(i keep saying) yes to my dress

I love the show Say Yes to the Dress.

I enjoyed watching it even before I was engaged, and continue to watch it now whenever I chance by it.

I sometimes catch myself smiling from ear to ear when I see the dress for the bride-to-be.

Sometimes when I watch it, I think about my wedding gown and how much I love it.  In fact, there are times when I watch our Same Day Edit / On the Day photo slideshow just to look at the dress I said yes to.

lace (applique) on tulle on lace on tulle

There are so many things I love about my wedding dress.

First is the colour.  I feel it looks old school without being costume-y.

I always wanted a dress that was cream-to-champagne, but I wouldn't have guessed that it would be champagne lace over ivory tulle over white lace over the lightest beige--almost gold base.

As a bonus the dress looks different depending on the lighting.  Some people asked me if I changed dresses during the reception because 'it looked like another dress'.

stickers?

I love the texture of the lace appliqué, there are even photos where it looked like 'floating lace'.

I had 'sleeves' for church and off it went just before cocktails.

party dress

I think what I love the most about my dress is that despite all the layers, the various colours, it is still a simple dress.

And I love that.

Simple.

what i was told

When friends and family find out that you are engaged, they share tips on wedding preps, lessons learnt, personal experiences and grown up stuff.

I thought I'd write some hearsay, actual advise and my personal learnings.  Maybe not so much on the latter.

Do what you want.

 I wrote this one first because it was my brother who told me to do what I want.  He said that it is a once in a lifetime event and if you really want something--do it, get it.  The word to remember here is REALLY, as truly, you can't really want everything down to the napkins and tiny bows everywhere.  For the record, I think I did not bother with any special napkin treatment or told any supplier to put a bow on anything.

Eat before the wedding.  

The priest who officiated our wedding told us during the interview that I should eat.  He said that brides get dizzy because they are sometimes too busy before the wedding and forget to eat.  I think my friends would agree with me when I write that this would be the easiest advice to do for me.  I had a heavy buffet breakfast early morning.  Then I ate some more chicken, rice and spring rolls just before getting to the bridal car.

It will be over before you know it.

 I'd love if everyday can be my wedding day, but like all days it will pass.  Mine didn't feel like it was over too quickly.  In fact there were moments that feel like it was happening in slow motion.  As I recall the day at this moment, I felt that I have managed to pack a lot of things in without feeling exhausted at the end of the day.  It was like I was on natural high.

Enjoy it.

The priest told us to let go of the small things and just enjoy our day.  He knew that we were having a beach front reception so he especially mentioned rain.  I love how my now husband used to talk about preparing for the worse and hoping for the best.  No wedding is perfect from a planning and execution perspective, there will always be that one flower that is more in bloom than the rest, there is that drink that was 10ml more than the rest.  And it's okay.  Let it go.  It doesn't matter.

No one will notice that the pink of the flowers is not the pink you specified.

Maybe those were not the exact words but that is the idea that one of my newly wed friends told me.  No one but yourself and the coordinator knows what specification you gave--and if it was not exact no one would really care.

Say it.

 Odell and I took our time to write down the a list of people we would want to especially thank.  Sometimes we get caught up with the everyday that we forget to remind people how much we appreciate them.  Our wedding was the opportune time for us to tell our loved ones just that.

how the ground shook before we got married

The day before our flight to our wedding, the ground trembled and a 400 year old church turned to shambles.

There was an earthquake.

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

It hit the central part of the Philippines--where our wedding would be.

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I woke up in my childhood home and saw several messages on my phone.

It was early morning and my sister being the concerned person that she always is, made the horrible news known to me.

I read and reread her message and prayed for our friends in Cebu.

It was not until the next day that we were scheduled to fly in.

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When I went to our living room, I heard the television in my parents' room.  My dad was watching the news.

I went in and looked at him.  He looked back at me concerned.

We both said nothing.

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I sent a message to my fiancé and then went back to bed.

I just laid there.  Looking at the ceiling.  Staring.  Trying not to think.

What can I do? I asked myself.

The answer was clear.

Wait.

Pray.

And I did.

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As the day progressed, I began to get more information about the damage the earthquake had caused.  And by early afternoon, I was ready to call the hotel where we were having our reception.  We had to decide our course of action.

I called.

I was told that the personnel were instructed not to provide any information.  It will be the comms director who would make a statement.

Not one hour passed when I received a call.  The hotel.  The building had been inspected.  They were back at Business as Usual (BAU) status.

She also told me that my Dad had called earlier and that she will be returning his call too.

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Despite the good news, there were some concerning updates.

Aftershock.

Classes had been suspended too.

More casualties.

More photos (from Bohol).

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Late evening, we decided that we'd fly the next day.

I knew my parents were very concerned for my safety, but also understood what it meant for myself and my fiancé.  They did not stop me.

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The trip to the airport the next day was filled with take cares.  I can feel my Dad's anxiety.

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We reached the airport and I met my fiancé at the departure area.

We held hands.

We were going to brave through it.

ceremony reading selection

As the ceremony is very important to my fiancé and myself, we spent some time looking for potential reading selections.

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He did an exemplary job summarising appropriate material and identifying his choices.  Most often he would mark something as either a top or second choice.  There was also one reading for which he only specified one preference.

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He told me that I should read the selections and mark which ones spoke to me.

I did.

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Most of our choices were unanimous--except for the gospel.  

He opted for a wise man built his house on a rock.  He said that he felt this is especially meaningful to him because foundation is important to him.  He also talked about choosing well and how be continue to build on top of.

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I chose they are no longer two, but one flesh.  I feel that this is something that I must always remember. All my actions, all my decisions, I should now consider our family (only myself and him--for now).  This is something I am perfecting everyday, starting with small things like picking a dinning table and choosing which cable package to get.  I anticipate bigger things and harder decisions to make.

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In the end we, as a single unit chose they are no longer two, but one flesh.  

It was only fitting :)

glorious day

My fiancé and I decided a long time ago that we will accept whatever God's intention was in terms of our wedding day.

The rain.

The ceremony.

Everything.

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This didn't mean of course the we slacked.  We did (and continue to do) what is required from our side to prepare for our wedding day.  

We now have all the paperwork done.  We had attended all the seminars.  We continue to work of on-the-day details.

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While we are not overly religious, my fiancé and I feel that the church ceremony is the highlight of our day.  It is the moment that we promise ourselves to each other in front of God and man.

Usually, if there is a priest who is close to the family, it is requested that he presides.  Unfortunately for us, there isn't anybody.

So we wait for the parish to assign one of their priests to wed us.  That is okay too.  We are sure that any priest would hold a meaningful ceremony for us.

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The interview with the priest is another requirement for Catholic weddings.  It is an opportunity for the priest to assess the readiness of the couple, elaborate on the sacrament of marriage and provide guidance to the soon to be husband and wife.  

It also presents a opportunity to gain insight about the bride and groom in preparation for the sermon.

Yesterday was our interview.

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I left Fr. Manny's office practically skipping!

I gave my fiancé a big hug, repeatedly saying I'm so happy.  Not that it wasn't obvious or anything.

We truly felt blessed because through a friend, we were able to meet the perfect priest for our ceremony.  

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This is a bonus.  A BIG BONUS.

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Grateful.

Beyond words.

Thankful.

Overjoyed.

life lessons and my wedding shoes

I bought my wedding shoes early on.  I think it was literally the first thing I bought for the wedding.

I had been eyeing it for a while but because I couldn't justify the purchase, I was content just looking at it online.

When we got engaged, I thought maybe.

--- I still couldn't get around the idea of spending that much on something I knew for a fact I'd wear at most, thrice in this lifetime--or until it falls apart in the shoe box.

I mean these were great shoes but in an outrageous kind of great.  Maybe fantastic is the word.

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As it was not available where I live, I could only get it online.

I recognise (all too well) the risks.

The fit, the look... anything and everything could go wrong.

I'm not sure I like it enough to risk so much.

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A once-in-a-lifetime online sale got it to a price that I was willing to pay.  Having the last piece in my size told me that it was destined.

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When I received it, it looked both too big and too small to me at the same time.  You'd think that would translate to perfect right?  Wrong.

It looked so chunky, like high top sneakers.

It also looked tiny, where you'd slot your foot in.

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It look everything I had in me to get my feet it.

I needed to expand these shoes. Badly.

THIS HAD TO BE THE ONE.  I MUST MAKE IT WORK!

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I'd wear it around the house with horrible thick socks just to loosen it.

A few days later, I'd find that it had gone back to the original size.

It went on for a couple of weeks, it was exhausting and frustrating!

In all honestly, it was the first time in my life that I felt so uncomfortable wearing shoes--I had headaches, literally.  And I've had my share of ridiculous shoes!

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A month went by and I decided it wasn't worth it.

NO SHOE, I feel is worth this much suffering.

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I put the these shoes and thinking about what shoes to wear out of my mind for a while.

I needed a break from wedding-shoes-land.

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One day an idea caught me off guard--it was about wedding shoes.  Gasp!

I know... I knew which shoe I would wear.

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I looked into my unused shoe stash and found it.

I didn't put it on immediately as I wanted the idea to brew.

Days turned to weeks and more I thought about it, the stronger my resolve.

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Today, I took it out to try on for the first time since I had decided it would be the one.

And...

What do you know, I had a Cinderella moment.

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Sometimes, a great idea is just that--a great idea.

If only I had accepted that earlier on, I would have saved myself a lot of headache.

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In hindsight, I realise that in my heart and mind, I've always known it wasn't the one.  Maybe it was the high from our engagement, the idea of ticking off a checkbox, or the online sale.  Maybe all three.

Whichever it was though, I was deciding based on (all) the wrong reason(s).

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I'm happiest about this decision and it came at the best possible time :)

PRESSure

Looking at invites printers, I can't help but be swayed to having our letter pressed.  I love the perfect-imperfect effect.  It doesn't hurt that it's old school too.

This led me to buying a rubber stamp set.  I thought I'd stamp my Save the Date envelopes.

not the most elegant--but it works

Mine is a very simple set.  No idea what font, rubber of wood were used. 

I bought gold, silver and copper stamp pads to complete the kit.

I practiced on (and in effect, wasted) some envelopes.  I thought I could pull off an artsy, messy, shadowed look.  It just looked, messy.

"L" and "I" are really tough!

Imperfection is the appeal, but really, there is a fine line between imperfect and sloppy.

In the end, I managed to make a few--thankfully not wasting more envelopes. 

imPRESSed :)

'invented'

I had pretty much completed our wedding invites.

By that, I mean that I had written out the text (as in I didn't google for 'wedding invites text') to express what we really want from our guest. I realised that to us there is a HUGE difference between cordially inviting someone and asking someone to share an experience. You can see where this line of thinking leads to.

I had also layed out the text for the entourage card.

Our direction card? Done!

Truth be told, our invites are practically ready to print.

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I really didn't intend for this, you know.

I wanted to create a prototype to show the printers.

BUT, one thing led to another and before I knew it, our dream invitation was crafted.

I say OUR because although I did the detailing, it was a collaborative efforf for us. I must commend my someone for going the extra mile (seriously) thinking if he preferred "&" versus "and".

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As happy we are with how our invites look like, we are still to find a printer to realise our vision :)

Save OUR Date

I made this video, it is actually my first video ever!

I am a little bit sad about the resolution, but overall I feel that it it pretty good for a beginner like me :)

I hope you like it.

ants MARCHing

I can’t believe it is March already.  At this point, I shouldn’t be too shocked about the fact that time runs quite quickly--but it still catches me by surprise!

Admittedly, we had taken a break from all the wedding arrangements in December—and January.  Maybe even the first half of February.

We were however, able to accomplish a lot the last two weeks.

Really.

If you ask me what other pieces we are missing, I’d say A LOT.

But I love how our list is starting to get shorter.  Even if that just means we’ve booked my next fitting and identified our next ocular. 

body issues?

I saw an icon online that I wanted to use.  It is an outline of a bride and groom,  while I felt it had the look I am going for, I didn't want the fact that the groom was wearing a coat and the bride's dress not only had a belt, but also a ribbon.

I'm sure wedding gowns with belts could work; it's just not my style.

painfully pink belt and suit
don't really represent 'my' wedding

I decided to play around with it.

For my wedding we decided we wanted the guys to wear the traditional Filipino formal that is the Barong Tagalog.  And so, the only way this could work would be if I can change his outfit.

What do you know?
I DID IT!!!

I was so happy with my success fixing the image.

I sent it to my mom who said outright, "I like it, but the bride is fat.".

Errrrr.  Okay.

couple 'streamlined'
put a belt on the bride even if it is my pet peeve

I showed my mom the updated image.  She said "Ummm, she's still fat.".

So, I took the belt out, and changed her body type all together.

approved

With this final image, the bride got the mother's approval.

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24-October-2103 Update:  I cleaned this icon up a bit more so the final version that made it to our invites (and a lot of other places) is the enhanced version of this.

one and only DIY

So maybe there are times that I feel crafty.  I would sew something.  I would glue something.  I would doodle something.

I do these silly things for fun.  A little less serious than cooking for me.

For our wedding I get asked a lot if I would do anything DIY and my constant reply would be I'd let the professionals do it.  

I don't intend to stay up nights before cutting, sewing or glueing something.  What I'd love to do instead is spend time with my family and my future family.  Maybe hang out with friends too.  Not serious hobby-ing.  It would probably take the fun away from craft too!

I also never intended to do a pre-nuptial photo shoot.  Maybe because I get so used to seeing images that do not resemble the couple in real life that I sort of shrug off the idea.

It's not me.  

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Nearing our big day, I was reminded that I needed to get our Save the Date out.

Okay.

(Thinking while playing with my thumbs.  Like Butters.)

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A friend volunteered to take our photos because he had always been waiting to do a shoot with real lights.  That was him saying that I needed to find proper lights.

And I did.  A colleague willingly lent me hers.

self sufficient :)

Come the shooting day, my someone and I prepared by ordering pizza and beer.  With a freezer full of ice and a bottle of Jack, we were ready to shoot.

I wonder if we were all just making an excuse to hang out.  Not that we needed one.

mission accomplished

something Jops said...

I must say that not only am I ecstatic about the photos, it was a night that I'd remember for a very long time.  I trust that it would be something we would talk about over and over and over and over and over and over again.

I believe, we created a new classic.

good times :)

making the cut

I had been putting together an AVP for our wedding.

It really is my wedding gift to my future husband.  It is my narration of our story and maybe a reminder of how far we had come.

He knows that I am up to something because knowing how consumed I get with projects there is no way my being lost for hours thinking, re-thinking, testing, implementing, re-assessing would go unnoticed.

I applied best practices to this initiative.

My purpose had always been clear, so the logical next step was to outline my story telling approach.

I sorted through all the material that I had and created a maybe bucket to which I copied those I intended to include.  I also logically grouped the material to help me as I put it all together.

I had to learn editing on the fly too!  This must seem especially daunting to some people, but really there are tool available that are quite intuitive so I didn't struggle too much.  (I am still learning new things as I go along!)

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Key Word:  Iteration

I had to revisit my approach after seeing the material that I had.

At some point, I change my approach on specific areas because it felt like the natural flow of things.

I re-reviewed material I initially dismissed and found some of my now favourites.

I edited out material I initially marked as must use.

I completely took out one segment that was sticking out.

I gained a better assessment of what were truly important after seeing the big picture.

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The last phase of the project, I feel is the toughest one for reasons I can't say without compromising the secrecy of the content.

That is where I am at the moment and while it is not for a few weeks till I get through it, the day I finalise it, is for me, a lonely day as I know in my heart that I'd miss scouting songs, playing clips in my head, timing displays and smiling to myself imagining the moment my someone watches it for the first time.

these socks!

I had already gotten my wedding shoes. 

I got it online.  I guess at this point, you'd know what I'm leading to.

I think that it is truly the perfect shoes, only it is quite small :(

It had stretched out a little bit already as I can now get my right foot in and wear the shoes around for an hour--with sports socks.

I still have ten months to go and I am hoping by then, it would have stretched out enough that I could (relatively) comfortably wear if for a full day.

I hope I'm not wishing for a miracle.

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Yes, I'm wearing it now.  With socks.

DaVao

Caged by all the wedding preparations that need to be finalised before everyone breaks for the holidays, I have neglected my blog.

I had been writing a lot though.  I had been up to my neck creating packs for my wedding coordinator, photographer and wedding gown designer.

It is interesting how despite the fact that I feel planning a wedding is a chore and that I'd rather escape all the hardwork and elope, I actually enjoy picturing our big day's look-and-feel.  It helps I guess, that my fiance  and myself have similar views on most wedding related details. 

I don't really talk too much to other people about wedding options, only because each person has a vision of what is beautiful--or ideal.  I guess that's true for most things, not only weddings.  And I don't want to bother having to seemingly defend my choices :) 


Here, I would ecstatically agree to disagree.

I do update my Mom because I know how much she loves to get involved and she had always been someone very supportive and keen to help on anything that would ease any load or would make things more convenient for me.  I also look forward to the extra bonding time with her.

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What am I most excited about? 

The vows :) 

I actually have a very rough draft in my head of what I want to say to my future husband and I almost can't wait to pen it down.

From a strict planning perspective, I don't know the right time to start writing it.  Though I am very much organised, it is actually the first time in my life that I bought a planner.  I used the wedding as an excuse, but the reality is that when Moleskine came up with a Little Prince 2013 planner, I wanted one.

Maybe I'd randomly flip though and where I catch a page, I'll set as my vows drafting date.