siblings talked about my so-called foto dilemma without my knowledge. They decided to shoulder the photography costs just to lighten the load for us. Yey!

I sort of defended the Cook and I (you know, EGO). I don't want to give them the impression that we could not afford photo services. I told them that we have a budget for a photographer, but it is not enough to hire a non-traditional photographer.

Still, they insisted on paying, so thank you my wonderful siblings. Mwah!

Looking for a Photographer

We are looking for a photographer who is:
1. artistic
2. shoots non-traditional images
3. charges budget-friendly fees

The thing which I want our photographer to be is someone who can take creative and candid shots (I think it's called "photojournalistic" here). When you look at wedding photo albums here, you'll see the same poses and shots. I am more of a candid shot type of bride. I don't want to be given directions everytime, every move, like a robot. Directions of how to project and pose are welcome but not every single time! I believe that a good photographer worth his price can get the emotions and moment without telling his subject what to do. Check out One Love Photo. Those are the pictures which are uncommon in traditional wedding photos. Those are the pictures that I like! Like! Like!

I found a budget-friendly photographer in Lipa. They have a package for budget-conscious brides like me. I would have settled for them considering that I am having difficulties finding a professional photographer within our budget. But my sister said that the photos are traditional and she knows someone who shoots beautiful photos. I was like, yes yes tell more!

(To be continued...)

invitation designs

My friend Cheps gave me the invite designs that she was working on. I told her I wanted the line "Good things some to those who wait" since The Cook and I have been waiting for this wedding to happen. And now is our time.

Take a look of the designs.

We have yet to meet with her and finalize everything. But her son is sick and she can't make it over the weekend. :( Get well soon Baby Atom!

Baptismal Certificate, where are you?

As we start preparing for our wedding, our first task is to prepare the documents for the Church. We were asked to submit the following:

1. Baptismal and Confirmation Certificates - from the Church
2. Birth certificate - from the National Statistics Office (NSO)
3. CENOMAR (Certificate of Non-Marriage) - from NSO
4. Marriage License - from the municipality hall

Right now, we are having a problem regarding my Baptismal Certificate. It's not in the Books of the Church. Good thing I have my Confirmation certificate (which is given if you were baptized as a Catholic) so they cannot question if I was baptized or not. The personnel which we talked with said that I need to present the original copy of my Baptismal certificate and update their Books. If not, I need to submit an affidavit of loss and a document from my mother and/or Godmother stating that I was indeed baptized as Catholic. Such a hassle...

So now, I asked Inay to dig up all the documents at our house in the hopes of finding the original copy of the Baptismal Certificate. If this elusive Baptismal Certificate never appears, I just might have to produce several documents they needed. Wish me luck!

Pamulungan

We are now starting the wedding preparations. :)

Last Septermber 27, amidst rains due to typhoon Ondoy, the Cook and his family came to our house to formally announce our engagement or "pamulungan".

My relatives from my parent's side also came to our house to "witness" the event. It was heartwarming that even my uncle who is in a wheelchair also came to the "pamulungan". :)

Tragedy

The Philippines was hit by typhoon "Ondoy" (Ketsana) over the weekend. My apartment was affected and good thing The Cook and I were there. He just arrived last Friday amidst pouring rain. Saturday morning, the day where we plan to go to the province, that was when the flood hit our area.

We (correction, He) quickly moved appliances to the cabinets and put my books and shoes in plastic bags. Me, I was standing at the center of the room looking at the flood as it quickly seeped into the bedroom. I was almost crying in disbelief that the place which I call home is suddenly being ransacked by flood. I was in shock. In short, I was a damsel in distress (* kicks meself).

After putting important things into safety, The Cook and I hurriedly left the apartment. He left his luggage above the cabinet since it was heavy. We were shocked at what we saw outside. The flood inside the apartment was knee-deep, outside, it was chest-high! We bravely crossed the flood, holding our bags above our heads. There was no flood outside our street and we waited for a ride there.

We left the apartment at 11am and finally got home at 11pm. 12 hours of waiting rides, commuting and traffic! I was sad that The Cook had to be welcomed by a typhoon. I know he was tired from his flight but he was the one who did all the work in ensuring our safety. He kept assuring me that it was a good thing that we were still in the apartment when the flood happened. We were able to safekeep some of our belongings.

Even it rained hard and flooded in many cities, I still believe that God is merciful. The typhoon could have happened during office/school hours, or at night. But the typhoon hit us on a weekend where everybody was at home, with the family. Stuff that we lose can be replaced, our loved ones, irreplaceable.

The Cook Returns

The Cook will be coming back here in the Philippines this week. Yippeee! After a 9-month contract overseas, he is finally returning. And you know what that means. Start of our wedding preparation.

(I try not to panic as I look at the calendar and realize that we have a few months left till The Day.)

Guest List

Since the Cook and I cannot do anything yet about the wedding, we drafted our guest list so we'll know how may will be invited. We agreed to have a maximum of 40 guests each, including the drivers. I want everybody at the reception to eat and have fun. I attended a wedding before wherein the yayas of the flower girls and ring bearers are sitting in one corner since there is not enough room at the reception hall for them. Sad. :(

My list: 39

His list: 37

It's a tight race. I hope we could stick to these numbers.

Invitation colors

My college friend Cheps of DIY Pinay is doing the design of our wedding invitation. We haven't sat down and discussed about it so we've been exchanging e-mails in lieu of a face-to-face meeting. But we'll definitely meet for sure.

Colors. I told her that I liked pink and brown. I never realized that I should be more specific. I know that there are different shades of a color but I was amazed how one color could have it own family of colors.

I checked out Answers.com for a list of colors and their pantone. There's Light Pink, Salmon Pink, Amaranth (first time I ever heard) and even Hot Pink and Shocking Pink. I gave Cheps the list of shades of pink and brown that I like from the myriads of pinks and browns available in the palette. I told her to be in-charge of what specific colors to use, the important thing for me is that they should be pink and brown. I'll not be OC about their shades. :)

Dresses

I browsed the Nordstrom website and I was captured by all the beautiful dresses. I quickly searched for bridesmaids dresses for inspiration of cuts, designs, etc. Here are some of those I liked.

I specially liked this one. It looks light and airy. And in pink.

Tick Tock

As I look at my calendar, time is quickly running (out). By the time he returns, we only have about 3 months left to prepare. And we still don't have anything tangible made related to the wedding.

So far, my friend Cheps is starting with the invite design. Yehey!

And, the Cook and I have our initial (hopefully the final) draft for the guest list. :)

That's all what we have right now.

Isn't this invite creative and fun? If I receive this kind of invitation, I'll be excited to attend and feel giddy that I was invited. To see more of this library-themed invitation, check it out in this iDIY post.

Body Scrubs, Bubble Baths and Everything Nice

I love body scrubs, lotions, beautiful soaps, and everything smelling nice. As I think about what to give my bridesmaids and friends who will help me in the wedding preparation, I saw DIY projects which I can do and give to my friends. I can have a basket full of these goodies.These projects have the instructions and printable labels too!

Bubble Bath

This DIY project is from Eat, Chic, Drink.

Body Scrub

This body scrub calls for 4 ingredients only. But, I don't know yet where I can buy the Epsom salt.

Gown Inspiration

Here is another gown that I like from the MSW website.

Candy Favor

I told you in this post that I wanted to have a candy buffet where guests will have small bags where they can fill with candies, but if I'm going to be a crafty bride, this is another favor project using candies.

You can get instructions in the Martha Stewart website (of course).

Favor Idea

Here's another favor idea that I am mulling to use. I saw this in a Martha Stewart craft website. It's called “Fabric Scrap Favor Pack”. Obviously, it just needs a fabric scrap. :) We have many of those at home since my aunt is a seamstress. If you go to our house, there are lots of items made from fabric scraps such as pillow/throw pillow cases, table covers, pot holders, etc. So, I do not need to buy a thing for this project.

Problem is, I don't know how to sew, but my Inay does. :)

Pictures from the Garden Resort

Catering Service

Months ago, Inay said I can contact a catering service from our barangay (community) that provides the food for their school functions. I said OK since I want our wedding to be community-centered. Why hire services outside your community when there are people available to do that for you in your neighborhood? Since that caterer is from our community, they will hire people from our community also. Income for people who are otherwise jobless (and we have many of them).

During my visit to the possible reception venue, I told you that there was a caterer setting up the place. It turned out that it was the same caterer that Inay was talking to me about before. After talking with Ms. Malou, we went back to the reception area to talk with the caterer, Ms. Amy.

I gave her an idea of what I wanted in our reception and informed her that what I want is not the usual type. I wanted long tables instead of round ones. No presidential table since I don't want our guests watch us eat. And I feel uncomfortable in the idea of us being in the pedestal while guests are having fun away from us. :) I want a breakfast buffet (she confessed it would be their first). Those were just the tip of the iceberg.

Ms. Amy said she would research about Filipino breakfast menu that they could serve before we talk about the cost. Since she's a church-goer also, I can just talk to her after mass.

Garden Resort

My Inay (Mom) and I went to the reception venue that I was eyeing for the longest time. I knew the place holds parties and gatherings so we went there early in the morning so as not to intervene if ever there was an event that day. We met with Ms. Malou (who incidentally was a batchmate of my brother in high school, therefore, she was also my schoolmate). She toured us around the garden resort. And I love the place!

Upon entering, there are plants and big rocks decorating the beautiful landscape. Ms. Malou first showed us the reception area. A caterer is setting up the place for a baptismal party happening later that day so I had a view on how the place would look like with all the tables and chairs. The area is near a kiddie and adult pool (7 ft) and more tables and chairs are arranged beside the pool. She said we could scatter flowers or have a floating cake in the kiddie pool if we want. :) There is a comfort room which is important for me in parties. Guests need not go very far to use the toilet.

Next, she showed us the lounge area. I could also rent the lounge area complete with a toilet, room with 2 double-decks and an attic (where mattresses are available and could be laid out for people to sleep, just in case). The spiral staircase going to the attic is narrow only one person at a time can climb, though.

There is a small grotto at the corner of a manicured lawn. A basketball area/parking area can also be used if there are more guests at the party. These are also included when renting the place. Electricity and amenities, all in. Wonderful!

Inay and I were very happy in our visit. The place was beyond what I expected. Since it is in the province I thought it would just be some ordinary looking resort, but no.

Before leaving, Ms. Malou gave me a folder with pictures of the place. She showed me the sample contract and I was kinda surprised that it was all in one page only. Very simple. I thought contracts are composed of a lot of clauses and whatnot.

Hopefully the Cook and I can finalize the time of our wedding so we could finally book the place.

Pictures will be posted soon since I'm having problems uploading them.

How to be a Great Daughter-in Law

I found an article about being a “great” daughter-in-law here. At this point in time, I'm not sure if I can follow the article's do's and don't's in having a wonderful relationship with the mother-in-law. I still have issues that are not yet resolved and are still buried in my heart but I believe that in the future (hopefully) I can be at least a good daughter-in-law. Let's not push for being “great”. It's asking too much. :)

I highlighted this statement:

Show respect and compassion to your husband's mother even when you don't feel like it.

(runs to the nearest EXIT. Screaming!!!) :)

DIY by Martha

I'm kinda hooked to the Martha Stewart Weddings website. I especially like the DIY and Inspiration sections since I get lots of information on what unique things that I can do at the wedding. But, whenever I see a DIY project that I like, I always ask myself, "Can I do at least 50 of these (insert favors, seating cards, paper flower, etc.)?" If I can't or won't slave myself doing such project, I just click on to the next page. :)

Pre-marriage checklist

I cannot do any tangible stuff related to the wedding yet since I'm waiting for The Cook to return from overseas work to really, really start doing things and planning for the wedding. Right now, I am occupying myself with searching the Internet for articles on how to have a wonderful marriage relationship.

I found an article entitled "A Pre-Marriage Checklist" that couples should read before tying the knot. It is a checklist of important things to consider before marrying. It includes different scenarios of married people who are having smooth relationships and those who are having problems.

The Eight Areas to Discuss with your partner:

1. Personality Adjustment
2. Life Goals
3. Intellectual and Cultural Interests
4. Education
5. Vocation
6. Family Involvement
7. Friends
8. Spiritual Interests

It's true that you can never know a person unless you've lived with that person. That's why there are pre-marriage counseling sessions to allow couples understand more about their partners before marrying. So, you might want to check the article here.

Pink and brown favors

Pink and brown, an elegant combination, according to Martha Stewart Weddings. For favor ideas using the pink and brown combo like me, check this out.

Photo from MSW

Pre-Marriage Counseling

I want The Cook and I to attend counseling before our wedding. I think it is important for us to be prepared in all aspects (physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, etc.) before embarking on a lifelong journey called marriage. People are different. Even siblings who come from the same parents are different from each other, how much more for two people who came from different families who will now spend their lives together? For me, marriage is more important than the wedding itself so I have to find ways for us to be our best selves before entering into marriage.

I found in the Internet a handbook for engaged couples. It provides great insights on various topics tackled in pre-marriage counseling. But, I can't seem to find where I got it. :(

Reception activities

One of the things I'm thinking about is how to keep our guests entertained at the reception. In the Philippines, guests do the eat-and-run. What's eat-and-run? After eating their fill at the buffet and getting the favors, guests head out of the door even if the party is not yet finished. Rude, yes but it is not uncommon.

I would like to have dancing at our reception but I'm not sure if our guests (mostly elders) are up to it. :)

I found a list from the 2000 Dollar Wedding blog on how to have fun during a wedding reception. I like the hiring of palm readers and playing Bingo. :)

Martha Stewart Weddings

I registered in the Martha Stewart Weddings website. As I browse websites upon websites about weddings, MSW always comes up. It has lots of ideas and inspirations so why not sign up right? I truly enjoy reading articles on DIY projects and lots of new ideas that I can incorporate in our wedding.

Yoga class

I enrolled for 10 classes in Yoga Manila's Ashtanga Yoga Mysore. This is my first time to try this type of yoga and I have no idea what to expect. :)

Going to the yoga studio was a bit tricky for me. The studio is located in a gated compound. Once inside, I asked the guard for directions to the studio. I had some difficulty locating the studio proper since there are no signs in the building. Elevators are hidden and there are no people around to ask directions from. I felt like I was isolated in that wonderful and luxurious place.

Finally, I was able to get to the studio. Yes! The floor is wooden and the studio overlooks into two swimming pools. An incense was burning while a soft chanting music was playing in the background. Relaxation indeed. I rolled out my mat and tried to calm my nerves since this is my first time in this class. The yoga teacher, Jon, immediately noticed that I'm new and gave me some instructions on what to do, especially how to breathe properly in class.

How to breathe?
Inhale through the nose.
Exhale through the nose with vibrating sound in the throat. Like Darth Vader.

The class starts with chanting with Jon in the lead. It was followed by a series of poses called Surya Namaskar. We were asked to repeat the series 5 times. My mat neighbor, Beth, is new in class also so Jon gave us the same series of poses to practice. We repeated the series a few times so we could memorize it.

At the end of the class, my hands were slightly shaking. I feel some slight aches in my arms and side abs. I think my muscles were shocked to have been doing yoga poses again after a long time. :)

DIY Wedding Ideas

I enjoyed browsing lots of DIY projects for weddings. For a list, check this wonderful website of Stylish Events.



Have fun!

First Day of Yoga Class

Today is my first day of yoga class. I'm excited and a bit nervous. After much deliberation, I finally decided to go to the yoga studio near the office (Yoga Studio A), contrary to my previous post. I made a test commute to my preferred yoga studio and the commute time is more than an hour from my apartment(!) Going to the studio near the office is a better choice since there is no more commute time and the class fee is ok by me. :)

I am a little bit (a teeny bit) nervous. I feel like I might be intimidated since, browsing through the yoga studio's website, the studio caters to Class A and B students. I'm neither. :) But, who cares, right? I don't know them and they don't know me. We're there for the same purpose.

Wish me luck!

Wedding Invitations

As I unearth my wedding fair haul, I noticed that all invitation companies (those brochures which I have) require a minimum of 100 copies per order. 100 copies. Don't we have companies offering less than that? What about those small weddings? It's like if your guests are below 100, just DIY. Hopefully there are small companies, maybe even freelance artists, who create invitations that cater to small weddings. I'm only having (*hoping*) to have less than a hundred guests so, invitation companies, you're out of my game plan. I plan to DIY our invitations but it would be great if we could also give other individuals/companies a chance to be known by practical couples.

Gown Inspiration II

A Vera Wang gown from Brides.com.

Wheatgrass Juice

Since I'm on a roll looking for ways to be fit and healthy, I found out about wheatgrass juice. Wheatgrass juice is full of chlorophyll which is very nutritious and helpful in keeping the body healthy. It is a super detox juice that neutralizes toxins in the body. Read more here.

Wheatgrass juice is available at the Salcedo Saturday Market from Mr. Arthur Tanco's stall (who hails from the province where I came from!). He sells wheatgrass juice (P60 a shot), the actual wheatgrass (P100 a tray) and wheatgrass juicer (manual and automatic). I'm excited to visit his stall and learn more about wheatgrass juice. I'll go the Market when The Cook returns so we could both enjoy and learn.

If I do go the wheatgrass juice route, I think it would be more cost-effective if I plant the wheatgrass and juice it myself. I found a supplier of wheatgrass seeds and kit from Mr. Seeds.

Anybody who tried wheatgrass juice?

Photo from chlorophyllmanila

First Look

In the Philippines, it is taboo for the couple to see each other before the wedding. It's supposed to be bad luck if the groom sees the bride before the ceremony. In the US, it is different. Couples have what they call a “First Look”. This is where the couple see each other before the wedding. The plan is the groom will wait for his bride while the bride will “sneak” from behind and surprise the groom. The groom should be/act surprised.

I was wondering if we could also do that here, not before the ceremony but after. AFTER. I was thinking of doing this before going to the reception. When we're alone at that supposed-to-be-first-look, we could read our letters to each other. Something private and meaningful before we join our guests and get lost in hugs, chit-chats, etc.

Photo from flickr

Wellness Project

As I plan for our wedding, I also want to include fitness and wellness activities for myself, and later on for The Cook (when he returns).

I plan to enroll in a yoga class. I joined a yoga class for two months in 2007 but stopped when I had to change apartment. My new place is far from the yoga studio and I was lazy to commute. Boo!

I like yoga since it really takes away stress and keeps my mind relax. There are a couple of yoga studios near my office. Yoga Studio A is a bit expensive since I need to consume the package (12 classes or so) for two months only. Yoga Studio B is cheaper than Yoga Studio A, but when I looked at their website, I feel like I'll not fit in with other students since the studio seems to be for upper class only. HeeHee.

Now, I've come full circle. I think that it doesn't matter if my previous yoga studio is far from where I live. I'm comfortable with its shala and co-students and the classes are cheap. :) What's a little sacrifice of commuting a little longer in exchange of a stress-free and peaceful mind, right? I know that I'll be obsessive worrying about all the details as we near our wedding, so I need to keep my head above water (so to speak).

Hair Inspiration

I'm thinking of not having a tight bun at our wedding. I don't want to look like most of the brides with hair pulled back with lots of hair spray (bad for Mother Nature) and tied in a knot or something. It's the typical hair style of Pinay brides and I want something different.

BUT, IF I do have a bun, I want the “bun” to be twisted in a different way.



I also like having a flower in my hair.



I also like to have curls, tendril-like hair falling at the nape. Dramatic huh?



Photo 1 from Lifestyle.MSN

Photos 2 and 3 from The Knot

Baby's breath

Baby's breath (is it the same as Aster?) is used as fillers in flower arrangements. But, it can also be used as the main flower decoration at a wedding. With P60 ($1.25) a big bunch of Baby's breath, you can have a budget-friendly but whimsical flower decors.

Photo 1 from designwithchristine.com

Photo 2 from Bridescafe.com

Gown Inspiration

Photos from Brides.com