bummer

We registered for the CEE since August and now that it's 2 weeks away, Elisha (the coordinator) says that it has been moved to Nov. 19-21. I am utterly disappointed and frustrated - I was looking forward to it since it will also solve our problem of attending a pre-cana seminar. Of course since our travel schedules have already been made, I had to scratch it out of the list. Sniff, sniff.

random details part 2 - veils, tiaras, and hairstyles

Came across a site for wedding veils and tiaras and learned that there are a lot of choices for these things. For one, there's a Shimmer Veil that, as the name implies, shimmers. I'm not so sure this is a great idea for me - I don't think I want to be too shiny on my wedding day, given that it's at 9AM.



Next is the Beaded-edge Veil. This looks promising - I love the dainty details on the edges. It should bring more life to the veil, instead of it just being a dreamy cover.



Last is the Sparkly Veil, which has scattered crystals along the edge - very dramatic and should be perfect for pictures.



Whew - and that's just the veil! Found tiaras too... I've always been fascinated with the headband type - I just hope I find a good one that won't give me a migraine!



I wonder where the veil will be placed if i decide to wear my hair down... I don't think a chignon or a bun would work well with my face, unless I want to look like a siopao walking down the aisle. On second thought, maybe a half-do is a good compromise - I hope this is as matibay as a chignon. Oh well, I guess that's what trial sessions are all about!



Who would have thought each and every wedding detail requires so much research?

just the way you are

Don't go changing to try and please me,
You never let me down before.
And don't imagine you're too familiar,
And I don't see you anymore.

I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble,
We never could have come this far.
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,
I'll take you just the way you are.

-- Just The Way You Are
(Billy Joel)

*photo from http://www.pantip.com/ecard/sassygirl

chatuchak finds

Last Saturday's Chatuchak Weekend Market goodbye trip was a pretty productive one. J was in Bangkok and also needed a few things for his wedding -- so M and I helped him pick an essentail oil scent for their oil burner centerpieces, and incense for their principal sponsors' spa pack. He ended up buying 2 liters of oil for only 700 Baht, (more than enough for 20 tables) and red-orange incense sticks with wooden block holders for their gifts.

It is definitely easier for guys, and grooms for that matter, to shop - not only do they follow their shopping lists and budgets, but they just have to see one store and buy it, and not go around in circles before they decide on something. In less than 30 minutes, we were done with J's list and - girls being girls - M & I ended up randomly checking out stalls and buying a few things.

After a few stalls:
J: What are you looking for?
P: Nothing in particular.
J: How can girls do that... go shopping without any specific item in mind, but end up buying a lot.
P: It's a girl thing.

True to form, we did end up buying a lot of things, even without a shopping list in hand. While M was picking out thai silk shawl colors, I found a stack of monochromatic light pink and white shawls. I opened them up and it was love at first sight - I just had to get them as gifts for our entourage. Not only were they the perfect shade of pink I was hoping for, but the were pretty inexpensive too! So using the excuse that I will not find anything better anymore, I got 3 pieces and crossed entourage gifts out of my wedding list.

On the way back to M's apartment to deposit our finds, J and I traded wedding status reports. Since he's moving to Bangkok soon, their wedding is pretty much in place, down to their centerpieces. Together with his future wife, they've done the rounds of talking to different suppliers and going to bridal fairs. He says that it's always good to book suppliers during bridal fairs because they have a lot of freebies or discounts.

With all this talk about weddings last weekend, I'm getting excited about going home and booking suppliers! Things are slowly falling into place in terms of our pamanhikan and wedding-related errands - more reasons to get giddy!

random details part 1

If there's one detail I really really want for our invitations, it's the use of a monogram. I've always found those cursive strokes interesting and it's an absolute must-have for me. I found these online and amazingly, it's not that expensive! I've ordered a catalogue to be sent to Aldo so we can compare prices in Manila. I hope there's an even better printer in Manila so that it'll be easier to distribute our invites!

a visual description

This captures my wedding theme! I love Martha Stewart Weddings!

rewind

I am virtually swimming in a flood of questions, procedures, and requirements for our sponsorship papers. I reviewed the forms we need to submit after December, and it feels like we're submitting a thesis of our relationship! Good thing I'm a sentimental pack-rat, and I've saved a sizeable number of emails, cards, letters, trip receipts, boarding passes, and phone bills - I knew they were going to be useful one day. At least now that I have to dig up everything, I might as well start a scrapbook and get it over with.

According to the forms, we have to attach pictures, receipts, and whatever else we have as proof of our relationship. Funny how that term can reduce a relationship into a paper transaction. Ironically, some friends of mine think that since we're apart, Aldo and I have a relationship that is less special or less stronger than theirs, but apparently to the folks in the immigration department, we have a strong one since we've got receipts, pictures, and letters to prove it! Hmm, seems like immigration will be easier to please than friends.

But that's not the point.

One of the most nitty-gritty questions is... "Describe how your relationship after your first contact/meeting with your sponsor and if you and your sponsor dates or went on any outings or trips together. Provide photos and documentary evidence of events or activities in which you both participated."

The first time Aldo asked me out was under the guise of not eating lunch yet. He was at the prayer meeting earlier than anyone else and he called me to ask if I could come early too. The next time was when we watched a movie and walked around Megamall's Interior Decor floor - I thought it was pretty weird that he was giving me a mini-lecture about different toilet bowls... but as in all relationships, it doesn't really matter what you do, but who you're with. Shopping for toilet bowls may have been a weird idea to some, but for us, it was the perfect date to get to know each other a tad bit more.

Our most memorable date (other than Banff) would probably be when I literally morphed into Garfield over dinner. We had dinner at Itallianni's and ordered a putanesca. Three forkfuls later, my eyes were slowly swelling til they were eventually half-shut - talk about a horror story! I was beyond being embarassed but Aldo, being the loving person that he is, got the check and drove me home, and stopped at the nearest drugstore to buy my medicine. After that night, we pretty much swore off putanesca, and Aldo has been careful of my allergies ever since. God must really have a funny way of giving us signs on who we're going to end up with.

Too bad we don't have documentary evidence of those dates... it would have been entertaining for the immigration officers reviewing our papers!

And that's just the 1st part of 1 form!

november at last!

Since January we've been planning, researching, and organizing wedding details from a distance... but in 15 nights and 20 days (only 2 weekends left!), Aldo and I are off to Manila! A few months back I felt like time was moving at a snail's pace, but now that it's November, I secretly wish that it moves a bit slower so I have more time to pack and procrastinate. Hahaha

Last weekend, I officially started my round of goodbyes to what I will miss most about Bangkok - shopping places!

Our schedule in Manila is slowly getting filled up with meetings, family gatherings, and wedding errands - so much to do in 10 days! So far, we have these on our list:

- Pre-prod meetings and contract-signing with Terry Uy and John Ong
- Contract-signing and deposit with Edsa Shangri-La
- Pamamanhikan
- Civil wedding
- Prenup shoot
- Marvin & Josephine's wedding
- Catholic Engaged Encounter

Add to that, of course, are new restaurants and places in Manila we've heard about but have never tried together. I'm pretty excited to bring Aldo to the Vivere Suites bar, to Global Cafe in Greenbelt for their moist chocolate cake, and to Breakfast at Antonio's for brunch.

If anyone has a list of restaurants we absolutely must try, leave me a message!