Signing Off

I began this blog almost three years ago to document our wedding preps, and hopefully tell tales about married life in the future. I am so touched to find out that so many brides-to-be found my blog to be so helpful and informative during their own wedding preps. But sadly, I have to bid this blog goodbye as I have devastating news.

On November 24, 2014, my dear husband Mox lost his three-month battle to cancer and passed away. It was just two days before his 32nd birthday, and two days before our seventh monthsary as a married couple.

It's so heartbreaking to think that we would never do things that other married couples do, such as spend our first Christmas and New Year together, which was something we were really looking forward to as it would be my first time to go with him to his hometown in La Union and finally sleep together in one bed. Legal na kami eh! We didn't even get a chance to have a honeymoon, as we postponed our trip to Kota Kinabalu when we learned that I was pregnant. We thought we would still have time to do those things. We'd never imagined it would end up this way.

But what's even more heartbreaking is the thought that my daughter will never meet her father. She will never see how great of a father Mox can be. I know he'll be one of the best dads out there; I've seen him interact with kids and it really warms my heart because they all love him. Heck, I LOVE HIM.

But despite the pain of losing him, I know he is in a better place now, free of all the pain and suffering. I may have lost a husband and my daughter may have lost a father, but we both gained something special: our very own guardian angel who is always watching over us.

Rest in peace Mox. I love you.

Neil Rainier Manalo Balicha
November 26, 1982-November 24, 2014

I may no longer update this blog but I plan to keep this online as a remembrance of our wedding misadventures. Don't worry, I will still entertain questions about my suppliers so don't hesitate to ask me anything. :)

In the meantime, I decided to put up another blog, which could help me cope with my grief on losing my husband. I haven't posted anything nor designed the site yet, but feel free to visit it from time to time: http://loveletterstoanangel.blogspot.com/

And so the Missus is now signing off.

The Big C

I haven't updated this blog for such a long time now due to personal reasons. For those who know us personally, you probably know what me and my husband are going through right now.

Cancer. It was a word that used to strike fear at everyone's hearts... except for me probably. After all, I didn't know anyone personally who have this disease. I thought me and my family would be untouchable by this disease. Until last month ago, when we received the most devastating news ever.

Mox, my darling husband for five months now, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. To say that it came as a shock is an understatement. How could Mox have stomach cancer? He is practically the world's healthiest eater. Yes, he smokes and drinks occasionally, but he exercises regularly and he prefers vegetables over meat! Hello, mas malakas nga akong manigarilyo at uminom sa kanya eh! I don't even eat vegetables, even now that I'm pregnant, and yet he is the one who's stricken with the dreaded disease.

I know I have to be strong for him, especially during these trying times. Mox can be a negative thinker, especially when it comes to his health, and it's up to me to lift his spirits up. But there are times when I couldn't help but cry. Why my husband? Why now? Just when we were so happy preparing for the birth of our baby, this have to happen to us.

Sometimes I'd feel guilty because I haven't been paying too much attention to our baby as much as I want to. My OB advised us to play classical music and talk to our baby as much as possible, but the best that I could do was to just say "Good morning" to him/her because I was too busy taking care of his/her father. I really hope he/she wouldn't take it against me. I'm sorry baby; I'll do my best to be a good mother to you despite our situation now.

One thing I learned about this experience is to never take things for granted. I never really thought about how we'd spend our time together since I felt that we would have enough time to do the things we wanted to do. After all, marriage was forever right? But ever since this cancer ordeal, we now know that every moment that we spend together is precious. Every day that I'd wake up beside him is a blessing, and I never fail to let him know that.

My dear readers, I don't know you personally, but I just want to ask a favor from all of you. Please do keep on praying for my husband's speedy recovery. I believe that with your prayers by our side, nothing will be impossible. Also, please pray to give us strength, strength to fight this battle, as well as strength to accept whatever plans that God has made for us.

Thank you.

Supplier Rating: Christ the King Parish Hall

I apologize for not writing here for such a long time. I just felt so sick during the first three months of my pregnancy that I didn't have the time, nor the power, to update my blog. Again, so sorry to those who have been waiting for me to complete my supplier ratings. Don't worry, I'll do my best to complete my ratings before next month ends!

So next in line is our reception venue, Christ the King Parish Hall.

RECEPTION VENUE: Christ the King Parish Hall
Peso Power: P25,000 + P10,000 refundable security deposit (which can be refunded after the event)
Package Inclusions: Use of the function hall for four hours

HITS

• The function hall is merely five minutes away from the church, which can be very convenient for guests who do not have any transportation. Luckily, a bridge connecting the church to the function hall was built before our wedding so guests didn't have to go up and down the stairs to go to the reception venue.
• The hall is very spacious! We reserved tables for 160 guests, and yet we were still able to squeeze in a photobooth, a mobile bar, and a candy buffet.
• We were able to get our refundable security deposit days after the wedding. Yey for more savings!

Here are some pictures of the function hall during our wedding.

MISSES

• The rental time begins not when the reception program starts, but when the wedding ceremony ends! Since our wedding ceremony ended at 4:00pm, our rental time for the function hall was from 4:00pm to 8:00pm only. Our reception program began at 6:00pm and ended at 8:00pm, so we had to extend our reservation just to have our after-party.
• The extension fee is so expensive! It would cost us P6,250 per hour if ever we decided to extend our use of the function hall! We initially plan to extend for two hours but P12,500 was just too expensive for us, so we only extended our rental for one hour.
• The function hall is bare so you really have to hire a great stylist or incorporate your DIYs to jazz the place up. We weren't that preoccupied with the styling, although I kinda wished that we put drapes on the ceilings to make the place more elegant. Hehe.
• We weren't allowed to bring drums for our full band! This was a major miss for us, and we almost changed our reception venue because of this issue. When we inquired about the venue, we were told by Ms. Aileen, the OIC at that time, that they allow full bands with drums. Then a month before our wedding, Ms. Dodo, the new OIC, told us that they do not allow full bands, just when we had booked our band already! I kept on negotiating with them, hoping that they would allow us to still have our full band since we did have prior approval from their previous OIC, but Ms. Dodo was very firm. NO FULL BANDS ALLOWED. She didn't even give suggestions on what we can do to salvage the situation. She just said sorry, and in an insincere manner if I may add. Parang walang kwenta sa kanya yung perang nagastos namin. Nakakairita lang. Eventually, we had to agree with her terms; wala kaming choice eh. We had to downgrade our full band to an acoustic band instead, but since we already paid them in full, we didn't get any discount. If only we had learned from the beginning that full bands weren't allowed, we probably would have book an acoustic band immediately, and in that effect, save some money.

RATING: 7.5 out of 10
I'll probably recommend this place because of its convenient location (if your wedding ceremony is at Christ the King) but just a word of advice: make sure that you put everything that you have talked about with Ms. Dodo into writing. That was my mistake; I immediately assumed that Ms. Aileen did the proper turnover when she resigned, but since she didn't put in my record that we would have a full band during our wedding, I didn't have anything to show to Ms. Dodo when we were discussing about our band.

Baby's First Picture

Last Friday, I went to my OB for my first prenatal checkup.  Since this is my first pregnancy, I really didn't know which questions to ask, so I asked Mox to come along with me. Ever since we learned that I'm pregnant, Mox became more watchful and protective than ever. So I know that he would have a lot of questions to ask my OB.

Sure enough, my OB gave me a long list of do's and dont's to follow. Since I have a history of diabetes in my family, I must follow a low-carb, low-salt, and low-fat diet. Grabe ano na lang kaya ang kakainin ko? Haha! I am allowed to eat three cups of rice, but these must be divided into six small servings. Also, I can only eat one slice of fruit per meal. So goodbye eating bowls of siniguelas. Huhuhu. Lastly, I must also avoid going to hot and crowded places, as well as any kinds of stress because these may cause contractions.

I was also given folic acid, which I must take once a day. I must also take a progesterone suppository to probably help the growth of the baby inside me. My OB recommended me to take it vaginally to avoid any side effects. Yes, you heard it right. I have to insert it DOWN THERE. I'm gonna spare you the gory details, but it was just pretty weird. Haha!

Then I was scheduled to for my ultrasound. Now I was pretty excited about this because this would be the first time that I would get to see my baby's heartbeat! But more than that, this ultrasound would confirm that I am indeed pregnant! Haha! I've been so paranoid, reading all these stories about miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, that I just wanted a confirmation that I'm carrying a healthy baby.

Thank God my ultrasound turned out okay. They showed me the gestational sac, which holds the yolk sac, and a tiny blip, which was the embryo. I even saw something pulsating, which was the embryo's heartbeat. So it's confirmed: I am officially pregnant! Based on the ultrasound, they pegged my baby to be at exactly 6 weeks, while I thought I was already 7 weeks and 2 days pregnant based on my last menstrual period. But my friends say that doctors usually base the baby's age on the ultrasound (fetal age) instead on the last menstrual cycle (gestational age), so in reality, I am just six weeks pregnant.  

Hi there little blip! :)

But while there is already a fetal heartbeat, my OB said that it is within the lower end of the normal range. She wanted me to take another ultrasound next week to see if there will be any improvement to the heartbeat. Let's pray that everything will be all right next week.

Positive!

I am currently writing my supplier reviews, but I first want to pause for a moment to share this wonderful news: Mox and I are expecting a baby! :)

Yes, you heard it right. I just learned that I am pregnant two days ago. Mox and I are so excited about this news because we've always wanted to start our own family as soon as we get married, and we couldn't believe that we got our wish!

I have been experiencing "pregnancy" symptoms for the past two weeks, yet I didn't plan to do a pregnancy test at first because I was too scared to get a negative result. I already experienced a lot of false alarms before so I thought this time, it would still be the same. But Mox convinced me to do a test one more time, and lo and behold, we finally got the two lines that we have always prayed for. :)

We did two more tests after that and we still got the positive result. Of course, I still have to go to my OB to confirm this, but I know in my heart, we finally received the blessing of a lifetime.  And so after my wedding preps journey, it's time to prepare for another chapter in my life: the journey towards motherhood. :)

Supplier Rating: Christ the King Church

After being married for a month now, I'm slowly starting to get the hang of married life. But I'm still on a wedding high, it's time to give thanks to our suppliers for a job well done. Hopefully, my ratings will be helpful to other brides-to-be out there. :)

I'll be doing my supplier ratings differently today. I'll separate the hits and misses for each supplier so that it would be easier to see how each of them fared before, during, and after our wedding day. :)

Now, let's begin with our chosen church, Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City.

CHURCH: Christ the King Church
Peso Power: P25,000
Package Inclusions: flowers, use of aircondition units, soloist/organist

MY EXPERIENCE:

At first, Christ the King was not part of our choices because I felt that the church would be too big for us. We plan to only have 150 guests, and because of the church's structure, baka magmukhang aalog-alog mga tao dun. But since we plan to book their function hall anyway, booking the church was the most practical thing to do.

HITS

• The church is so bright and, for the lack of a better term, maaliwalas. I'm not a fan of old churches because they give me the creeps. Feeling ko may multo sa bawat sulok. Haha! So the modern architecture of Christ the King was a big plus for us.
• I like how spacious the altar is. It's perfect for big family pictures. :)
• It's airconditioned! This is a must because ours was a summer wedding, so just imagine how hot it was during the day.
• It's aisle is just right, not so short and not so long. I didn't want to walk down a very long aisle because I'm too scared that I'll trip. At least pag maikli ang aisle, mas mababawasan ang chances na madapa ako.
• There are a lot of parking spaces available.
• They have a  garden where you can have your postnup pictures taken. It was a bit of a climb, but at least we were able to go to a picturesque location without having to travel so far away.

Here are some pictures of the church during our wedding. :)

 

MISSES

• Our officiating priest didn't follow our misalette. There were some parts where he added words and phrases so we had a difficult time following the flow of the mass. Even our commentator missed some of her cues because of the priest's different wordings.
• I liked our priest's homily, but then I learned that he gave a similar homily during one of my friend's wedding. It may not be a big deal, but I just wanted our homily to be a little more personalized. Kaya siguro, it's really better to bring your own priest so that you have an idea how he conducts homilies before your wedding.
• No wooden doors for a dramatic entrance. You can cover up their glass doors with curtains for a fee, but it's just not the same.
• Mox finds Ms. Dodo a bit strict and masungit. Hehe.

RATING: 9 out of 10

Despite the small booboo with our priest, Christ the King is still HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. :)
 

Our Onsite AVP by Project Happiness

I'm so excited because we just received our external hard drive, which contains our raw pictures and videos of our wedding day. I was almost late for work because I lost track of time; I was too busy looking at our pics and videos! :)

So before I get started with our supplier ratings, let me share to you our onsite AVP by Project Happiness. :)

Mox & Nat (04.26.2014)

After 29 months of engagement and 25 months of wedding preparations, Mox and I finally tied the knot last April 26. Everything that happened during that day was a blur, but I could clearly remember the happiness that I felt as I was walking down the aisle towards my husband. :)

I'll try my best to narrate what happened during our wedding day, and of course do my supplier reviews. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy watching our Same-Day-Edit video by Aisle 1401. :)


Mox and Nat from Aisle 1401 on Vimeo.

Two Days to Go!

I'm sorry for not writing here these past few weeks, but I'm just so excited! We only have two days left before our wedding. Honestly, I'm not nervous about the day.... well, okay, maybe a little. I'm more nervous about tripping during my entrance and our first dance than the whole day itself. Haha!

Still, no matter what will happen, good or bad, I just can't wait to get married. After two years of preparing, we are finally down to two days! Bring it on!

Details, Details, Details!

Aside from our final food tasting, we also had our detailing with Purpledish. Since their office was not yet done, we had our detailing at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt 5. I asked Thoffy, our coordinator, to join us on our meeting so he would be able to ask questions that we might have overlooked. However, he was feeling unwell during that day so he assigned his assistant to accompany us instead.

So what exactly happens during your final detailing with your caterer? Honestly, I had no idea, which is why I asked help from my newlywed friends. They were kind enough to send me powerpoint presentations of their own detailing, so I was able to get an idea on the important questions to ask the caterer.

1. What table centerpieces will be used for VIP tables? For guest tables?

During detailing, you must decide how you want your VIP tables and your guest tables to be styled. We had to choose the centerpieces for each table, from the flowers to the vases to be used. We also had to choose the linens (tablecloth, table runner, and table napkins) and even the plates! It's best to bring pegs here so that the caterer will have a better idea on the style that you want. Also, ask your caterer if the pegs you have are included in the basic setup or already considered upgrades.

2. What is the styling for the couple's area?

For the couple's area, we had to choose our wall backdrop, the couch that we will use, and the flowers on the little coffee table in front of us. Again, ask your caterer if your choice of backdrop is included in their basic package or if it is an upgrade.

3. How many tables should we need?

You must have at least an idea on how many guests you'll have on your wedding because you will submit your initial headcount during the detailing. This is so you can determine how many VIP tables and guest tables you will need for the reception. Also, make sure to ask if they will provide the registration table, gift table and cake table, as well as a table for the candy buffet, especially if you decide to get an external supplier for this or if you will DIY this.

4. What is the floor plan?

The floor plan shows the layout of your reception venue. It shows the placement of the couple's area, the buffet tables, the VIP and guest tables, and other elements of your reception. Our AE drew this on the spot, but we made some changes to it after our detailing and just sent the revised floor plan to them.

5. What is the final menu?

You will finalize your menu this time so it's recommended that you have your final food tasting before the detailing. Also, if you have other food items that you wish to endorse (i.e. lechon), then you must inform your caterer about this. Ask if there is any corkage/extra fees for this. Luckily, even though we plan to have Purpledish cut and serve our lechon, there is no additional fee for this, except if we will specifically get their lechon carving station.  

6. How many hours of ingress and egress does the caterer needs?

Purpledish requires five hours of ingress and two hours of egress. Since the rate of our venue only includes three hours of ingress, we had to pay for two extra hours.

7. Who is in charge of the leftover food?

Some caterers have their own containers for the leftovers, while others require you to bring your own, so clarify this with your caterer. Luckily, Purpledish has styro containers for the leftovers. They will just endorse a form to the coordinator and the coordinator will be in charge of distributing the leftovers.

8. What is the ratio of the waiters to guests?

Ask how many waiters will be in your wedding, and how many of them will solely serve your VIPs. The number of waiters is important to know because you need to have an idea how much you need to pay in case they need to extend their hours of service. For example, the duration of Purpledish's catering service is only for five hours, beginning during the cocktail hour. In case of overtime, we have to pay P700 per hour and P50 per waiter. So if we have 10 waiters, we must pay them P500 for the extension of hours. In addition, you can also discuss their uniforms. If your male entourage will wear vests, make sure the waiters do not wear them so that the guests won't mistake your entourage for waiters. Hehe.

9. Other requests

If you have any additional notes/requests, make sure to discuss this with your caterer. I specifically told them how I want our VIPs and guests to be served, especially during cocktail hour. Remember to be as specific as possible. :)

After our detailing, I also made a powerpoint presentation on all the things we discussed and sent them to our caterer and coordinator for reference. It might seem too OC for others, but it's better to be OC than to be sorry. Haha!

Food Tasting # 24: Final Food Tasting with Purpledish

Attending food tasting events was probably my most favorite thing to do during our wedding preparations. In fact, I have attended more than 20 food tastings, even with caterers that weren't part of our shortlist. Ganun ako ka-adik noon. Haha. Now with less than three weeks to go, I won't have any excuse anymore to attend these events. This will probably be my last food tasting entry for this blog, so it's a bittersweet moment for me. Mamimiss ko ito.

Anyway, last February, Mox and I attended another group food tasting session with Purpledish so we could finally create our final menu. This time, the food tasting was held in Columns, Makati. At least it's much nearer to us than Paranaque. Iwas toll fees rin.

I really liked Purpledish's setup during the event. It was elegant and classy, despite having little flowers on the table. I am not really a fan of lush and high centerpieces anyway. I want our guests to see one another during dinnertime, so short centerpieces are the best.

For our cocktail hour, we were given five appetizers: Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Bacon, Cirkulo Tofu, Eggplant Parmigiana, Sausage Bruschetta and Fresh Veggie Rolls.

Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Bacon, Cirkulo Tofu, Egpplant Parmegiana, Sausage Bruschetta and Fresh Veggie Rolls (Clockwise)

I won't rate the others anymore as I've already tasted them before. Only the fresh veggie roll was the new appetizer in the bunch. It was the ordinary lumpia, but I thought its peanut sauce was delicious. It didn't have that strong nutty flavor, which I liked as I'm not a fan of peanuts. However, I'm not sure if this would be included in our final menu.

Then we had two choices of soup shots: Broccoli and Cheese and French Onion and Cheese. The french onion soup was our early favorite then, but when we tasted the broccoli and cheese soup, we didn't know which tasted better! It was so delicious. It was creamy, and the hint of broccoli was the perfect complement to the cheese flavor. I actually wanted to get one more soup shot because I couldn't get enough of it. :)

(L-R) Broccoli and Cheese Soup; French Onion and Cheese Soup

We also had two choices for the salad: Mango Salsa and Asian Chicken. Again, the mango salsa was our favorite, and while we thought the Asian chicken tasted okay, it didn't really surpass the mango salsa's yumminess. The mango salsa has that certain sweetness, while the Asian salad has the sourness brought by the oranges in it. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the Asian chicken salad because my camera's battery died before they served the salad.

Mango Salsa Salad

Now on to our main dishes! Again, we didn't have any pictures of the main dishes as our camera didn't have enough battery life, so please bear with me.

We have a new fish entree for today: the Baked Fish in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. It was a welcome change from the Norwegian Salmon that is usually served during the food tastings. The fish is cream dory, which explains why the fish was so soft and tender. In fact it just melted in my mouth as soon as I ate it. I love it!

We also had a new pasta entree: the Creamy Veggie Fusili. Although it has a creamy white sauce, the pasta itself is not so flavorful. Apparently, it's targeted for vegetarians so it has this bland taste. Sorry, I really didn't like it. I rather have the beef and veggie lasagna than this.

For our chicken entree, we had White Chicken in Mascarpone Sauce. I really couldn't remember the taste, but it was at least different from the oil-based chicken dishes that I usually taste from the previous food tastings.

We were served two pork entrees: Herbed Roast Porkloin in Dill Cream Sauce and Pork Bourguignon. Again, I couldn't remember how both dishes tasted like, but the difference of the two is that the former has white cream sauce, while the latter has red cream sauce.

Of course, we had the usual 10 Hour Slow Roast US Beef Belly with Mushroom Wine and Caldereta Sauvignon Sauces. If you booked Purpledish's 2014 package, you get to choose two sauces for the roast beef, but since I booked their 2013 package, I only get to choose one. Better wait for my wedding to see which sauce I chose for the roast beef. Hehe.

Finally, we have the desserts: Macedonia Fruits, Bluer than Blueberry Cheescake, Strawberry Mousse Cheescake, Khamizu Cheesecake, Beco Cheesecake, Pistachio Sansrival, Mango Creme Brulee, Cream Puff, Night and Day Eclair, and Chocolate Truffles. I won't go into details anymore since these are already staples of Purpledish's food tastings. However, I have to let you know that I was very disappointed with the Mango Creme Brulee. During our very first food tasting with Purpledish, I raved about their creme brulee. I even said that it was the best I have ever tasted. But during our last food tasting, the creme brulee was very runny and bland. Mox even said it was disgusting. What a huge letdown. :(

Overall, the food tasting was a success. We were finally able to create our final menu, and we got to take home some leftovers too. Ang saya ko lang. Haha.

The Last Stretch

OMG, we only have less than a month to go before our wedding day! To be exact, we only have 26 days left! I'm nervous yet excited at the same time. :)

Remember our list from our previous countdown? Well, we were able to accomplish all of them in the past couple of months. Good job to us!

• Finalize our ento list. - We were finally able to finalize not just our ento list, but also our liturgical participants for the mass. We already notified them about their roles so they won't be surprised during
• Finalize our Principal Sponsors. - My mother already told our chosen principal sponsors about our wedding, and luckily all of them accepted our invitation.
• Complete wedding documents. - We finally fixed all problems in our baptismal and confirmation certificates, so everything was a-OK. In fact, submitted all the necessary documents to Ms. Dodo yesterday.
• Have canonical interview. -We finished this last January 23. It was just a short interview; nothing to be worried about.
• File for marriage license. - We got our marriage license 11 days after we applied in Marikina.
• Finalize gown design for MIL. -We originally wanted to get Paolo Blanco to do my MIL's gown, but since he wasn't replying to any of my messages, we had to look for an alternative. Luckily, we found Ven Ocampo. Mox was the one who did all the transactions with her. She said the beadings on the gown are almost complete and she will deliver the gown next week.
• Renew passport. - I renewed my passport at the DFA office in SM Megamall. Finally, I now have a passport picture that looks okay. Haha.

Aside from those mentioned above, we were also able to cross out these tasks from our list.

•  Attend the pre-cana seminar. - We attended the two-day seminar at Christ the King Church last February 8 to 9. We had a lot of fun during the seminar, even though it took great effort for us to wake up so early in the morning.
•  First and second fitting of my bridal gown. - I was really looking forward to fitting my gown, and Gretchen did not disappoint me. Even though my gown is still unfinished, I could tell it will be beautiful! I just love it! Best part of all, Gretchen told me I lost weight. Yey!
• First fitting of Mox's suit. - Mox had his measurements taken by Emil during one of the bridal fairs. Three weeks after, his suit was ready for fitting. Ang bilis diba? Mox upgraded his suit because he fell in love with this shiny grey suit that he saw in Emil's booth during the bridal fair.
• Meeting with OTD. - Mox and I met with Thoffy last February to discuss the suppliers that we booked. We also created a draft program for the reception just so we can have an idea on how many prizes we should buy.
• Final food tasting with Purpledish - We had our final food tasting with Purpledish to determine our menu for the wedding. Syempre, busog lusog nanaman kami ni Mox.
• Detailing with Purpledish - Aside from our final food tasting, we also had our detailing with Purpledish. I was not so sure what to ask during our detailing, but luckily, our coordinator there to help us during the meeting. I also had some powerpoint presentations that my W@Wie friends sent me as references. After the detailing, I created my own presentation, which I then emailed to my AE. OC kung OC.
• Meet with Composed Band. - We also met with Dianne of Composed Band to create our song list for the wedding. I also asked Wil, Mox's best man, to come along because he is more knowledgeable when it comes to music since he is also part of a band. We even requested them to play for us during the after party!
• Buy barongs for Mox's family. - At first, we thought of buying RTW for Mox's family, but then we decided to have them custom-made. So Mox contacted Rey Casedo to have him make the barongs for his family. After two weeks, Mang Rey delivered the barongs. Ang bilis!
• Do all layouts for the wedding stationery. - Mox was finally able to finish all the layouts for the menu cards, place cards, missalette covers, table number and invitations. Now all we have to do is print them.
• Buy PS souvenirs. - This was originally not part of our budget, but we decided to give our ninongs and ninangs a little token of appreciation so we tried searching for affordable gifts. We attended the Themes and Motifs bridal fair and found a supplier of non-alcoholic fruit wines. Mox loved the taste of the wine so we immediately bought a dozen, of which eight will be given to the PS, while the remaining four will be used during the ceremonial toast.
• Distribute invitations. - Yes, we finally distributed the invites! In fact, we were able to create a draft of our final guest list because we put our RSVP date a month before our wedding. Most of our guests were able to give their response during this time so we already had an idea on our initial headcount. I'll confirm with our guests about their attendance two weeks before the wedding just in case they'll change their mind.

 So for our last month of preps, here are the things that we still need to do.

• Buy offertory items.
• Buy wedding accessories
• Buy prizes for games
• Print missalettes, madlib cards and place cards
• Pack giveaways
• Buy lingerie for couple's boudoir.
• Handover meeting with OTD
• Practice for first dance

Whew! We can do this! Last stretch baby!

The Art of Letting Go

People say that no matter how OC you are or how long you have been preparing for your big day, there is no such thing as having the perfect wedding. Thus, the only way to get through the prospect of having glitches during your wedding is to just laugh it off and let it go.

I know the art of letting go is easier said than done, especially for those who spent a lot of time and money planning out their dream wedding. Take me for example. We spent more than two years planning out this whole event, and I have specific ideas on how I wanted our wedding to happen. And with only one month to go before our big day, I was starting to get stressed out over the various problems that suddenly came into our way

First was with our caterer. There were a lot of raves about them when we first booked them, so we were pretty confident that they will deliver on our wedding day. There were a few bad reviews in between, but we thought that since our wedding is still far away, they would have enough time to improve on their weaknesses. But in January this year, there were a lot of bad feedback about them. Since it was already close to our wedding, these negative reviews worried me.

Then we had another problem with our venue, Christ the King Parish Hall. Remember how much I raved about this one? I really thought I found the perfect venue because it is so close to our church, it is reasonably priced, and it allows live bands to play inside. Apparently, I was wrong on that last count. Just last week, I learned that the management does not allow full bands to play inside the hall! I was outraged when I heard this news because I had confirmed this detail with Ms. Aileen, who was the former officer-in-charge of the parish hall, before booking the hall, and she did say that full bands were allowed. Now, the new OIC is telling us that Ms. Aileen was wrong; we aren't allowed to have a  full band play in our reception. Ano ba talaga?! What's even more frustrating is that we already paid Composed Band in full so it's too late to back out now. Nakakainis!

When Mox heard about these problems, he immediately wanted to find a new caterer and a new venue. Again, easier said than done. Since we only have one month left before our wedding, it would be nearly impossible to find a venue that is open on our date. Plus, it would mean letting our full payment of the parish hall go down the drain and shelling out more cash to book a new venue. Honestly, we just couldn't afford it anymore.

I was really feeling so sad and stressed out over these issues that I was not excited about our wedding anymore. Imagine, more than two years of planning and yet everything was a mess. I was not so sure about our caterer anymore, and now our band couldn't even play with drums during our reception. I was ready to give up then.

But then I realized, why am I stressing over these things? Why am I putting so much focus on just one day? I was missing the big picture, the real reason why I am getting married. Yes, it would be definitely embarrassing to feed our guests with substandard food, and it would be boring not to have any band play in our reception, but in the end, who cares about that? We will forget about these details eventually, but we will not forget the happiness and the love that we will feel during that our wedding. In the end, that's what matters the most.

And with that, I began to let go of all the stress in dealing with all the nitty-gritty details of the wedding. We were able to find backup plans for our problems with the caterer and venue, but even if we didn't have any solutions for these, I wouldn't care anymore. I'll still be the happiest girl in the world because I will finally marry the love of my life on that special day.

Our Love Story ♥

Remember when I told you that you have to wait for our wedding to see our whole prenup video? Well, looks like I failed the marshmallow test. I just couldn't wait until our wedding to show you our video, so I'm sharing it to you now! Sorry naman. Talagang na-low EQ ako.

I just love how the video captures our love story perfectly, and it has that whole romantic-comedy vibe that we wanted. Pacute na kung pacute, but we want the viewers to laugh and smile whenever they watch our video. And many of our friends did tell us that they really felt our kilig when they saw our video. So kudos to Aisle 1401 for a job well done! :)

Of course, I also want to thank my fiance for being game during the filming of the vide, and for being the best actor ever! Effortless na effortless talaga ang acting mo. Also, thank you to my best friend Wil, who is also Mox's best man in our wedding, for appearing as an extra in our video.  Ikaw na ang best supporting actor! :)


Mox and Nat's Love Story from Aisle 1401 on Vimeo.

DIY: Wedding Invitations

Most soon-to-wed couples tend to DIY their wedding invitations, and Mox and I were no exception. We plan to create our own invitation just so we can save on printing costs. Most invitation suppliers have a minimum requirement for their printing—about 50 to 100 pieces—and I don't think we would need that many invites. Gastos na nga sa papel, gastos pa sa pera. Plus, we want to put our own spin on our invite to make sure it reflects our theme, so DIY was the only way to go. :)

Since Mox is the Photoshop expert, we decided that he would be the one in charge of all our stationery needs. Since our wedding theme is summer/beach, we wanted our invites to be colorful and fun! No fancy embossings or formal calligraphy please. 

Our wedding invite is a single-fold card printed back-to-back. The main invitation details and other wedding info were on the front and back pages, respectively, while the entourage page was printed on the inside. Mox also decided to do avatars for each entourage member, which was a cute touch. Hehe.

Then we printed our map insert on a single page.

Our invites were larger than the usual invitations so we had a difficult time searching for the right envelope. Then I found brown 6x9 catalog envelopes. The size was perfect, and the envelopes were inexpensive too! It was a win-win buy. :) But I suggest that you find the perfect envelope first, then adjust your layout based on the envelope size, instead of the other way around. Mox didn't want to adjust his layout so we had to look for an envelope that would fit an 8x13 card folded into half. It was a bit of a challenge, so please do not follow us. Haha!

We were inspired by Aweng and Thessa's wedding invitation, so we decided to do ours just like them. We printed our monogram on sticker paper, created some tags then decided to tie our invites together with some jute strings. I heard that you can buy four rolls of jute strings at Japan Home Center for only P66, but luckily, I found one roll among the art supplies of my brother, so I didn't have to buy one. Yey, bawas gastos ulit!

Time to put things together

Here are our finished invites! :)

Ready for distribution

Here is the breakdown of all the materials that we used for our invitation.

We spent less than P2,000 for 40 invites, which means that the cost per invite falls at only P46! Not bad right? We spent a lot on printer ink because our invites are fully colored, but at least we can still use the leftover ink to print other stationeries like our missalette covers, table numbers, etc.

I am so proud of Mox because he was in charge of everything! He did the layout, printed the invites and cut them out himself! Good job baby. :)

Now, let's hope all our invited guests would RSVP before the deadline! Cross your fingers guys.

Kudos to Our Prenup Suppliers!

I'm happy to say that we have finally received our official prenup photos from our photographer Project Happiness. Whee! I really love our photos; I actually had to restrain myself from sharing all of them here before our wedding. Nalo-low EQ talaga ako, promise. But for the purpose of writing our prenup suppliers' ratings, I'll let you have a sneak peek on some of our photos. Hehe.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Project Happiness (formerly Osep&Mimi Photography)
Peso Power: Included in our photo package, but added P1,000 for the OOT fee
Contact Details: 0927-8053493
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

As you all know, Osep&Mimi was the first supplier that I booked. I was really excited to work with them for our prenup and wedding, but then, I heard that Osep and his girlfriend/business partner Mimi broke up. I was so worried that their whole business would go down as well. I was actually THIS close to looking for other photographers, but I decided to  wait for our prenup and see whether I'll stick with them or not.

But as soon as we started our prenup shoot with Osep and his new partner Chris, I knew that sticking with them would be the right choice! We weren't models, but we didn't have a hard time posing during the shoot. Osep made us very comfortable in front of the camera, and since we are not fans of super-cheesy poses, he directed us on poses that were fierce and astig. Haha! Plus, he was so game to do some buwis-buhay shots. Walang ka-ere ere sa katawan!

Our prenup photos also came with 40 4R-size prints, which were originally not included in our photo package. So those prints were definitely a pleasant surprise. By the way, here are some of my favorite shots. Grabe, mukha kaming mga models! Haha!

 

I had to give Project Happiness minus points though because I had a hard time contacting Osep during the planning of our prenup. Also, it took a long time for him to send our prenup pics, even though he already promised us that he would send them immediately. Of course, I understand that he is in the middle of fixing all the loose ends with Mimi, but that is definitely one negative point against him.

PRENUP STYLIST: Aira Franco
Peso Power: P7,000 (old rate)
Contact Details: aira@airafranco.com
Rating: 5 out of 5

Since this is our official prenup, I decided to splurge a little and get Aira Franco as our prenup stylist. During my meeting with her, she suggested a lookboard that was more hipster than her usual bohemian looks. I was a bit nervous yet excited because it was so different from our usual getup. Can you imagine, she was able to get Mox to wear boots! Nakakatuwa!

At first I thought she was the usual kikay stylist, but she was the complete opposite. Cowboy na cowboy siya! In fact, she and Mox got along pretty well because they both have the same interests: skateboarding and surfing. Ako pa ang na-OP sa kanila. Haha.

During our shoot, she really took care of us, making sure that we weren't tired, hungry or hot. She carried our bags all the way to our next location and even helped me go down the big white rocks  near the dam just so I wouldn't slip. She was our ever-reliable personal assistant that day. :)

One thing I really liked about her was that she makes sure we always look great in the photos. I remember one instance when I was sitting on the ground wearing my ultra-short shorts, Aira went over to position my bag in front of me, just so my elephant-like thighs would be covered. Panira kasi sa picture eh. Haha

PRENUP HMUA: Boombee Bartolome
Peso Power: Included in Aira Franco's package
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Aira's styling package also came with free on-site prenup hair and makeup, so we didn't have to worry about booking a prenup HMUA. At first, I thought our HMUA would be Fritz Mortel, Aira's usual partner, but it was Boombee who was assigned to us that day.

I love her makeup on me; I looked so fresh and radiant! She was also ready with her pack of tissues and her retouch bag to make sure we were always pretty and handsome at all times. :) But I can't give her a perfect score because my head hurt from all the pulling and combing during our shoot.

VENUE: Wawa Dam, Montalban
Peso Power: P1,300 (for permits) and P1,000 (for miscellaneous fees)
Rating: 4 out of 5

Who knew that a place as beautiful as this one is only an hour away from my house? Even Osep and Aira were in awe of the beauty of Wawa Dam. They kept on asking me how I found about it. The lighting was absolutely perfect! Even at three in the afternoon, the sunlight was soft and not so harsh.

The people in Wawa Dam were also very helpful, from the barangay officials to the tour guides. The guide assigned to us led us to some of the more picturesque spots in the dam, and helped us haggle with some of the locals. 

What I didn't like about the place was that everything you do has a price, literally! One time, we had to cross a wooden bamboo bridge to get to the other side, and we were asked to pay P5 per person! Grabe lang. Of course, even with all those "hidden" fees, Wawa Dam is still relatively cheaper than the other prenup venues, so it's all good. Isipin na lang natin na tulong na natin iyon sa kanila. :)

Wedding Docs 101: Correcting Discrepancies in Church Documents

One of the usual headaches that soon-to-weds encounter during wedding preps is when there is a discrepancy in their required wedding documents, whether it's in their birth certificate or their baptismal and confirmation certificates. I swear, ang hirap mag-asikaso ng mga papeles para sa kasal.

I also had some problems regarding my church documents.. You see, I do not have a "Ma." in my birth certificate, but in my baptismal and confirmation certificates, they affixed a "Ma." before my name. Apparently, there is a rule that every girl must be baptized with a "Ma." in her name, which will serve as her Christian name. Unfortunately, Christ the King would not accept my baptismal and confirmation certificates because of this discrepancy. Sobrang strict nila sa totoo lang.

And so, I had to request for a partial change of my parish records. I tried searching for blogs that would give me an idea on how to do this, but I couldn't find one. And so, by writing this post, I hope that I can help other soon-to-weds in fixing any discrepancy in their church documents... or at least those couples who were baptized/confirmed in churches under the Diocese of Cubao. Hehe.

Here is the step-by-step process in requesting partial changes of my baptismal certificate. I also followed these same steps to fix the discrepancy in my confirmation certificate.
 

1. I went to the church where I was baptized—St. Joseph Shrine in Anonas, Cubao—to ask for a letter from the parish priest requesting for an amendment on my baptismal record. The church required a clear copy of my NSO birth certificate and Form 137, which is the transcript of my school records. Since I didn't have my Form 137, I was asked to bring copies of three valid IDs as reference. I also had to write an affidavit stating the corrections and the purpose of my request.
   
   
2. I then brought the request letter, my baptismal certificate, affidavit and  other documents to the Chancery Department for approval. It is the building in front of the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Cubao.
   
   
3. Once my application for partial changes was approved, I was given a written decree issued by His Eminence, authorizing the parish priest of St. Joseph to correct my baptismal record.
   
   
4. I then brought the written decree and the related documents to St. Joseph. After a few minutes, my baptismal certificate already had the necessary changes made. Yey! :)

Actually, the Chancery decreed that they could not delete the "Ma." in my baptismal and confirmation certificates because it is my Christian name. However, they added in the "Observada" column that despite the "Ma." in my church certificates, they still pertain to the same person. Luckily, Christ the King still accepted my certificates even though my name was not officially changed. Yey again!

Of course, there were some fees involved in the changing of parish records, although I really couldn't remember how much I paid for them. So just to be safe, be sure to prepare at least P1,000 for the documents.

So now, all we have to do is wait for our wedding banns to be released and our church documents are done! Yey! :)

Our Save-the-Date Video by Aisle 1401

With only two months left before our wedding day, it's time to reveal our Save-the-Date video, made by Aisle 1401! Watch this, and you'll probably get an idea on how Mox and I met and "fell" in love. Haha!

You have to wait after the wedding for our full prenup video though. Syempre, kelangan may surprise pa rin. Hihihi.


Mox and Nat 's Teaser from Aisle 1401 on Vimeo.

 

The Marriage Vocation Program for the Engaged

Two weekends ago, Mox and I attended the Marriage Vocation Program for the Engaged at Christ the King Church. This two-day workshop serves as our pre-cana seminar, which is a requirement for our wedding.

So why do I call it a workshop? Because it is  more interactive than the usual lecture-type seminars. First, the speakers will give a short talk and then share their experiences as connected to the topic. Then, the couples will be given questionnaires that they must answer individually, after which they will discuss their answers to their partners. Frankly, I thought that the 15 minutes given for the couple's dialogue weren't enough! Ang dami ko pang gustong idiscuss kay Mox. Haha!

At first, I was irritated because I thought the seminar was too long, but in the end, I was very happy that Mox and I took the time off our busy schedules to attend this workshop. We were able to touch on topics that we haven't really discussed thoroughly during our three-year relationship. We talked about our opinions on love, communication, religious expectations, children and even sex! Mox and I have similar views on some topics, but we also discuss those where we have different opinions.It's really refreshing to know Mox's take on the things that are undeniably important for our marriage. :)

Aside from the couple's sharing, there were also small group discussions where we had to share our opinions to other couples in our group. It's nice to hear their views on the topics discussed because it opened our minds on the different challenges that we may face once we get married. We also made some new friends too! :)

The seminar fee is P2,500 per couple, which is already inclusive of lunch and AM and PM snacks for two days. There was even an official photographer who took our couple photo and group photo, which were our souvenirs from the seminar. After a thanksgiving mass, we had a short "graduation" ceremony where we were given our certificate. Yey!

There are other similar workshops like Discovery Weekend and CEFAM that are accepted as pre-cana seminars for Christ the King. But for those who cannot afford the fees for those seminars, the Marriage Vocation Program is the perfect alternative. :)

Attending the Pre-Marriage Counseling

Early Monday morning, Mox and I headed to the Marikina Health Office to attend our pre-marriage counseling, which is a prerequisite to claim our marriage license. We only had a half-day session, so there were some topics that weren't discussed in detail, but we still learned a lot from our speaker.

Honestly, I was so sleepy during the first half of the talk that I couldn't really remember much on the topic that was discussed. But I was awake during the most important part of the counseling: the family planning seminar! Haha! Everyone knows that Mox and I want to have a baby as soon as we get married, so all the ideas that we could get about family planning will be very helpful.

We learned about the different methods of contraception, from the natural method to the condoms, IUDs and injectables. The speaker even helped us calculate our possible "fertile" days, which can depend on the length of our menstrual cycle.

But one important tidbit that we learned was how to have a baby boy or baby girl. Yes, apparently you can have a say on your baby's sex, if based on this scientific explanation.  You see, the male carries the chromosomes that can determine the sex of the baby. The female chromosome swims slowly but can live for three to five days, while the male chromosome swims faster, but can die after only 24 hours. Now the female egg also lives for only 24 hours, so if you want to have a baby girl, you may have intercourse a few days before your ovulation period. If you have intercourse a day before your ovulation, then the chances of having a baby boy are higher. Ang galing diba? Of course, we're not entirely sure if this is reliable information, but there's no harm in trying right?

After the counseling, we were finally handed our pre-marriage counseling certificate. So now, we just have to wait for February 3 to get our license. Yey!

Our Pre-Marriage Counseling Certificate