Decisions

This is the first day of February. 

Well, now its 9 months before the photo shoots. And 11 months before the wedding.  

I am running out of time to get in shape.

I dont want to lose faith on God. But, I am really worried. My personal cash is out. My birthday's coming. And soon, our wedding fund will deplete. This wedding preparation is really tightening my patience and faith!

Our goal is to finish of the Supplier's List by August and September. I dont want to stress myself on other stuff by October, November and December. I want detail polishing by that time. In addition,  I want really, really neat turnover to my wedding planner. I just want to pamper myself on being single for the remaining three months.

Decisions have been made today. We opted for Ascott Residences to be my Official Bridal Suite on the actual day of my wedding. We booked 2 Units of 2-Bedroom Deluxe; one for Fred's and one for us. I plan not to see Fred anymore on the 11th. It's best if we miss each other on the day. And anyways, I'll be sleeping around 6 AM so, duh... no more late night gigs for us. 

We also finalized arrangments for Sam Gallardo (I added 9 more additional heads for the hair and make up) and Don Robert's Bridal Car Services. I have not yet selected the bridal car for me; but we are reserving two units of Nissan Urvan for our immediate family.

I texted Jezreel Anonuevo from One Love Photography to tell him that I'll be getting him to be my Wedding Planner. I hope he's as O.C as me; and that he can understand my demands and needs. 

I hope thing will be smooth sailing. Our drive is to finish the arrangements as early as possible and work for the payments the rest of the months. 

May God help us. :)

Wedding Preps

Damn, I'm getting married in almost a years time! Its exciting and nerve wracking!!  

Still eleven months to go. Gosh, I need to remind myself quite often that I need to calm down and get my thoughts together. Mind you, I dont usually rattle. On any endeavor, I pride myself with preparations and research! 

Yet, no matter how i seemingly armor myself with all these, I am still nervous! Geez!! 

Anyway, I am glad that we already have suppliers for the wedding. I trust them and that I believe that we have chosen the best among the field! :)

Church: 

SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH 

Beaterio St., Intramuros Manila

-- Truly, the church of my dreams! Wow!!! I am so glad that we have been blessed to have this church booked on the time and date that we soooo preferred! Our wedding will be on December 12, 2012... Really a very critical time for the "Wedding Capital of the Philippines"... 

Thanks to my Fiance for running so fast and beating that other couple who was just two blocks away (hope they had booked another good date; we're the last slot for the day eh.. yey for us!)

Caterer:

JOSIAH'S CATERING

34 East Drive Marikina Heights Marikina City Philippines

-- Choosing the Caterer, in my opinion, is the hardest part of any wedding preparations. It requires time, effort, patience and a really, really open mind. I mean, you taste a lot of stuff and plus, you got to remember them!  That's the critical part! You've got to determine and appreciate the distinction of each Caterer's dish to the other.  You can't just march on a plate served in front of you and eat. Remember... cross-refer the dish to the menu and compare. Typically, they serve at least two variations for each course. For example, Fred and I hate pork so, what we are very much on the look for are the best pasta and seafood viand. Josiah's Catering served us with very delectable dishes (not just seafood and pasta alone, wait till you see their desserts!). And plus, we really got a nice price for it! :)

Reception Venue:

LA CASTELLANA

Beaterio St. Intramuros, Manila

-- I can still remember how eager I am to put this venue in my "Dream Wedding Suppliers" when I was younger.. so I am quite satisfied that this is the venue that we have finally chosen for my wedding this December. I felt that everything is falling into its right place :)

Orchestra

MANILA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

#66 P. Paterno Street, San Juan

-- I received their Song List this morning!! Its so awesome!! Its no wonder that MPO is the most sought-after orchestra for weddings! Yey!!

Make-Up Artist:

SAM UNSON-GALLARDO

beatnikinblack.blogspot.com

-- I really felt at ease in her presence! Very quirky, and really adorable! I think Sam and I will have so much fun. She got really impressive clientele, including my Fiance's former officemate, Shermaine Mina :) I sooo love her work! Plus, the products she's using are really top of the line.

 I really feel that I made the wisest choice when I booked her during the fair at SMX Convention :) 

Photo and Video

ONE LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY Philippines

Ray and Lot Abalos

-- This team has a very impressive portfolio! At first, to be honest, Fred and I have difficulties in choosing the photo/video supplier. Our taste somewhat differ; and we are frugal on the costs. Top of the Line photographers are indeed expensive, but truly, I am a fan of them so it breaks my heart not to book them! Among these is Mr. Oly Ruiz of Metro or Mr. Lito Sy... pangarap na I need to give up :(

That is why when I saw their work at the fair, we booked them right then and there! They only cater one wedding a day, and they are soooo accommodating! I feel at ease to Ray because he continually asks for our needs, preferences and he shares vital information that he thinks will be useful! :) 

JUNNEL MARANAN will be our Videographer; and Ray says that he's truly talented! My soon-to-be wedding coordinator, JEZREEL ANONUEVO is also from One Love Photography; who is groomed, trained and endorsed by Ray is also amazing. I feel that he's incredibly great too!!

Well, we still have a long way to go. I have an extensive list of possible suppliers on hand; and I am very much willing to consider most of them, coz they are soooo good! 

Among these are:

1. Vatel Manila - Flowers by Dylan --website says he's fully-booked already for December... huhuhu! :(

2. WINK! Written in Ink for Invitations

3. Cakes by Imah -- a friend of Ours! :)

4. Cupcakes by Sonja -- for the Sweet Treats our Guests

5. Liqueur BonBons by Joanna Lim - Grabe, ang sarap! I am really impressed

6. Don Roberts Bridal Car

7. Sofitel Philippine Plaza

8. Jazel Sy Creations for my Gowns

Good Luck to us in this wonderful endeavor! :)

Welcome 2012!

Wishing Everyone a Prosperous and Abundant New Year!

Before you speak, listen.

Before you write, think.

Before you spend, earn.

Before you invest, investigate.

Before you criticize, wait.

Before you pray, forgive.

Before you quit, try.

Before you retire, save.

Before you die, give.

William Arthur Ward

My Book List for Jan - Feb 2012

Take a look at these wonderful books I purchased over the holidays! :) I am aiming to finish them by the end of February!!

1. The Secret History of the World by Mark Booth

They say that history is written by the victors. But what if history--or what we come to know as history--has all along been written by the wrong people? What if everything we've been told is only part of the story? What if it's the wrong part?

In this groundbreaking new work, Mark Booth embarks on an enthralling intellectual tour of our world's secret histories. Starting from a dangerous premise--that everything we've been taught about our world's past is corrupted, and that the stories put forward by the various cults and mystery schools throughout history are true--Booth produces nothing short of an alternate history of the past 3,000 years. History is more than a list of things that have happened; it's a measure of consciousness and experience. And in The Secret History of the World, Booth's take on history is relentless, charging through time and space and thought in interdisciplinary fashion; embracing cognitive science, religion, psychology, historiography, and philosophy, a new timeline is drawn, and a huge swath of our cultural heritage that has for long been hidden is restored. From Greek and Egyptian mythology to Jewish folklore, from Christian cults to Freemasons, from Charlemagne to Don Quixote, from George Washington to Hitler--Booth shows without a doubt that history as we know it needs a revolutionary rethink.

2. What's a Dis- Organized Person To Do? by Stacey Platt

An easy-to-read, idea-packed guide for anyone who wants to be more organized—and who doesn't? Everyone has overflowing closets and desk drawers, countertops loaded with kitchen gadgets, and overstuffed computer desktops. We dream of getting organized—but what's a disorganized person to do? In this book, professional organizer Stacey Platt comes to the rescue with empowering ideas on putting and keeping things in order. Like earlier titles in the series, such as the best-selling What's a Cook to Do?, this book offers easy-to-scan and access solutions to everyday aggravations: How do you keep from misplacing your cell phone or house keys? What's the best way to organize the fridge? How do you pack efficiently for a trip? This user-friendly book, illustrated with stylish, full-color photography, is up-to-date on the latest technologies for organizing everything from music to family photos.  Here are hundreds of ingenious solutions for gaining control of clutter so you can live happily in your space. There are quick solutions as well as one-hour projects—from organizing your emails so you can find your passwords to sorting the area under the bathroom sink—that readers can tackle, one weekend at a time, with big payoffs. From the kitchen to the home office, the bedroom closet to the car, this thoughtful guide will help readers carve out more space and more time.

3. The Dont Sweat Guide for Couples: Ways to Be More Intimate, Loving and Stress-Free in Your Relationship by Dr. Richard Carlson

In today's busy times with work and kids' demands, there often isn't much time left for couples. Yet partners need to nourish their relationships, too. This guide provides innovative yet simple strategies that show couples how to find more time for togetherness; how to avoid arguments; and how not to let the petty things become big conflicts in a relationship.

4. A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity. Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely.