may gown na ako...

In all honesty, the gown has been a source of my stress for the past few weeks. While most brides are already having their first fitting, I was still on the stage of finding who would do the gown for me and my entourage. It shouldn't cause any problem except for the fact that couturier costs a lot, and some gown shops are trying to fit themselves in that line. For real gown designers, gowns would range from 50k to 100k. OA gowns woyuld cost higher. The filthy rich can afford them, the trying hards want to try but for poor brides like me these gowns are just a dream. I would cry at the thought of a 10k gown. Our original budget reads 15k and that is for my gown, the entire entourage and my mom.

Since Jaims didn't like the idea of having my gown made by the stores in Divisoria, he insisted that we increase our budget for my gown alone to 10k. It was hard on my part because I'm the type of person who would always compute how much money is left at the bank. An added cost meant a lot to me. But I finally decided to have it done by the shops in Kamuning, so I went to Jaims last Saturday.

Side kuwento lang, Jaims processed his confirmation certificate in San Miguel Church that morning that's why we started late with our adventure. When I got to his place Ate jingy-Jing was unpacking a balikbayan box...weeee! Syempre, since I was there she gave me some chocolates and a lotion :)

Before we left his place, Jaims insisted that Ate Jing call Edgar Allan. For the rich beings, Edgar Allan is EDGAR ALLAN. He's been in the business for 25 years. For the regular tao, he's the name we usually see atop a shop in Glorietta. When you peak inside it looks like a factory of all those glorious gowns. Those type you see in your dream :) What are we thinking calling Edgar Allan when we couln't even afford a gown in Kamuning hehe...Anyway, we got a great deal with him. Although a little pricey, Jaims nudged me to agree already. Edgar Allan designed an off-shoulder gown for me. I wish we have a duplicate of the design so I could post it here but he didn't give it to us. Maybe next time.

He was a very nice person not just because of the discount he gave but more on the way he talk. With just one meeting, I can feel how much he takes care of his client. He actually drew two gowns for me. I like the first one but he insisted on the other. Ate Jing liked the second gown too. She said it matches my personality more. I just hope I would look good. :)

Pre-cana seminar

Our pre-cana seminar is scheduled on Aug 26 and 27 but since my LET falls on the 27th, Ms. Precious from MTQ move the date to July 30 and Aug 26.

*******************

It was a rainy Sunday morning. Jaims and I went home late last Saturday because we had another adventure which I'll blog on later. Anyways, we were both puffy eyed when we met each other in the morning. For both of us(especially for him), Sundays meant late wakeup calls and we were literally dragging ourselves up to attend a seminar. I must admit, i'm a li'l excited. I woke up at 2am, slept again, then woke up at 5 and slept again. While dressing up, I was imagining the wedding. I was imagining myself walking on the aisle, everyone smiling, music playing...then suddenly a case of bad stomach cut the mood... *hears the flushing of the toilet*

It was a two part seminar that I couldn't exactly figure how they vary. If not for the fact that there are different speakers and that there was a lunch break, I wouldn't know. The first speaker was Tim Bautista. He talked about setting objectives before the wedding using the SMART method which stands for SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RESULTS-ORIENTED and TIME BOUND. He also asked us to discuss a topic with our future partners and to present them with the big-group. Ours was the miscellaneous topic.

Questions:
1. We will settle in the Philippines and not work abroad.
2. I expect to be taken to and fetched from work.
3. How will we celebrate birthdays and other celebrations?
4. Children must be given physical punishments.
5. What are the hobbies and sports that we must do together? not together?

There were more, but can't remember all the questions. Being shy, I asked Jaims to do the presenting. Tim wanted us to introduce ourselves first, to tell the others how we met, how long have we been together and when our wedding will be. His remarks were really funny. Since Jaims mentioned that he met me at the chatroom, Tim said he knew all along that I was Jaims' victim. He also asked questions what if Jaims has to shoot for FHM and the likes...kulit The funny thing about this seminar, was that Tim was with his wife. Everytime he says something...he looks at his wife...wife reacts...Tim takes back what he said.

Other couples had to answer topics like:
1. Should I convince my partner to go to Church twice a week?
2. I am willing to help my partner's family financially.
3. After the wedding, we plan to have a baby right away.
4. We will stay at my partner's place before we are financially ready.
5. Foreplay is important.
6. Can I say "no" to my partner if he wants to.

It's quite hard to think of answers to these questions especially if you're asked on the spot. That is why, Tim was telling us to set aside a day before our weddings to discuss all those stuff. When you see the questions, some of them are really funny but when you try to take them seriously it will hit you: "Are we really ready?" "Are we sure that we know what we're getting at?"

In the end, each of us will realize that we shouldn't make a lot of fuss with the wedding day since it is just a day, instead one must focus on the marriage itself because marriage is a lifetime commitment.

O/T: Small world

They said that each of us is connected to another through 7 degrees. That the driver who drove me to school must be a friend of someone I knew, that the student who smiled at me this morning must be the nephew of someone I knew. As the song goes, it really is a small world after all.

POINT #1:
Last night, I went out with some college classmates whom I haven't seen for quite some time. We saw Kei while waiting for Mark at the Shang. Told her that I'm working at XS already, and she asked me if I knew Rina. Rina, one of the school secretaries, was her church mate.

POINT #2:
On our way home, Paul and Mark were nice enough to drop me near my place. We talked about XS again, then he asked if I knew Christian. Now Christian is an English teacher who "bullies" me everyday (hehe...). Apparently, Mark went to the same grade school with him. He also became Paul and Jinky's classmate in PI 100.

Ghia is connected to Summer who is connected to Jaims who is connected to me
James who is connected to Xavier who is connected to me is connected to Mike who is connected to Shy who is connected to me

...point stated, nuff said.

**************

Hi Barry! thanks for reading...o trabaho ka na!!!

Check list

I wonder why I ever placed that daisypath ticker in our blog. Everytime I checked it I always feel suffocated by the time (or the lack of it). I feel that planning a wedding or something long-term isn't my cup of tea. With 2 months, 3 weeks and 4 days left, the bride and the groom, the beauty and the beast, still have to accomplish the folowing task:

• Find someone to do the gowns and barong
• Finalize invitation
• Find principal sponsors (groom’s side)
• Fix the groom’s baptismal and confirmation certificates
• Undergo church seminar
• Submit church seminar certificate to City Hall
• Finalize venue, menu
• Find extra souvenirs
• Get wedding rings
• Flowers
• Cake
• Hotel (for the preps)
• Passport (?)

parang dumadami... :(

Marriage License Application

Despite the raging weather, Jaims and I managed to go to City Hall today to process our marriage license.

I attempted to do this 2 or 3 weeks ago but since they have a new requirement, which is the CENOMAR, it had to wait. Yesterday should have been good. It was announced early Sunday evening that classes were cancelled and so we planned. The following day Gloria declared no work for government employees. Papa said it wasn’t about the weather, it was probably about her SONA. peste!

Luckily DepEd declared no classes again (or was it PAG-ASA) so we were able to do go there. We got to City Hall freezing, partially drenched and with squishy feet. The lady was nice enough. She just asked if we have Cenomar already and then she gave us the forms already. We filled up two copies and presented her the requirements. The requirements are:

• NSO birth certificate
• Barangay Clearance (if your from Pasig City)
• Cenomar (Certificate of No Marriage – from NSO)
• Family Planning Seminar/ Church Seminar

My forms had erasures because I wasn’t looking at the sample copies, and since I was the one who filled everything up by the time I got to the second copy my hand was shaky already. In fairness to Jaims, he volunteered to do the second copy. I refused, baka paulit kse pangit sulat nya heheheh!!! When we submitted everything, she checked them, stapled together and asked us to go to Window 6. When we are about to go to the Window, I remembered that Jaims haven’t withdraw money yet and that I’m not sure if I have money in my wallet since I remember buying Claricort and C2 and having our forms photocopied before we went there. Buti na lang I still have P300.00 in my wallet. So we paid already and went back to her. She said we could pick the marriage license by August 4 but since we haven’t submitted the church seminar certificate yet, it has to wait. We thought everything was okay already but she asked us to give another P50.00 for the notary. That time, I wasn’t sure if I still have P50.00. Sure I can remember I saw a P20 bill inside my wallet but not P40 or P50. If it’s P40.00 then we’re saved since I have lots of coins with me. Buti na lang it was P40.00, and then we just fished out some coins from our respective pockets. So that was our City Hall adventure. Travel time and business time lasted for about an hour. That’s one thing I liked about Pasig City Hall. Whenever I go there, I’m sure I can do something worthwhile. Their service is really efficient. Something QC City Hall isn’t.

****************

Jaims went straight to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Quezon City. He has to re-processed his Basptismal Certificate since his birthday there is April 4 and not April 24.

we're rolling...

With exactly 3 months and 2 weeks left, we have accomplished the following:

1. booked catering
2. pencil booked Angelo King MPC
3. Pencil booked Mary The Queen (must submit baptismal and confirmation certificates within a week for reservation to hold)
4. Pamamanhikan
5. Asked Tita Vangie to be our ninang
6. Asked Auntie Linda to be our ninang
7. Asked Uncle Cesar to be our ninong
8. Requested for employment certificate for visa

To do list:
1. Finalize ninong & ninang list
2. Find gown maker
3. Get marriage license
4. Get documents for church requirement
5. Finish invitation
6. Get passport

...konti na lang di ba? ang sarap ng may nanay :)

Nang mamanhikan si Jaime

PAMAMANHIKAN noun
1. a Filipino tradition where the man and his family visit the woman's family and ask for her parents blessings to marry their daughter. It is also an occasion for the parents of the woman to get to know the parents of the man.

2. derived from the verb panik meaning to go up the stairs of the house.

Two months ago I asked Jaims when they would do their pamamanhikan, he said June.
Another month had passed I asked him again when, he said next week.
That week I was supposed to tell papa, I got scared I didn't.
Friday that week, I was inside the jeepney on the way home planning really hard what to tell mama, when I saw her I had an attack of selective amnesia.
Saturday passed. Sunday did. Monday too.

Tuesday, bahala na. When I got home she was gardening. Nervous, I passed by her, pretended to check what's for merienda. I went out. I told her. Tapos. That made my day.

Fast forward to July 2, Sunday (our 77th monthsary). They got here at 5. He was with Ate Jing, Auntie Alice, Ate Minnie and Joe. He looked good in his red sports shirt. It turned out beyond my expectation. Again, papa invited Uncle Cef to come here. I felt bad because it meant someone taking the lime light away from my parents. I wanted his family to talk to mine and not other people. For both of my kuyas' wedding, he was always the middle person which I don't agree of since it looks like our side doesn't want to them personally. But as I've said, they exceeded my expectation. Mama and Papa were very talkative, and my uncle is amazingly quiet this time. It started really awkward, no one knows who should start. I was quiet, actually more of scared. Since our family isn't the type who enjoys confrontation, being in the hotseat doesn't help. Jaims was laughing at me because while they were talking, I was at one corner folding plastics HA HA HA!!!

In front of the dining table, I really loved mama. She was so accommodating. Papa's a little reserved but when Ate Minnie and Auntie Alice started praising their cooking skills, Papa suddenly became the "bida" of the house. Buti na lang magaling mambola in-laws ko heheh! Jaims brought Birthday Canton, 3 Country Chickens, Sapin-sapin and cake. Poor guy, he spent a lot. Papa served his special gambas, fried chicken and adobo. Mama made buko pandan. I wished papa cooked more of his special menu. But it only dawned into me now that they don't have money left anymore after paying the 18k electric bill.

After dinner they moved to the sala and talked more. Ate Minnie even mentioned the London honeymoon thingy. Kaya when tehy left, everyone was really excited. Even papa wanted to get a visa heheh!

All in all, I felt really good after the pamamanhikan. First because mama and papa finally did their job in giving away their children unlike before in kuya's case. Second, that everything turned out fine, that mama clicked with their family. Third, because the feeling that my family is already interested. And last, because i feel that in more ways than one mama loved me more because I saved for my own wedding and I did not burden them with its expenses.

**************************

And since they knew already, mama started with her usual attitude..oy si ganito na lang kunin mong ninong,,,eto na lang ninang mo,,,wag na lang sya di naman yan pupunta...'nuff said.