It's my first day as a wife today!!!

(as posted at W@W yahoogroups)

Grabe! I still can't believe tapos na ang wedding..parang gusto kong i-rewind ulit yung mga nangyari kahapon from the moment I woke up (6am) until we slept last night, tired but definitely with smile on our faces...and with our hearts sobrang thankful for everything that happened. Yes..finally! I'm an official wifey na ngayon hehe!The wedding was great! Though my mga minor glitches, it was still the dream wedding that we had in mind since we started preparing for it one year ago. Grabe sobrang indescribable ang feeling..being married to the man you love most and celebrating it with the people close to your hearts.

Here's a pic with the gifts at the hotel room taken using my sister's phone cam..see the rings on our fingers?

To follow na lang ang complete supplier ratings as we'll be leaving tomorrow for our honeymoon (Bora). Pero just want to share muna yung mga fave suppliers ko that delivered well yesterday...

Our OTD coordinator - Christine Daria-Estabillo and her team (Edith,Jun, Joseph & JP of Out of the Box Events)..sobrang love ko sila...di ko lam gagawin ko pag ala sila. All the details from my hotel preps until the reception ended..sobrang well taken care of.

Sentimental Groove - o di ba? naging instant fave ko sila kahapon.I know daming negative feedbacks sa kanila lately (nag-rant din ako sa kanila before because of their coordination with their clients..di ba geri?) Supposedly enamel lang ang booked band namin sa kanila..Surprisingly, TSG1 (the orig group) came and instant upgrade ang nangyari without extra cost (na-cancel daw ang orig bookings nila for dec17 that's why samin sila napunta). Ang dami pang singers na dumating..feeling ko lahat sila nasa wedding namin yesterday. Si Johann, May, Candy, Ronald and may isa pa na di ko alam ang name.The emotions during my bridal march..ang tindi! umapaw ang mga luha..not only my dad and I were emotional..marami sa mga guests ang naiyak..Feel na feel ko ang lakad ko..sobrang nakakadala kasi yung boses ni Johan when he sang You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban.(dedicated sa dad ko as he walked me down the aisle) Ganun din sa Our Father..si Ronald naman ang kumanta..according sa mga guests namin, kinilabutan sila sa galing.

Kenneth Uy - natuwa ako sa kanya kasi he made me feel at ease during the pictorial..magaling din siya kasing magcoach kung pano magpose. I was not tensed promise..sarap mag pictorial kapag alam mong ang ganda-ganda mo courtesy of my next fave supplier...

Joan & loren - formerly of clamar..ang bilis nilang magmake up and pulido. Paul's mom, my sisters and I all looked great. Feel na feel namin ang make-up. Thankful din ako sa weather kahapon...my wedding was at 11 am.Umambon lang onti kahapon which was fine..at least di mainit or di naman umulan. I think it rained ng medyo malakas sa hapon yata nung naguwian na ang guests. Buti na lang sa hotel yung reception so no problem actually kahit umulan.

Side kwento lang..we were scheduled to have our 11:30 am wedding mass pero since kami lang pala ang morning wedding yesterday which nalaman lang namin last sunday, we asked permission if we could start earlier and pumayag naman ang parish. Buti na lang 11 am nilagay ni paul sa invitation (i know we violated the etiquette thingie here). Sina Paul 10:15, andun na sila..ako naman 10:30 nasa church na rin. Aga di ba? We could have started thereon ksi medyo marami ng guests and complete na ang mga abays..Guess who's late? My dad and our principal sponsors! They came at exactly 11 am. Nagstart na ang mass 11:10 na ata. I even texted my bro who's with my dad ontheir way to the church na since late dad ko, bawas ang kakainin niya sa reception. Kaya ayun pagdating..takbo agad siya..naka line-up na ang ento..as in siya na lang ang kulang.Haha..haba na pala ng nipost ko..basta will soon post my supplier ratings and other kwentos.

Sa mga next in line na fellow Dec brides..good luck! ang tip ko lang...just enjoy the moment..let your coordinators or your abays face the problems that may arise. Sila na ang bahala dun..Isa ko pang tip, prepare your thank you speech beforehand or at least prepare a list of those who you want to thank..nakalimutan kong i-acknowledge mga suppliers ko during the speech :( siyempre it would mean a lot to them. Bad trip talaga ako. Anyway, I'll send each and every one of them a thank you note na lang. Till my next post na lang..with pictures na of course. Mamaya makukuha ko na kay kenneth uy ang cd. :D

Mai (ni Paul) <---on its Day 1 of being Mrs. Danganan

12.17.05

sta rita/rembrandt

http://www.maipaul.blogspot.com/

http://community.webshots.com/user/maipaul1217



Postscript:
Thanks sa lahat ng relatives and friends na dumating...you made us feel special and loved because of your time and effort na pumunta. Gusto kong ikasal ulit...siyempre with Paul..sarap talaga ng feeling promise! pero walang gastos hehehe!

Thanks to all my blogger and w@w friends who greeted us..Jacque, Tin, Karla, Yna, Mec, Inch, Jayme, Con...etc.

..5 days to go..Batman!

at nakakatamad ng magpreps!**

hehe!

Nakakakaba, excited, di makapaniwala na malapit na, pero gusto ko ng matapos na...

right now..it is not just the wedding that I'm excited about...

I'm more ecstatic with the idea that in 5 days...I'm gonna be Mrs. Maria Elena T. Danganan!

Kahit di pa tapos ang preps..(finalizing the programme script, confirm manequin rental, yet to get the Veluz hairpiece I won from the W@W auction *excited na akow ditow..danda kasi pic na pinakita ni nikko eh*, finalize the seatplan *which I hope matapos ko na bukas*, brief the emcees, etc)..kahit di pa tapos mga yan...I believe andun na ako sa "letting go" stage...kaya...

Bahala na si Batman!

....14 and 15 days

14 days...

..for us, "friday's" mean more people/corporate clients flock at our center to settle their cellphone bills and reload their autoloadmax credits, thus, BUGBOG!
..was really tired of work and got home late na
..wasn't able to blog last night
..got our first wedding gift! * Thanks Sir Ched! * We'll open it on the 17th na along with the other gifts.

15 days...
..i was awakened by a fellow December bride, Jacque, with a text message.."sis, pwede ng ipagsabi sa friends about our wedding announcements"
..8:15 am..ran to the newspaper stand to buy a Manilla Bulletin because of this:

there's Jacque..wearing a pink blouse (hmmm..laki ng pic)

..met Lala (Interplay) at Robinson's Place Manila to discuss final bouquet arrangements and reception styling details

..we settled the remaining balance kaya fully paid na

..signed the final contract

yun lang..not much accomplishments..oks lang kasi we're almost done naman na and we still have two weeks left pa naman.

...16 days

Today's the last day of RSVP and guess what? siyempre di pa tapos ever haha! Those we haven't confirmed yet are my dad's relatives in Pangasinan which is also quite a number. Anyway, had a serious talk with tita (stepmom) tonight and she promised to help me finish the RSVP tomorrow.

I was home early today..which is nakakapanibago. It's my turn to attend the New Credit Policy in Accepting Line Applications Training at the Head Office in Boni from 9 am till 3 pm but we were dismissed a little bit late kasi ang daming epal sa training na ang daming mga nonsense na questions. Pero ganumpaman, still glad.. was home at 7 pm (partida nagliwaliw pa ako sa glorietta)...just bought some stuffs to be used for our weddng.

I was home early pero I don't know..went home na mabigat ang katawan. It's not that pagod sa pagliliwaliw pero basta hirap i-explain eh. Baka nanibago ang katawan ko..di kasi bugbog sa work eh.

Rest muna akow..

December na!

It's December 1st na tomorrow! my oh my!


Now the real count down begins..


Not much accomplishments lately except that we're almost done with the RSVP. Tomorrow's the last day of attendance confirmation and I think we still have about 10-15 unconfirmed people. By weekend, we should be starting with the table assignments. Going into 16 days left mark, i could say that the Guest List and RSVP so far were the hardest on the leg of wed preps. * Ask my sisters and Paul how many times I cried because of this hehehe! *


I've inquired with Bubbles! Bubbles! and Burst Professionals regarding their bubble machine rentals. The latter got my thumbs up sign...as the owner was really nice talking with...not to mention their rate is cheaper than the first. I'll confirm my booking with them tomorrow.


What else? Next on our line up (scheduled on weekend) are this:
1. Pay AdeB full balance for the bridal car rental
2. Settle full balance to Emily Uy of Sugarbox for the cake
3. Settle full balance at Sta. Rita de Cascia
4. Pay Interplay full balance for the flowers and reception styling

Since most of our payables are due on dec 10, we decided to settle some earlier para di ganun kabigat sa bulsa on the 10th as we're due to pay the remaining balance for the hotel which is really MABIGAT huh!


Long before we were only talking about bookings and reservation fees..now full balances na! Ngayon ko lang talaga fully narealize ang mahal pala magpakasal and it's good that we're doing it now..pano pa kaya next year or the next years to come (million na siguro ang kelangan) kaya sa mga single friends ko out there..hehe! magpakasal na rin kayo now na! hehe!

updates with 19 days left...

...did I mention 19 days? uh-oh! haha..i know i got to believe it..errr seems like the calendar hasn't sinked in my system yet..Haven't I just heard christmas carols outside? Oh yeah..December is just around the corner na nga..


Haven't blogged of our latest achievements and I'm proud to say that there were a lot of them..hehe!
* Finished wrapping and inserting the Thank You tags to all the gift favors (for Guests, Principal Sponsors, Entourage Members, Readers, Emcees, etc)

Side kwento speaking of emcees: My HS bestfriend can't make it on our wedding day..huhu! She can't take a leave from her call center work and TV taping of their station. Emcee pa naman siya..buti na lang may angel wilsie kami. She's also a HS friend who definitely knows Paul and me a lot at siyempre one good host din.
* Submitted all the Pre-Marriage documents required by the Church

* Finished the ka-ek-ekan stuffs like the guest sheets, containers for the customized m&ms, kissing bells

* Shopped swimwears and other gears for our Bora honeymoon getaway

* Bought wedding accessories and other stuffs like wine flutes, party poppers, unity coins chest, Bible, jewelries

* Our wedding rings, which are sponsored by my dad (just arrived last Friday from Saudi), is with me na!

* Entourage gowns and barongs were distributed and got nice feedbacks with the fittings..

* Misallette already printed

* Finished my masterpiece..i designed the matches that will be used by our Candle Sponsor...which amused Paul so much. Siyempre naman para naman may contribution na ako ang nagdesign di ba? He did our invites..i did the matches! nyahahaha!


To Do's:
* Finalized program sequence and script with Christine
* Buy Paul's shoes
* Finish photo mosaics - c/o Paul
* Meet Lala, the florist, to finalize the contract as we have additional requirements
* Meet Ginee of Hotel Rembrandt to give final headcount and discuss additional requirements
* Finalize rental of manequin and bubble machine booking
* Finish the RSVP and Table Assignments
* Settle the remaining balances of some suppliers on dec 3 and dec 10
* Kung may time pa, attend listening session of Enamel
* Turnover documents and other stuffs to the OTD Coordinator on Dec 10
* Start visiting the spa
* Meet the emcees
* Practice walking with my bridal shoes
* Relax...(can I do this now?)


System time: 12:15 AM..niyay 18 days na lang!

i hate it...

..when people, REFUSE to understand your predicament. Refuse so i say..'coz even how simple you lay down the details (not to mention..you've already told them a thousand times), they seem to make "deadma" of the situation you're all into and just assert easily what they want.


..when these people always think of what others have to say without considering first what I have to say..my thoughts..my desires. (haller! this is MY WEDDING..not yours!)


..when, despite, having making "parinigs" hoping they'll realize how hard this is for me, totally ignore your hardships and just let it that way..* batu-bato sa langit..bakit parang walang tinatamaan at mukhang babalik na lang sakin ang bato? grrr!*



I know I should be enjoying the last leg of my wedding preps with less than 3 weeks left...pero what can I do? Just like my ate said..sana nga daw matapos na ang wedding para no more tears na rin ako. Hay I just wish! Pwede bang mag-let go na agad at this time?

....countdown: 26 days to go

26 days left...

yikes! sobrang lapit na...can't believe we'll soon be wrapping up the one year wed preps we've busied ourselves since January...aside from the wedding day itself another thing I'm looking forward to is the long vacation yahooey! finally, we'll get to rest! hay thank God! I'm so tired and feel so stressed out na talaga of both wed preps and work.

Updates?

1. We're almost done with the distribution of invites..as well as completed 50% of the RSVP, that is with Paul's side (Paul deserves my commendation on this..)

2. We've also handed to almost all of our entourage their gowns and barongs.

3. Church documents almost complete..my banns was on its 3rd week of publication yesterday and it'll be released on Wednesday.

4. I've bought the earrings (white gold dangling with crystals) that I'll use on my wedding day.

5. Paul and I have shopped clothes and bathing suits for our Bora getaway

6. As for our wedding suppliers...we're yet to meet them for details confirmation and finalizations.

7. Kuya Lawrence, a US-based cousin who's so kind (sobra) to sponsor our customized M&Ms informed us that the chocolates were already delivered. Now I just have to wait for my tita on dec. 12. We've bought na rin yesterday at Divi the containers for the m&ms.

Yipee! My dad and stepmom will be arriving (from Saudi) this coming Friday.

Meanwhile, be posting again soon (I hope..that soon nga), update ko lang sidebars ng blog ko.

...31 days left...

huwatt!!???!!!

Is this for real? Only a month to go...

I'm feeling frantic, excited, nervous, glad..all sorts of feelings..kabaliw! :D

..our invites

As promised, I'm proud to present our DIY invites made by my better half...

Initially saw the layout from QP Designs for Leslie. We were quoted for Php 110/pc then..pero dahil sa artistic hands ni Paul, he was able to do it alone (yes..100 pcs of this) nakatipid kami ng sobra. It turns out na about Php30/pc lang siya. Thanks to their ever reliable Fuji photocopying machine and papers from Prestige. Hmm..ilang weeks (months?) din niyang ginawa yan.

The two main inserts, the RSVP card and the map.

Paul used Paintbrush lang po for the map. Galeng-galeng noh?

...the hills (and rivers ?) are alive with the sound of music

Here are some scenic places we toured while Paul and I were on vacation in Isabela last Oct 28 - 31. Hay ang sarap bumalik..lamig ng hangin and absolutely alang pollution...really nice place to unwind

click on the pic to view it larger..sige nga hanapin niyo yung 5 baboy

Floating houses on Cagayan River.
This pic was taken while we're on the road leading to Magat Dam in Alfonso Lista, Ifugao

Camp Vizcarra..a jamboree site

Hay when will we set foot kaya ulit dito?

..throughout my wedding preps, the hardest part ever is....

THE GUEST LIST!

I've never thought that drafting the guest list is this so hard! Promise! I should've prioritized this before along with the booking of our major suppliers. In as much as we would like to limit the guests to family, close relatives and close friends..making it so simple and intimate..parang ang hirap gawin. Lalo na on my part..this would be the first wedding sa family ko (hehe ahead of my two ate's) and ngayon lang ulit sa Toralba clan (Older cousins got married noon pa). Mahirap in a sense na di mo alam kung sino ba dapat ang i-retain sa list or sino tanggalin kasi almost lahat ng nandun eh ka-close din talaga. Ngayon ko lang narealize marami pala kaming kamag-anak. Hehe! It's not just a wedding pala but a one grand reunion na rin sa Toralba side. Two tita's will be coming from the US...one from Norway...many from Pangasinan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, etc.

So far, mukhang nasa target limit pa rin naman kami. I just hope na di na lalagpas ng 200 (initially we opted for a max of 150 lang). Besides, may RSVP pa naman. We're halfway through sa pagdistribute ng invites (we started first week of nov). Actually, we were given deadline ng pagdistribute by our coordinator Christine until tomorrow so that makapagstart na sila ng RSVP. Kaso nga lang since dami pang di naibibigay, baka we might do the RSVP by ourselves na lang. And that reminds me, have to tell this to Christine pala..and also update her of some other accomplishments we had. Ooppss, we're still in the process of selecting and scanning the pics for the AVP. Hay wish ko lang matapos na ni Paul yung mga pics niya para masend na namin kay Christine.

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

Hay I miss blogging...sobrang dami ko ng utang na kwento. Eh pano ba naman, how can I blog kung:

1) late na umuwi dahil super busy sa work (went home usually mga 11 am..may one time pa nga 1 am na)

2) pc at home is critical na..may virus siya salamat sa brother ko. Nakakainis gumamit kasi nagau-auto shutdown siya

3) la sa mood magblog kasi pagod

4) super occupied ang thoughts with problems at work

5) wedding preps siyempre, lalo na ngayon, nakalaan ang weekends namin sa pagdistribute ng invites.

6) pagdating sa bahay, nanonood muna ng pinoy big brother..after nun, antok na kaya I'd rather sleep.

Buti na lang, maaga kaming natapos ngayon with work..kaya eto blogging hehe!

...si bunso

I've always been used to being "the bunso" eversince...kasi nga I'm the youngest girl in the family...and originally, ako talaga bunso hehehe! But since I've started going places with Paul's family (lalo na ngayon we're distributing the invites to their relatives and friends)..usually, eto ang dialogue:


*******

Friend 1: Ay ang bata naman ng mapapangasawa ni Paul...

Paul: Naku di po..magkasing-edad lang kami niyan..mas matanda pa nga po yan sakin ng ilang buwan eh...(in defense)

Friend 1: Ah ganun ba..baby face kasi eh..

Mai: Ah thank you po..(thinking..thanks! that's a compliment)

*******

Paul's Tita: Ay kain ka lang ng kain ineng...
Paul's Mom: Kanina mo pa tinatawag ng ineng yan...
Paul's Tita: Eh kasi mukhang ang bata pa eh..
Paul: Naku..magkasing-edad lang po kami niyan (see how Paul always reacts hehe..defensive)
*******

Paul's Lola: Liz, (referring to Paul's mom) parang kamukha siya (referring to me) ni BJ (paul's elder sister)..parang nakababatang kapatid
*******

Eto the best...

When we dropped by Bocaue during the Holidays two weeks ago, we went shopping na ng fireworks. I was with Paul's mom, Paul and Kevin (Paul's 13-yr old bro). After bargaining, napunta ang usapan sa kwentuhan ng family...Paul's mom was introducing and saying some things about Paul and Kevin...when the vendor laid her eyes upon me..she exclaimed:
Vendor: Ah siya po ang bunso niyo noh! (with tone na siguradong-sigurado siya)
*******

Sabi nga ni Paul..dalawa lang yan...I really do look young for a 24-yr old lady or siya ang mukhang matanda kaya nagmumukha akong bata...hmmm! :D

40 days....

Nope..am not talking about the memorial service we observe after one's death.

Grabe..can't believe we barely have one month left before the long-awaited big day. Basically, we're in the final leg of preps but it seems like there are still a lot of things to be done.


Right now, we're in the hardest part and the most challenging task amidst wedding preps...maintaining your guest list along with sending out of invites. Hay i hate this..don't know how to prune the continuously increasing number of guests. Oh well...pamatay ang hirap..promise!


Anyway, just want to share, we already have our marriage license! Hmmm...it's official na. Another hmmm...hala lapit na nga!


By the way, as posted, here's the prenup pic that got featured in the canon expo. Hehe entry number 3. As to kenneth's fate, kung nanalo ang entry niya? di ko alam hehe!

Hay..it's 12 am na pala and yet dito pa ako sa office. Waah sawa na ako dito. Ayaw ko na pagod na ako..sobrang stressed na ako huhuhu! Bakit ako nagbloblog ngayon? aba bakit ba..just taking a break..tagal na rin akong di nakakapag-update dito eh. Tampo na si blog ko.

Last 52 days...

Seems like ages when I last updated my blog huh!

Got nothing to blame but my WORK on weekdays (worked for 14 hours straight in a day last week..and even rendered Rest Day-Overtime last Saturday) and of course, really been busy big time with wedding preps on weekends...actually we don't have a choice. With only 52 days left before our BIG day we have to kick our butts and work double time. Hay I'm so tired and stressed out na talaga.

Anyway, so much achievements have been done but haven't blogged..here it is anyway...just want to share how we are doin' with our preps...

1. Church - banns have been submitted to our parishes and I guess posted na siya. Pre-cana and Faith Catechesis Seminars and Formations completed. Documents for submission almost complete..just awaiting for banns and marriage license.
2. Bridal Registry - we are listed at Rustan's Bridal Registry. Picked up registry cards. Checklist of gifts submitted.
3. Cake - full balance due one week before wedding date. Design finalized already.
4. Couturier for Bridal Gown - my gown is already with me! Yup yup...fully embellished and everything. Leonie finished it in less than a month.

(preview lang yan of the upper part..can't take a pic of the whole gown kasi di ko na alam kung pano itupi ng maayos at iligpit sa box eh)
5. Couturier for Entourage gowns and barongs - measurements taken..ginagawa na.
6. Florist - due to the ballooning number of guests, we have to coordinate with Lala additional table centerpieces.
7. Gift Favors for Male and Female Principal Sponsors - ok na...just insertion of the TY tags.
8. Gift Favors for Female Entourage - packaging na lang
9. Gift Favors for Flower Girls - already bought..lagay na lang ang TY tags
10. Gift Favors for Male Entourage - ok na din.
11. Gift Favors for Guests - ok na..just the TY tags na lang din. Might buy additional bottles kasi may natirang paper soaps.
12. Honeymoon - confirmed with Seair-Lorenzo South (bora) Package. Ate will pay either tom or on friday.
13. Invites (DIY)- stamped envelopes will be picked up tom. Main invites and insertions done. Distribution will start this weekend.
14. Thank You tags (DIY) - done!
15. Guest Sheets (DIY) - layout done...printing na lang
16. Misallette (DIY) - for sta rita's approval..once approved, printing na lang
17. Oculars - Kitte has done ocular at sta rita and rembrandt. She's working on the floor plan na.
18. Musicians - first production meeting done. Songlist has been drafted. Final production meeting to be set end of Nov.
19. Photographer - prenups done. Contract signed na rin.
20. Reception - contract signed. Food tasting done and buffet menu already finalized. 50% partial payment settled.
21. Rings - with Papa..to be brought home by November.
22. Wedding Paraphernalias - almost complete..Bible na lang ata.
23. Special Effects - customized M&Ms ordered na.
24. Shoes - meron na ako. Paul - to buy pa lang.
Pending:
Distribution of Invites
Finalize Guest List
RSVP
hunt for a tiara
select pictures for AVP
coordinate with Kitte supplier of LCD Projector rental
Program flow and script

So yun...still thinking ano pa ba kulang?
**************************************************
Paul and I we'll be out of town this holiday weekend. We're off to Isabela Friday night. We'll be going there to visit my Mom, send out invites and siyempre visit my Lolo's grave na rin. We'll be back on Nov. 1.
**************************************************
Remember this prenup pic?

Kenneth sent this as his entry to the CanonExpo Exhibit'05 held at Megamall last Oct 21-23. Yihaa! (Thanks mec for informing me). Well, it feels awesome to see yourself na nasa exhibit. La lang..feeling sikat hehe! Masasabi ko lang galing talaga ni Kenneth!

Entourage Gown and Barong Maker..check!

At long last...I could say that we have almost everything (suppliers, that is) covered. But still, we have so many nitty-gritty details that we have to follow up...uh-oh countdown check..it's exactly 2 months to go....

Last saturday, we were able to finally book our entourage gowns and barong maker at Divisoria. (Tip: If you're really that budget-conscious bride, divisoria is the place to scout your couturier). My 2 sisters (MOHs) have their measurements taken na rin as well as Paula..my college kabarkada and one of my bridesmaids. While the rest, they just sent me their measurements. They'll start doing the gowns next saturday as soon as ma-complete ang Flower Girls' measurements. In two-weeks, voila! Tapos na daw ang gowns. Also, next sunday will be my final fitting of my gown. With embellishments na rin yun at kung walang adjustments, makukuha ko na.

Side kwento: We went to 168 Mall..and grabe!! kung gaanong karami ang items na super mura, ganun din karami ang tao! Super sarap sana magshop kaso mapapagod ka talaga.

We've finished printing the Thank You tags and the RSVP cards. We're still awaiting for the customized stamped envelope we ordered at Recto..once finished, we'll start sending the invites na. We're currently drafting our DIY guest sheets.

Not much accomplishments as I've planned...pero still glad kasi unti-unti may natatapos.

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

Yna and Xean are already married!!! At siyempre, mga loko-loko kami nina Wella, Chris and Tin we wento to SSA last Friday to witness the ceremony..at yung gimik na yun unplanned. It was already 5:30 PM when Chris and Wella agreed na sumilip kami sa church. Siyempre surprised ang lola Yna to see us paglabas nila ng church. Hehe saya! Katuwa talaga kasi maski si Paul at si Archie ni Tin, nabitbit namin. We were even the ones who popped the confettis and partypoppers upon their exit sa church. Oh well, di naman talaga kami naggate crash eh as di naman kami nakikain sa reception...siyempre kahiya naman. Sumilip lang kami sa reception before the guests headed to the venue. Since gusto namin na magbonding ulit, the 6 of us headed to Zong in The Fort. Ayun non-stop kulitan, kwentuhan at tawanan na naman.

Hay katuwa talaga to be with them. Next month san tayo?

The Secret Garden...

To my surprise, Kenneth emailed me this pic..and wow! ganda di ba? galing ng effects!


Ngapala, wedding na nina yna and xean tom! Best wishes dear ...enjoy your big day!

Prenups with Kenneth Uy

Thank God it didn't rain last Friday! We finally had our prenups yesterday with our photographer, Kenneth Uy, at the Parks and Wildlife in QC. Hehehe! feeling mga models at artista!

Make-up was done by Loren of Clamar.

See more of our pics here.

Trial Make-up, Gown Fitting, Food Tasting

On Trial Make-Up...

I had my trial make up last friday in lieu of our prenups shoot. I've been constantly texting Loren of Clamar prior to our trial and even through our text exchanges I find her so accommodating...ang bilis magreply. As we met, the more I've proven na super bait nga siya. She's so warm and will let you feel at ease. I like her style..the colors of the make-up (lalo na yung blending ng eye shadow colors) she put on me and even the lightness of her hands..not to mention, ang bilis pero swabe ang make-up! Here's the proof...

By the way, it's so sweet of Loren pa to give me earrings...especially made by her.

On Gown Fitting...

Hay! Kakaiba nga talaga ang feeling once you put on your wedding gown. Sobrang excitement and overwhelming...kahit na first fitting pa lang and wala pa siyang mga embellishments, fulfilling lalo na kung nasunod yung gusto mong cut. Though yet to finish pa lang siya, I'm still crossing my fingers na makuha naman yung styles and designs ng embellishments I've instructed Ms. Leonie to do. Makukuha ko na siya by Oct 22 hopefully kung wala ng adjustments. Sayang..i forgot to take a pic of me wearing my gown.

On Food Tasting...

Finally, nakapagfood taste na kami at Rembrandt..haha! busog! Buffet ba naman ang menu so we really have to taste among 8 - 10 dishes ata yun. Anyway, may napili na kaming menu. We also have na our contract with them.

Daming accomplishments...ang saya saya!

Sikreto...

Sarap talaga ng naka-leave from work! Hehehe! For two days walang pressure at harassment yahoo! Sarap! Tapos Saturday and Sunday pa so 4 days straight na bakasyon cum wedding preps days. Hmm...pero I missed 3 calls from my colleague, Mel, this morning. I wonder ano na naman kaya ang nangyari sa center. When I texted her sabi niya saka na lang niya sasabihin..which is good at least I'll worry about it sa monday na lang..ayaw ko rin munang alamin. Heheh!


We've filed our Marriage License Application this morning..and I can't believe it..natapos namin ang application process in just 2 hours. To think na dapat may 2 seminars that we have to attend tig-3 hours each. Haha! Siyempre iba talaga pag under-the-table. May family friend kasi sina Paul na alam ang mga pasikot-sikot..no need to wait in long queus, and pinakamatindi no need to physically attend the seminars! Basta makukuha mo na lang ang license after 10 working days.


AT..may sikreto pala kami...since pareho kaming 24 yrs old we have to secure our parents' advice on the marriage. (those contracting marriage 21 yrs but below 25 yrs are required to seek parental advice under the Phil. Family Code). Since my dad is in saudi, it'll be more complicated if we have to be honest pa at magpa-sign ng ganun sa kanya. Kelangan pa ng kung anu-anong affidavits. So what we did..hehe we just forged the signature...sshhh! quiet lang..hehehe! Anyway, kahit naman tawagan nila dad ko he's fully aware of this marriage noh! He was even the one who bought our wedding rings eh. heheh!


We also met our coord, Kitte, this afternoon at Rembrandt. Nag-ocular siya sa Grand Ballroom ng Rembrandt as well as sa Sta. Rita. She'll be preparing na the floor plan for the reception. Also, we submitted to Ginnie, our AE at Rembrandt, the list of the menu we'll food taste on Saturday. We also picked up our banns from Sta Rita for submission and posting in our respective parishes.


So yun what a day! At bukas..my trial make-up naman with Loren and prenups with Kenneth Uy. Beauty rest muna ako...ciao!

73 days and near freaking out...

waaahh! Two months to go and yet seems like there are still a lot to accomplish..

I thought booking your suppliers is the hardest part..definitely not...what comes more difficult are the nitty gritty details that you have to do per supplier: meeting with them, follow ups through email, calls or text, discuss details and other changes, etc. and I know there's more to expect... the "real hardest" part is yet to come. I've been so stressed out with work and wedding preps and it shows with my itsura..hehe haggard kainis! Parang nabalewala ang pagmosegor ko before as I look thinner na naman daw...huhu! I need to relax pero pano? walang oras...

Paul and I filed 2 days of leave from work tomorrow and on Friday...it'll be devoted to wedding preps yahoo! Itinerary will be:

Thursday:

1. Submit letter of request to conduct prenups shoot at UST

2. File Marriage License application

3. Ocular with our coordinator, Kitte at Rembrandt and Sta. Rita

4. Buy paper at prestige for DIY RSVP cards, guest sheets, maps and thank you tags at Prestige Papers

5. Print DIY invite inserts mentioned above

6. Finalize misallette

Friday:

1. Trial Make-up with Loren (formerly from Clamar)

2. Prenups at UST and Parks and Wildlife with Kenneth Uy

3. Perhaps continue with printing of DIY stationery/paper stuffs

As for Saturday, we might schedule our food tasting with Rembrandt. Hay di pa pala nafifinalize lakad for saturday. This, Paul and I have to talk pa. Currently waiting for him..tagal nga eh gutom na ako..di pa ako nagdidinner siyempre dapat sabay kami..

My sister (my MOH and formerly works for a travel agency) informed me that we're still waitlisted with our PALakbayan-Bora honeymoon package. Huhu! Now she's taking chances with Seair and Cebu Pacific. I have a direct booking with Lorenzo South already, but we figured it'll be a lot cheaper if we avail the airlines' promo packages since airfare and hotel accomodations are already included. Hay good luck!

Bridal Registry and Bridal Shoes

We're already included in the list of Rustan's December Bridal Registrants. We'll be submitting our list of preferred generic gift items within this week. Hehe..it's fun pala choosing things which you would wish to receive.


I've already bought my bridal shoes last Saturday...a Rosanna Pena creation..o di ba may tatak pero super mura siya as in! Got it for only Php 799! Compared to customized ones na 3K na..ok lang naman siya..it fits well and super comfy sa toes and sa heels.

Production Meeting with Sentimental Groove

We finally had our first production meeting and contract signing with our all-in-one band, the Sentimental Groove last Saturday. We initially booked a sub-group, the Enamel. However, after careful deliberation with their production managers, Danny and Randy, we ended up booking Enamel MINUS Andy the Lead Singer cum guitarist PLUS lead vocals Johann and May AT the same rate agreed upon. Johann is the Josh Groban of the group who can also sing pop and R & B songs which delighted me since my bridal march is You Raise Me Up. They explained that Andy sings more of country music and definitely would not match our song preferences.

Here are the songs to be played on our wedding:

Church:

Entourage: Canon in D by Pachelbel

Bridal March: You Raise Me Up

Wedding Vows: Theme from Love Affair

Offertory: Panalangin Maging Bukas Palad

Communion: Panunumpa

Presentation of the Couple: This Will Be

Pictorials:

1. First Time I Loved Forever

2. How Did You Know

3. Forevermore

4. Ikaw

5. May Minamahal

Recessional: Umagang Kay Ganda

RECEPTION:

Receiving of Guests: Bosa Nova Style c/o of the Enamel

Introduction of Principal Sponsors & Entourage: Erin Shore

Couple's Entrance: More Today Than Yesterday

Invocation: The Prayer

Cake- Cutting: What A Wonderful World

Luncheon: Grow Old With You, For All of My Life, Power of Two, Say A Little Prayer, I Do, For the First Time, A Moment Like This, Because of You, I'll Be, Knocks Me Off My Feet, The Promise, Love Moves In Mysterious Ways, Valentine, Now That I Have You, Sunlight

Couple's First Dance: This I Promise You

Dancing Time: c/o Enamel

knock knock..updates naman

hello..am still here!

Just a quick blog post of what we've accomplished lately and we're eyeing to fulfill these coming days. Will really try to go into details once I got the time and pag nakapagpahinga na ako ng kahit konti (been really busy..):

* finally, we've found our entourage's gownmaker. pinagtiyagaan ang maputik na divisoria nung sabado (maulan last weekend because of the typhoons) ok lang at least we have a really tipid find. It's way below our budget kaya super happy talaga. I've already asked my bridesmaids and secondary sponsors to send their measurements.

* Invitations- we're halfway through na yata. RSVP card and map inserts for printing na lang.

* Tomorrow: the gift favors for male Principal Sponsors and entourage are ready for pick up. Same as with the customized invites' envelopes we ordered at Recto.

* Saturday: Bridal shoes hunt, bridal registry application at Rustan's, prodution meeting with Sentimental Groove.

* Sunday: Niyay! rest day overtime ako...huhu! pero ok lang at least may OT pay. As for Paul, perhaps he'll try to finish the invites na.

Next week..sobrang daming preps activities..I'll blog it as they happen na lang.

Have to sleep na..past midnight na..pay day tomorrow..as much as I love pay days, ganun ko din ka-hate kasi pagod - pagod na naman sa business center bukas..am sure dadagsain na naman kami because it's the last day for the Globe Lightest Stuff Promo. By the way, for Globe users diyan, unlimited text and discounted calls for postpaid and prepaid are extended until oct 27..Also, prepaid international roaming can now also be activated through text! just visit Globe Telecom's website for more promo details or email me at mdtoralba@globetel.com.ph...

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

Tagged..

I've been tagged by Mhay, Joy and..

here are my seven things..

Seven Things That Scare Me

1.) death of a loved one

2.) shortage of cash and check collections or stock variances at work

(san ako kukuha ng pambayad nga mga cellphones waah!)
3.) earthquakes

4.) meeting accidents

5.) getting broke

6.) mumu

7.) big dogs (lalo na mga askal)

Seven Things I Like The Most

1.) Spending time with Paul

2.) Internet

3.) KFC

4.) my mobile phone

5.) paydays and bonuses

6.) weekends and holidays

7.) shopping

Seven Random Facts About Me

1. I'm Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty) hehehe!br>

2. my nickname "mai" is derived from my real nick at home which is maileen

3. I am christened at home with lots of pen names...ninin, mogle, siding, mingming

4. I'm a sleepyhead..kaya nga gamit na gamit ang snooze mode ng cellphone alarm ko :D

5. I'm workaholic (no choice eh)

6. The heaviest I've been so far was only 100 lbs

7. I'm an Ilocana pero hirap to speak the dialect

Seven Important Things In Our Bedroom

1. My bed

2. my 4 pillows

3. mirror

4. electric fan

5. Nicholas Sparks' books

6. mp3 player and speaker

7. phone

Seven Things I Plan To Do Before I Die

1. Have children

2. Own a house

3. Own businessES (plural ito)

4. Travel around the world

5. Ensure my family is well established

6. Put up a school

7. Migrate to another country (niyahaha!)

Seven Things I Can Do:

1. I can be a voracious eater without getting fat/gaining weight

(kahit na pilit ng nagpapataba)

2. I can get dressed for work in 30 minutes

3. I can type numerous serial numbers fast without looking at the numpad

4. I can sleep for 12 hours straight

5. I can dance

6. I can survive my mornings without eating breakfast

7. fly (sa panaginip..hehe! la na akong maisip eh)

seven things i can't do

1. swim (floating lang alam ko)

2. drive (kaya nga andiyan si paul eh haha!)

3. last a day without talking with Paul

4. cartwheel

5. live without internet

6. be stuck alone on an island mala-castaway kahit na may "wilson" akong kasama

7. eat ampalaya

Seven Things That Attract Me To The Opposite Sex

1. Love for God

2. Love and value for family

3. Sense of humor

4. Smart

5. Goal-oriented

6. Sense of responsibility

7. simplicity

Seven Things I Say the Most

1. Bi

2. Nyee

3. Ow noowww!

4. Anak ng ...!

5. Kainis naman...

6. Anohhh baahhh yaannnn!

7. Paksiyet (hehehe!)

People you want to take this Quiz:

Seems like they were all tagged already...

stresstabs

Sa wakas nakauwi din kami ng maaga yahoo! As part of our center's cost cutting measures, our business hours are reduced..from 8am-6pm, we're now only open from 9 am - 5 pm. Though payment transactions are still voluminous..at least, we can go home earlier na. Siyempre it means more rest or should I say makakapagliwaliw na kami sa mall! We finished at 6:15 kanina yey! isa itong himala! we're used to going home at 8:30 or even 9 pm.


Anyway, we may be happy that we're going home early but still, pay days will be less anticipated na. Konti na lang kasi ang OT pay. Hay naku, when you're a cash officer (a.k.a cashier) sa globe, it's quite expected na you seem to get twice of your basic dahil sa OT..yep! sa last payslip ko nga di ako makapaniwala 37.5 hours of OT for 12 working days (average of 3 hours of OT daily)???? You could just imagine the stress I go through everyday...Hay naalala ko tuloy yung commercial ng stresstabs...malapit ko na atang maging kamukha yun dahil sa stress. niyay!


By the way, with regards to my previous post..thanks sa lahat ng nagleave ng comments..thanks sa encouraging words niyo..kelangan ko talaga yun. I'm doing okay na. :D As i've said ..i know kaya ko ito!

sad..pero kaya ko ito!

sorry..i just have to vent out what I feel..ayaw ko na munang umiyak as I had enough..

Throughout our preparations since January..

we've been doing everything on our own..

we did not ask for help...

nor were there offers of help, too...

bakit ngayong kung kelan malapit ng matapos...

naririnig namin ang "sana ganyan, sana ganito.."

hay! all i can say is that..

"sana you told us beforehand when we're starting pa lang para naconsider namin.."

"sana maisip niyo na this is our day.."

"sana tulungan niyo na lang kami at wag ng dumagdag pa sa pressure"

I never thought it'll be this hard...

daming pressures...

kainggit ibang w @ wies..they have their families by their side..

extending help kahit na di hinihingi..

asking how are they doing with their preps

oh well..ganyan talaga ang buhay..

how i wish makapag-leave ako anytime from work para ma-accomplish ang mga marami-rami pang to-do's..

with barely 3 months left..dami pang gagawin..i hate to think pero nagpapanic na ata ako..hay!

sad..so sad talaga..pero kaya ko ito!

Off-topic: Congrats to UST-SDT!

Four-peat na ito!

Congrats to UST - Salinggawi Dance Troupe for bagging the 2005 UAAP Cheerdancing Competition..siyempre basta Thomasians magagaling!

hanep ng pyramid!

** photos courtesy of RPSports.com..more pics at http://www.rpsports.com/photos/search.aspx?gid=342 **

Invitations / Pre-Cana / Honeymoon / Birthday

On Invitations:

We haven't finished our DIY invites. Oh well, am not sure if we're halfway done since Paul and I are so busy these days. We are struggling to fit in work, business and wedding preps on our supposedly "rest days" on weekends. Paul has finished printing the 2 main inserts, drafted the map of the church and reception, and has cut and folded the main cover. To do's are the designs of the front cover, monogram and envelopes. I'm still optimistic, though. We hope to, err..should I say we must finish all these by November, in time for its distribution on 2nd-3rd week of Nov.

On Pre-Cana:

Major accomplishment for the week. :yehey!:

This is one of the church requirements we have to attend. This is scheduled by Sta. Rita Parish every second sunday of the month. It's a 3-hour seminar conducted by a marriage counsellor to prepare engaged couples for the proper disposition in marriage and family life. There's not much activity..we introduced ourselves to 15 other couples..and we just listened as he lectured on the basics of what to expect in marriage and family life and the ways of sustaining a happy family. He put more emphasis on the practical side..that is, we have to consider the couple's financial capacity in raising a family. Siyempre naman..sa hirap ng buhay ngayon..mahirap nga naman magkaroon ng maraming anak.

Honeymoon:

We went to Megamall this afternoon to check out the Philippine Travel Mart Expo. Just like the wedding expos we've attended, I went home with lots of flyers..only this time it was limited to honeymoon getaways specifically Boracay resorts. Yeah..I have to give in..at first, I was totally torn between visiting HK Disneyland and Boracay..but this time..ok na ako sa Boracay lang MUNA. (uuyy still hoping sa HK) hehe! Ok lang since we both haven't been to Bora. So yun, I'm rummaging through the Bora flyers I collected and started requesting through email for their peak season rates or honeymoon packages if they have. Tentatively, we're thinking of scheduling our getaway on dec. 19-21 (peak season na siya talaga). Since peak season na siya, we really have to book as early as now..nakow baka nga late na nga rin eh. hay good luck samin. So far, we're considering Pearl of the Pacific, Patio Pacific, Lorenzo Resorts (thanks Maricel for the referral), Boracay Regency, etc. Dami ko pang flyers dito..To those who've been to Bora, any recommendations?

Birthday:

Today's the birthday of my little brother..actually di na siya little..awww..sana baby pa rin siya. I miss his kakulitan, kadaldalan at kalikutan..I used to lull him to sleep nung toddler pa siya..eh ngayon may nililigawan na eh huhu! Happy 16th Birthday, Rely!

Canonical Interview, updates and other kwentos

Supposedly blogged about this last wednesday but didn't have the time..

In lieu of the National Heroes Day last August 27 which fell on a Sunday, we are entitled to an extra day off from work. Having been saving my Vacation Leaves for a long break on December (wedding + Xmas break), I took this extra off to accomplish the things we've been planning to do.

8:00 AM: We attended our scheduled Canonical Interview at Sta. Rita. First, we were asked to individually fill out questionnaires which would basically indicate our readiness to marriage and compatibility of our background and our views regarding life, career, ambitions, plans, and most especially about our outlook on marriage. The test was relatively easy as it did not require logical thinking nor were there right or correct answers. I just felt a little bit uneasy for I might be surprised on the outcome..katakot lang na mamaya di pala compatible ang answers namin.

Second part was the orientation by the parish priest. He discussed the importance of the documents we're required to submit, discussed about what to expect on the succeeding seminars (Pre-Cana and Faith Catechesis) we'll be attending soon after the canonical interview, pointed out some reminders (especially "the don'ts") on the wedding ceremony proper. He then interviewed us individually..from which parish do we belong, if our parents are catholics, etc. Actually, what took place was not really an interview as he did all the talking. Just reminded us of what to expect on married life..that is, to be particular on each other's differences for he assured that misunderstandings of married couples definitely stem out of those unsettled differences. Minsan daw kahit na magbago ang isang tao, he would always come back to his old ways. There were other things he discussed pero not thoroughly as for sure it'll be talked about more on the pre-cana.

Third part was the pre-marriage counselling. It was in this activity when we discussed with a counsellor our answers to the test we took early on. On the contrary of my doubts, same ang answers namin ni Paul except for the family background questions. (I grew up in a broken, BUT nevertheless happy family). Katuwa kasi pareho pala kami ng thoughts and outlook not only on immediate plans but on the long-term goals din. We had fun exploring each other's insights with our counsellor..though medyo sinermonan din kami hehe! She reminded us not to forget the Lord..kelangan daw MANGUMPISAL as any moment we might leave this world..and of course, we wouldn't want to go unprepared.

After our canonical interview, we went to SPPI to follow up the proceeds of my brother's educational plan that was long overdue. Hay as usual uminit na naman ang ulo ko. Being the guardian, I've been constantly getting in touch with them since march of this year para ma-claim na ang 5th of 8th reimbursement ng tuition fee of my brother who's in junior yr HS. hay kaloka talaga eversince! Hirap nilang kausap..di pa rin sila nadala sa pagka-feature nila sa Private-I on ABS. I don't know what's taking them so long para maprocess ang check (I hope di pa naman sila palugi or something). Hay not only the process but even their Customer Service sucks BIG TIME! Akalain mong mag-irate ang client aba'y mag-irate din ang CSR nila? hay! As usual, we left their office empty-handed. They're asking us to provide a notarized SPA executed by my dad who's in saudi authorizing me to transact on his behalf. We have to provide this first daw before they'll process the check..ang arte talaga..to think this is our 5th claim na ha. Grrrr!

After lunch, we headed naman to Hotel Rembrandt. Tuesday afternoon, I set up an appointment with their AE, Beth, whom we initially talked with when we booked last january. To my surprise, she's no longer connected daw with rembrandt. And I was like uh-oh..pano na yung napag-usapan namin? I mean, were we properly endorsed kaya? So yun, the one's now in charge is Ginee. We discussed the inclusion of the package, how many pax are guaranteed, etc. When I asked if she would still give us discounts on the rates as promised by Beth, sabi niya wala daw :( Kalungkot talaga..nasa discretion daw ng master chef..niyay sino ba itong chef na ito at makausap. hehe! pero ok lang..la naman kaming magagawa. We were not able to sign the contract with Beth kasi prior to her resignation. Kasi naman contract is to be signed after the 50% DP is paid and after pa ng food tasting. Eh alangan naman Jauary pa lang magbayad na kami ng 50% eh tagal pa ng December nun noh..besides pinag-iipunan pa lang namin ni Paul nun. So la talaga kami habol dun sa nipromise ni Beth verbally. Hay ayun..amen na lang kami. Kaya kelangan pang mag-overtime ng husto hehe!

So yun..hopefully, this weekend more accomplishments pa. Definitely medyo busy ulit..we'll be having our Pre-Cana this Sunday..kaya wait for my next blog..till then!

Reflections

Got these links from my sister..

Click on it and take some time to reflect..

When you feel frustrated:

http://www.donghaeng.net/english/love/love.swf

When you feel nobody's beside you:

http://www.donghaeng.net/english/distance/dis.swf

When you feel stressed out:

http://www.donghaeng.net/english/string/string.swf

Wedding Expo 7th Edition

No doubt and without second thoughts..we were in "perfect attendance" with the recently concluded Wedding Expo - 7th Edition at the NBC Tent held September 3 - 4, 2005. If I'm not mistaken this was the 5th Bridal Fair I've attended and eventhough we've almost completed our suppliers line up, I definitely wouldn't miss this biggest, so far, bi-annual fair presented by Themes and Motifs.

September 3, Saturday: Paul and I went there at about 2 in the afternoon. Our itinerary for that day supposedly consists of the ff:

1. Pay 50% downpayment to Emily Uy of Sugarbox for our cake.

2. Meet Lala of Interplay to have our 50% DP (paid last April 29 paid through the bank) noted on the contract.

3. Check out promo pricing of Louis Maclean for their wines.

4. Drop by the w @ w booth to grab a copy of the 2005-2006 edition of the Bridal Yellow Pages and at the same time, hand Benz the recopied cd's of the W @ W Grand EB pics.

Every Saturday, Paul and I (siyempre automatic yun) should be at their computer shop by 3 pm. Its his turn kasi na magbantay dun. So since we're kinda late, I suggested that he goes ahead to the shop and I'll take care of those things that needed to be done in the fair. Pero before he left, we roamed around briskly..we went to w @ w booth to give benz the cd's sana. Kaso she was busy giving out w @ w tags to some w @ wies..so sabi ko balik na lang later. We then proceeded to Louis Maclean. For the fair, they offer huge discounts on their wines and bubblers plus free packaging. Great! Walang isip-isip pa, we agreed we'll order 8 bottles for our male Principal Sponsors but told the girl in charge we'll call for our orders na lang. Third stop, Emily Uy..ooppss she was busy attending to a client and on we went for a walk muna. Paul halted me when she saw Yna passed by. I ran after her and yun chika-chika and talon-talon ever. It's just so funny kasi as if naman di nagkita for a gimik kinagabihan..pero ever umaatikabong chikahan na naman. And ayun, since may kasama na ako, Paul left na.

Yna and I have similar adorable suppliers..Emily Uy and Lala of Interplay. Yna led me to Lala's booth first. Naabutan namin si Nikki ni Alvin dun. (Hi Nikki!) I told Lala of my purpose of going there and ayun..she checked her record and issued me receipt for the payment I deposited to her bank account last April 29. So kind of her to suggest she'd date the receipt yesterday para daw maka-join ako sa raffle. (For every 1000 you book with a supplier entitles you to join the raffle, the grand prize of which is a trip for 2 to bangkok). So there nagkaroon tuloy ako ng 10 tickets. While filling out the stubs, I heard our names as they were announcing the winners for the hourly raffle. Hehe! We won a potpourri from Deu Blends. Hmm..cool! Di me makapaniwala kasi usually di ako swerte sa ganyan. Oh well, katuwa talaga but it would be more fun kung manalo kami sa Bangkok Trip. hehe!

Yna and I also went to Emily and buti naman free na siya. I paid the 50% DP and had a little chit chat about the colors of our cakes. May mga samples kasi siya dun na nakadisplay and there was one cake na nagustuhan ko ang pagka-yellow niya. I asked if that's how it'll gonna be like for our cake pero sabi niya di daw canary yellow yun..it's lemon yellow. So sabi ko sige...ganyang yellow ang gusto ko and she took note of it. Yna also discussed with her some details and natawa ako sa sinabi ni Emily na "Naku wag mo ng ipatingin kay Yna ang mga designs na yan at magbabago na naman ang isip!) Hehe! Yna's wedding will be on Oct 14 (yihee! lapit na!).

We roam around the place and medyo kapagod siya since ang dami-daming tao..grabe rubbing elbows na literal! Buti na lang we saw familiar w @ wie faces dun..mec and jojo, geri and raymond, cindy ni mark, pinks and steve, con and nel, emmacks ni sam, tin and archie, dionne and joven, etc. We made some chika-chika muna..some of us made tambay sa booth ng interplay. It's fun to know kasi ang daming w @ wies ang nagbooked kay lala and sobrang natutuwa sa kanya..well, who wouldn't be? super darling and bubbly kasi...aside from her very, very reasonable rates.

We then proceded to the w @ w booth...buti naman at free na rin si Benz. I gave her the cd's and explained how the pics were divided. I also got a copy of the Bride's Yellow Pages. I was also able to obtain the contract for the bridal car service from AdeB.

After a while, nagpaalam na rin si Yna so naglibot-libot me ng mag-isa. Hay! it really was a tiring one kasi naman ang dami kong dala..the can of potpourri we won which was kinda bulky, lootbag containing magazine and other flyers, a file case - freebie from del monte kitchenomics, etc. Pero kahit na madami akong dala, I tried the chocolate fountains na nagkalat dun. Hmm yum yum! (mahal nga lang!) With tired hands from the loots I was carrying and sore feet, I finally resigned and headed home.

September 4, Sunday: Medyo sumaglit lang. 1) We ordered the wines from Louis Maclean. 2) Tried all the chocolate fountains. <--Wish ni Paul na matikman. I learned that he felt bad nung di daw niya na-try yesterday. So to grant his wish..ayun lahat tinikman namin...saya! Hmm..do i smell inclusion of a choco fountain on the budget list here?

Yipee may accomplishments na naman kami recently...

paid DP for the cake, ordered gift favors for the male Principal Sponsors and male entourage, obtained contract from AdeB..and by the way, may CENOMAR na rin pala kami. Marriage License na lang kulang for our legal documents required by the church. We'll be both on leave from work on Wednesday for our Canonical Interview in the morning and discuss the reception details with Beth of Rembrandt in the afternoon.

We're nearing the 100th day mark before the big day...soon, 2 digits na lang ang bilangan. I think we have most of the things covered na. Three months na lang...hmm...before we know it..Dec. 17 na! :wink:

W @ W Grand EB Prenups

Here are the free prenups pictures I mentioned on my last blog. Thanks to Frank of Imagineer..hehe practice ito for our "real" prenups soon with Kenneth, our booked photographer.

More of these at:

http://community.webshots.com/album/440536729cRVTFw

or click on the

<---- flickr badge at the left sidebar.

MGA PA-CUTE!!! hehehe!

W@W Grand EB High!

Million thanks to benz and john, the brains behind www.weddingsatwork.com (w @ w) and its egroups http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WeddingsAtWork/, for organizing the much-awaited Grand EB of the w @ wies last August 28 at The Oasis. Truly, it was fun and memorable as we got the chance to meet the faces behind those emails, who we've exchanged with wedding preps ideas, raves and rants. There were lots of activities prepared, free prenups shoots, games (physical and nerve-wracking ones), giving of the 2005 W @ W Peer Awards, we feasted on the sumptuous meals prepared by the sponsors and of course the non-stop chikahan!

The W @ W Family

Eventhough we arrived early at 2:55 pm, (the EB starts at 6 pm) BITIN pa rin!!!!! Hehehe, we bagged the "Earlybird Award" nga pala. Actually, we were there early to avail of the free Prenups Shoots sponsored by John Mateos Ong and Frank of Imagineer scheduled at 3 pm. As announced last Friday, the prenups would be on a first come first serve basis. Hala sige, excited kami kaya ayun..2:55 pa lang andun na kami. They were setting up the place pa lang and wala pa yung mga photographers. Take note..we arrived before John and Benz did! hahah! Partida natraffic pa kami sa gilmore hehehe! While waiting for the photographers and other w @ wies who'd also be availing of the prenups, we toured the venue muna. The Oasis is located along Aurora Blvd. It's kinda new pa lang siya and truly maganda ang place...nice landscaping, malinis, ample parking space.

3:15 pm..the second couple came. They were Tin and Archie. It was my first time to meet Tin pero narecognize ko na siya from afar...saw her pic kasi sa blog niya. Ngapala, runner-up sila sa Earlybird awards! Then a few minutes later came Charie and Wella. After a while, we were called na to start the prenups. Frank of Imagineer was the one assigned to us. He was warm and friendly naman. Paul and I were quite comfortable while he was taking picture of us. He instructed us what pose to make, where to sit and lie down (wahaha oo pinahiga ako sa damuhan), where to look at. He even shared to us how deep his passion is to photography. We learned na by profession, he's an architect pala and sabi niya wedding photography is more lucrative kahit na mahal ang mga gamit. Oh my gulay! yung mga cams pala nila 100K na yun, and depende pa sa mga lens na ginagamit nila. Nevertheless, the shoot was fun. Though medyo limited lang ang shots na ginawa samin ni Frank compared to John who was in charge naman kina Tin and Archie. Maybe Frank was anticipating of more w @ wies who'd be arriving soon. Since it was a Saturday, Paul has to leave soon since kelangan niyang magbantay sa computer business niya. Sayang lang kasi konti pa lang pala ang w @ wies na dumating para magpaprenups and the coordinator of Vision and Ideas was asking me kung gusto naman namin magpakuha kay John. Sayang nga lang and I told her na in as much as I want to eh Paul has already left. Ok na rin lang, at least meron pa rin naman kami. After all, we have our own prenups naman with our booked photographer, Kenneth Uy, some time this september or october.

Minutes and hours later.. and after a heavy downpour of rains, W @ wies started to arrived, some alone but most with their h2bs ( W @ w lingo for husband-to-be). I met Mhay ni Jerry , Karla ni Alex, Meng ni Keith, Mec and Jojo, Yna and Xean, Jacque and Simon, Maricel ni Arnold, Dionne and Joven, Con ni Nel, Aggie and Edil, Joy and John, Jeng and Jeff, Ivy and Gail, Cindy ni Mark, Inch and Bryan, Tina and Glenn, Chris and sobrang dami pa! Wella, Charie, Tin and I volunteered to man the registration. Sabi ba naman nina Wella para daw akong congressman..as I would know names nila considering first time ko silang mameet. Siyempre, yan ang nagagawa ng bloghopper hehe! I'd seen their pics on their blogs kaya I recognized them agad.

Charie, Me, Tin, Wella & Mec

Sarap ng food prepared by Josiah's. There were 3 caterers who sponsored the event pero I only got to taste Josiah's. Got full agad kaya di na ako nag buffet table hop pa. It was a blast talaga. We even won one of the group games..courtesy of Archie ni Tin hahaha! kaya may mga w @ w mugs and key chains kami. There were lots of games conducted..Bring Me Game, Donut Eating Contest, Longest Kissing Couple, "Scategories" etc. The said games also showcased the talents of my w @ wie sisters and their h2bs...there's the killer giling moves of jojo and mec, simon-jacque and yna-xean duets and the acapella of mhay ni jerry..grabe I was in awe to know na talentado pala mga ito! Galing-galing nila! There was also the W @ W Peer Awards (got nominated too for the EBest of them all..which kinda surprised me since twice pa lang naman me nakaattend ng mga EBs before)...The winners deserved the awards.. most of them got my votes hehe! Congrats Aggie, Mec, Jacque, Wella, Glo and Francis!

Tired as I was, I went home with lots of goodies in tow, with a smile on my face and siyempre baon ang super fun memories with my w @ w family that I'll truly cherish. Wedding preps would never be fun as it should be without w @ w...and with that I'm just so happy and blessed to belong in this group. At w @ w, empathy is an understatement, nobody out there understands the sentiments and moods of a bride and groom more than, we, w @ wies do. Kaya nga super blessing talaga samin sina mama benz and big dad john..our w @ w parents who started it all. Million thanks will not be enough to express our gratitude..siguro the best way we can pay them back is to help those new fellow w @ wies just like we were welcomed and helped before . Ah basta I'm truly proud being a W @ wie..

can't wait for the Xmas Party on November!!

**tagal naman...:wink:**

more pics can be seen at

http://community.webshots.com/album/435567623cZAmzI

Glimpse on Our Precious..

One of the things that I was most excited about this weekend are these...

Couldn't contain my excitement when my dad and tita texted me about our rings (gifts nila)...they have it na..fully engraved and ready to be slipped onto our fingers. Pero sorry me, hanggang pics lang muna as these rings are still in Saudi...sa November ko pa siya makikita up close and masusukat when they get home.

Thanks Pa and Auntie Lily! love u!

Our Precious..

Got a surprise overseas call from dad this noon..la lang nangungumusta and informing me na he's in jeddah right now for a few-days-work-assignment...(my dad's a civil engineer and he's based in dammam, saudi arabia where he works as a consultant for saudi electric company). He also told me na they ordered our wedding rings na (their wedding present to us aside from the monetary gift they gave us last January) yahooo! white gold and "kagaya daw ng nasa pic" which i gave them as their guide in finding our ideal bands. Makukuha daw siya after a week. Yahoo! excited na ako..can't wait to see the pics. Kaso nga lang sa november pa namin siya mahahawakan at masusukat since my dad and stepmom will be home by the end of november pa. :(

__________________

Am not happy with what's going on in our center. Two of my colleagues will be transferred to another center -- all because of cost-cutting. We have to cut down the center's salary expenses. (Kung sabagay, lahat naman yata ng companies ngayon sobrang nagtitipid). Kaso siyempre, sino ba naman ang gustong magpalipat pa sa ibang center. Marami ngang naiinggit samin because of our 8 am - 6 pm fixed business hours and holidays, saturday-sunday rest days. Halos lahat kasi ng business centers ng Globe eh mall-based so siyempre mall hours and hindi fixed ang rest days nila. So yun, since walang magvovolunteer talaga, the officers (including us, mga cashiers ooopppsss cash officers pala..we're no ordinary kahera, y' know hehe!) voted for these two people na malilipat. Labag man sa kalooban namin pero we have to. These two colleagues of mine have been informed na of their transfer..and siyempre nakakaawa. I just wish them the best of luck and may they excel and ipakita na nila na basta trained sa Tower One..the best! (waahh good luck din samin na maiiwan..undermanned na kami sobra! huhuhu!)

________________

Got a new mobile phone today! yipee and i love it! It's a SE K700i...



I just couldn't resist the promo - Existing Globe G-Plan subscribers may avail of a handset under HANDSET BASE PRICING at 0% interest up to 18 months when using any of the participating Credit Card for payment. O siya..kalikutin ko muna... :D

Church Wed Seminars skeds and other blurbs

Yipee! We had a productive Saturday today...First, we went to Sta. Rita this noon to have our Canonical Interview, Pre-Cana Seminar and other required Formations scheduled. The parish holds these activities once every month. We scheduled ours as follows:

Canonical Interview - September 7, Wednesday

Pre-Cana Seminar - September 11, Sunday

and another seminar (hehe! ano nga ulit yun?) - September 18, Sunday

We have to schedule it ahead so that we could already file our leaves from work. In my case, so that we could ask for a reliever. I'm a frontliner and with our center having a high-foot traffic and now already undermanned (cost-cutting ek-ek), it's hard when one takes a leave. Sobrang kawawa. I'll be celebrating my first year with Globe this 27th, and would you believe I've only had .5 vacation leave out of 15 days allowed to date? Whew! half-day lang yun...that's a record for me hehe! It's not that super loyal ako or what, it's just that I could not leave my colleagues behind na nahihirapan. I know the feeling kasi. Imagine..kulang na lang di ka makapag-lunch sa sobrang dami ng payment transactions. Anyway, that's fine with me naman..besides, am saving it for december hehehe!

Side kwento: Before going to the parish office, it was 2 pm and there's a wedding being held. Sakto sa bridal entourage kaya I told Paul na panoorin muna namin...to get ideas siyempre. As always, medyo nagiging tear-jerker ako talaga everytime I watch a bridal march. After the entourage and the parents have marched and prior to the bride's entrance, the church doors were closed. The bridal march was an instrumental of "The Prayer". Very solemn ng mood and after some notes, the doors were openned and there was the beaming bride. Waahhh..ako na nanood lang and I didn't even know the couple pero naiiyak ako. I wonder pano kaya ako sa mismong march ko. Di kaya magngangawa ako dun hehehe! Ngapala, definitely we'll be adapting the closing doors effect..para may drama! hehe!

After talking with Cecille and all our queries answered, we proceded to Prestige Paper. We bought the sample paper Paul will be using for our invitation covers. Since our motif is powder blue and canary yellow, we chose the paper type, Hong Kong 230 gsm light blue. Hard enough for the cover and nice shade..though di talaga siya sakto na powder blue pero pwede na. Finally, we were able to complete the names of our entourage and principal sponsors. Yehey! Paul was able to print a few inserts na. Galing-galing talaga...I'm proud kasi DIY (do-it-yourself) lang siya pero ang ganda! Parang pinagawa sa labas.

Since walang magawa habang nagbabantay dito sa shop nila Paul, I scanned the choices (from the mags) for the entourage gowns. Since maaarte mga ate ko who are my Maids of Honor, I reminded them to have their preferred design ready this weekend. Aba ang reply ba naman ng isa, "akalain mong seryoso pala na magpapakasal ka noh!" ang kulit! heheh! As for my bridesmaids and secondary sponsors, will just email them the designs and I hope approve sa kanila mga yun.

I also exchanged text messages with our photographer, Kenneth Uy. I asked if we could possibly schedule our prenups shoot this September. Sabi niya he's available on weekdays only..if we want daw sa october, medyo free siya on weekends. I just told him na we'll check our schedule first. So yun, pag-uusapan pa muna namin ni Paul.

So yun, medyo productive talaga ngayon hehehe! Back to wed preps ulit yahoo!

Our Honeymoon Destination is....

where kaya? (considering the meager budget, of course)...

Option No. 1: HONG KONG

Option No. 2: BORACAY

Option No. 3 : EL NIDO

(yun eh kung bibigyan ako ni Angie ng big, big discount!)

--hehe isinima kunwari--

The poll is now open..hehehe!

...chentleens forever

I was browsing over my saved messages on my mobile phone and this one made me smile once again...

I'd b hapi 2 emcee 4 ur wedding mai..D least i cud do..Ay grbe dti mga debut nyo lng ang iniemcee k, ngyn wedding na..Awww rgards to paul, too. Mis u! Mwah! :)

Got this last Apr 23 from my HS bestfriend, Gretchen, when I asked her the favor to emcee our wedding reception program along with a HS classmate, Archie. While Paul's family and I were on our way to Pampanga for an outing, we were delighted to hear our names over the fm radio..

"Hi to Mai and Paul who are tuned in right now...they were my classmates in high school and it's nice to know that they're tying the knot on December..so I'm wishing you all the best guys!".

That's Gretch greeting us over the airwaves..she's a deejay at Blazin 105.9 (10 am - 2 pm weekdays, 2-6pm on saturdays). O di ba astig ang emcees namin! Archie and Gretch were the best debaters we have on our batch. (Archies's working for Miriam Defensor-Santiago). I'm sure they'll do great on our day, eversince, lagi na silang nag-e-emcee, besides, it'll have a more personal touch since they know a lot about us..especially Gretch, whom I shared almost all of my HS secrets with. We used to have a journal where we would alternately write a message for each other everyday...andun lahat ng secrets, pen names of our crushes, doodles ng kung anu-ano, poems, our theme songs for our moods, heartaches, sama ng loob, anything we'd like to write.

She really was indeed my bestfriend as we had lots of similarities kaya nag-jive talaga kami..we're both small (body built and height), we both wore braces, we're both moody, we loved the songs even if by jam morales and tell me by joey albert, etc. Awww, reminiscin such makes me miss her a lot. We parted ways na kasi nung college. She took up AB Legal Management while I took up Business Ad..though we went to the same college building at UST, we rarely saw or even bumped into each other as we had different sched and eventually, had different circle of friends :( Di pa uso cellfone nun, la naman siyang landline sa dorm..so ayun...nawalan ng communication. It was just the other year, i think, when I got hold of her mobile number. Ayun, tapos nakita ko siya sa friendster..and there..ayan may balita na ako sa knya. The last time I saw her..sa underpass ng Ayala-Paseo. Papasok me ng office while siya naman pauwi na. She works at Sykes in the evening and hits the airwaves in the morning..hay ang sipag ng lola! (not to mention ang yaman na nito!)

When Paul and I were planning who to get as our emcee..without second thoughts, i texted gretch right away. If there's one person who knows how it all started between Paul and I, that would be Gretch. Kaya Gretch..manlibre ka naman..(haha! ang layo)

You may be wondering why with that title, "chentleens" was how we fondly called our "best-friendship". "Chent" taken from her name, Gretchen, and "leen" from my long nickname, Maileen. (Uy trivia yun..now you know kung san galing ang "mai"..eh ang layo sa real name ko na napaka-santacruzan ang dating na "maria elena").

And with Gretch accepting the favor, ngayon pa lang, thankful na ako. Indeed, chentleens forever..right Gretch?

More Today Than Yesterday...

As the Ayala Center commercial jingle goes...

Oh, I love you more today than yesterday

But not as much as tomorrow

I love you more today than yesterday

But, darling, not as much as tomorrow...

hmm.. a good song to be heard on the reception...a wedding song, indeed. Have to include this in the repertoire that Enamel of Senti Groove shall play on our day. Speaking of Sentimental Groove, haven't got in touch with them since the last time we attended a demo..that was our fourth visit and hehehe yup with uncertainty, (because of negative feedbacks we heard about them at the weddingsatwork yahoogroups on how they deal with their clients) we booked them. We also had our share of disappointments with them.."magulo kausap, magulo ang pricing, etc"..but ewan super galing kasi nila. Performance wise...galing! Anyway, I just hope that everything will be ok..I'm sure Kitte, our coord, will be there to back us up. We'll schedule to have our Production Meeting with them some time on october, at the same time, have to pay kahit mga 40% lang of our balance...para di naman mabigat bayaran come our wedding day.


La lang..i'm blogging about this song because just received this from a fellow w @ wie (thanks apols!). Last song syndrome? Maybe maya-maya ng konti pag natapos na at nagsawa na ako sa kauulit-ulit nito.

Paul's Promotion

Paul surprisingly dropped by the office this noon..all smiles ang mokong ang his eyes sobrang glittering.


Siyempre, Paul got his ratings na and woohoo! this calls for a celebration! My hubby-to-be will be promoted to software engineer (from junior SE) come september. Am so excited! Pero siyempre mas excited ako sa increase ng pay wahahaha!


Congrats bi! Keep it up.. am so proud of you. :D

Officially Missing You

Aside from being my all-time fave, Tamia's cut is absolutely my current theme song..

I miss a lot of things..

1.) blogging - obviously, i rarely log in and post my blurbs these days. Give me my own PC, a BIG break from work (err, resign??) and I'll devote 50% of my time blogging 50% will be for the # 2 of my "officially missin'" list. My bro, as usual, crams for projects and assignments that I'm barely "allowed" to use this PC. This PC serves 2 bosses lately, number 1 is my cramming bro and the other one is my "chatting" sis whose thoughts nowadays are "mawala na lahat, wag lang Yahoo Messenger!". Pwedeng bang isama ang PC sa wish list ng bridal registry namin? Bundled with internet connection..DSL ha? hehe!

2.) Wed Preps - I dunno..it's been a while since I was so enthusiastic doing it. Lately, i've been focused on work on weekdays and raving to rest on weekends. There are still a lot of nitty-gritty details to do..waaah! la pang entourage gowns couturier. We're still into it pa naman siyempre pero sobrang hinay..as in no major accomplishments. We already have our CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) applied..and due to be released on the last week of August. Paul already has his Certificate of Confirmation annotated for marriage purposes. Mine, ayun andun pa sa Sts. Peter and Paul Parish where I was confirmed hehe! Haven't requested for one but nag-inquire na ako. Seems like easy to obtain naman. It'll cost me Php30..punta lang daw ako dun and I'll have it kaagad. No other requirements or papers to submit. Baptismal Certificates..ayun la pa. I'll request mine sa Isabela..will just text my uncle or mama for that. Marriage License la pa din. Hay! Getting married is so complicated pala. hehe! Ah basta, I promise, September MUST be a one-busy wed preps month for us. By the way, our coordinator Kitte of Out of the Box Events, has updated their site. Hehe andun na names namin sa Weddings To Come nila....check it out! To my fellow w @ wies na wala pang coordinator, do check them out..i tell you..sobrang nice catch sila. :D

3. Studying - hmmm..ako nga ba ito? i don't know..it just crossed my mind. Seeing my brother review for his periodical tests revives my thoughts..shall I pursue my MBA dream? hehe baka mamaya "dream on" na lang...let's see...asa pa ako...makapag-leave nga from work di ko magawa, mag-masteral pa kaya..san ko isisingit sa sched ko yun?

Aside from these three, I miss my family (my dad's in saudi, my other sis is attending to a business she just recently put up in Pasig and rarely goes home na dito :sigh: ), my HS classmates, my college peers, my former colleagues at BPI and Contactpoint, my colleagues at Globe: myra and jade - one's on a long-term leave and the other one has transferred to another business center.

Hay if only my mood meter from unkymoods is working (oo nga, ano nga bang nangyari dito? seems like the site's no longer functioning)..it could be a "i'm on a senti mood". Anyway, a brand new week is coming up...am not excited...work work work na naman...alang katapusang work...tagal naman ng Friday.......makatulog na nga lang...

ZzZzzZzzzZzzzzzzzz!