Samu't Saring Kwento...

EYEING FOR A CAMERA

Why does everyone seems hooked on Canon EOS 400D? Can somebody tell me how much this cost? Nainggit na din ako gusto ko na bumili eh waaaaaaaaaa! Tagal ko na din gumagamit ng point and shoot cam ... this time dapat i-enhance ko naman ang aking hobby. Dati I'm eyeing on Canon 40D ... pero mukhang papatusin ko na tong 400D ... kaso ang pinakamalaking tanong sa lahat??? May budget ba ako? Hahaha! Lakas ng loob kong mangarap, trabaho nga wala ako hehehe! Is it our in the market already? Parang nakikita ko lang lagi yung EOS 350D. Share naman diyan ng info po oh ... We kept on bugging dad about this (parang wala pa akong asawa ... asal bata) to buy us a cam eh hihihi.

3 WEEKS OF BEING MARRIED AND MORE...
It's a great feeling waking up seeing Jason first thing in the morning. We'll greet each other with a kiss and a "Good Morning" and a hug. Parang ayaw mo na tumayo sa kama. Kaso di naman pwede yun, kailagan naman niya magtrabaho para sa amin. While me, still struggling to have a good job for both of us. A lot of people already give my referrals to their boss baka sakali ma-in di ba? So I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. God has plans ... and I'm willing to wait for the right time. I love taking care of Jason. Lalo na pag meal time. Ako lagi nagpeprepare ng food niya. Somebody from our guest gave us a sandwhich maker and it has been my best friend eversince. I love preparing sandwhiches because of it. Super love ko siya. Ang dami na nga namin naimbento na combo dun like Cheese and Strawberry Jam, Strawberry Jam and Butter etc. One time, I made instant pancit canton and grilled cheese sandwhich for meryenda... Jason love it. Basta daw luto ko kahit instant pa daw yun masarap daw... awww... i love you Labs. mwah!

TAGAYTAY AGAIN...
We went to Tagaytay again last Nov. 12 to visit Tito Junior's house. So far 40% ok na siya ... hmmm... buti nilinaw nila yung contract. Kasi ang sabi dun 90 days ang construction. Binilang kasi namin yung time na nagbayad sila Tito until now. Eh sobra na sa 90 days kaya... yun pala at the start of construction yung 90 days ... so mga January hoping kami tapos na to. Since nagpa-barbecue party yung mga ahente ng house and lot eh mega kain naman kami. Nag-coffee sa Starbucks (sa walang kamatayang Starbucks). And good to know that Peppermint Mocha is back. Yehey! Kaya super nafi-feel ko na talaga ang pasko pag may peppermint mocha na ang Starbucks. As we're on our home, nakita namin yung Market! Market! Hindi pa talaga kami nakakapunta dun ever. Kaya nag-U-turn agad si Dad at nagpunta kami. Ok mamili dun ha, sosy na tiangge. Kaso hindi masyado na-appreciate nila dad dami kasi tao. Pero We got a chance to buy a jewelry box for me and Jason at Accessorize it ba yun? Nakalimutan ko hahaha! There's a variety of boxes, ribbons, etc. And pwede mo tawaran. Mukhang babalik ako dun ... wag lang mainit ulo ni Jason hahaha.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LABS!
Last Nov. 15 ... It's Jason's 32nd birthday :) I just cooked bake macaroni (yun ang request niya) and fried chicken. Sobrang simple no? He never celebrates his birthday. Nung naging kami, saka lang daw niya na-aappreciate ang birthday. Awww ... When we did groceries for our supplies sa bahay ... I got the chance to get my new eyeglasses. Pano kasi Jason accidentally stepped on my glasses. Di naman nabasag pero na-deform na siya ... tabingi na yung sa left eye hahaha! Eh nakita ko yung eyeglasses ni EJ nung wedding ko ... kaya bumili din ako ng Loft ... pero semi reamless yung sa akin ... and guess what? ang color niya is Teal and Yellow hahaha! Motiff! As usual, napagalitan nanaman ako ni Jason for being gastadora. Sabi ko di naman ako bibili kung di niya natapakan yung eyeglass ko hahaha! Super natutuwa ako sa supermarket ng SM ngayon. Mas organized na saka may area na sila for pizza freak people. Nasa isang kiosk yung ingredients you need in making pizza.

A TEXT MESSAGE...
Last Friday, Paul Vincent texted me that he'll give our photo CD (yung hindi pa enhanced version) kasi sa sobrang dami ng coverage nila (sunod-sunod) eh baka matagalan pa sila magbigay ng enhanced photos namin dalawa. So ibibigay niya na muna yun, para ma-choose na din namin yung ilalagay namin sa coffee table album namin. Saka ibibigay din naman niya yung enhanced version pag natapos na nila. Fine with me ... matigil lang nanay ko kakakulit sa akin kung nasaan na yung mag photos hahaha!

FRUSTRATION
Since we called off our honeymoon trip last Nov. 4 to give way to our post party wedding celebration in Laoag, it seems that all the dates we have in mind are already booked. Hay naku ... even January of 2007 booked na sa Panglao ... kakainis. Since peak season na eh medyo nahihirapan natalaga kami kumanap ng honeymoon destination ngayon. Pag hindi man kasmi nakahanap this year ... baka early January nalang. Sobrang late na honeymoon namin ah ... minsan nakaka-frustrate. While others are raving about their honeymoon trip ... kami ni Jason wala maikwento kung san kami nag-honeymoon. When everybody asked us where ... we just tell them "Sa kwarto namin" wahahaha! ang corny di ba? Hmmm... why not go to Tagaytay or Baguio... what yah think labs?

ANOTHER WEDDING...
Yesterday was my cousin Elixir & Ivy's Civil Wedding that took place at Max's Caloocan City. Again, ninong and ninang nanaman sila Mom at Dad. At ako sinama kasi videographer at photographer nila. Feeling naman ako ... eh point and shoot lang naman mga camera namin wahahaha! Lahat ng shots ko sa wedding nila experimental hihihi. Ewan ko kung ma-aappreciate nila yun. Anyway importante may photos nila nung wedding nila. And medyo may business venture kami ng pinsan ko ngayon. Mga ilang beses na kasi yun gumagawa ng kung ano-anong kakikayan sa mundo eh hindi pa kasi gawin business talaga. Kaya mega picture ako ng mga gawa niya. You can view her works at Ana cre. Congratulations and best wishes to you Elixir and Ivy. Welcome to the circus hahaha!

Today, Jason woke up very early. Because he's going to watch Pacquiao-Morales Match at SM Fairview with my brother and Dad. Pero susunod kami ni Mom sa SM kasi naglambing si Mommy na its been 5 years na wala kami Christmas Tree, eh it's about time to buy na daw kasi para daw ma-feel ni Jason ang pasko. Pumayag naman si Dad ... ayan shopping galore nanaman kami ni Mom ... yehey! Who do you think might win?

Wedding Announcement

Hehehe I know it's too late to brag about this one. Our wedding was announced twice in two different newspaper. Last October 22, 2006 in Manila Bulletin's All About Weddings (Thanks to Ms. Benz and Mr. John mwah!) and the other one was in Phil. Star October 29, 2006 issue (Thanks to Mr. Jun Ricaforte hihihi one of his freebies of you get his services). Mr. Jun texted me so early in the morning, he told me na nasa newspaper na yung annoucnement namin. Nakakatuwa nga kasi di ako ang bumili ng mga newspaper na yan. Yung mga clippings na yan naiuwi na ng tita ko sa Hawaii at ipapakita daw niya sa mga Tito at Tita ko dun na nasa newspaper ang kanilang ever beauty na pamangkin ... hehehe joke lang yun.

I'm still working on our supplier ratings .. bakit ang hirap gawin nun? waaaaaa!

This one was posted in Phil. Star October 29, 2006

This was posted in Manila Bulletin's All About Weddings last Oct. 22, 2006

along with fellow October 2006 couples Darlene & Alex, Sheryllyne & Macho, Girlly & Andy, Bernadette & John, Virgie and Ryan, Anne & Diobert and... Jenm & Deniel

Jason and Ann's Wedding Kwento...

There really is no perfect wedding. I'm one of those people who believe in that. As a matter of fact, ours wasn't that perfect. The imperfections was really quite visible. But still everybody enjoyed that 3 hour event that took place in their lives. Hindi ko na elaborate lahat-lahat. Bigay ko lang sa inyo ung mga kaunting details na naalala ko sa wedding namin. Thanks to our W@W community ... I pulled off our wedding without a coordinator. This group is a big help talaga. Kaya we're thanking God for helping us on our wedding day.

October 27, 2006 around 1 p.m., We went to Jun Ricaforte's shop to pick up all our gowns. Wala pa yung shoes and bag ko (imagine wala pa!!!) but Mr. Jun assured me that he'll drop by sa hotel to fix my gown sa mannequin form. He'll bring the shoes and bag nalang kasi naiwan niya sa bahay. Ok quite a relief for me.

2:00p.m. We had our bookings reserved at The Great Eastern Hotel. Yung pinareserve ko na Presidential suite nila eh may client na kumuha nun 4 days ago pa. Na-delayed ang flight kaya na-extend ang stay ... (another stressful thing that took place that day). Sabi ko, I don't need to wait for them to check-out kaya hinanapan nila kami ng new rooms. Blessing in disguise, Ms. Jacq of Great Eastern hotel showed us sa West Wing ng hotel nila. The newly built part ng hotel. Ang ganda ng lobby and the rooms are more malamig and spacious. We took 4 rooms for us, sa family ni Jason, sa mga tita ko, and some of our female entourage. Ok ang lobby ng west wing, I texted Paul right away ... told him makakagawa na siya ng dramatic effect sa lobby ng Great Eastern Hotel. hihihi!

We had our family dinner sa Gulliver's ... medyo 10 years nga lang ang services pero masarap ang pagkain nila promise. The night before our wedding day, may ginagawa pa kami ng mga pinsan ko na gagamitin kinabukasan. Eye patches for the blindfold jack en poy garter game, pouches for the loose petals and the baskets for the fruit offertory. By 12am natulog na ako ... dun lang ako inabutan ng antok.

October 28, 4:00am I got a text message from Ms. EJ Litiatco telling us they're on their way to our hotel. Siyempre ako nagulantang hahaha! Ang aga kaya! hihihi! Si mom ang mas tensed hindi ako. Nauna make up yung 2 abay ko kasi nagbreakfast ako baka kasi sikmurain ako. Saka I'll be wearing a corset kaya I need to eat baka kasi di ako makakain sa reception.

6:00 a.m. dumating na flowers namin. Medyo nanghinayang ako sa bouquet ko kasi risky daw talaga ang yellow roses. Pag medyo nagwilt siya, nangingitim yung dulo. Mr. Rex cut those parts na lanta na kaya ok na siya nung tapos na. Maganda lahat ng ginawa niya for us. Thanks to him. After 15 mins dumating na si Paul and Ivy. Nagtatawanan sila pag-open ko ng door. Kasi ang text ko daw sa kanilang room no. is 1106 (Blooper no. 1) ... eh nasa 1101 kami. Kinatok nila yung yung sa room 1106 ... "Si Ann Recta po?" .. umiling lang yung person tapos sinara pinto. Kaya tinawagan na ako ni Paul ... asan daw ba ako ... hahaha! Pagbukas ko ng pinto nagtatawanan na kami lahat.

They started doing their thing (photo shoot) ... nakakatuwa sila panoorin ... lalo na si Ivy, kala mo kung ano ginagawa sa sulok ... yun pala nagshoshoot ng mga wedding symbols ko dun. The whole time I was teasing Paul about the nomination for the Top Ten W@wies Supplier of the Year. And nalaman ko nga din thru Paul na Mr. Buddy G. will get footages of them on the go sa wedding ko. Excited hahaha! 7:00am dumating si Shierdan ... I was the teaser again na kaya siya na-late kasi nagprepare siya sa shoot ni Mr. Buddy G. for the Top Ten W@wies Supplier of the Year. Kaya tawanan nanaman kaming lahat. I'm so thankful for this people kasi hindi ko talaga naramdaman masyado yung kaba sa wedding. Before I forgot ... 6:30 am dumating yung couturier ko, si Mr. Jun Ricaforte to help me out sa gown ko. yey! I thought kasi hindi siya ang pupunta sa akin sa wedding ko. and he is so prompt. sinabi niya na 6:30 siya dadating, 6:30 nga siya dumating. hahaha!

Ms. EJ is so good ... hindi ako nagkaroon ng allergies sa make up ... my lip color is nice ... my hair is nicely done, thanks to Taday ... and my hairpiece is so pretty ... thanks to All About Beads c/o Mr. Jun Ricaforte.

They started my shoot around 8:30 ... yun ang assume ko kasi di ako nagsuot ng watch para di ako ma-tense (and it really works) ... as usual kung ano2x na pinapagawa ni Paul sa akin hahaha! Since D-day na ... ok na ang posing ko ngayon ... mas game ako kaysa nung prenup. Hihihi! Kaya siguro tuwa din si Paul na mag-shoot.

Pagbaba namin sa hotel may isang bride na naghihintay din ng bridal car niya. So ako, nandun lang muna sa loob. Marami kasal nangyari ng Oct. 28, sa w@wie list palang i think we're more than 10. And AdeB upgraded our Mercedes Benz E32o sa limosine. Wahahaha! Nagulat nga kami ni Jason. We thought din na may additional sa bayad. Wala pala. Ok din si Manong (I didn't get his name) super bait pa. Ayaw nga nya natataranta ako. Saka wag daw ako mag-alala help nya daw ako pagbaba ng car.

As they closed the door of Twin Hearts, pinababa na ako ni Ms. EJ, she's such a darling... inayos niya ang veil ko plus train ... hindi niya talaga ako iniiwan. Kaya love na love ko siya. As they opened the door, I was so overwhelmed with the crowd ... grabe napuno ang Twin Hearts ng bisita namin. As I was walking down the aisle while Velvet Mood is playing Ikaw Lamang by: Zsazsa Padilla pinigilan ko ang mata ko sa pagtulo ng luha. And everyone is clicking their cameras talaga. And I saw Jason all smile. Dad's officemates and staff was already teasing him to cry na. Kaya nagpigil talaga ang tatay ko. wahahaha!

By the time Dad is already giving me out to Jason, it's the first time I saw him super gorgeous in his Barong. Ang gwapo gwapo niya. Ang sarap niyang titigan. Our mass is so solemn ... and maganda din ang homily ni Fr. Bendita. Everybody love it. During the marriage rites ... May part that we suppose to recite both ... iba yung tinuturo ni Fr. Ernie sa babasahin namin (Blooper no. 2). Kaya nalito kami ... pero ok naman since ako ang gumawa nung misalette na yun nahanap ko naman. Nung blessing ng bible tinawag na yung bible bearer namin ... instead na binigay niya sa pari yung bible (Blooper no. 3) eh binigay niya kay Jason ... tinitigan namin yung pinsan namin ... sabi namin "Ano gagawin namin dito? bakit sa amin mo binigay?" hahaha! Kaya natawa ulit kami ni Jason at binigay ng pinsan ko yun kay Fr. Ben. Ok ang flow ng Marriage rites ... bungisngis daw kami ... lagi daw kami tawa ng tawa saka ngiti ng ngiti. Fr. Ernie also told us that he's so happy that we are so prompt. The mass started on time and we are not late. Unlike the other couples. To tell you frankly, feeling namin ni Jason parang ordinaryong araw lang yun. We are so relaxed ... not until came this very irritating incident ...

After the recessional, siyempre paglabas amin ng church nag-shower na sila ng party popper and loose petals. Ewan ko kung maganda sa picture ha ... kasi parang ang bilis ng flow ng event. After nun dinala ulit kami ni paul papasok ng Twin Hearts para kuhanan kami ng mga portrait shots sa loob ng church. Kaso yung mga pagpapabinyag nagtakbuhan na agad sa altra para magpicture taking na sila ... at eto pa ... yung church coordinator nila hinarang kami kasi sinabihan daw niya mga abay namin na bawal ang pagsaboy ng party popper at loose petals sa loob ng church. Eh malay ba namin ... first time lang namin ikasal ... saka wala naman sa contrata yun (we read the paper we signed sa Twin Hearts, wala naman restriction.) So pinabayaan na namin... ano gusto nya gawin namin ... pulutin namin ni Jason yun isa-isa?

While my Maid of Honor and brother took care of our wedding pharapernalia (candles, pillows, veil etc.) mega pinagalitan ng church coordinator ng Twin Hearts yung Maid of Honor namin na bakit daw kami nagkalat sa church na sinabihan naman daw niya na bawal yun ... at according sa mga abay ko, ni isa daw wala sa kanila sinabihan na bawal daw yung party popper sa loob. Wag daw sila aalis hangga't hindi nalilinis yung aisle. Sa sobrnag kabaitan ng mga pinsan ko at ng kapatid ko, kumuha sila ng dustpan at walis para walisin yung kalat ... eh siyempre ako nagalit na ako ... kasi sabi ko pabayaan na nila na tumalak yung lalaki na yun at security guard about the petals at party popper kasi wala na naman sila magagawa ... eh pinagwalis talaga nila yung mga abay ko ... pinigilan ako nila EJ at Paul ...sususgudin ko na talaga yung coordinator dahil nabubwisit na ako sa kanya.

Sabi ni Paul umalis na daw kami para umalis na din mga pinsan ko at kapatid ko ... wala kami shots sa Twin hearts because of the incident. Kasi nakita na nila Paul na anytime susugudin ko na yung coordinator … at nangingiyak na ako … pinipigilan ko lang. Kaya umalis na kami lahat, iniwan na namin yung kalat … my kuya hired two tanod to clean it all up … Sabi nga ni Dan gaganti nalang daw kami ... yung natirang party popper papuputukin daw namin ulit ng sunday sa loob ng church para magalit daw ulit yung church coordinator.

SIDE KWENTO: At dahil sa incident na yun … lahat ng wedding paraphernalia ko (2 boxes) naiwan sa Twin Hearts which hanggang ngayon we have no idea kung nakuha nila or not. Sa sobrang taranta ng mga abay ko (which act as receptionist, usherettes and ushers din sa reception) pumunta ng Windmills… nakalimutan or walang nakaalala bitbitin yung mga box na nilapag nila sa last seats near the door sa Twin Hearts. Since Tuesday pa ang bukas ng church office nila, eh Tuesday ko pa malalaman kung nandun nga or not. Sana nga nandun dahil nanghihinayang ako ... the rosary a gift for mom which came from Rome pa was there, my Precious Moments Bible ... the pillows and Unity Candle I bought from Ms. Gerri is all there ... hay ... sayang... sana hindi na makatulog yung nakakuha nun at ibalik sa Twin Hearts lahat ng kinuha niya. (kung may outsider na nakakuha ha)

ANOTHER SIDE KWENTO: I called up Ms. Dodo of Twin Hearts and told her about what happened that day ... she appologized naman sa naging attitude ng staff niya. Gusto ko kasi ma-justify yung ginawa nung coor niya sa amin, lalo na sa mga abay ko ... naka gown sila at naka-barong ... immediate family ko sila pinagwalis niya sa aisle ng Twin Hearts ... hindi talaga namin nagustuhan. Sayang nga di nakunan ni Dan on tape. Kasi kahit sino talagang naasar sa ginawa nila. Kaya naghintay ng matagal guest namin dahil dun ... hindi kasi nila nalaman yung nangyari ... until natapos yung wedding. Sabi nga ni Ms. Dodo dapat di ko na daw sinira yung day ko dahil dun ... sabi ko po, hindi ko din naiwasan mainis dahil pinagwalis po ng staff niya yung mga abay ko na dapat nasa reception na dahil mag-aasikaso ng guest namin.

At the reception, medyo nagulo daw ng konti yung seating arrangement since nasa Twin Hearts pa nga kami dahil sa incident. Eh wala kasama sa pag-assist si Ms. Emily of Windmills sa mga guest. Pero buti nalang naplantsa naman ng maayos. Kaya sinimulan na yung program. As our emcee and good friends, Allan and Lilibeth started introducing our entourage, nakita ko yung chocolate fountain. Si EJ naman naawa sa akin at binigyan ako ng marshmallow. Natuluan tuloy yung gown ko ng chocolate waaaaaaaahhhhh! Pero here comes Ms. EJ to the rescue. Di niya tinantanan yung chocolate drip sa gown ko. Tinanggal niya. hihihi!

Smooth naman yung flow ng program. I must say I'll give credit to our emcee. Talagang nadala niya ang crowd. I can see everybody is laughing when he cracks joke. Kahit kami tawa ng tawa nyek! Nung cake ceremony, nahirapan kami i-cut yung cake namin (Blooper no. 4) waaahhh kaya nga ayoko minsan ng fondant. Sa na-slice namin na cake ... ang nakuha namin karampot kasi nawasak bigla kaya natawa nanaman kami ni Jason. I super love our cake. Thanks to Ms. Emily of Sugarbox (I really love Sugarbox!!!) though hindi nga lang nasuond yung pagka-pink nung color (I'm expecting it to be in fuschia pink) pero ok lang masarap yung cake as in ... lahat ng guest namin nasarapan sa cake namin.

Yung garter toss naman nakakatuwa yung outcome ... blindfold jack en poy yung game. Nakablindfold yung guys while playing jack en poy. Nanalo yung pinsan ko ... ang matindi yung bouquet toss ... (Blooper no. 5) Supposedly isa lang dapat ang maiiwan na ribbon na naka-tie sa throw away bouquet. The other loose yun ... parang nakaipit lang sa ribbon ng throw away bouquet. Ang kaso sa sobrang higpit ng pagkakagawa ng Maid of Honor ko, pagkahila ng mga single ladies ... walang natanggal ni isa hahaha! Kaya pumili nalang kami ng isa sa kanila, si Rich yun, a good friend of mine who got the blue ribbon, the other's are yellow. Kaloka!

Pero siyempre di mawawala yung mga iyakan blues. Pinipigilan kong wag umiyak pero by the time dad had his speech, talagang di ko napigilan. And when Jason's dad did his, lalo ... hehehe! Iyakin talaga kami. We had the father and daughter dance ... and the couple's first dandce. Magaling ang Velvet Mood. Lahat ng songs na ni-request namin natugtog nila... meron mga iba hindi natugtog pero ok lang... maganda naman ang performance nila. Wala ako masabi.

Yung dove release na di nagawa sa church kasi nakalimutan i-pick up ng mga tita ko sa reception eh ginawa nalang sa reception. Pero after na ng program dahil wala sa program sa reception yung dove release. So for photo and video purposes, ginawa namin dalawa yung dove release ... (Blooper No. 5) Nung hinatak namin yung string from the bell ... hindi siya bumuka...kailangan daw maglambitin kami ala Tarzan and Jane sabi ni Paul ... wahahaha! Nung nabuksan naman namin, yung isang dove nag-asal duck ... wahahaha! Nagswimming sa fish pond ng Windmills kaya tawa ulit kami.

Eto pa pala ang isa ... nung champagne toast with the bestman ... (Blooper no. 6) Nauna pa ang best man namin uminom ng wine kaysa sa amin. Hehehe! Saka nung toasting, nahuli yung mga waiter na lagyan ng wine mga baso ng guest namin kaya lahat walang laman yung wine glass nila nung toasting ... another first hihihi!

We end up our day with super duper lots of photo shoots. Game na game na kami sa mga pinapagawa ni Paul at Ivy eh kaya kahit buong araw ok lang sa amin. Sa 300 pax na binayaran namin, 40 persons ang hindi nagpunta. Nag-confirm naman sila pero mas minuna nila yung presonal nilang buhay. Sana di nalang sila nag-confirm para di kami nagbayad ng ganun kamahal tapos wala naman kakain. Madami hindi nakapansin sa chocolate fountain. Samantalang ako yun agad napansin ko pagpasok namin ng Windmills.

When we are in the hotel ... as we go to sleep ... di pa din kami makapaniwala na tapos na. It's all worth it, kahit visible ang mga glitches. We just let it go ... I kept on asking Jason what happened that day ... he just answered, "hindi ko alam, basta ang alam ko akin ka na!"

Supplier ratings soon!

(Photos by: Paul Vincent Photography)

Jason and Ann's Wedding Photo's

The much awaited photo of us is finally available for viewing. Thanks to Paul and Ivy. Bago ata tong "Faces" photo nila. Kasi parang ako lang ata ginawan nila ng ganito or ako yung kauna-unahan client nila na pinost nila yung photos ng ganito. OO nga dami ko pala nagawang expression nung araw na yun hihihi. wahahaha! You can view also Paul and Ivy's blog and photos are uploaded at Paul Vincent's Gallery I must say ang ganda ng shots namin. At ang gwapo-gwapo ng groom ko hihihi! Mom's teasing him palagi. Si Paul sabi ever bungisngis bride daw ako huhuhu! Ewan ko super hyper kasi ako nung wedding day namin.

Photo from Hazel B's cam

Hazel is a good friend of mine (and also a W@Wie). She's our commentator sa Eucharistic Mass namin. She's the daughter of one of our ninang, si Tita Elsie na bestfriend naman ni Mommy. She emailed me shots from her cam. At eto na yun :) enjoy!

Bride's Relatives ... hehehe konti lang yan ... wala pa yung iba ...

L-R: Hazel, Ghed, Jason, me, Kuya Stan, Ate Yang, Butchoy and Coolet

with Hazel (muntikan na nawala mata ko)

Sa church bago pumutok ang party popper hehehe!

with Ninang Elsie @ Windmills

Photos from Ms. EJ

Since wala pa yung photos from Paul and Ivy (waaaa tagal ng pix hehehe joke lang) I'll share nalang this photos w/c Ms. EJ Litiatco (my super duper ever love HMUA) sent me thru mail:) Hihihi ako ba talaga to?

Warm Wishes ....

I just wanna share with you some of my friends wishes for us ... this people are very important to me but they can't come to my wedding because of some reasons na di talaga maiiwasan. Valid naman ang reason kaya ok lang sa akin.

Nydia was an officemate in Laoag sa TOYO Construction and also the mother of my God child JP.

"Sana maging masaya kayo, magka-anak kayo agad, wag nyo patagalin di na kayo bata. Dapat open ang communication nyong mag-asawa. Lahat ng nararamdaman open para di maging ugat ng sama ng loob or tampo. Simpleng tampuhan nagmumula ang hiwalayan ... love, trust and respect ... yan ang secret and don't forget to say Thank you , Sorry and I Love You."

Kuya Rommel is based in Texas, December pa siya makkapunta ng Pinas since he just got here last February ... eto naman ang sabi niya...

"Well, I hope and wish you guys can overcome the trials and hardships of relationships and what life has to offer. May each trial and hardship you encounter make your relationship stronger. Remember communication is the key. Be careful with what you say with your mad, angry, inebriated, or not in the right state of mind. Likewise what your partner says when he/she is not in the right state of mind is usually out of anger and frustration, dont take it into heart. Learn from past mistakes and I'm sure both of you will succeed in life with flying colors :)."

Snob nanaman ang post ko sa W@W E-groups

Hindi ko alam kung yung membership ko sa W@W eh may problema or hindi talaga ganun ka-interesting yung post ko? Baka sakali dito sa blog ko may mag-reply ... hope you guys can help me out.

I just want to ask a few questions ...

1. Choco Fountain is free from our package but kami ang magpoprovide ng dippers, san kami makakabili ng affordable dippers (marshmallow, pretzels, etc)

2. Ano ideal number of party poppers kailangan bilhin?

4. Need ba talaga long ang fingernails? Kasi I'm having a hard time doing so ... kaya until now super short siya.

Yun lang po...hope you could help me with this one. mwah! Thanks in advance.

You're Invited

You're Invited !

Q & A for Wedding Guestsby: John & Benz Rana

article originally appeared in print: 12.03.05

It’s December once again and it not just time for Christmas shopping and partying, but it’s also time for weddings! It’s the peak season for tying-the-knot in this part of the earth. So how many wedding invites have you gotten so far?

Unless you’re serial bride like J.Lo (saying Liz Taylor would have been more accurate at this point but we want to be “kewl” to relate with the Gen Y peeps!), we figured that most of us would be along the pews more often than being at THE altar. This is the reason why we dedicate this month’s column to the wedding guest – the person who gets to prepare the least during the wedding. Never mind the bride! We’re sure she has read countless of wedding etiquette to last ‘til her unborn son finally gets married. Actually, she’s got too much info that she even prepares a Miss Manners list for her groom and her entire entourage to follow.

If it’s your first time attending a wedding, what follows is a simple guide of Dos & Don’ts to get through such a social event. Note that we made these questions up so allow us to be sarcastic and blunt with some of our responses to ourselves.

Questions & Answers

Q. I got an invite but have no plans of attending; should I still send a gift?

A.First thing’s first. If you won’t be able to attend for whatever reason, please RSVP. A big chunk of the wedding budget goes to the reception and it will be utterly inconsiderate to just give up a reserved seat without letting the couple know. Give them the chance to assign that seat to another guest in their “waitlist.” Having that out of the way, let’s get to your question: YES, it is customary to still send a gift.

Q. The envelope bears only my name. May I ask if I can bring a date?

A. Don’t bring a date unless your invitation specifically says “and Guest.” Bringing unexpected guests is very impolite. Neither should you ask the couple’s permission if you may bring one or not. Don’t put your friends on the spot. We Filipinos don’t really like turning down people. So how would you know if their “Yes” means yes or not? Spare them that trouble.

Q. The invite says “Mr. & Mrs.” Could we bring our kids?

A. Never bring the kids unless “& Family” is indicated. Soon-to-weds don’t usually invite children for a good reason. Kids get bored or cranky during hour-long masses. Their tantrums might disrupt the solemnity of the ceremony. Weddings are usually formal events typically not appropriate for the little ones. To be blunt about it, inviting a child at the reception means added two mouths to feed – the kid’s and the yaya’s.

Follow-up Q. But my son/daughter is the bearer/flower girl. I’m sure it’s understood that my other child is invited.

A. Which part of the answer above didn’t you understand? Seriously, if the couple wanted to invite your other kid, they would have specified that on the envelope.

2nd follow-up Q. But I’m breastfeeding, I’m sure my friends will understand, won’t they?

A. Granting that it’s an infant and he or she won’t eat at the reception – let’s even assume that your baby won’t wail at the church – the answer is still NO! Not even if you’ve perfected the art of being a cow in a long gown. Four words: Breast Pump and Babysitter!

Q. I don’t have a clue what gift to give them. Any ideas?

A. The average Pinoy soon-to-wed would always prefer monetary gifts more than any other gift. It is the unspoken fact. We’re telling you now to make it easier for them to let you know what they REALLY want; unless they indicated that already in their invites which, by the way, is a very tacky thing to do.

If you’re not comfortable giving cash, you may ask the couple where they are registered (Gift / Bridal Registry) and choose from what’s listed under their names in the store. You can also ask them where they’re residing after the wedding and take the cue from there. If you know that they’ll be migrating abroad or living with their parents for the time being, a ref or another oven toaster may not be the most practical and logical gift.

Q. I’m convinced. So how much cash should I give them? I don't want to give too little or too much.

A. That’s a hard thing to answer. It’s really a case-to-case thing. Try to put yourself in the couple’s shoes. How much should a guest of your stature give you without being branded a cheapskate? Also consider your relationship with the couple. If you're good friends of the couple's parents, you'll probably shell-out more than if you were simply the bride’s Girl Friday.

Q. Could I skip the ceremony and head straight to the reception?

A. You can… BUT you shouldn’t! You are invited to THE wedding -- that’s the part where they exchange their “I dos.” The reception is where the Receiving Line is. You can’t be ‘received’ if you are already seated in the hall, right? “Patay-gutom” is too harsh a word and we assure you that it’s by no means what anyone would think if indeed you decide to go straight to the reception. But admit that it struck a nerve just mentioning the word in that context, isn’t it?

Q. Speaking of the Receiving Line, what should be the proper greeting?

A. Here’s the rule: Say “Congratulations” to the groom and “Best Wishes” to the bride. The reason behind is that "congrats" implies that someone has caught something or won a prize, and it is rather improper to imply that the bride “caught” the man who married her. If this rule gets mixed-up in your head come wedding day, just say the two phrases together and look at both of them. That usually works!

Likewise, saying “Good Luck!” no matter how pure your wishes are will also sound very inappropriate for obvious reasons.

Q. Nice try, but what if the couple makes a Grand Entrance and left the Receiving Line to their parents? What then should I tell them? Note that I don’t even know which sets of parents are whose.

A. Didn’t we tell you already not to skip the ceremony? The bride and groom usually walk alongside their respective parents at the very start!

Anyway, make your pleasantries short and sweet. Shake their hands and say "Hello! I'm (your name) and I went to school with (name of bride/groom) in (school’s name)/an officemate of (name of bride/groom) at (name of company)." They usually respond with "Nice meeting you." Just smile, nod politely, and move on to the next person. If one replies “Hi! I’ve heard so much about you!”, simply smile and nod just the same. No lengthy conversation; just make small talk at most. If you can’t find the words to say, just smile again, nod politely, and move.

Q. During the banquet, is there anything I need to know?

A. Nowadays, the Reception Program usually have the guests on each table stand up and have their picture taken with the couple before being led to the buffet. This is done to resolve two issues of past weddings: (a) for the couple’s convenience and skip the tiring Table-Hopping ritual just to have their picture taken with all their guests; and (b) for the guests’ convenience so they won’t have to wait very long for their turn in the buffet line.

Keep in mind that Buffet is NOT synonymous with “Eat-All-You-Can.” Do not pile your plate full. Be courteous of those who have yet to be served. Don’t worry. You can easily go for seconds.

Q. I’m used to a Buffet setting, but what if it’s a formal Sit-Down Dinner? Which fork do I start with again?

A. You’re on your own, pal. Watch “Pretty Woman” again and see how Julia Roberts nailed it!

Random Thoughts...

SOUVENIR

During Milenyo is trying to create a disaster in the country (which it already did), I got time to make our souvenirs. And we ran out of ribbons and tulle. Hay o hay ... grabe nga eh. 150pcs kasi ang gagawan namin ng cover. Eh ang nabalutan palang is 100, nagkulang pa sa 50 pcs. Jason and I bought a different material and color of tulle. Kasi kung maghahanap pa kami nung katulad nung dati eh magkakasapot na kami sa paghahanap nun hihihihi. I actually bought the ist tulle in UNTC. But Jason told me that we should buy the Turquoise colored tulle for the 50 pcs. nalang tapos ribbon na yellow yung pang wrap. hmmm ... mukhang ok naman yung idea. So here's the finish product ... Pare-pareho ang laman pero 3 kinds ang packaging niya hihihi. At least hindi monotonous. Obvious ba na inubos lang namin yung ribbons na tira sa DIY's namin? hihihi!

Eto pa, while I'm doing our souvenirs sa sala namin, may kumatok sa gate... Si Joey Generoso pala and his wife. Si kuya kasi nakakuha ng contrata sa renovation nila. May huge aquarium siya sa bahay nila na kailangan plug on ang airator (tama ba spelling? hahaha) kaya si kuya gumawa ng load whatever (something electrical). Hindi ko alam kung ma-Star struck ako kasi right in front of me is Joey G. He was asking pa nga what am I doing... sabi ko "Souvenirs for a wedding" ... di naman nila tinanong kung wedding nino kaya di na ako umimik. hahaha!

We're still looking for mini wines for our Principal Sponsor's gifts. I already got the pashmina shawls that will go along with it. Yung mini wines ang problema huhuhu. Mukhang sa Ilocos talaga ako makakakuha ng 187 ml na Carlo Rossi red wine. Wala talaga kami makita dito sa Manila ng ganun. Sabi kasi nila they don't order mini wines because hindi naman daw masyado mabili hehehe. Hmmmm... why kaya? I already finished doing the Wine labels. Wine nalang talaga at gift tags.

HOTEL PREPARATION VENUE

We already booked Hotel Rembrandt and Great Eastern Hotel. Pero compared to the price saka yung itsura ng hotel, parang ams gusto daw niya sa Century Park Hotel. Wh kaso ang layo naman kasi niya sa Twin Hearts at Windmills. Manila yun, QC ang ceremony and reception venues ko. Pano kaya yun hahaha!

So nung weekend, Jaosn and I tried going to Sulo Hotel. Ok ang Sulo hotel, spacious ang mga rooms...yun nga lang ... fully booked na ang hotel sa 27 - 29 waaaaaaaaaaaa! Sayang grabe! Yung Great Eastern Hotel, pupuntahan daw ni Jason bago sila mag-meeting. kasi di namin nasilip yung rooms dahil fully booked sila. Weekends kasi eh. So try nya ng weekday. pag ok sa kanya, malamang Great Eastern na kami.

INVITATIONS

My fault that not everybody got their invites. I still have 8 invites na di pa nabibigay sa mga friends ko. kainis ako talaga. Pero they know naman na kaso wala kasi na time to meet them at mag-house to house. Kaya I get through them on text and email. Buti nalang they're so understanding kaya ok na din. Dad and Mom just sent out some of our invites sa Bulacan. Dun kasi kami lumaki. And they wanted all their friends there na makarating sa wedding namin. And wag ka, nag RSVP sila na they're coming. Ay naku, yan RSVP na yan di talaga uso sa Pinas, out of 120 invites sent... ilan lang nagreply hihihi. Manghuhula tuloy kami kung sino2x ang pupunta.

GOWN AND BARONG

Last fitting ko sa Saturday. Di ko alam kung tapos na kasi di ba masama nga sukatin yung gown ng tapos na. And I think makukuha namin yun 2 weeks before the wedding. Grabe lapit na talaga. Kasama na lahat ng accessories except yung earrings and necklace. Lola Dolly gave me a silver bangle with Swarovski. I'll be using this on my wedding day. Hindi na ako bibili whooopeee! It's so pretty ... simple pero ang ganda. Kaya earrings and necklace nalang ang bibilhin ko. hihihihi!

NEW DOG

Kimchee, 4 month old Samoyed puppy

Lola Dolly also gave Dad a 4 month Samoyed puppy. Yahoo a new puppy. We gave her name Kimchee ... her mom's name daw kasi is Kim. Hihihii! She's so adorable. Medyo baby pa talaga. Addict sa yakap at halik. Dad adores her a lot. Kaya selos to death na si Iwa and Popoy.

Kimchee and Iwamoto before the grooming and vaccination

Shot taken after the grooming ... hehehe see the difference?

They had their vaccinations and pina-grooming na din namin si Iwa (Tibetan Terrier) kasi buhol2x na yung hair niya hanggang anit kaya need na ahitin talaga. Nakakatuwa itsura nya ngayon. Mukha siyang daga hehehe. Pero cute pa din hihihi. We bought them dog stuffs and food. Birthday kasi ni Popoy last Sept. 24. Kaya we gave them gifts. Super tuwa ang mga dogs namin. Coz everybody had their new collars and new leash. Plus toys na di tumagal ng 30 mins, sa sobrang gigil nasira agad hehehe.

GOODBYE BRACES ... HELLO RETAINERS

I had my braces for almost 3 years na. And it's a good thing na natanggal na din siya. Gumaan yung feeling ko. Kaso I need to wear this retainers. Kahit manlang hanggang mag wedding ko daw para di daw bumalik agad sa dati yung ngipin ko. Susme, nahihirapan ako magsalita. Bulol na nga ako, lalo pa ngayon hahaha. Up and down kasi yung retainers ko, and I don't like the acrylic taste. Naiirita ako hahaha!

FLORIST

We'll be meeting Mr. Rex this coming Wednesday to discuss the flower deatils for my bouquet and entou flowers as well.

STRING TRIO

Ms. April fax us the brochure for our music on the 28th. Hmmm... grabe dami ko pa pala kailangan gawin huhuhu!

MISALETTE AND RECEPTION PROGRAM

Gagawin ko to pag nakasingit na ako sa PC ng kapatid ko kasi dun lang may access ang printer hahaha! Gumagawa kasi siya ng thesis eh. Pero ie-edit lang naman ng konti. Saka gagawin ko din yung misalette cover namin hihihi! dami pa pala gagawin.

KIKAYNESS
I told my brother I wanted to buy a c0logne kasi wala na ako cologne. We went to Penshoppe ... eversince favorite ko na ang scents nila. And a new discovery, their new Eau de Toilette named Enchante has a very sweet scent. Super pa-girly talaga. Parang candy na mentholated na di ko maintindihan. Basta mabango siya, di siya matapang. Natuwa nga ako when we tried it. Sabi ko nga matutuwa si Jason dito hehehe gigil mode joke! I purchased one and I wanted sana to use it on our wedding day. Pero pag-iisipan ko muna dahil my Tita already bought me a Clinique Happy Heart Perfume hihihi. Just in case some bride to be who wanted a good and lasting scent at a much affordable price, try this one. It only cost 299.00... mura di ba? Hihihi!

RINGS
We already have our rings. Kaso we wanted a pair na for everyday use. I went to Filgrenesia, I saw silver rings raging from 700 and up. And it's so pretty. I told Jason about it pero sabi niya saka nalang muna, unahin muna ang dapat unahin. Eh sabi ko kasi kailangan din isama sa pag-bless ni father yun sa wedding natin para blessed din yung pair na yun. After what happened to him last night, ean ko nalang kasi tight ang budget. Ako nalang siguro magpoprovide for us.

A CAR ACCIDENT

See the distance between him and the damage part of his car. God saved him talaga.

Jason met a car accident last night after his badminton game. He was hit and almost runned by a PUJ who's taking somebody to the nearest hospital. May sakay kasi na nasaksak. Kaso kawawa naman si Jason, ang laki ng damage sa car niya. Saka lakas ng impact sa kanya kasi umikot daw yung car niya and slammed at one of the LRT post in Aurora Blvd. The driver is drunked ... and driving w/o a license. Malaki ang offense nya and panalo talaga kami kung sasampahan ng kaso. Pero ano ang ipapambayad sa amin ng jeepney driver? Kahit lumuha ng dugo yun, wala maibibigay na pambayad yun.

Jason decided to sell the car in it's present state. Wala na siya pera pampagawa nun. And hindi yung ang priority niya as of this moment dahil everything he has right now sa wedding naka-concentrate. So the car would be set aside muna. hay, wala na kami car :( yung car na yun have shared good memories with us. Kaya mahirap i-let go. I was the one who got emotionally attached lang. Si Jason wala sa kanya yung mga price possession pag pinipeste na siya eh. Kaya maganda talaga dispatcha na.

We don't really belive in superstitions ... pero naniwala ako kagabi lang. Dahil nangyari nga ... Jason did inform his playmates and co officers in UAP that the whole month of October, hibernate mode siya. Hindi muna siya maglalaro and everything, wala muna attend ng meeting. Hindi pa din siya naniniwala sa sabi2x pero gagawin niya yun for the sake of both sides who are concerned sa amin dalawa. His mom told him na wag na kasi maglalalabas ... as well as mom and dad told me to tell him not to go out too much. Ayan ... hahaha! Matuto siya. Kasi ako wala na talaga ... hindi na ako masyado lumalabas talaga promise. Kahit may gimik ang friends talagang ako hibernate mode.

Photos will be shared soon ... nasa cam ko pa kasi ... tamad mode pa ako ... yan nalang muna share ko... nagparamdam lang.