♥ Our Life After the Fairy Tale ♥

Wedding Thingies

2011-10-17T12:29:00.000+08:00

It's been months ago since I last wrote an entry in this blog. Sorry. :-(

Since our wedding anniversary is only a month away, I've decided to post a group picture of my wedding paraphernalia.

Okey, let's have a quick run-through of all the items (from bottom).
1. Butterfly wings for my Flower Girls - we bought them in Divisoria
2. Secondary Veil (bottom left) - c/o Emil Ocampo
3. Bridal Car Flowers - I specifically requested yellow button mums shaped in letters S and F c/o Vatel Manila
4. Secondary Candles - decoration c/o Hubby Stan
5. Matches - got them from Rustans, decoration c/o Hubby Stan
6. Gift Stickers - layout and printing c/o Hubby Stan
7. Personalized Chocolates - from Rachebeli, layout c/o Hubby Stan
8. Escort Cards / Chinese Boxes - from Paperflair, Hubby's family filled them with chocolates
9. Female Sponsors' Feather Fans - as replacement for PS bouquet. All raw materials are from Divisoria
10. Invitation - c/o Paperflair, concept c/o Fei
11. Tossing Bouquet - DIY c/o Fei, all raw materials are from Divisoria
12. Garter - c/o Emil Ocampo
13. Rosary Cord - a gift from Janice (ni Jake), a fellow W@Wie and now my kumare
14. Purple Shoes - from CMG
15. Purple Unity Candle - lavender scent from Robinsons
16. Lavender Bible - from PCBS
17. Arrhae Holder - small Baul from Divisoria
18. Unity Coins - courtesy of Beej (ni Benj), a fellow W@Wie turned friend
19. Treasure Box - medium sized Baul from Divisoria where we placed our wedding vows for the Ceremony
20. Wedding Rings - c/o Goldenhills (love them, we drop by SM Megamall branch last October 15 and they still remember us!)
21. Perfume - Burberry (i just bought it because its gold, it matches our motif hahah!)
22. Pouch - I requested Emil to make a big pouch for me and I want it in fur. Love it!
23. Gifts (Lavender Wrap) - for our Entourage
24. Wines - c/o Rachebeli, layout c/o Hubby Stan
25. Couple Bears - bears from Bear Cuddler, clothes hand-sewn by my Mom and me
26. Pillows - I don't want the traditional white pillow for the rings and arrhae so I drew a sketch of what I wanted and showed it to Emil. I am so happy with the final output.
27. Flowers - c/o Vatel Manila

There are other DIYs not included in the picture, especially those for the reception.
I still feel giddy whenever I remember our Big Day. I can't believe we're turning 1year next month! Weeeh! :-)

For the love of weddings...

2011-02-13T21:39:00.000+08:00

Our newest endeavour - Events and Celebrations by Allianz Sisters.

The team is composed of five former brides who share the same passion and OCness in planning their own wedding. Now that they are all married, they want to help other couples in planning their weddings (or any other occassion) hence, Events and Celebrations by Allianz Sisters was born.

Send us an email to know our Launching Promo.

Details:

Blog: allianzsisters.blogspot.com

Contact Number: 0922-8234919 / 0917-5683334

Email Address: allianz.sisters@gmail.com

Thank you for being my Dad...

2011-02-04T14:58:00.003+08:00

Instead of having our (Stan and I) childhood photos, I asked John Marvi of Cinemaworks to make an AVP for my dad. He celebrated his 90th birthday exactly on our wedding day. My decade long prayer has been answered - dad walked me down the aisle and we had the father-and-daughter dance.

Thank you for being my dad. I love you so much.

Note: The persons in the video were my nephew and niece based abroad . We asked them to send a video greeting since they're the only Apos not present that day.

That Wonderful Day

2011-02-03T09:06:00.001+08:00

Ours was not a grand wedding or even glitch free. But as we looked back, it still turned out as the wedding we've been dreaming of.

And what made it extra special?

1. My Dad turned 90years old that day. My decade long prayer has been answered - my dad was able to walk with me down the aisle. We even had the father-and-daughter dance that I have been dreaming of for years!

Daddy

Father-and-Daughter Dance

2. My sisters and my brothers-in-law agreed to be our Secondary Sponsors. At first they are were a bit hesitant since they thought they were too old for the role. Good thing they changed their minds.

Our Veil Sponsor (2nd from the eldest sister and her hubby)

3. Stan's buddies agreed to be our bearers. Yeah, they walked down the aisle carrying that purple pillow in their hands :-)

Coin Bearer

4. The ceremony decorations were taken care of by my family and family friends. The whole set-up was finished by 1PM (2hours before the wedding). My sister even called me saying "Hay sa wakas, pwede na ako maligo at magpamake-up. Okey na church mo". I was so excited to see what they did. And I really appreciate this labor of love.

family and friend's labor of love

5. Two (2) of my nephews alternately played the piano for the whole ceremony, and two of my friends offered to sing.

nephew playing piano at the back, my 2 friends singing

6. Our pastor from Victory Alabang officiated the ceremony. He even include in his sermon our love story, hobbies and other things he knew about us which made the sermon more meaningful to us.

Pastor Chico

7. I sang during my bridal march. The real plan was me walking down the aisle to the tune of Shania Twain's From This Moment On. Morning of the Big Day, I kept on singing Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap. My mom, Ate Chi and my maid-of-honor encouraged me to sing. I gave in. hahaha!

Ikaw ang aking Pangarap

8. We were allowed to make our own vows. I love everything Stan said, and I was emotional when it was already my turn. I kept on controlling myself not to cry so I can deliver the vows well. Sayang naman di ba kundi maiintindihan ni Stan kasi iyak ako ng iyak hahah!

9. We don't usually dance, but we decided to make fun of ourselves (hahah) so we danced during our grand entrance. The original choreography wasn't executed due to limited space (sayang lahat ng hilo ko kakaikot during practice for that So Close waltz!), so Eric (my HMUA) made an impromptu choreography while my gown was having it's 2nd look.

oh di ba, magkaiba kami ng step :-)

10. During the honoring of parents, we surprised my dad with a Birthday AVP made by John of Cinemaworks.

Birthday AVP

11. We removed the Garter and Bouquet Toss, and just had a Trivia Game where guests can participate.

Guests participating on the trivia game

12. We had a cellphone raffle draw before the reception ended.

the winner

13. Stan did most of our DIYs - kissing bells, souvenir Katsa Bags (including the printing of the design), Table Numbers, Menu Cards, Menu Lists, Guest Escort Boxes, PS Escort Cards, PS Tokens for Bayong, Wine and Chocolate Layout, Matches and many more. I feel so kilig that he really took time to make all those.


Guests' Escort Boxes - Stan finished them the night before the wedding

Katsa Bags and Kissng Bells

Wine Sticker Layout

Chocolate Wrapper Layout

So, what's my DIY contribution? I gave him the idea of what to do. Hahaha! I did a few also - feather pen for contract signing, feather fans for the female principal sponsors and the clothes of the couple's bear.

Contract Signing Pen (thanks Sis Ayeth for the feather)

Couple Bears - Handsewn the Bear's Clothes

14. Our suppliers who prove themselves to be flexible experts. They did their best to make our dream wedding come to reality. I even had a super long thank you speech so I can thank them all.

Even though it rained and plans for the reception didn't happen according to plan, we were still pleased and really did enjoy our wedding. The ceremony, which we believed to be the most important part of that day, was perfect - solemn, intimate and personalized through the help of family and friends. The whole celebration was so "us" - funny, relaxed and a bit emotional.

It was indeed a wonderful day.

Suppliers' Review: Photographers and Videographer

2011-01-27T14:55:00.009+08:00

Photographers – We are blessed to have 3 teams of photographers on our wedding day. But then, ang hirap din pala. Hindi ko alam kung san ako titingin, at nakakapagod magpose hahah! What makes me just sad is we don’t have any picture of the setup (table setup, buffet setup and others related to the caterer’s setup). Maybe because of the rain, everything went so fast. Still, I’m happy with the photos and the relationship we have with our photographers.

Main Photographer: Raymond Fortun Photography

Package Inclusions:Service on the day, Fusion AVP, DVD of raw pictures

Pre-Wedding: At first, we thought that the photographer Raymond Fortun is a different person from the famous lawyer. Stan and I really love his works, but he’s already booked on our original date (12-12-09). Good thing some things didn’t fall according to plan (almost all suppliers that we want we’re already booked since we started the preps late), we moved the wedding date to November 20, 2010 and he’s still free for the event. He was so down to earth considering his status that made us even more excited working with him.

On-the-Day Performance: Fun, fun, fun shoot! He even talk to the butterflies asking them to pose for him. Even my family and relatives had fun posing for him. We love the shots and the fusion AVP. Zye was also there on our wedding day to assist RF. She was a darling! Our guests love her. And some even had a crush on her J We received the DVDs 2 weeks after the event. All the photos were beautiful. Now, we have a big problem on how to choose 150 photos from 6DVDs.

our wedding rings

RF in Action

Zye in Action

Back-up Photographer 1: Jayjay Lucas for Imaginenation

Package Inclusions: Service on the day, DVD of raw pictures

Pre-Wedding: This is God’s blessing for us. We initially plan on having coffee, especially after finding out that he knows my nephew, but it didn’t happen due to our busy schedules. All our communications were mostly through FB. He was accommodating, and even asked me if I have any special requests.

On-the-Day Performance: They worked quietly during the preps but the photos were great. Jayjay was with me behind the close doors and cheered me up when I was a bit nervous and panicky. He was also able to capture my emotions during the father and daughter dance, which I really, really love!

this pic is one in a million as we accidentally released the doves on the practice count

one of my fave shot

Back-up Photographer 2: Myphotato

Package Inclusions: Service on the day, DVD of raw pictures

Pre-Wedding: We booked them 2 weeks before the wedding. Our meeting with them ended up with chikahan. Very cool and talented guys.

On-the-Day Performance: The photos were great. I love their shots especially on our wedding details.

Me and my Gown

Videographer: Cinemaworks

Package Inclusions:

Same Day Edit, Film Version, Documentary Version

Pre-Wedding: I’ve been eyeing them since 2009. After a lot of thinking and budget consideration, we booked them 2 months before our big day. John and Wellen were one of our nicest suppliers. They answer our inquiries whether text or email.

On-the-Day Performance: I’m super excited when they arrived, for I know I will have a great SDE. Their team worked quietly, pero natulala ako sa output when shown during the reception. Our friends and officemates love our SDE and even said that they feel like their watching a film. Para daw may kwento. Even my sisters who were picky were satisfied.

SDE can be viewed here.

with the team

Suppliers' Feedback: Groom's Barong, HMUA, Invitation, Wines and Chocolates

2011-01-25T10:51:00.001+08:00

Groom's Barong: Rey Casedo

Package Inclusions: Coat Style Pina Barong

Pre-Wedding: We booked him on the last stretch of our preparations. He works fast and the barong turned out perfect.

Output: Stan looked good on our wedding day. My mom and sisters like hubby's barong a lot. They thought it was super expensive considering it was made of pure pina cloth.

the Groom

HMUA: Princess Misa / Eric Locton

Package Inclusions: Airbrush Make-up, Retouch, Trial Make-up

Pre-Wedding: Tita Princess is a sweet person. I want her from the start so we booked her immediately. There had been a minor problem with the schedule since she has a double booking on our day (and the 2^nd bride was in Tagaytay) but we were able to come up with a solution.

On-the-Day Performance: She does my airbrush make-up while Eric did my hair and the retouch. Tita Princess left early during the preps so it was Eric who was with me the entire day. Our room was full of laughter! He would joke around with the suppliers, teach me how to pose and even make chikka with my mom. I love what he did to my hair (1^st and 2^nd look) and he was always there to do my retouch until the reception.

Laugh Trip during Preps

Wines and Chocolates for Principal Sponsors: Rachebeli Wines

Package Inclusions: Mango/Plum Wines with Mango Cream / Cappuccino Chocolates, Sticker Seals and Boxes

Pre-Wedding: Chelo handles our account. She responds fast on our queries. We just had a problem with the layout so Stan ended up doing it.

Output: We received the items 3days before the wedding. My mom loved the chocolates and even suggested that we keep it na lang hahaha!

Wines

Chocolates

Invitations: Paperflair by Adworks

Package Inclusions: Main Invite, Entourage Sheet, Map, Customized Envelope, Sticker Seal

Pre-Wedding: I’ve read so many bad feedbacks regarding their services but I really thank God that we didn’t experience any. I love Paperflair. They were able to execute the design we wanted.

Output: Perfect. We love it!

Our Lovely Invitations

Suppliers' Feedback: Florist

2011-01-25T10:23:00.000+08:00

Florist: Vatel Manila

Package Inclusions: Bride's Bouquet, 2 Mom's Bouquet, 2 MOH Bouquet, 4 Flower Girls (Tin Pails were provided by the Bride), Bridal Car Flowers, Loose Petals

Pre-Wedding: Just like what Dylan mentioned in his blog, I was discussing my flowers with him for such a long time. We had several revisions on the arrangements to fit the budget that I have set. My supposed-to-be-bouquet was lavender ecuadorian roses but we decided to change it 2 weeks before the wedding because of my bridal gown color. Dealing with him is such a breeze. And sometimes, we're not talking about my flowers. We're just making chika until 1AM :)

On the Day Performance: He was known as Mr. Early Bird. He sent me an SMS around 7:30AM telling me that my flowers were already in La Huerta (I'm still home and having breakfast hahaha!). Too bad I wasn't able to have a picture with him! Upon my arrival at La Huerta, I immediately checked the flowers in the room. I love them. Even the other suppliers were raving on how beautiful the bouquet was. They're asking who was my florist and when I replied, "Si Dylan", they will say "Ah kaya pala maganda!"

Golden Yellow Cymbidium with a base of Green Limonium

Lace Applique and Brooch on the handle


Flower Girls' Pails

Maid and Matron of Honor's Bouquet

Bridal Car's Flowers

Dylan is one of the best florist that I have met. He really knows his craft. His rates are reasonable for those very lovely creations.

Suppliers' Feedback: Bridal Car

2011-01-25T10:20:00.002+08:00

Bridal Car: Philippine Limousines

Package Inclusion: use of the Hummer Limo for 3 hours

Pre-Wedding: We first saw this hummer limo in a bridal fair in PICC and we immediately fell inlove with it. I really wanted it but have to check our budget first since it is a bit expensive. Good thing hubby Stan gave me the go signal to book it because he wanted me to be seated comfortably on our way to church (how sweet). He also consider my dad (who was 90years old) so he could extend his legs on our way to church. We have our transactions mostly through email and sms. It was only 1 week before the wedding when Stan scheduled a meeting with him to pay for our balance.

On the Day Performance: The limo was late. Our call time is 1:30PM for a 3PM wedding. We asked them to arrive early so we can still have pictorials with the car, but it arrived around 3PM already. I arrived at the church around 3:30PM. I found out that the car had some problems on its way to Antipolo and has to be fixed. Anyhow, I am still satisfied with the car. My parents (dad and mom), HMUA, PA-Coordinator, MOH+Boyfriend were with me in the car on our way to church. It helped me feel calm as I was beginning to get nervous and cold. On our way back to La Huerta, 1 photographer and 1 videographer plus Stan joined us in the car but still, we're not crowded. After the reception, I was surprised to see Jappy and his girlfriend outside waiting for us and give us a ride to our hotel. It was so nice of them.

Hummer Limo

If I remember it correctly, it's 27feet long

It was expensive for a bridal car and for 3hours use, but hey, I want it. I felt like a princess while riding in it. And the moments I have spent with my parents and bestfriends inside the car on our way to church is priceless.

Suppliers' Feedback: Bridal Gown

2011-01-25T10:18:00.001+08:00

Gown Designer: Emil Ocampo (E. Ocampo Fashion House)

Package Inclusions: Bridal Gown, Prep Dress, Hair Accessory, Ring Pillow, Coin Pillow, Arrhae, Cord, 2 Candles, Veil, 2nd Veil, Pouch, Fur Bolero, Fitting Form and Assistance on the Day

Pre-Wedding:

I know the bride should look her best on her wedding day so finding the right designer is very crucial. I happen to meet Emil in one of the bridal fairs in Megamall early this year. He was a very nice person - soft spoken and easy to talk to. Stan and I visited him in his office to discuss more about my gown. I showed him my gown inspirations and he quickly drew a sketch for me, including the 2nd look. Though I really love the initial design he made for me, my gown design was a work-in-progress. Every visit in his shop, we'll have some revisions on the design so the gown can be more "ME". He was kind enough to listen to my suggestions and was willing to execute the the things that I want (eventhough some of those things would be his first). He also changed my veil and petticoat 1 week before the wedding because I changed my mind. :D

He also helped me find a supplier for Live Butterflies. I informed him 2 days before the wedding and he was able to find one for me.

The Output and On the Day Performance:

I love my gown. I was worried that I will not look good in it because I didn't go on a diet (sarap kumain eh!), but most of my guests said that it was so "ME". I even heard one of my officemate during my bridal walk saying "I like your gown!". My MOH who will be be getting married 2012 was convinced and will have Emil do her gown as well. And yeah, I also love my 2nd look - that furry bolero and bustled train.

Matte Gold Mikado Silk Gown with Beaded French Lace Bodice

Back of the Dress

Accented with a Belt and Swarovski Brooch

Emil Ocampo is one great alternative for those who want a beautiful gown without hurting your pockets.

Suppliers' Feedback: Reception

2011-01-24T22:55:00.005+08:00

All our suppliers performed well that's why we decided not to rate them. Instead, we want to share our stories of what happened before and on-the-day itself.

Venue: La Huerta Estates

Package Inclusions: Use of the whole venue up to 11pm, Free use of Bridal Suites for Wedding Preparations, Free use of Venue for Prenup Pictorials, Additional Charge for Electricity

Pre-Wedding: It was love at first sight. The moment I stepped outside Casa Vieja and have a beautiful view of the city, I know this is the perfect place for our wedding. Anton (the owner) was so accomodating. He answers all our queries both email and SMS. He even calls us to explain things regarding our concerns.The staff of La Huerta were also nice. They assisted us during occular visits and prenup pictorials.

On-the-Day Performance: The staff are so maalaga. They helped us carry our things when we arrived in the morning. They were also around to check if we need something like extension cords etc. When it rained, they helped Hizon's Catering transfer the setup from the garden to the main house. They even gave umbrellas to the guests from the parking.

The place was so big that even Stan and I stayed in the same house, we didn't see each other. I also have so many suppliers but we were able to move around freely. There are also a lot of places for photoshoot.

It rained on our wedding and our original plans didn't pushed through. The cocktail area that was supposed to be at the Tipolo Deck was transferred to San Isidro Pavilion. The reception area which was planned to be at San Jose Pavilion was moved to Casa Vieja. But still the place was perfect. Perfect for our dream wedding.

Casa Vieja

Caterer: Hizon's Catering

Package Inclusions: Menu, Menu Upgrades, Cake, Emcee, Doves with Cage, Signature Frame, Bottle of Wine, Torch Parade, Flowers and Setup, Fee for Sit-down Dinner

Pre-Wedding: Hubby and I were food lovers. We love eating and we eat a lot! So we decided to allocate a big amount of our budget to food. We even agreed to serve as many food as we can afford on our reception dinner. and we need a good and reputable caterer to handle our event. Hizon's was our top choice among all the other caterers. They were the first supplier we booked :) Our AE, Maia, was very accomodating. She took notes on all my concerns, especially on those items that we're not going to avail from the standard package. All documents were endorsed properly to the planner during turn over. Drew was the assigned planner to me. He was nice and very hands on. He knows his job well and will make you calm whenever you feel stressed. Our SMS exchanges sometimes last til 1AM. Our detailing was a breeze. He makes suggestions on linens, styles and even our menu.

On-the-Day Performance: I love them to pieces! I admit I am very hard to please but I know how to appreciate efforts. And I know they did their best to serve us and our guests.

Since we have our preparations in La Huerta, I was able to see the setup of San Jose Pavillion. Then before we left for the ceremony, it rained. So they have to remove the linens to avoid getting wet. Then after a few minutes, the sun shone brightly and they started putting back the linens. I was hoping for a good weather til rest of the evening, but i think rain is my twin (as it is present every important event in my life), it rained again during ceremony pictorials. So they decided to move the whole setup to Casa Vieja. If you knew how La Huerta looks like, Casa Vieja is 2-floors above San Jose Pavilion. Guests were starting to arrived and Hizon's crew were able to set up fast. The buffet tables remained in San Isidro Pavilion so we need to have a Sit-Down dinner for guests not to get wet in getting their food. I think there were only 20+ waiters that day, since our package is really for buffet. But they were able to serve food to all our guests.

Drew was very hands on, and super bilis kumilos as per W@Wie friends that attended our wedding. The rain didn't stop him from performing his duties, so he ended up as "basang basa sa ulan" that night.

The food was good, oh so good! Here's what we serve on our first dinner as Husband and Wife.

Appetizer: Olives/Tomato Bruchetta, Cheese and Tomato Crostini, Mushroom/Onion Caramelized Canapes, Smoked Fish Canapes

Soup: Cream of Pumpkin

Vegetables: Vegetable Au Gratin

Entrees: Barbecue Oriental Spareribs, Manhattan Grilled Chicken Breast in Marinara Sauce

Cooked on the Spot: Grilled Tuna with Teriyaki Sauce

Menu Upgrades:

Carving Station: US Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy

Salad Bar: Vegetable Salad with Bacon Bits, Croutons and Thousand Island/Caesar's Dressing, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and Potato Salad

Pasta Bar: Penne and Fettuccine Noodles with Napolitana and Alfredo Sauces

Dessert Bar: Vanilla Mouse, Chocolate Mouse, Mango Panacotta, Creme Brulee with Blueberry, Coffee Jelly, Mango Supreme, Macapuno Flan, Buko Pandan

Chocolate Fountain: 1 Brown and 1 White Chocolate Fountain with Fresh Fruits and Mallow Dippings

Crepe Bar: Mango and Banana Crepes with choice of Strawberry and Chocolate Sauce

Quesadilla Bar: Variety of Quesadillas with choice of Salsa and Sour Cream Sauce

Most of my guests commented "soup palang, solve na kami!". Vegetarian guests appreciated that we have salad and there's a veggie dish as part of our menu. Even friends who have big appetite says "hindi namin maubos yung sinerve samin sa sobrang dami".

The head waiter assigned to us (i forgot his name, sorry) was very maalaga. He makes sure that we get to have each dish on our plate. Then when he noticed that we're not able to eat well, they packed the food so we can take them home.

After the event, I thank the Head Waiter and the Food Head (i forgot the exact position title, basta she's the one assigned in managing the food) and they were so happy that we appreciate their efforts eventhough we encounter some problems because of the weather. Then they asked us to answer an evaluation form on how they performed that day. They even showed me another sheet of paper for the endorsement of left overs. Then they handed us the left over food - one pack for my family, another pack for hubby's family and another pack for us. And when I say pack, its around 4-5 big styros of food. :)

Hizon's Setup at San Isidro Pavillion

We'll definitely get Hizon's for future events.

Cake: Top Cakes c/o Hizon's
Pre-Wedding: Drew did all the coordination. I just gave him the specs during our detailing.
On-the-Day Performance: The cake was good. We love the fondant icing, it was chewy. We even brought the cake to Boracay :)

Wedding Cake

Emcee: Marj Dizon c/o Hizon's
* plus Out-of-Town Fee

Pre-Wedding: I specifically asked for Marj to be our emcee when I booked Hizon's. Good thing she was still available on our date. We only met her 1 week before the wedding. Eventhough our meeting was brief (because it happened 15minutes before one of her event), she gave suggestions and improve our program flow.
On-the-Day Performance: She did a great job. Nice voice, good diction. My friends and officemates even told me after the wedding that our emcee was great.

Marj during the Reception

Photobooth Souvenir: Partypics
Package Inclusions: Good for 3 hours, unlimited printing, layout and tarpaulin
Pre-Wedding: Our communication were mostly through emails and SMS. We submitted the requirements for the layout 2 weeks before the event, and everything turned out perfectly.
On-the-Day Performance: Guests enjoyed it, especially those from the province wherein photobooth is not yet that "hit".

Photobooth Pic by Partypics

Lights and Sounds: Rejectkrew

Package Inclusions: Lights and Sounds Equipment (don't ask me about the technicalities hahaha!)
Pre-Wedding: He was one busy and super humble guy. During those time, he doesn't accept pencil booking. So when we're able to set a meeting with him, we're on Team B now. But that doesn't stop us from getting their services. We know Elmer trained them well. A week before the wedding, we met Elmer to discuss what we wanted for our reception, including the music to be played. We let him share his ideas and how he envisioned our wedding reception. We know their team has been doing this for years and they know what would look best for our event. So we gave our approval on his concept.
On-the-Day Performance: Elmer wasn't able to come during our event (bantay sarado daw kasi yung coordinator nung Team A nya) but I trust his crew that they will deliver. And yes they did. They had the setup early at the San Jose Pavilion, but have to move everything upstairs when it rained. We love the lights as well as the music played during the program.

stars :-)

Projector: I-tech
Package Inclusions: 3500 Lumens Projector, 8x8ft Screen and 56" LCD TV
Pre-Wedding: The owners were nice and very accomodating. I didn't even remind them of our wedding.
On-the-Day Performance: It was a good thing that we decided to get LCD TV aside from the projector screen. We didn't encounter any problems on the day. The crew were nice and polite also.

Dad's Bday AVP shown during the Honoring of Parents

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Up Next: Suppliers' Ratings -- PV, HMUA, Attire, Invitation and Flowers

Unexpected

2011-01-12T21:22:00.001+08:00

All we want is to be married that day, but God gave us the provision to have the wedding we dreamed of. Some of the plans changed, had some weather-related-glitches. Almost two months after the wedding, it feels so good to see our wedding being featured in trusted wedding websites.

1. Weddings At Work 2010's Best Weddings

Photo by Jayjay Lucas of Imaginenation

2. Bridal Book

Photo by Lianne Bacorro of Imaginenation

Feel so kilig after seeing these two. Thanks to W@W (Abet and Benz Rana) and Bridalbook!

Our Fairytale Wedding

2010-11-30T11:08:00.001+08:00

Stan and I didn't wish for a grand wedding. We just want a solemn ceremony and intimate reception. It was a wish granted. Some of the plans have changed because of the rain, but still, it was the wedding we've dreamt of.

A glimpse of the beginning of our happy ever after...

by Atty. Raymond Fortun

the Bride - Fei

Program Finale: Fireworks Display

Related Links:
Photos by Myphotato
Same Day Edit Video by Cinemaworks
Onsite Fusion AVP by Atty. Raymond Fortun
Blogged by our Florist - Vatel Manila

Officially On Vacation and some Updates

2010-11-12T22:59:00.000+08:00

Today is my last day at work... for this month. :) Because I am officially on 2 weeks vacation leave. Our big day is fast approaching. Only 8days to go and I'll be Mrs. Ocampo.

So let me run down our latests accomplishments and see if I am still missing something.

Ceremony
Church -check
Officiating Minister - check, final meeting on Nov. 16
Rings - check, fully paid
Bible - check, it's a lavender Princess Bible
Cord - check, labor of love by Mareng Janice
Pianist - check, nephews of the Bride
Singers - check, friends of the Bride
Flowers - check, for pickup on Nov. 19 and will be arranged by the Bride and her family
Marriage Contract - c/o Pastor
Pens - check
Unity Candles - check
Misalette - done

Reception
Venue - check, balance to be paid on wedding day
Caterer - check, fully paid
Cake - check, fully paid
Lights and Sounds - check, balance to be paid on wedding day
Emcee - check, fully paid
Projector - check
Signature Thumb Tree - check
Photobooth - check
Table Numbers, Escort Cards, Menu Cards, Reception Rules - done printing
Fireworks - finalize on Nov. 17

Outfit
Bridal Gown - for pickup tomorrow
Mom's Gown - check, on hand
Entourage Gown - check, on hand
Flower Girl's Gown - check, on hand
Groom's Barong and Pants - Onesimus and Rey Casedo
Father's Barong - check, on hand
Entourage Barong - check, on hand

Photo and Video
Photographer - check
Videographer - check
On the Day Photo AVP - check
Same Day Edit Video - check
Engagement Pictorial - check

Gifts and Favors
Gift for Pastor - check
Gift for Principal Sponsors - check
Gift for Parents - check
Gifts for Entourage - check

Miscellaneous
OTD Coordinator - check
HMUA - check
Bridal Car - check
Groom's Car - check
Invitations - check, already distributed

Honeymoon
Airfare - check
Hotel - check

Health and Wellness
Teeth Cleaning - check
Spa - scheduled on Nov. 18
Facial Care - scheduled Derma visit on Nov. 16
Manicure and Pedicure - scheduled on Nov. 16 and Nov. 19

Did I miss anything? Let me know... I'm glad we started the preps early. I still have time to relax and breathe.

Preps Update - 24 days to go

2010-10-26T08:33:00.001+08:00

Time flies so fast. It's 24 days to go before our Big Day.

1. Flower Girls Gown - checked!
Supplier: Emil Ocampo of E. Ocampo Fashion House

Yesterday, we picked up my flower girls gown. I've always envisioned them looking like princesses while marching down the aisle, and boy am so happy with the finished product.

my nieces - Aneko and Sachiko

Kassie

They look so fab and adorable, aren't they?

2. Mother of the Bride's Gown - checked!
Supplier: Tita Ching of Ching's Creation

My mom's requirement: not the traditional Pina Gown and a design that will hide her tummy. So we went to her trusted gown maker for the past 25 years. She chose to have the mestiza-inspired gown in matte gold color.

during Mom's 1st Fitting

3. Groom and Dad's Barong - checked!
Supplier: Mang Rey Casedo
We already got Stan and Daddy Rolly's barong from Mang Rey. Stan loved the texture of the pure pina fabric.

So far we are on-schedule. Will post more updates on weekend.
Thank you Lord!

Proud RF Couple

2010-10-19T08:25:00.000+08:00

I am just so happy today despite that I arrived in the office wet because of the rain. We (Stan and I) are one of the recipients of the bagtags of our Main Photographer Atty. Raymond Fortun. We super loved his works that we changed our date 3 times so that we can get him as our main photographer.

The Bagtags

See you on our wedding day Atty. Fortun! :)

The Perfect Will

2010-10-11T11:53:00.000+08:00

When I was young, my mom would always remind me to seek for God's perfect will in my life. This applies to all the decisions I make like course to take in college, solutions to problems, but most especially in finding my future mate.

At the age of 10, I started to pray for my future husband. All along I thought I was doing the right thing. I'm asking God for His perfect will but I gave some specifications - an engineer with a not-so-common sports, very technical guy with an artistic side, Christian plus of course the traits of a lover. That's my dream guy. I continued praying that God will give me that person in the future.

My past relationships somehow satisfied the criteria except for one - they are non-Christians. I still pursued for it believing that it was the will for me, but deep within me, I know they're not the one. The relationships were all failures. With the heartbreaks I had experienced, I decided not to have a boyfriend for a year and re-structure my prayer. This time, I didn't provide any criteria to God. I purely trusted Him and waited patiently for His perfect will.

While waiting, I devout my time serving Him. I played the piano at church and was actively involved in our church's youth organization. I also have bonding time with my parents, sisters and friends which I have previously ignored the past years since I am pretty much occupied with my relationships. Everything went smoothly.

And then I met him, in the most unexpected way I could ever imagined. I never thought we would end up together, but we did. We are totally opposite poles but by God's grace we understand each other and we're able to have a harmonious relationship. I ask God, "Lord is he the one?" And then I checked my heart and all I can feel is love and peace within. Now I know, yes he is.

He may not be the guy I've dreamed of. He's not an engineer, he's not technical but he is a Christian. My relationship with him may not be perfect as this guy is not perfect as well. But I know he is the answer to my decade-long prayer. He is the one reserved by God for me, my perfect match, His perfect will.

Happy 3rd year anniversary Honey. I love you.
I'm looking forward to spend our years together as husband and wife.

taken from Partypics Photobooth, our Photobooth Supplier

Preps Update - 54 Days to Go

2010-09-27T14:43:00.000+08:00

September 26 - our day started as early as 7AM. We had an appointment with Mr. Rey Casedo for Stan and Daddy Rolly's barong. Mang Rey is from Lumban, Laguna and is famous in W@W for his good quality barongs. Actually, Stan already bought a barong from Onesimus last July. But my ever OC mom wants Stan to be his best on our big day so she kept on bugging me to get a custom made barong. Stan will be wearing a pure pina barong. He doesn't want the swirly designs so he chose the one with the straight lines pattern.


with Mang Rey (sorry for the blurry pic)

In the afternoon, we distributed our invitations to our Principal Sponsors. We first met Ninong Ferdie and Ninang Dyn in Goldilocks Megamall. After a few chichat, we left and met Ninong Louie in Makati. He was in a meeting so we didn't get a change to chat with him. We then proceed to Singalong and met Ninang Joy. We didn't stay that long since we're planning to drop by MOA to meet my kumare Kits. We had a round in the bridal fair then ate together at Congo Grille.

Gift for Principal Sponsors

This is the start of busy weekends. 8 weeks to go!

License to Wed

2010-09-21T23:56:00.003+08:00

We applied for our marriage license last Friday, September 17 in Bauan, Batangas. Mom, Stan and I arrived in the City Hall as early as 7:30AM. We went to the Civil Registry Office and were immediately given forms even though it's not yet office hours. We finished filling up the forms in less than 15 minutes. We submitted the forms, then the staff informed us the amount to be paid. The staff volunteered to bring the payment to the Cashier so we don't need to fall in line. After a few minutes, he was back with the receipt. We will be getting the license on the 30th of September.

You might be wondering why I didn't mention anything about the Marriage and Family Planning Seminar. Yes, we weren't required to attend those seminars.

City Hall

Stan filling up the forms

Oh, that's me!

For future applicants, be sure to bring the following during your application:

1. NSO Copy of Birth Certificate - both Groom and Bride

2. NSO Copy of Cenomar - both Groom and Bride

3. Photocopies of Birth Certificate and Cenomar

4. 2 Ball Pens so you can fill up the forms simultaneously

5. Payment - we paid a total of Php600

This is really it! We're down to the last 2 months of our preps.

Labor of Love: Mini Eco Bags

2010-09-21T23:15:00.004+08:00

It all started when I showed my mom the eco-friendly bags in supermarkets late last year. I told her i wanted to have the same souvenir for our wedding. February this year, we booked Partypics for our photobooth and they gave us eco-friendly loot bags. I showed it to my mom and she decided to pattern the size with it. We bought "katsa" cloth and my mom did the sewing. Stan on the other hand did the layout of the design printed in the bag. My contribution? Is the concept considered? :P

Stan ironing the bags

the output - as simple as i want it to be

The bags will be tied with the personalized ribbons we bought from All Corners. We will pack everything this coming weekend. Yey!

Are you invited?

2010-09-21T17:57:00.003+08:00

We are happy customers of Paperflair by Adworks. Dealing with them is a breeze. I love the layout and the colors. Stan is really happy with the output as this is his non-negotiable. We already distributed some of the invitations last weekend and will continue to distribute them until end of September. We hope our guests will cooperate with the RSVP.

Our Invitation. Erased our Names for confidentiality. Charing!

Ring for a Kiss

2010-09-21T17:44:00.001+08:00

I got the idea of making Kissing Bells last year when I became a member of W@W. These bells were our first DIY for the wedding, finished them as early as October 2009. hahaha. It was a labor of love of Stan and my mom. Well, I helped in the first 5pcs but Stan commented that I was too slow with all the gluing so he took over. They finished the 100pcs that same afternoon.

100pcs Kissing Bells

A Closer Look of the Kissing Bells

I am still thinking if I will still add a tag on the bell, or put the instructions in the reception rules.

Rolled into one...Post :)

2010-09-07T00:44:00.016+08:00

Latest updates regarding our preparations.

1. We finally decided to let go of our previous video team and booked Cinemaworks for our Video Coverage. I recently blogged about our meeting with them and last August 27, we paid our DP.

Stan with John & Merwilyn of Cinemaworks

2. Measurement taking of my adorable girls happened last August 28.


my 2 lovely girls - Ane and Sachi. I forgot to take picture of Kassie :(

I also had my first fitting. But will not post the photos for the element of surprise. Haha!

3. Went to Divilandia after the measurement and met with W@Wie friends Ayeth and Ellen to buy some materials for our DIYs. And here's what I've done with some of the materials I bought....

my tossing bouquet (is that how you call it?)
I'm planning to add more flowers to make it look fuller.

4. Yesterday (Sept. 5), we met with our wedding officiant at Figaro Festival Mall to discuss the ceremony flow. We also signed up for the I DO pre-marital seminar which will be held every Wednesday evening, whole month of October.

I am excited for the coming long weekend (Sept 10-12) and finish more of our minor details -

2nd Gown Fitting, Rings' pick-up, Trip to Lumban for my bros' barong, Stan's pant's measurement + shoes hunting and finalization of the layout of our paraphernalias. But even with this busy schedule, I can still squeeze in a coffee date with my W@Wie friends on Friday afternoon. :D

Triple Treat - a long overdue post

2010-09-06T23:09:00.007+08:00

Note: This is a long overdue post.

We usually have a double celebration every 17th of August since its my birthday and at the same time, my parent's wedding anniversary. But this year, it will be a triple treat. My parent's decided to throw a simple party for Stan and me, last August 14 to celebrate our engagement. It was a small event, around 40-60guests mainly composed of relatives and close family friends. The venue was decorated by my cousins, and they conceptualized the programs/games as well. We were also entertained by a violin number. On the later part of the program, gifts were given to us. And we almost complete our kitchen needs! It was a happy and blessed afternoon indeed.


the stage...thanks to my dear cousins for styling

Dad, Mom, Stan and Me


my cousin, Engr. Allan facilitated the games


the food were prepared by my Mom and her sisters

Stan and Me

Sukob Na!

2010-08-24T17:51:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, August 21, we had our video shoot for the Save the Date.

We arrived at the venue around 1PM and immediately discussed our story board. After half an hour, we started preparing for the shoot. I did'nt realized that a 2-3minute video will be shoot for around 4-5hours. We have to take different shots with the glide cam and they are mentioning something like a wide screen shot. We don't really know this stuff so we just do what the videographers say.

I thought it won't rain since the sun is shining brightly at noon time. Then a few raindrops, but still the sun is out. Around 4PM, it started raining. The videograpahers asked us to bathe in the rain. It was fun, just like our childhood days. But with my heels on, not really. haha. Rain was pouring hard aroung 5:30PM and it was so dark that the lights around the venue plus the videographer's flash wasn't enough. We have to changed the ending of the story. I was dripping wet after the shoot.

Stan and I with the video team

Stan and I already received the final output and we are satisfied. It will be posted soon! :)

Meeting with Cinemaworks

2010-08-24T14:03:00.002+08:00

August 17, 2010 - I was really upset before going to this meeting since we are already late. The traffic had been really bad due to rainfall that afternoon. I kept on apologizing with the couple we're meeting on our way to Megamall.

Then finally, we met the partners - John de Guzman and Merwilyn Cerda of Cinemaworks. Stan and I really like their works and fell in love with it more when we saw the samples of the final video. It was not the usual MTV style, it was like a short film.

We then proceed with the discussion of items such as - number of videographers on wedding day, equipments that will be used, package inclusions and delivery of the final output. Their rates already increased based on my last inquiry and it's all my fault since I didn't book them in advance. That's the consequence we have to endure.

I was initially thinking of meeting another videographer end of this month, but after meeting with Cinemaworks, we decided that we found the one.

To see sample of their works, click here.

Detailing with Hizon's

2010-08-24T12:00:00.005+08:00

August 17, 2010 - Stan and I went to Hizon's Catering office to have our detailing and food tasting. We arrived around 11am and met Drew, our planner. Being a self-confessed OC bride, I brought my laptop with me with all the notes and photos that will help me explain to our planner what I wanted for our reception.

We discussed the following:

1. Menu - primary goal of the food tasting is to choose the menu we will have on the big day. We were served 2 viands for the chicken, pork, beef, fish and vegetables plus the cheesy lasagna. It took us a while before we come up with a decision because all dishes are great. We just noted that there should have a different flavour for each dish, so we had somewhat creamy, something sweet, salty and cheesy.

2.Table Set-Up (Couples, VIP and Guests' Table) - here, we chose the linens to be used, on how the ribbon will go with the chairs, backdrop, the flowers and centerpieces. I showed Drew the photos of the set-up that I wanted and he said it is do-able.

3. Amenities Included - we discussed if we will avail the bridal car, emcee, cake and doves included in the package. In our case, we availed all except for the bridal car. So Drew showed us the sample cakes we could choose from and confirm the availability of the host that we prefer. We were also asked to choose if we want to have a sword or torch parade.

4. Other Items - We discuss the number of guests to be stated in the contract, the package price, additional scoopers, serving time, serving set-up for the cocktails and other add-ons they could offer.

Around 3:00PM, we reviewed together what we have discussed and then printed the contract. We paid 50% of the contract price and agreed to meet again 2-4weeks before the event to finalize everything.

our planner Drew with Stan and me

Then off we go to our next stop - SM Megamall for our Rings and Videographer meeting (to be posted separately).

What a great way to spend my 25th birthday :)

we are featured!

2010-08-17T14:56:00.001+08:00

Today, I am celebrating my 25 years of existence and last year being single. The best way to start the day is our love story be featured on a co-W@Wie's blogsite.

Read and enjoy:

http://meinytoper.blogspot.com/2010/08/stan-fei-from-chuckie-with-love_17.html

Pamamanhikan - Check!

2010-08-09T09:12:00.006+08:00

Pamamanhikan - the asking of the girl's parents' permission to wed the affianced pair

The 'blueprint' of the wedding plans are drawn or made known on this occasion. The pamanhikan is often hosted by the bride's family where the groom and his parents set to visit the bride's family to formally ask her hand in marriage and discuss plans for the upcomming wedding over lunch or dinner. This can be a real uneasy situation if it's the first time for both sets of parents to meet. The groom- and bride-to-be may feel a little awkward (nervous even) seeing and listening to each parents consult each other face-to-face on matters like their wedding budget, guest list and the likes. It is customary that the the visiting family bring a gift (often, the mother's best home-cooked specialty) for the hosts. Others may opt to hold the meeting on a 'neutral ground' (a restaurant is a likely choice) or invite a mutual acquaintance to the gathering and help ease the first meeting. Why bother with all the trouble? Filipinos seek their folk's blessings for a happy and hassle-free marriage. Afterall, pamanhikan is a treasured Filipino heritage which, first and foremost, avoids an awkward situation having the parents see each other as strangers come wedding day.

Last Saturday, August 7, Stan together with his dad, uncles, aunt, bro and future sis-in-law went to Batangas to do the traditional pamamanhikan. I guess it's more of "meeting of two families" since the plan and bookings were already done. We just had chichat and lunch together.

@Jollibee Rosario, breakfast before travelling

Stan's Family taking a walk in our backyard

My parents, 2 eldest sisters with their hubby

before leaving for Manila

We'll be back on the 14th for our simple engagement celebration.

Engagement Party coming soon!

2010-08-03T11:47:00.002+08:00

Just in time for my 25th birthday, my parents decided to throw an engagement party for Stan and me. We will have it in our Batangas home on the 14th of August.

Let's have a run-through of our checklist:

1. Food - my mom will take care of the food. we decided to have 3 dishes, 1 pasta and desserts

2. Program - my cousin, Pastor Gian, is in-charged of the program. I don't know what they included in it.

3. Tarpaulin - although I'm not really into it, I have to give in to my mom's request. Stan was assigned for the layout and printing. Final product will be delivered this week.

4. AVPs - will start with it this week

5. Prizes - need to buy

I am so excited for the upcoming party :-)

Oh by the way, Stan's parents will do the traditional "pamamanhikan" on Saturday, August 7. Excited or Scared? hahaha

Long Overdue Post: Mock-up Invitation

2010-07-27T23:10:00.004+08:00

I mentioned last July 6 that Stan will be getting our mock up invitation that afternoon but I haven't posted any pics yet. So here's a glimpse of our lovely invitation

Paperflair by Adworks did a good job. We so love our invitation.

Pence

2010-07-12T15:57:00.002+08:00

Thanks to my friend Alma for the Ten and Twenty Pence. My Six Pence will arrive around next month courtesy of Stan's Aunt and one of our Principal Sponsor, Ninang Jean.

Now my something something tradition is complete :-)

Love love love Paperflair by Adworks

2010-07-07T14:13:00.001+08:00

Okey, it is too early for me to post this rating but I can't help it. :-)

Our wedding invitation is one of Stan's non-negotiable. He wanted something that would reflect our wedding theme and our caricature with it. I know from the start that he is only referring to one supplier - Adworks Graphics. They are way over (150% over) our budget and I am worried about the negative feedback from fellow W@Wies about them. But I know Stan really wanted to get them so I gladly obliged to my fiance's request.

We booked Paperflair by Adworks last March 13 at the Themes and Motif Expo (PICC Forum). We visited their Ortigas office last June 4 to finalize the requirements - motif, theme, font, wordings and wedding details. They informed us about the 2 weeks lead time for the layout. It was okey for us since June seems to be too early for us to have our invitations printed. I was surprised when I received their layout the following day. I replied with an instruction for the revisions to be made. The next day, I received the revised layout. We have a total of 6 revisions (sorry, maarte talaga! haha) but they we're able to send the revised layout the following day after I emailed them the revision instructions.Tomorrow (July 8), we will be getting our Mock Invitations. We are so excited!

So far, we are satisfied clients of Paperflair by Adworks. :-)

I love them!

Project Diet starts now!

2010-07-06T09:07:00.001+08:00

I am down to the last 4months before the Big Day. I really need to work hard on my diet as I don't want to march down the aisle this big. Goodbye frappe, blueberry cheesecake, Chinese cuisine, crepe and ice cream.

I need to get this shape back!

January 2009

One Busy Saturday

2010-07-04T21:45:00.001+08:00

Yesterday (July 3, 2010) was a busy day indeed. Stan and I were scheduled to visit some of our suppliers.

1st stop - Emil Ocampo, Gown Designer

We arrived exactly 10am, just in time for our appointment. We immediately started discussing about my gown. He showed me some swatches, discuss the details of the gown and the flower girls. It took me a while to finalize the cloth to be used for my lovely girls' gown. We combined purple, pink and lavender swatches to come up which one will look best. For my gown, Emil suggested to use Mikado Silk. I then remembered all the raves on this cloth, and I agreed to use it for my gown. Final measurement will be on July 31.

2nd Stop - BA Studio, Photo and Video Coverage

We arrived past 11am. Rachelle greeted me, as well as Ms. Nelia. I was just there to clarify some package inclusions because my contract copy is fading already. We also watched some samples of On Site Videos. Though I heard so many negative feedbacks about them, so far dealing with them is such a breeze.

3rd Stop - Tabora St. Divisoria

We just checked where to buy feathers and some beads. I didn't bought anything though. Next trip probably.

4th Stop - Chinese Restaurant

I forgot the name, I have to ask Stan for it. Its the restaurant with 2 Black Pigs in the doorstep. And man, the pigs are alive. The owner believes that they (the pigs) bring them luck. The food were great - yang chow, siomai, fried chicken and beef broccoli.

5th Stop - Dangwa

Since we are cutting costs, we decided to visit Dangwa and canvass for flower prices. My niece-in-law (is there such a word?She's the wife of my nephew) will be the one to do the church arrangements. We will just buy the flowers ourselves.

6th Stop - Megamall

We passed by Carolinas. I saw a sample of Original Duchess Satin and fell in love with it. It was the perfect shade I am looking for. I informed Emil regarding this and he said we'll discuss it on the 31st. Whew. Then we passed by a boutique which made Stan really really happy. Will share about it soon.

We thank God for guiding us the whole day and for all the accomplishments made.

In Loving Memory of SAM

2010-06-28T10:58:00.001+08:00

"Sad" is not the appropriate word to describe what I feel now.

Last Saturday (June 19), I left Sam at my apartment when I went to Batangas. I was worried of leaving her alone, but since she survived when I left her during Stan's Division Outing I decided to leave her again. We were back Sunday afternoon and like her usual self, she was waiting for me at the doorstep. I just noticed one thing, she did not touch her food.

Monday morning before I go to work, she was still playful. But when I arrived in the evening, she was already quiet and just sitting in her bed. She doesn't even touched her food for that day. I was worried so I asked Stan to check on her and if we should bring her to the vet.

Tuesday morning before I go to work, Stan and I brought Sam to the vet. There was blood in her poop that made me worried even more. The vet told us that she'll be confined and will be under observation. Initial findings were fever (40C), cough and colds.

Wednesday afternoon, we visited her again hoping that we could take her home. The vet advised for her to stay for the night for more observation as he is suspicious that Sam had Leptospirosis. (Damn those rats in the laundry area from my neighbor!!!) So I just gave my babySam a hug then we left.

Thursday morning, I asked Stan if he could get Sam in the afternoon. So when I arrived home, Sam was home already. She walked towards me, but not that playful as before. I carried her, gave her dextrose thru the syringe and arranged her bed. My heart was broken upon seeing her yellowish body. Her tummy is bloated because she couldn't pee.

Friday and Saturday, we took care of her. Stan gave her the medicines and I let her drink the dextrose through the syringe. Her tummy is not bloated anymore since she was able to pee because of the given medicine. She's moving fast as well. I thought it was a sign that she'll be better.

Yesterday (Sunday, June 27), Stan and I went to church then have a meeting with our wedding officiant. We arrived home around 4PM. I noticed that Sam is weak again but I thought it was because she wasn't able to eat for hours since I am out. I immediately gave her some dextrose. She was able to gain back the little strength she has and walk around the house. After an hour, I gave her again some dextrose and we both fell asleep for some minutes. When I woke up, I placed her in her bed but she decided to sleep on the floor beside the sofa where she usually stays when I'm watching TV. Then I went to sleep.

This morning, I woke up early to feed and give medicines to baby Sam. I was so happy because I noticed that her ears are white already (she's been yellowish for days!). I was calling her name for the medicines but she's not moving from the foot of the sofa, her eyes opened staring at nothing. I called her again, but still she didn't move. I came close to her to pick her up but her body is already cold and stiff. I was left dumbfounded. I was hoping what I'm seeing is not real. I was hoping I'm just dreaming, but I'm not.

I lost my baby Sam this morning. I lost my first baby as I really treated her special. I'll miss my kulitan times with her. I'll miss her playfulness everytime I'll open the door when I arrived home from work. I'll miss her lambing when I'm watching the TV. I'll miss carrying her, sitting on my lap and sleeping together in the couch. I'll miss the times that she will stole some of my food in the table and I will ran after her. I'll miss cleaning her mess - the papers scattered on the floor, her pee and poop at the laundry area. I'll miss everything about her.

To you my baby Sam, mommy Fei and daddy Stan will forever love and remember you. You will always be our first baby. We love you so much and we miss you terribly.

I love you baby....

Baby Samantha (December 31, 2009 to June 28, 2010)

During our Prenup Pictorial

Mommy Fei, Baby Sam and Daddy Stan

150 days to go

2010-06-14T18:39:00.001+08:00

We're down to the last 150days before the big day. Stan and I were thankful because we're almost done with all the bookings of our "must-have" suppliers. Aside from that, I am really happy and thankful because with the modest budget we have for the wedding, we were still able to get some nice-to-haves booked. God has really been faithful to both of us.

We officially started our preparations July 19, 2009. Now, allow me to present our accomplishments.

Church: free of charge, will just give love offering on our wedding day
Officiating Minister: free of charge, will just give love offering on our wedding day

Reception Venue: dp paid, balance to be settled on October

     Preps Venue: part of the reception venue package
     Coordinator: 50% paid (reminder: need to deposit payment now!!!)
     Caterer: dp paid, 50% of the balance neatly stacked in an envelope for August payment
     Cake: included in caterer's package

Main Photographer: dp paid
Photo and Video: dp paid, 50% of the balance neatly stacked in an envelope for August payment

Bridal Gown Couturier: dp paid, 50% of the balance neatly stacked in an envelope for July payment

Bridal Shoes: paid, i currently have 3pairs to choose from (hahaha)

Bridal Accessories: will use the jewelries given by my mom

Unity Candles and Matches: c/o Couturier

Unity Coins: mom's coin collection

Groom's Attire: dp paid, 50% of the balance neatly stacked in an envelope for July payment

Wedding Rings: 80% paid, balance to be settled in August

Entourage Florist: payment will be on August as advised by florist

Church Florist: payment will be on August as advised by florist

     Hair and Make-Up Artist: dp paid
     Invitations: 50% paid, remaining balance already stacked in an envelope and to be paid upon pickup
     Church and Reception Band: free of charge, will just give tip on wedding day
     Host: included in caterer's package
     Souvenir: mom and H2B's labor of love

Bridal Car: dp paid

Photo Booth: dp paid

Principal Sponsors' Gift: 50% paid

Documents - already requested for Birth Certificate and Cenomar. Marriage license around September

Below are some minor items that we are currently working on:

Groom's Shoes: Stan already bought a pair of shoes but still undecided if he'll get another one
Groom's Accessories: looking for belt, handkerchief, new perfume, new frame for his eyeglasses and still deciding if he'll use his current watch or buy a new one

Butterfly Wings: already checked out some samples, will buy around October

Mom's Gown - our (Stan and I) moms volunteered to pay for their gowns, but they asked us to choose the design for them. I already presented several designs to my mom, but she kept on changing her mind everytime she sees a new design.

Entourage Gowns - all my sisters will pay for their gowns. Couturier found, just need to finalize design

Engagement Party - scheduled on August, but haven't started with the preparations

Reception Program - draft done, will discuss with emcee

DIYs - almost done, need to print the reception paraphernalias

Guest List - never ending revision! hahaha

Here are some nice-to-haves (ranked based on priorities) that we are assessing if budget still permits:

Fireworks and Confetti

Butterflies

Cake - cake is included in our caterer's package but being the super-arte me (hahaha), I want to get a separate cake supplier

Hotel Preps Venue - though the place included in our reception venue package is good, I am not comfortable waking up and traveling early in the morning just for me to dress up in that place. I also would want to have this "staircase shot" (arte talaga hehehe)

Mobile Bar or Coffee Bar - either of the two, much better if both :-)

SDE only package - I am eyeing on this videographer from the start but we decided to get a photo-video package from another supplier to save money.

With few days left before the big day, I need to double the effort to finish everything.

I am really blessed because my hubby-to-be is ever supportive, and we have a big God who fills all our needs.

Pre-nup Pictorial with Imaginenation

2010-05-22T11:47:00.001+08:00

It was a long day, yet we enjoyed it a lot. It wouldn't be possible without the blessings of God and the help of the following:

- sister Elda and her husband Noel for the transportation

- Aiko for my hair and makeup

- Kevin, Jed and Kasey of Imaginenation for the beautiful shots

Wedding Checklist: Save the Dates

2010-05-08T00:17:00.001+08:00

Stan and I will be spending the long weekend in the province for three main reasons: (1) to vote for the National Elections, (2) visit our would be Principal Sponsors and (3) distribute the Save the Dates.

The save-the-date bookmark is one of Stan's assignment, and I'm glad that he did his homework on time. The design he made may be simple, but I love the final output. Excited to distribute them all!

Wedding Checklist: Monograms

2010-04-27T08:49:00.001+08:00

I have been worried for the past 9 months on how to come up with a monogram design. Good thing, one of my w@w sister (hi sis Aleng) willingly helped me. She prepared five different designs and they are all beautiful. Now we need help to choose our official monogram. Its voting time! :-)

Suppliers' Update #5: Wedding Invites - Checked!

2010-03-16T10:10:00.001+08:00

Stan and I attended the Themes 'n Motif's bridal fair at PICC last Saturday, March 13. Agenda is to book our invites. We arrived around 10am (after our meeting with a coordinator) and already have a supplier in mind but the price is way out of our invites budget. We checked all the booths of invites suppliers hoping we'll find something more affordable. Around 2pm, I told Stan that we already need to decide as my leg is aching already from all the walking and standing. There are two suppliers in the list (both our over our allotted budget for invites) and a difference of 40php for the total price. After another 45minutes, we already made our decision. Our invites supplier - Paperflair by Adworks :-)

Desperate Plea from a Purple Shoe

2010-02-22T10:07:00.001+08:00

Stan and I went to Robinson's Galleria last Saturday (February 20) to book my future-brother-in-law's flight for Hong Kong this week. Due to a not-so-happy-experience on our way, I have to find an outlet to let go of the bad mood. I checked some bags and clothes but I don't really plan to buy one because it's not part of my "needs". Then I saw a purple shoe. "Buy me. Please, buy me!" I turn around and walk away but I kept on hearing it's desperate call. Who am I to resist? :-)

Around 10:15AM, I am a happy girl walking around the mall carrying the paper bag with my new purple shoes.

Baby Sam is finally home!

2010-02-16T09:06:00.001+08:00

After months of waiting, our baby Sam is finally home with me. Stan brought her yesterday to my house.

Baby Sam on the sofa

She's always sleeping

I so love her. She's so sweet and loves to sleep on my lap or arms. Thanks hon for a very nice Heart's Day gift. Love you :-)

Suppliers' Update #4: Photobooth - Checked!

2010-02-14T00:46:00.001+08:00

Photobooth is one of the latest craze in weddings nowadays. It serves as souvenirs and at the same time a source of enjoyment during the wedding reception. Photobooth is part of our "nice-to-haves" list even though I included it in our wedding budget. To date, I have around 30 pictures taken on different photobooths during bridal fairs but I can't find the perfect package. Thanks to my favorite e-group W@W where I was able to know about the promo of PartyPics. So from Megamall fair, we travelled to SMX where another bridal fair is being held and PartyPics is one of the exhibitors. Nadia, my contact, is having her late lunch but a guy (sorry I wasn't able to get his name) was able to entertain us and explain the promo. We booked them right away. I do hope our guests will enjoy this one.

Photobooth - Checked!

Suppliers' Update #3: HMUA - Checked!

2010-02-14T00:00:00.001+08:00

Stan and I attended the bridal fair at Megamall for two consecutive days - February 12 and 13. The main purpose is to book my gown designer since I'm only 9 months away from our wedding date.

Yesterday (Feb 12), before meeting my prospect couturier, I decided to try one of the HMUA that offered Free Trial Make-Up. She used traditional make-up during the trial but also offers airbrush.

Remarks: I find the package a bit expensive since there's HMUA I've inquired before that offers the same services at a lower price. For the output, the make-up was okey, but due to my oily skin, there are some parts of my face that became shiny after half an hour. Also, my face feels heavier, as well as my eyelashes.

trial makeup with Cel Sabile

Today, I had an Airbrush Trial with Princess Misa.

Remarks: The make-up feels light. I love what they did with my eyebrows. And I love the chichat with Tita Princess and Eric. For the price, its still expensive than the HMUA I have in mind. But I know Tita Princess and Eric will make me beautiful on my wedding day just like what they did to my friends who got them as HMUA. Also, Stan like my make-up than yesterday.

with Eric, my hairdresser

with Stan

@MOA, 5hours after my makeup session with Tita Princess

And the decision: We booked Tita Princess and Eric for my Hair and Make-up. They will also do the make-up of my mom and future mom-in-law plus grooming of my groom :-)

HMUA - checked!

Divi-land and More!

2010-02-06T23:09:00.001+08:00

Stan and I went to the famous Divi-land to buy some stuff related to the wedding. It will be my second time and I'm really praying it won't be as tiring as my first try. Arrived in Divi around 10am and I'm all smiles since it's not so crowded and the sun seems to be hiding in the clouds. Yey! We headed directly to Tabora Street to buy the raw materials for my DIYs, then checked out the other stuff displayed along the sidewalks. We left the place past noon and passed by our photo and video supplier for some contract clarifications. My feet were already aching and I hear my tummy growls so Stan suggested that we just eat on a Chinese Restaurant in the area than eating in Glorietta as originally planned. We ended up with Wan Chai and order the following:

(the pics below are taken using my camera phone. sorry for the quality.)

Steamed Spare Ribs and Siomai

Beef Brisket Noodle Soup

Beef Broccoli

Yang Chow Rice

Hon enjoying the noodles

nothing left :)

We decided to drop by Glorietta on our way home and had merienda at Starbucks 6750.

Sweets

Happy tummy = Happy Us! Getting hitched is not a reason for us not to eat to our heart's content. :-)

Tick! Tock!

2010-01-26T14:31:00.001+08:00

I visited our blogsite this morning and noticed my wedding ticker.

Panic attacked! I still have so many things to do - guest list, table numbers, seating arrangements, invitations, flower arrangements for both church and entourage. I need to decide whether or not to get a choir, book hotel rooms for the preparations, van rentals for relatives. Arrrrggggh! I don''t even have a wedding gown!

Crunch time. With only a total of 81 Saturdays and Sundays, I really should start working by now.

Break from the Wedding Preps

2009-12-06T12:46:00.001+08:00

Stan and I took our break from the wedding preparations and spent the day at Enchanted Kingdom.

with the dinosaur...ano nga bang dino to?

in front of the souvenir shop

wishing for good health (both my family and Stan's), financial provision especially for the wedding and other future plans,

good weather on our wedding day and... Sana pumayat na ako..... :-)

with Stan's officemates/friends

another shot after Rialto

And the best way to end our day....

So happy me :-)

1 Year to Go!!!

2009-11-20T09:16:00.001+08:00

November 20, 2009 - dad's 89th bday and exactly one year to go before our big day. I'm nervous, excited and happy. Mixed emotions.Tomorrow, we will officially announce the wedding plans to my family (bride's family). I hope everything will turn out fine.

Am I with the right person?

2009-11-18T08:59:00.001+08:00

This article was emailed to me by a friend this morning.

Those who are still single may learn something from here.

Those who are already married may take it as a guideline to improve your

marriage.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with

your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked

their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a

completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO

anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love...

Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept off my feet." Think about the

imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing

there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the

natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls

become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it

happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive

you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you

think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between

the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry

subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry

the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of

the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with

someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their

spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for

fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is

the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a

friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage.

It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with

someone else. You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few

years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S

LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER

just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression "the labor of

love."

Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific

things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your

marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there

are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise

program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your

relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and

effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable...you

can "make" love.

Love in marriage or relationship is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling...

A Blessing: Before I Do Workshop

2009-11-16T11:27:00.001+08:00

Stan and I attended the Before I Do Workshop last Saturday, November 14, at the Renaissance 2000 Lobby. It was indeed a great experience especially because it was our first time to attend wedding-related workshop. The basic goal of the workshop is to preserve the marriages especially here in the Philippines. All lectures were based on Biblical Principle. We covered 5 topics: (1) God's design for marriage, (2) Roles of Husband and Wife, (3) Financial Stewardship, (4) Conflict Resolution and (5) The five languages of love.

Stan and I participated in the couple's discussion after every topic and shared it to our group mates, who happened to be co-w@wies. We were both open with each other, raising our concerns for every topic and come up with a solution for it. There are also prizes given to couples who participate and freebies at the end of the workshop. I got 3 books and a free prenuptial pictorial from Imagine Nation.

The workshop was indeed a blessing. Thanks to John & Monique Ong, Imagine Nation and the other organizers of the event. Special thanks to the speakers: (1) Edric & Joy Mendoza - God's Design for Marriage, (2) Manny & Lisa Manansala - Roles of husband and wife, (3) Ariel & Karen Atendido - Conflict Resolution and (4) Hans Montenegro - Financial Stewardship.

Yes, there is no perfect marriage or a perfect partner. But if we allow God to be part of our marriage, surrendering everything to Him, everything will fall into its proper place. It may still be a roller coaster ride but at the end of the day, what God has put together no man can put asunder.

Flowers: Simplicity - a criterion of beauty

2009-11-13T14:54:00.001+08:00

I am not a flower person. Stan gave me flowers only twice during our entire relationship, mainly because he knew that I would say "it's just a waste of money". When we started with the wedding preparations, I always thought how my bridal bouquet will look like (as well as the church flowers) since I don't want to have the common bridal bouquet. I started browsing the web and I think I found my flower inspiration.

Photo Credit: www.primadonnabride.co.za

Photo Credit: media.theknot.com

Yeah, they're babysbreath - the common fillers. But they look great, right? Simple and understated. I hope Stan will like it too.

Before I Do

2009-11-12T16:15:00.001+08:00

Photo Credit: http://beforeidoworkshop.com

Stan and I will be attending this workshop on November 14, 2009 (Saturday) at the Renaissance Building, Ortigas. It will be our first wedding-related workshop and we are so excited. :-)

Change venue or not?

2009-11-11T15:05:00.001+08:00

Stan and I are seriously considering to change venue just to get a church that will satisfy my "this is it" feeling requirement. With the help of my W@W sisters, I was able to shortlist the venues that fits our taste and the "new" allocated budget. Choices are:

1. Glass Garden

The venue is in Santolan, very near to my sister's house and one of our church options.

Pocket Damage: Php85K (as of November 2009)

2.Oasis

Our very 1st choice for the venue before we booked Bahay ng Alumni. Now, it's back in our list.

Pocket Damage:Php65K (as of July 2009)

3. La Huerta

We fell in love with the place. There's a nearby church where we can possibly held the ceremony. The only problem is, my lights and sound system provider has hesitations because of the current fluctuation in the area. That means I need to find another light and sounds supplier in case he'll back out. hmmmm...

Pocket Damage: Php61K (inclusive of electricity charge)

The San Jose Pavilion - perfect for our Modern Zen Theme

4. Jardin de Miramar

Another alternative if we'll choose the church in Antipolo

Pocket Damage: 42K (4 hours inclusive of electricity)

Oh well, I need to check first with my booked suppliers how much will be the out-of-town charge so I can do all the computations. I do hope we'll be able to settle this asap.

Badly Needed: Church near UP

2009-11-09T22:07:00.001+08:00

I was so sad and disappointed last Saturday when we found out that our supposed church is not available for the wedding. 2 weeks ago, we called the administrator of the church and she confirmed that we can have our marriage rites there. I called them again last Wednesday to confirm our meeting for November 7 and if the date is still available. Then come Saturday, we filled up the form and processed everything for the Head Administrator's approval. During the interview, she asked our wedding date and then she shook her head. She cannot give us that date since they will be celebrating the Church's Anniversary on our wedding day. Sad. :-( So now, we're back to church hunting. huhuhu

November 7, 2009 - Fully Booked!

2009-11-04T22:29:00.000+08:00

Stan and I decided on the early stage of our preps that we'll allocate our weekends, specially Saturdays, for suppliers' meeting and other stuff for the wedding. To make the most out of our November 7, I decided to call all the suppliers' available for that day and set an appointment with them.

Presenting, our meeting schedule for the day.

Note: Gown makers' name not disclosed

10:00-11:00AM - Gown Maker A, Makati City

01:00-02:00PM - Gown Maker B, Trinoma

02:30-03:30PM - Church of the Risen Lord

04:00-05:00PM - Gown Maker C, Megamall

05:00-05:30PM - Settle payment for our wedding rings

I'm still trying to find any supplier who is free for 8:30-9:30AM meeting, but Stan suggested not to have appointment that early so we can still enjoy our breakfast together. I guess he's right. :-)

I hope and pray that all meetings will turn out fine and have a super productive Saturday as planned.

Suppliers' Update #1

2009-11-02T17:55:00.001+08:00

We officially started our wedding preparations July 19, 2009. Stan being a practical groom, doesn't want to spend much for our wedding since it will only be a day of celebration. With a lot of advise from my office friends (Hi Ate Glyna, Lou and Alma), I am finally convinced not to spend that much and we stick to our budget.

Convinced Fei = Super Happy Stan hahaha

So here are the chosen suppliers who matches our criteria: (1) suits our alloted budget, (2) high quality output of products/services we'll be getting from them, (3) good customer service including the turnaround time in replying to queries and (4) the "this is it" feeling.

1. Reception Venue - somewhere in UP Diliman :-)

Since 2003 (yes!that was 6years ago), my mom always tell me that if I'm not that particular with reception venue for my wedding, ---------- will do. Probably because two of my close relatives (a cousin and an aunt) had their wedding ceremony and reception there. It's actually a hall but still looks good in the pictures after adding some decorations to it. We finally decided to book it mainly because: (1) it suits our alloted budget (actually, we're able to save a lot), (2) the hall is big enough to accommodate all my guests, (3) accessible to our guests even to those who doesn't have cars on the wedding day and (4) UP has a lot of places for photo-ops.

2. Caterer - Hizon's Catering

This is Stan's non-negotiable supplier. We've been checking out their rates since mid-2008, but we're not that serious yet with the wedding plans. We really love their dessert bar and cheesy lasagna. I must admit they are beyond our alloted budget since I only assume a slight increase in their Q4-2008 rates. But Stan doesn't really want any other caterer aside from them. So, there you go - Hizon's will be the one to take care of our sumptuous meal on the wedding day.

3. Main Photographer - Raymond Fortun Photography

Yes, it's Atty. Raymond Fortun. Stan and I so love his shots that we decided to have him as the main man to capture all the "moments" of our wedding. I can't wait for his concept on our shoes and ring shot.

4. Photo and Video - BA Studio

BA Studio will be the back-up photographers of Atty. Fortun on our wedding day, and will be our official videographer. We are not that particular with the video so we didn't opt to get a separate supplier for it. So far, Stan and I were satisfied with the samples that we saw and we trust them that they'll deliver on our big day.

5. Light and Sounds - Rejectkrew

The famous Elmer of Rejectkrew in W@W is the one in-charge for the mood lightings and sound system for our reception. I haven't met him personally but according to Stan, he was super magalang. I guess he is, because every time he sends me SMS, there's always "po" and "opo".

6. Wedding Rings - Goldenhills Jewelry

Our initial plan was to have our rings customized by my mom's suking alahera in our province. But after checking the ring displays in a bridal fair, Stan and I decided to change plans even though the rings are a bit out of our budget. We discussed with the AE the payment schemes and date of pick-up, gave the down payment and we already have wedding rings!

There are still lot of suppliers for booking but I am hoping and praying to finish everything by Q1 of 2010. With a limited budget to work on, I really need time to scout for affordable yet of high quality suppliers. I know I can find them, God will provide. :-)

First Post: Getting Hitched!

2009-11-02T15:39:00.005+08:00

I am not a writer/blogger. But Stan and I decided to make this blog our online journal for our wedding preparations. Yes, you read it right. We are tying the knot! :-)

After more than 2 years of being together, Stan and I decided to say "I Do" and become husband and wife.

Our union will be a simple celebration - a solemn and intimate ceremony limited only to the family of the bride and groom, close relatives and friends who play special part in our love story.

I know we will be misunderstood by many, but this is the wedding that we want and dreamed of. It's not about the grand venue, the fabulous gown, the beautiful flowers and the number of guests. It's about Stan and I exchanging our vows and committing ourselves in a lifetime relationship in front of our Almighty God and the people we love.

-Fei-