Cheers to Old Friends and Stuff

Since Cloe was here in the Philippines for a two-week vacation, we finally had our long overdue barkada reunion in Tiendesitas last Friday. Can't believe we've been best friends for more than eight years and still going strong. Sabi nga ni Con, kami na ang long-term relationship! Haha! I miss being with them and our "We laf, we laf" moments. It's just too bad we couldn't go out together as often as we liked because Cloe now lives in the States and sometimes we don't have the time or the money to do so. But despite that, at least things have never changed after all these years. Ang bababaw pa rin namin dahil natatawa pa rin kami sa mga corny na jokes and stuff! Haha!

Kada27: Cloe, Jovic, Con, Nats

Eight years and counting! :)

I miss you guys!

With "new members" Ches and Mox :)

The Cheapskate's Wedding Budget

I am the ultimate kuripot. Ask my closest friends, and they will definitely attest to that. I usually shy away from buying branded clothes, shoes and bags. In fact, Divisoria is my go-to place for my clothing needs. It came to a point that I would sacrifice good quality just for the sake of saving a few hundred pesos. Case in point, my P250 shoes that are now falling apart. Yes I know, I'm not a wise shopper. But I digress.

Anyway, that is why it is so hard for me to fathom the idea of spending almost half a million pesos just for a one-day event. With that amount, we could already pay for the downpayment of our house or even buy a car! When I was doing our initial wedding budget, I was so overwhelmed with the growing expenses that I told Mox we should just skip the whole wedding hoopla and just have a simple church ceremony (no entourage, no wedding march, etc.). For the reception, we'll just have it at a simple restaurant. But Mox said HE wanted to walk down the aisle and have a bonggang reception, with a band and all the works. Sus, mas maarte pa siya sa bride. Haha!

At first, our wedding budget was set at P250,000 maximum for 100 guests. Then the guest list increased to 150 guests so I had to change our budget to P300,000 max. In my computation table, I  had a list of suppliers that fit our budget and our chosen packages with them. But since the start of the year, most of them (yes, even my non-negotiables) increased their rates so I had to adjust my budget again to accommodate the price increases. Plus, Mox had some few requests like a mobile bar and a full band, so that was added to the computation as well. After all those changes, the grand total came to P350,000 max for 150 guests. Ouch, ang sakit na nito sa bulsa!

Here is a sample of my wedding budget computation. I made several versions to see how much we could save if we choose different catering packages and whether or not we could afford getting both a full band and mobile bar.  

Nahihilo na ako sa sobrang daming computations

These tables will hopefully help us be realistic with our wedding plans and stay within our set budget. Ayoko nang gumastos ng higit sa P350,000 para sa kasal namin. The cheapskate in me will definitely not approve of that. Haha. Grabe, ang mahal na talagang magpakasal.

A Love Letter

Dear Fiance,

When I first met you, I thought you were a snatcher. Nakakagulat ka kasi, bigla ka na lang sumusulpot sa daan. Yun pala, you were just Wil's college friend. Kainis ka, tinakot mo pa ako ng wala sa oras.

You were a soft-spoken guy; in fact, you just listened and smiled shyly when I kept badgering you about my former officemate who was being linked to you. Di ka man lang umiimik. So when I dropped you off in front of Galle, I thought that would be the last time I would hear from you. Well, I was wrong.

Later that night, I heard you told Wil you wished I was the one whom you've been courting instead of my officemate. You even expressed your worry that I wouldn't notice you because I'm too "rich" (your words, not mine.) I laughed it off, thinking it was just a big joke. After all, that was the first time we'd seen each other. Ano yun, love at first sight? Sa simula pa lang, bolero ka na.

Despite that so-called profession of attraction, you were suddenly aloof and cold to me two months later. Even though we were in the company of common friends, you wouldn't speak to me, much less look at me in the eye. I couldn't understand why the sudden change of attitude towards me. Wala naman akong ginawa sa iyo eh. Masyado kang suplado and that turned me off.

I was quite uncomfortable when you tagged along during my movie date with Wil and Mac because I thought things between us would be awkward. But the tension was finally broken when we found ourselves chatting about mundane things. You were actually funny and quite easy to talk to. You even paid for my popcorn, saying "Di bale akong magutom, wag lang ikaw." Hanep sa mga linya diba? Duma-damoves ka na pala noon, di ko pa alam.

During Mac's birthday party two days later, you were always asking me if I was okay and if I needed anything. You tried to keep up with me while drinking The Bar, even if you were already red in the face. You took care of me while I was already tipsy after drinking my nth beer. I was treated like the guest of honor that night, even though it wasn't my birthday. And then the unexpected happened. As we were going down the stairs, you suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "Tayo na?" Before I could process what was going on, I said yes. And that was it; we were now a couple.

I really didn't know the reason for my hasty decision. Maybe I was too drunk to comprehend what had just happened. Maybe I just wanted a fling since I knew you already liked me. Or maybe I thought it was all just a joke. I certainly didn't take it seriously then and I thought you didn't too. But when I saw you waiting for me outside our office building two days after, I quickly knew that this was all real, that you were indeed serious about me. That's when I fully acknowledged the possibility that I could fall in love with you. And as time went by, I did fall... badly. :)

Our relationship may seem too fast for others, but look at us now. We are now on our 15th month as a couple and despite all the fights, drama moments and even short-lived breakups, I can say we are growing stronger day by day. It's funny that what I had perceived before as a "bogus" relationship is now turning into the real thing. I look forward to the day that you and I will be at the altar, promising "to love and to hold till death do us part" in front of our family, friends and God. I used to dream about traveling to different places, but now all I can think about is how I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Two more years to go before that dream will become a reality. Excited na ako. :)

So I guess, my first impression of you was right. Snatcher ka nga talaga. Na-snatch mo kasi ang puso ko eh. Hahahaha! (Sorry, ang corny pero aminin mo, napangiti kita.)

Circa Feb 2011. Our first Valentine's together. :)

The Bridal Fair Experience

*First of all, sorry for not updating this blog for almost a week now.  I have been so busy at my new work that I haven't had the time to write. I promise that I will update my blog every weekend... or at least I'll try. Hehe!*

I have registered for all the upcoming bridal fairs a year ago but when our wedding date was moved, I was already having second thoughts on attending the fairs. After all, I wouldn't be able to book suppliers because my wedding is still more than two years away. But since I had nothing to do last Friday while waiting for Mox to finish his shift, I decided to visit the Getting Married Bridal Fair at the SMX Convention Center in SM Mall of Asia.

My entrance ticket. :)

I was there at around 11am so there weren't that many people yet. I was able to go around to every booth, get all their brochures and calling cards, and even speak to some of the exhibitors. Whenever suppliers asked me when's the wedding date, I would always say that it's in April 2013, a year before our REAL wedding date. Some suppliers don't allow bookings for 2014 yet so I know I wouldn't be taken seriously if I would tell them my real wedding date. Besides, I only want an idea of their current rates so that I would be able to compute a tentative wedding budget, adding allowances for price increases. Rume-research lang kumbaga.

I also passed by the booth of Alt-X Videos, whom I planned to get as my videographer. Archie and Sansan were quite nice and accommodating, even though I told them that my wedding was still in 2014 (the only supplier to know my real wedding date). They even told me that it was okay to book them now to avail their current rates (they will have a price increase on Monday). It's just too bad I don't have the money to make a downpayment yet. Kaya no choice, dun talaga ako sa mas mataas na presyo. Huhu.

All in all, it was a tiring and yet a fulfilling experience. I got so many brochures and flyers that I had to put them inside a separate bag. And to be more organized, I put all brochures into long brown envelopes, each labeled with their respective supplier categories (photo, video, food, music, etc.). OC na kung OC. Haha!

Signs of my OC-ness

An Unexpected Wedding Gift

When I got engaged, I created a separate email account that I would use to contact prospective suppliers for their rates. That way, I would be able to keep track of all the communication between the suppliers and me. To my surprise, I saw a message from a supplier whom I contacted last year when the wedding date was still set on December 2013. I was supposed to meet her one day, but I canceled on her when the wedding was suddenly moved to April 2014. I didn't want to waste her time. Nakakahiya naman, ang layo pa ng kasal ko. Baka sabihin pa niya, masyado akong atat ikasal.

I first thought that the message was merely a follow-up on my inquiry with her. But instead, it was a personal letter full of encouraging words that made me smile. You see, I was really saddened when I had to cancel our meeting because I was really looking forward to it. It was supposed to be my first time to meet a wedding supplier so you can just  imagine my excitement. Pinaghandaan ko talaga yung meeting na yun. As in nagprint pa ako ng mga budget sheets, templates, mood boards, etc. Ganun ako kaexcited.

I was so touched when I read her message. It was really unexpected; I haven't heard of a supplier who to took the time to write a letter to a client even though they haven't met personally. She even offered to help even though I haven't booked her yet. Now that shows her dedication for her clients and would-be clients. It makes me want to book her for my wedding. :)

And that's not all! She even gave me the most unexpected and wonderful gift:

Click the picture for a larger view :)

See, isn't she the best? :) I was really worried about the price increase and all from the suppliers, so reading this email is a godsend. I would be able to save at least two thousand pesos by getting her old rate. So to you my dear supplier (I won't disclose her name yet until I booked her for my wedding), thank you for your kind words and support. I wish you all the best in your upcoming weddings. I can't wait to work with you in my own dream wedding. With your help, I'm sure it would be the best day ever. :)

First Day Jitters

Today is my last day as an unemployed bum because starting tomorrow, I will work as a technical writer for Emerson. This is my fourth job since I've started working in 2008 but I'm still not used to the feeling of starting again at the bottom of the employment chain.

Even though I have been working for four years now, I still feel like a fresh grad whenever I'm hired to a new company. It's as if everything that I have learned as an employee disappears during my first day. There are so many what-ifs crowding my mind right now. What if I won't be able to fit in with my colleagues? What if the job is so boring that I would spend the whole day watching the clock and wishing it's time to go home? What if I won't be able to cope with the workload? What if I suck as a technical writer that my manager has no choice but to fire me? Call me paranoid, but the anxiety is killing me.

Honestly, I want this job to be my last. I'm tired of going to interviews, of the anxiety of waiting if you're hired and the disappointment if you're not. I know there is no perfect employer, but I want to find one that would give me reasons to stay with them for 10 years and more. A lot is riding on my success on this new endeavor. I am now seriously preparing for my future—saving up for our wedding and our life after that—so I definitely need all the cash and benefits that I can get from this. Haha.

I'm just worried about adjusting with the culture and the people in my new company. I guess I was traumatized by my previous job, where most of the people are almost 20 years older than me. Can you imagine how quiet it was in our office? I was lonely during my whole stay there, with only a handful of friends to talk to. It was a miracle that I stayed there for as long as I did (9 months, my shortest employment stint yet). Now I'm scared that the same thing would happen to me in my new job, that the generation gap would be too wide to bridge. The only difference now is that if ever I get fed up with my job, I wouldn't have the luxury to resign then and there, what with the impending wedding and all. So if all else fails, I guess I just have to accept it and do everything I can to be comfortable in my new environment.

Still, I hope everything would work out for the best. I know this would be difficult at first. I know that it would be awkward in my first day at work because I would still be the meek and shy new girl. But I know that I will get through it and soon, everything will fall into place. So here's to the beginning of a new chapter in my work life. It's time to face the adventures that this new endeavor will bring. Aja! :)

Digging Up Old Memories

It's past 2 a.m. and I can't sleep, so right now I'm reading my old blog entries from my Multiply site and all I can say is, Wow ang emo ko pala nung college! Haha.

Most of the entries were rants about the pressure of my senior year in college. While reading the posts about my thesis days, I could remember the tension and stress that I felt during that whole ordeal. How near I was to a nervous breakdown while trying to cram three thesis chapters in one night. How hard I prayed to God and all the angels and saints for divine intervention during our thesis defense. And how happy I was when I finally saw the hard copy of our thesis. These entries made me realize that I don't want to go back in college and do thesis all over again. Ayoko na ng ganung torture!

The bane of my college existence :P

My old blog also contained a lot of entries about my lovelife, both good and bad. While there were posts that bash my college ex, there were also mushy entries about him that were so cringe-worthy they make me want to puke. As in nakakadiri ang pagkacheesy ko noon. Haha. I will try to lessen the cheesiness in this new blog, although this may be a bit difficult to do because this is mostly a blog about our wedding, which is the ULTIMATE CHEESE DAY. So while I may put a mushy story or two about Mox, I will not resort to sappy endearments such as baby, honey or, God forbid, sweetie pie. Ugh.

Reading my old blog brought back a lot of good and bad memories and taught me a few insights. I realized that my grievances back then were petty compared to some of my current problems (debts and bills to be paid, work issues, impeding wedding costs). I feel that I am more mature now because I take every problem in stride and try to work out a solution instead of just complaining in my blog (although, there would still be an occasional rant here and there. Hehe.) Lastly, parang mas magaling pa ako magsulat noong emo ako ah. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Hmm.

Venue Hunt # 1: the Village Patio and Philam Clubhouse

FIRST STOP: THE VILLAGE PATIO
Mox wanted a garden reception, but since our wedding will be held in the summer, I felt it would be too hot for an outdoor event. So I browsed forums for suggestions for an affordable indoor garden venue and chanced upon the Village Patio. The pictures in the website are very beautiful and the wedding package is also quite affordable. If you get their in-house caterer, Tarlaquena Catering, the venue rental fee will only cost P8,000 for five hours. But if you opt to get an outside caterer and just rent the venue, then the rental fee will cost P40,000.

Here are some pictures of the setups done in the Village Patio. Photos were grabbed from their website.

VERDICT: It was a bit difficult finding the Village Patio because the signage was not that noticeable even in broad daylight. There was also no parking space so we had to park along the street. We didn't bother going to Tarlequena's main office anymore because Mox just wanted to find another venue. Di niya nagustuhan ang itsura eh. The Village Patio is a beautiful garden venue, but I thought it was a bit too small. We plan to have 150 guests, a photobooth and a band, and I feel that it might be too cramped inside the venue. So the Village Patio is off the list.

THE VILLAGE PATIO
185 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Q.C.
921-5354 / 426-1554
thevillagepatio@yahoo.com

SECOND STOP: PHILAM CLUBHOUSE
When we did an ocular at Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish, we also went to see the Philam Clubhouse behind the church. But just like the Village Patio, the clubhouse seemed too small. I also found it too dark and dreary that I felt we had to hire an event stylist to make it prettier. Eh dagdag gastos lang yun eh. It's just too bad because we really wanted to book Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish, but since there are no good reception venues nearby, we have to look for other options.

PHILAM CLUBHOUSE
Philam Homes Subdivision, Q.C.
928-4098 / 926-7944

Church Hunt # 1 : Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish

*Wow, five blog posts in three days! I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing again. Hehe.*

To be honest, I rather much have a wedding on a beach than at a church, but since my parents and future in-laws are very religious and traditional, then a church wedding is a must. Still, I really do not have any preference on where our wedding would be held, except I don't like a big church with a long aisle. Shy type ako eh at saka ayokong madapa noh! Our only requirement is that the church MUST have a reception venue next to it so that it would be convenient for the guests, especially for those without any cars. It must also be within our budget. Ang mahal na kaya magpakasal sa simbahan ngayon.

On top of our list is Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in Philam Homes, Quezon City. Even before I got engaged, I've been hearing raves about the church from brides and newlyweds. My mom even told me that if only she could get married again, it would be held in this church. So we decided to visit it, along with some other potential reception venues.

Thanks to Google Maps, we found Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish easily and it is indeed beautiful. The church has a cozy atmosphere and can fit around 70-100 people, perfect for those who want a small and intimate wedding. The stained glass in the middle of the church is also quite a nice touch. :) Because it is located inside a subdivision, it is very private and solemn so no need to worry about the blaring car horns disrupting your ceremony.

The stained glass and fountain (Photo from Flickriver)

The wedding package costs P15,000 (2011 rate) and is inclusive of priest's stipend, flowers, carpet use, soloist, electricity consumption and marriage registration fee. To reserve your chosen date and time, a P1,000 deposit is required. 

Verdict: We fell in love with its stained glass, cozy feel and short aisle. :) It is also within our set budget for the church. Best of all, the Philam Clubhouse is right next to it so guests do not have to travel far to go to the reception. But sadly, when we visited the clubhouse, we didn't find it aesthetically pleasing (more on that on the next post). So I guess we had to let go of this church and find a new one, preferably with a better reception venue.

STA. RITA DE CASCIA PARISH
South Lawin Avenue, Philam Homes, Q.C.
928-8930 / 929-8280

Choosing the Big Date

In case you've noticed, my wedding ticker says I have about 2 years, 3 months and 3 weeks until our wedding day. Now don't bother with the violent reactions; I've probably heard them all. Yes, I know it's more than two years away. Yes, I know that it is too early to plan. Masyado nga daw akong excited, sabi nga nila. But hear me out okay? Choosing the wedding date proved to be a challenge as it is.

After our first anniversary in October, Mox and I talked about getting married in April 2014. I wanted a beach wedding and he wanted ample time to save for it. When he told his parents about our plans to get married in 2014, his father objected that Mox would be too old already (he will be 32 by then). So we decided to moved it to April 2013, also because most of Mox's relatives from the States will visit the Philippines in April.

But I was already having second thoughts with the date. A wedding in April 2013 would only give us about 1 year and 6 months to save and prepare. For other brides-to-be, this may be enough but bear in mind that we have NO savings at all and our salaries were not enough to sustain our daily needs. I calculated an estimate of how much we could allot for our wedding savings, but even after 1 1/2 years, it would still not be enough to cover the wedding expenses. So after much deliberation, we AGAIN moved the wedding date to December 2013.

After our engagement, I was already eager to start wedding preparations in January. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, we had to move the wedding date for the third time. I got fed up and told Mox that we must stick to our decision this time. Nahihilo na ako sa papalit-palit na petsa eh. So after all the drama, we decided to get married in April 2014 - our original wedding date. Sa hinaba-haba ng usapan, doon rin pala kami babagsak. And since I'm the bride, I get to choose the day! Yey! :)

So now it's official. The big day will happen on April 26, 2014! Mark your calendars, my friends! (Why 26? Well, I want the date to be higher than 20 and to fall on a Saturday, so 26 is the only viable choice. Haha.)

We haven't booked the church yet, but at least we already have a final date in mind. :)

We have more than 2 years to plan for our wedding, so we can first save money for the downpayments for the suppliers. I would probably start the official wedding preps in July or August. In the meantime, this blog will contain all the mood boards, ideas and inspirations that I have collected from the Internet. This could help us visualize on how our wedding would look like. Just being an OC bride-to-be. :)

Every Peso Counts

I know money can't buy happiness, but it is definitely hard to be happy especially when your savings are dwindling to the last peso and there are still debts to be paid. While I am enjoying my week-long stint as an unemployed bum, I am much more excited to go to work on Monday and earn my first paycheck. Wala na eh, poverty mode na talaga.

When I went out to meet Mox today in Makati, I couldn't even ride a jeepney because I only had 7 pesos left in my wallet and the fare is apparently 8 pesos now. Bwiset, nagkulang pa talaga ng piso! I had to walk all the way from PBCom Tower to his office in Buendia just because I couldn't afford the fare. It's times like these when I wish that I could find a peso coin inside my pocket or even on the ground. Ang hirap talaga kapag nagkulang ang pera. Promise.

This is my wallet's daily exercise.

Put a Ring on It

What better way to start a wedding blog than by telling my own proposal story? So as promised, here is how Mox finally asked me to marry him. :)

That day, I received a call from a prospective employer asking me if I could go to their office for the job offer. Mox decided to go with me and just stroll around the mall while waiting. On our way home, he was uncharastically quiet. Given that we didn't have any arguments that day, it was quite unusual to have the awkward silence in the car.

I then saw him get teary-eyed and I immediately panicked. You see, this new job of mine requires me to go abroad frequently, which he didn't like. He's a sensitive guy (in short, iyakin), so I thought he was just being sentimental about me possibly leaving him for the job.

He asked me, "Papakasalan mo ba ako?". I answered yes, but I didn't really think more about it because we always say those things to each other. We have been thinking of getting married since the first month of our relationship (oo, masyado kaming excited eh), so these outbursts weren't such a big deal anymore. In fact, he even told me that he plans to propose by January, so I was expecting that to happen in January and not in November.

After asking me the second time if I will indeed marry him, he reached into his pocket and gave me a tiny box. And lo and behold, a shiny silver ring sits inside. Soon, the waterworks began, both from me and him. :)

Now let me present you with THE RING, which he bought while I was signing the job offer:

Aww, so pretty! :)

Don't mind my chubby fingers. :P

The ring is not as expensive as the other engagement rings. In fact, it is a very unconventional engagement ring because it is just a simple silver band with no diamonds or shiny stones. But it is the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen (well, second most beautiful ring. I'm still waiting for the wedding ring. Haha.)

The Intro Post

It's been such a long time since I've written a blog again. I think my last blog post was back in 2008 so pardon me if I'm a little rusty. Due to the pressures of work (and because my life seemed so boring back then, with nothing happening that was blogworthy enough), I lost my drive to update my blog daily until sadly, I forgot the password to my account. Pfft.

So why write another blog now? Well, first of all, I just got engaged and a momentous event like that is DEFINITELY worthy enough to be saved in the pages of the Internet. Plus, I love reading wedding blogs and I feel that keeping one will  help me prepare for my wedding. Lastly, I miss writing for myself without having to worry on whether my editor will approve it or not. Kaya sorry na lang rin kung may wrong grammar. Haha!

I am no expert on weddings so if you're looking for any wedding tips or useful wedding trivia, then you've stumbled into the wrong blog, my friend. This blog will simply chronicle the (mis)adventures that my fiance and I will probably encounter during the wedding preps, the wedding itself and during married life. I plan to keep this blog as evidence in case I turn into the wretched bridezilla and lose my sanity over the guest list, the seating plan or my overbearing mother. Also,this blog will serve as an outlet for my spur-of-the-moment thoughts so expect entries that contain daily anecdotes and are not necessarily wedding-related.

So if you're still interested in reading my (sometimes) nonsense ramblings, then just sit back, relax and enjoy our journey to a lifetime of bliss.