Talagang may K! - this post is not for the hungry

Hello fellow blogging brides! and the rest of the world... hahaha. It's been a while. It was a rather busy month in the office. And it still is...

A lot has happened though with the wedding preps. Well, not a lot meaning I have accomplished a lot of things, because obviously, I can't seem to get my hands on that much preparations. But I say a lot, because I have a significant accomplishment and something (almost) monumental happened that ushered us into the next phase of the wedding preps. So, as I need to catch up on my blogging, I'll try to write several short entries as I can to keep you most updated :)

First off, let me share the good news that we are soon to be in the hands of a really credible and amazing caterer! Part of W@W Top Wedding Suppliers for 2008, great raves from my fellow W@wie sisters and highly recommended by Jeff and Lisa, our most reliable and brilliant photographers :) Okay, its no surprise to say that its the ever famous K by Cunanan.
Now, given our limited budget, it took me several push from other brides and just one look at their photo gallery to actually email them. As an events person, I know what our budget is and isn't capable of. So I was just being realistic and practical. But then, after our several correspondences via email, their AE, Lace was able to draft a customized, slightly cheaper (and sulit) package for us. :) And so I got my hopes up! If it took me a lot of convincing to give them a try, it took just one look at their photo gallery for Babe to decide that theirs was the perfect choice. And whose word do I only listen to when it comes to decisions?

So there, I scheduled a foodtasting and meeting with them on a Friday and I brought along Kaye, my sister and maid of honor, and Mama and Tita Beh, our future ninang :) Since things were pretty busy in the office, they had to fetch me from Rockwell (actually kanto ng Estrella kasi super traffic everywhere!) then we went straight to the place. I think we were 45 minutes late because of the traffic. On the way to Ms. Kaye's residence, they were getting impatient because of the long ride (from Las Pinas to Ayala Heights ba naman eh?!) and then my sister and mom kept telling me that the food better be good as they had to drive more than two hours to get to the place.

When we got there, we were amazed at the quaint beautiful house that stood before us. A waiter in uniform escorted us inside the house, and then there was young-looking Lace (who I kept calling Ms.Lace, but she looks younger than my sister!) who greeted us and ushered us to the table that was all set. After a while, another young and savvy-looking lady went out and introduced herself. She was the famous Ms. Kaye :)
Won't it be too taxing if I write about every great detail that happened in the food tasting? So I'll just let some of the pictures do the talking. What you need to know though is that we had the best time. I was always excited for my turn on the foodtasting, but I was always worried that I wouldn't like the food too much and we'd be disappointed. But for this one, my first (and last I believe), it was surely memorable. Ms. Kaye was a pleasure to meet with! She's so young yet she has extensive experience and well-respected in her field. My sister and I idolize her. Tita Beh found the connection with them because her late husband was high school friends with Ms. Kaye's dad. I even found my mom (who's very authoritative when it comes to food) agreeing to everything she says. I was hesitant to tell her the agreed package rate at first because she might just walk out the door, but at the end of the day, Mama was the one who convinced me to go for K by Cunanan, as they were really everything that I could ask for: hands on, creative, gives attention to details and very accommodating. Did I mention they serve really really great-tasting food? It was superb! Every dish they served passed our taste buds with flying colors! Well, needless to say, my mother knows me well.
K by Cunanan was a worthy addition to our dream team. If I was the type of bride who collected notable suppliers like they were trophies, K and her team would probably make it to top shelf. It makes me confident to know that she's on board with our (Babe and me, of course) concept for the wedding. I showed her the look I wanted for our reception which consisted of high-end flowers. And she willingly gave her version of the look we were going for. It was uber elegant and she didn't even mention about the price! I didn't even need to upgrade! Some caterers would have stressed on the kind of flowers that we were limited to have because of our budget. But not her. She just asked me what flowers do I not want to include. I talked to her about other ideas we thought of for the reception and she guided us with her wise words to make the idea work. Although, she was not like other caterers or AEs who seemed too authoritative and overpowering. She was simply elegant and talented.

The phrases "answered prayer," and "supplier-client perfect match" enter my head when I think about K by Cunanan. They were really, everything that we could ever wish for in a caterer.

With all this, I am just so blessed that Babe is the nicest groom-to-be in the world! I would say that getting K by Cunanan altered our budget in a major way, and it was the first time in this whole wedding preps that I felt Babe really grew worried about our budget. We almost became disheartened on the whole wedding preps. But we didn't fight. We dealt with it and chose to face the reality. I asked him several times if he was sure he was okay with getting K despite its effect on our budget. And he said he is. Maybe because he saw they were really good, or because he knew I secretly wanted K so bad. I love him for that. It's like long before the wedding, he's already fulfilling his promise to put me first before anything. I am, without any contest, the luckiest and most blessed bride in the whole wide world!

So on my part, I now have to be extra particular on the budget. I guess for the earlier part, I indulged in getting the suppliers that we felt were really great. Although their services are priced a bit more than we hoped to pay, I think it was still a good choice since they would really make our wedding memories special. And I honestly thought we were going to settle with the cheaper caterers and we'll have so much budget left for the others. Choosing K had a big blow on our budget, but it is one that we willingly take. We consider it part of that first phase in the preps were we indulged in those details of the wedding that are really important, and now, as I said, we are dealing with it. I'm more careful with our budget and more determined than ever to haggle to get the lowest possible prices for the other wedding details. Besides, if we have K as our caterer for our reception, I think the whole of our wedding will be able to pull of that understated elegant look :))

Okay, so I ended up writing more than I actually thought I would, but without further ado, here are the photos. Again, this post is not for the hungry. Enjoy:

words...

a new artwork i made through polyvore. Just making the most out of my sickly time to do what i love...

words by camslab on Polyvore.com

testing lang :)

Sharing my recent set from polyvore.com, this is kinda similar to my pre-nup photo look, that I will embed here, soon maybe :)

simple life2 by camslab featuring Diane von Furstenberg

A little less than a year to go - updates

Oh well, how's the rest of the world doing?

Yours truly is doing great. Kind of slow-mo in the wedding preps, but after an almost fight with Babe, I decided to take things in stride and avoid being impulsive in doing things. I'm like the tasmanian devil of Looney Tunes when I'm excited. I can get a lot of things done when I'm on a roll, but some of them turns out unfinished and messy and I wish I never laid my hands on it. And some times, with the many things I try to accomplish, I tend to forget about them in the long run, and they are left hanging. So again, I'm trying to practice grace. Every decision needs to be well thought out, not hasty. And to pay attention to details. It's not a race, so I have to do it slowly but surely.

Its pretty hard, especially for me, a sucker for weddings. I know I can get it done in a jiffy, its not rocket science and most of the time, I trust my intuition that I know what I'm doing. But given my track record for some of the plans that were hastily executed, I really should start being more careful in making decisions. As it is, Babe is already being affected of the stupid mistakes I made (only because of several impulsive moves that I forget). In the future, my decisions will not just affect the two of us, but our kids. Our family. So I have to get it right, get it together as soon as possible. I don't want to screw up when it really matters.

Although, I realized I have to meet with the caterer and the lights and sound supplier soon, to get the best deals possible. Its great though that one of our close friends is really taking care of the drapings. We would just have to pay for the materials and the labor of their staff.

I guess, I really have to start putting together a "Wedding Folder" and make a timetable just to make sure I don't miss out on anything. And work on those lookbooks for the suppliers. Hmmm... but I'm also thinking, I'll have a lot of time to do that in September, when my contract from work expires. But, I shouldn't be procrastinating, so if I could start on something as early as now, might as well do it already (I always contradict myself, if you haven't already noticed).

In other news, I'm super proud of Babe! :) he has already saved up and even exceeded his share of our wedding budget :) I'm so happy. Not just because we already have the moolah to pay for everything that we need for the wedding, but because he really made sure he gets to have this certain amount at the earliest possible time even when his priority is money for the lot (house to follow). Between us two, I'm the one who's more excited for the wedding, but he managed to have this amount ready, so that I can go full force with the wedding preps. And it only means he's already excited to be married to me. What can I say? This man really loves me. (Super heartfelt smile :)) )

And then, there's my new dilemna. I thought I was dead set on my color motiff - aqua, fuschia and freesia (darker, mustardy shade of yellow), but the preppy dainty side of me is starting to come out more and more after I finished the moodboard for my wedding dress (see my previous blog entry for the picture). Now I'm thinking if I would switch to a more dainty, pastel motiff, which is light-bubblegum pink and aqua. But then, I don't want to seem too "weddingy" and when it comes to our personality as a couple, I'd say we're really more of the loud and proud side, not those shy perfect pastels. Aarrgh! I really can't decide! My sister slash Maid of Honor says I should just stick to the original motiff, yet the pink and aqua combo is just so pretty to pass on... Babe says he's okay with whatever. What do you think?

Kinda off-topic now, does anybody watch the new teleserye "The Wedding"? I'm super hooked! Not just because its about weddings, which I love next to Babe and writing, and especially, contrary to what others think, not because my biggest local celeb crush Zanjoe is playing lead opposite Anne Curtis. I'm not even that smitten with the plot, I mean, it needs improvement at some points, but I don't know. Might be the script, might be the acting, might be the characters they portray. I especially liked ZM as Marlon. His role there reminds me of a certain guy I call my fiancee. Hardworking, funny, brave, a little proud and undeniably in love with his girl. What-A-Catch. I was never into the rich guys who can get anything they want without working for it. The simple, determined, kind of naive guys seem to attract me more, and I'm just so lucky to have one who's also head over heels in love with me :) My favorite line from the show is "Sinong batas?" (by Zanjoe to Anne). Simple but so damn real. I love it that my Babe knows how to assert himself with me because admittedly, I'm kind of a brat and is used to having things my way. "Medyo sanay ka na utos ng utos... ayokong madala mo yun pag mag-asawa na tayo." Babe keeps me grounded. I'm not that much of a diva anymore because of him. And so, my weeknight schedule includes watching The Wedding before I go to bed.

Okay, enough blogging (or blabbing) for now :) hopefully, I'll write more wedding preps updates next time :)

my wedding dress mood board :)

thanks to Polyvore and Adobe Photoshop, its finally here! :)

PART 2: A Year From Now...

...I'm entering a new chapter in my life. Marriage.

Being the hardcore romantic that I am, I can say that I've dreamed of my wedding my whole life. Its the thought that calms me and puts me off to sleep at night like a lullaby. Sometimes, I feel like the wedding preps can go on like a breeze and that getting married is actually easy.

Now being married, that's a whole different level. Its a matter of life...until death. Its the gate to this whole new different chapter, a whole new reality. A whole new you, and a whole new him. What you are now as a couple might cease to exist when you enter marriage. Well, at least that's what they say.

It's building a family together, and raising kids and reaching dreams together. For most people, marriage is what defines what kind of person you will be ten, twenty, fifty years from now.

Yes. Marriage is a big word. But I'm not afraid of it. I always tell people that. That when other girls in their early twenties are just not ready to get hitched yet, I'm willing to make that jump head on. And its mostly true. I've seen how marriage is from my parents. There are days when they're so sweetI feel like throwing up, and there are days when they argue so hard but they just argue about family things, not really about them being incompatible. So I realized that problems are gonna be part of the picture, but when its with the person you want to be with for the rest of your life, problems can be an everyday thing yet you'll still have a ball.

Marriage takes work, but, I know, especially with my babe, that its absolutely worth it.

What I'm afraid of though, is several things that has nothing to do with me and babe. Leaving home, for instance. People who know our family will agree that we are just one of the wackiest, funnest family around. Tight-knit will be an understatement to describe us. They, along with my Babe, are my number one priority. We do almost everything together. Out of town trips, breakfast, dinner, going to mass. I've grown even fonder and closer with them when Babe went to work abroad and they were my constant dates. I wonder how it will be without them. I mean, from the start of our relationship, Babe and I consider Family Time and Family Day for our families sacred. But we're starting our own family soon. As much as we don't want to, we have to maintain a safe distance to learn how to be on our own.

One thing we have agreed on, is that after the wedding, I'm going with him to the Middle East so that we can both work there, save up for the house and future. As much as I look forward to living with Babe in a strange land, I don't know how I can ever battle being so away from my parents and siblings. Apart from the comfort and luxury that I experience at the confines of my home, I know I'll be yearning for the presence of my entire family on a daily basis. I miss them even on weekends without them. When this topic even comes up, friends are already betting that I'll be crying buckets the day I move out because I'll be so homesick :( I'm worried that Babe will have the hardest time with me when I get so emotional missing my family too much. But I guess, same with a man, a girl needs to do that to become truly independent. I guess the time will come when I really need to be physically separated from them, so I try to spend as much time as I can with them. People say I'm making it harder by doing that, but I know I can't spend that much time with them when I have a family of my own, so might as well do it while I can.

There are a lot of things that I look forward to with being married to Babe and one of which is serving the Lord with him. We have tons of fun when we're serving together along with our friends. Sometimes we have different points of view, but we always know how to work together on a united goal. I believe he is my mission partner. :) But then, as a woman of God, I know that I can serve Him in other ways apart from my partner. I have always believed in women empowerment, and that I want to do for the rest of my single life. I mean, for sure priorities will have to change when I get married. I'll be attending to my husband and family first and foremost. Not trying to sound heroic or anything, but I want to be able to make a change in a girl's life. A girl helping out another girl.

A lot of other must dos enter my mind when I think about the clock of my singlehood ticking. I want to be the best friend I can be, to write a breakthrough piece, to really, make a career out of writing (and I mean hardcore, real writer stuff) to be able to sing out loud in front of a crowd (videoke not included), to dance without a care in the world, to learn to drive and actually drive somewhere, to cook a normal everyday meal (an adobo or sinigang would do, not the complicated pasta dish and dessert I make for special occasions), to travel alone, to help more, to sin less, to pray more.

I guess, I just want to BE my best before I enter into a new chapter in my life. So aside from my physical preparations (health, beauty and fitness), I'm also working it out with these other things. Cliche as it may sound, I want to be complete. And like I always say, I want to be his dream girl. He deserves the best of me. I am ready to be married to him, but before that, I must be ready to leave all my single dreams behind and turn them into reality so that I can move on to making new dreams with my Babe. So for myself and for my dreamboy, I'm making the most out of my last year as a single gal.

Countdown all you want, I'm gonna conquer everything before I walk down that aisle. ;)

PART 1: A Year From Now...

I'm getting married. :)

(super heartfelt smile follows. the kind that makes your stomach hurl in anticipation)


June 18, 2009 started with heavy rain, and I prayed that this would not be the case next year. Thankfully, this time (quarter to four, which would be the assembly time for our wedding), the sky is blue, partly cloudy, but not raining.


The previous blog was a 'one year before the "big event" updates.' This one, is some sort of a reflection-kilig mode entry. So, yes, its time to put up the WARNING: LONG READ sign.


The new old songs in my iPod had me nostalgic of all the stupid, somehow desperate moments of singlehood. Bittersweet memories. I realized how I yearned for all the drama before. When I would tune in to Dreamsounds (Wave 89.1) every night and wait for all the senti songs that reminded me of a boylet and cry just because of a song. And I would devote a lot of time to contemplate on the failure that was my lovelife. What a waste of time that was now that I think about it, but not really, because I am a writer. It was in those moments of solitude that I poured my heart out in words. I have this diary where the other side was a happy heart, and the other was a broken heart. That phase pretty much filled the latter. But I wrote really great stories of heartbreak and unrequited love then, some even got me excellent grades in my creative writing class. Maybe somehow, my journal was my constant companion and never left my side on those days. So, its safe to say, that writing is my first love.


Somehow, I realized that I was attracted to drama, to heartache then. I loved post-relationship phases. When, together with my college friends, I would get second helpings of chocolate cake, just because we're depressed and unlike boys, food has always been good to us. If a relationship ended (boylets lang, Babe is my first OFFICIAL and SERIOUS boyfriend), I'd wallow in misery, but I'd take it all in, with arms wide open. I would stalk, try to reconnect with these guys even, and stay in the pain for as long as I can. I was miserable. I didn't care if they got girls pregnant, even if they made the moves on a friend, even if they had a really long conversation with a girl they just met, right in front of me, when it was I who surprised them for their birthday! Those were really painful moments, but it was during my so-called rockstar phase (gone drinking almost every day, skipped classes) that I realized, this should be the end of an era. There must be something better for me. Like Brooke in Tree Hill, I wanted to be the lead in my own love story. I realized I wasn't gonna get married soon, so why rush? I told God I will wait, I will serve, but I will not settle for less. If He played favorites, I should be one of them.


So I served, I spent time with friends, I prayed more. I tried to become a better person for myself, and not for anyone else. And then, at the most blessed time, there he was. Not really waiting in the wings, but just there for me. As a brother, as a friend. I remember our first serious conversation when he told me, that if he was the guy I liked, he would never hurt me and let me go. I didn't pay attention to it then as I was preoccupied with another guy. So there. We were both serving, we'd exchange mini-hugs, he'd make fun of me, so hard that at one point I almost cried. But I knew he genuinely cared for me. There was this one time when I was visiting my best guy friend in the same village where he lives. If you know my friend and I, we could talk for hours and not get tired. And there he was, he stayed on and chatted with us over isaw. And that was when I realized I was looking forward to spending time together. We began to text constantly, have stolen moments in friendly gimmicks, and I guess, the rest is history.


At the end of every "relationship" that I had, I always believed that this certain guy was my "one great love." Why? Maybe because, like the stories I write, I was a sucker for unrequited love. I thought that love was synonymous to sacrifice, to pain. If you're hurting so much, then that must be love. And I cried bucket of tears for those guys. But Babe proved me wrong. He showed me that there are no compromises for true love. No excuses, no hangups. Its either you want to be with the person or you don't. And he loves being with me. If those guys got buckets from me, Babe had barrels. I've cried over him more than I have cried for all those previous guys combined. He also has chapters in the heartbroken side of my diary. No previous experience could ever prepare me for the rollercoaster ride that was me and Babe. But each time he made me cry, he replaced every tear with truckloads of love and laughter. He got me writing on the happy heart pages of my journal every so often. He makes me so happy its contagious. I was never the trooper kinda girl, but with him I feel so alive, its like I always want to share my happiness with other people. I learned to laugh at silly jokes, when my close friends know that I hated corny before (not that he's corny, he's the funniest man I know!). He's not perfect, but the longer I get to know him, the more I understand how perfect we are for each other. How we can make each other saway, and really just understand each other's quirks, strengths and weaknesses. He makes me want to become a better person, and I think the same is true for him with me.

It got me thinking, that those past men were merely stopovers, footnotes in my love story. They were not my "one great love." Because if it was so great, then why did it end in the first place? (For the record, I have forgiven these guys and even managed to be good friends with some of them. Maybe it wasn't entirely their fault anyway, but it really doesn't matter anymore)

There's really no point in comparing, because Babe is waaaay greater in every aspect. But with us, there really is no end. We might have the biggest of fights, but we never walk out on each other. We know that in the end, it is still us and love still outweighs our differences that we just have to work out our issues. That is certified forever material. I love him with all of me. And before I get too mushy, I just know, from the very start, when we prayed as a couple and offered our relationship to the Lord, that He was God's gift to me. He was the answered prayer that might have took a long time to arrive, but was very well worth the wait. I realized then, that things doesn't have to end, people don't have to leave for you to realize that they are the one you are looking for. Somehow, you will just feel that the search is over because you've found them and they are for keeps. I could state a million things to let you know why I'm marrying babe, but they probably wont fit in this blog, and really, no one else's opinion matter than mine and his. :)

I almost gave up once and thought that maybe this kind of love (romantic) is not for me, but I thank the Lord for being true to His promise in giving me the awesome awesome guy I have always dreamed about. I'm so blessed, like I have been my whole life. So, is Babe my one great love? Without a doubt, I know that he is. I can certainly say that a year from now, I'm settling down with the love of my life. Can't wait ;)


From One Tree Hill: "Believe that dreams come true everyday... Because they do."