We’ve been very busy these past few days and time to update this blog is hard to find.

I just remember today that I have to blog about our wedding suppliers. Apology though as I can’t compose article for each of them so allow me to just enumerate them.

Here they are:

1. Gruppo i4i – Photo & Video
2. Kiss The Girl Events – Coordination
3. Queensland Catering/Ysabel’s Garden – Catering and wedding venue
4. Suarez Wedding Rings – Ring
5. Shiela Guazon – Cake
6. Bandolon Printhaus (Recto, Manila) – Invitation
7. Joceph Piamonte – Keyboardist
8. Partyshots – Photobooth
9. Joey’s Flower Shop – Flower
10. Realm HMU Salon - Hair & make-up
11. Acclaim Butterflies – Butterflies for events
12. Jackarde Apartelle  (Las Pinas) – Accomodation

It’s getting near. Our big event is almost here. It’s 44 days before November 11, 2011. And yes, it is our wedding date. Triple 11.

I had promised myself that I will update this blog of ours with our wedding details but because Ads and I were both busy in the preparation and in our offices, it took us 5 months to make another post about our wedding. The last post was about my “pamamanhikan” dated April 24.

So what to post now. Starting today we will be highlighting, in different entries, some of the activities we did in preparation of our wedding and the suppliers we contracted with to make our big event a successful one.

And the first in our highlight is our photo and video provider.

Believe us or not, photo and video is one of the many things about wedding that needs a quite big budget allocation. Some of my friends were telling me that Photo and Video will eat up most or, say, 1/3 of the budget and I didn’t believe at first but along the way, I admit, they’re correct. Now, I understand why. Because your wedding photos and videos will hold the memories of your big event. This is something that you want to boast of with your friends even after 10 years perhaps, so you want it to be the best.

Though I mentioned that you need to allocate 1/3 of your budget in photo and video, still, you should get the value of the product and the services you are buying. Always consider the “value for money” principle. You should get a supplier that won’t hurt your pocket that much and at the same time that will be able to give a satisfactory result or output.

Fortunately, we were able to find a photo and video supplier that is not expensive and yet the products are superb. It is in the persona of GRUPPO i4i. I can’t disclose right now the package rate that we got from GRUPPO i4i because I’m not quite sure if it is still the same but I would assure you that the price is very reasonable. The contact person is the company head himself, Mr. Cesar “Ces” Aglipay.

Our first engagement with GRUPPO i4i happened last September 10, 2011 at Intramuros, Manila. It was our prenup photo engagement. There, we met the 2 lensmen of GRUPPO i4i – Hanz Lustre and Doc Omz who are well-crafted and very good in their own styles. Hanz is an IT specialist and Omar is a dentist by profession. They’re both professional.

Without further ado, let me show you some of the photos taken during our prenup engagement.

In two week’s time, we were able to get these photos from Ces as he promised. And as to their output, we could say: we are very much satisfied.

It’s been quite a while since our last post here in our blog. It’s because we’re on vacation in my dear’s hometown this past 4 days. Since it’s lenten season and we’re on holiday, so we were able to spend our time in their province and this time, my father was with us. Our purpose of going to my dear’s hometown was not only vacation but also to practice the Filipino tradition called “pamamanhikan”.

Pamamanhikan (from root word panik, to go up the stairs of the house) is a Filipino tradition where the man and his parents visit the woman’s family and ask for her parents blessings to marry their daughter. It is also an occasion for the parents of the woman to get to know the parents of the man.

After my proposal, I immediately told my father that we would be going to Ads’ province in Ilocos Sur for pamamanhikan. Luckily enough, he’s ready so last Wednesday, the three of us (Ads, me and my father) headed to Sto. Domingo, Ilocos.

I may not elaborate what happened during my pamamanhikan but I really thank Papang Ador, Mama Lina and some of their relatives for giving their blessing to me and Ads.

On the other hand, what is this news that Prince William will not be kissing Catherine “Kate” Middleton after the wedding ceremony in Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011?

Yes, it is true! The Church of England prohibits such behavior.

But don’t be sad all ye who have been waiting for this event that will happen on the 29th, 5 days from now. Prince William will be kissing Kate at the balcony of Buckingham Palace at 1:25 PM, London time. A history-repeats-itself event since that moment was done by Prince William’s parents: Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in 1981.

More than a year ago, I started thinking of the best way of asking my Dear Ads this question, “Will you marry me?”. I even made it as an assignment or homework for my students in one of my subjects in PUP Taguig. There were a lot of ideas coming over but none of them appealed to me.

Not until last month when an idea crossed my mind, why not make it inside our church. Since we first in our church, and the dearest people we ever had are from FCCA, our church, so why not do it in our church. I began to search from the internet of actual marriage proposals done inside the church and I found out that there were a lot of marriage proposals done inside the church. And so I asked our pastor, Ptr. Rex Tacda, if it’s ok to do my proposal in one of our sunday services, that was two weeks ago. He told me that he’ll see. Because I am uncertain if pastor would allow me, I began thinking of alternatives. However, I really wanted to do it in one of our services. And so I pray that somehow pastor would allow me. I even sent him link of YouTube videos I found to help him say “yes”.

But before I asked Ptr. Rex’s permission, I already had in mind of what I would do for my marriage proposal. I would sing a christian love song for her before I ask her. I chose Rascal Flatts’ song entitled Blessed the Broken Road. And so I informed Lerry, one of our musicians, to practice the said song. She didn’t have any idea why I was asking her to practice it.

A week before our event in church, it’s our 27th anniversary, Ptr. Rex texted me to call him up for us to discuss my gameplan for my proposal. I was with Ads that time so I told him that I would call him when I got home. I was so happy that time because I knew that pastor was giving me his permission to do my marriage proposal in our church. And it’s not one regular Sunday service, it’s one of the special events in our church. Answered prayer…

April 17 came, the program was running smoothly. My proposal to Ads was done after the proper program of our event and during merienda or chow time…

While everybody’s busy enjoying their food, I went up the stage and…

For those who want to know the lyrics of the song, here it is:

Blessed the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn’t see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I’d like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You’ve been there you understand
It’s all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I’m just rolling home
Into my lover’s arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

Photo Album of My Proposal

Ads and I went to Weddings and Debuts 2011 Bridal Fair at Megatrade Hall, 5th Floor, Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.  (For those who are not living here in the Philippines, Megamall was once the biggest malls here in Asia circa ’90.).  The said bridal fair runs from February 18 to 20, 2011.

There are so many wedding suppliers in the said event – photography and videography, flowers, invitations, wedding rings, engagement rings, caterers. Our eyes were filled with lots of wedding ideas. Hmmm…Soon we will be announcing here our wedding plans. No not yet. I haven’t proposed yet to her. We’ll get there. Soon (?).

Perhaps, later this day I’ll be able to post some of the pictures we have for this event.

By the way, if you missed this bridal fair, there will be a Wedding Expo, dubbed as Wedding Expo Philippines 18th Edition, on the 12th and 13th of March (next month) to be held in SMX Convention Center (SM Mall of Asia), Halls 2-4.

See you there!