And the Wedding Preparations Continue...

Okay, since JP might be checking on our wedding site I might as well update it. Grabe.... less than 9 8 months till our big day and I am still inconsistent with posting hahaha! I think as the day goes by with the preps this site will get updated more. Will be posting my friend's DIY on our cords and pictures of the pamumulong or pamamanhikan on the 17th.

Wedding planning and more so, wedding blogging took a back seat way too much from a six month project I was involve with. But God is good and I have a new job now at IRRI, which hopefully will not be as tasking as my previous job. I need to start my DIY on the fabric flowers and plan our ceremony already.

But first... PAMAMANHIKAN hihihi! Excited much!:)

Till the 17th!:)

Happiness in Littlest of Things

Just wanted to share my happiness in finding out that our confirmed back-up photographer will still be available for our wedding in spite of asking him for a meet-up and subsequent placing of deposit in March of this year which never did materialize till now. I was so hesitant to write him a follow-up for fear of being rejected but I of course have to ask. It is a damn-you-do-damn-you-don't situation and it got me worried there a bit.

For one, I don't want another back-up photographer, I want him. He takes candid photos the best among those who fit our budget and he really sound nice in his emails and I put premium on that. Email exchanges are a form of glimpse to who the person is behind the letter. I just had that gut feel we will click with him.

Felt like sharing this because as much as we share our rants to suppliers, I feel it is more worthy to highlight the positive side of encountering suppliers that are very much customer oriented. Give praise where it is needed so to speak and happiness in littlest of things is what should really matter. In wedding preparations, I believe it to be the most important of all, to be grateful for those pockets of sunshine in a rather stormy and grueling preparations.

So I write about how I feel blessed knowing we still have our original back-up photographer on the team. Check his portfolio out:  

http://randellliwanag.wordpress.com/

Happiness!!!

Reception Idea: Light Bulbs

I have come across a blog that reported on this wedding inspiration I have and instantly thought of having it for our wedding. You all know by now that we want the vintage feeling for our wedding. We want it laid back and a no-frills event wherein everyone will feel at home and loved as well with a certain nostalgia. As days pass by, I am slowly seeing it clearly the details I want for our wedding. And for the reception, I thought of using... LIGHT BULBS as our primary lighting of choice. I was never partial to mood lights... NEVER! I don't want too much lighting that frankly, gets the whole place warm anyway and our venue us open air. I want simple, clear lighting with may be some floor lights for the couple's table. And I want light bulbs like the ones they have in American movies for roof top parties, think 500 days of Summer and Julie and Julia (or was it Julia and Julie heeheehee!), check this pictures I lifted from the internet:

This will be so nice in Rosemont!

Rosemont's patio is quite similar to this in the photo <3

Will love to use coke bottles for this.<3

Looks really nice.:) I want this kind of lighting and I am crossing my fingers that our booked light and sounds supplier can provide us with this. I am hoping and praying.<3 It will give our wedding that vintage touch in this department.

Wedding Preps Lull

We are having a lull period.:(

At the time when I am supposed to be getting on the details of the wedding. I guess when very important things in life comes first like job responsibilities, family issues and such, wedding preparations get the back seat. More so if you decide to be on a long engagement like us. We have no problems so far on our budget, God is blessing us in ways He intends for our wedding financial breakthrough. It is the time to seat down and attend to the wedding details that we have neglected so far. You can tell from the lack of posts in our wedding blog that we are both busy.

But it is already less than a year into the wedding preparations and action must be done.

May be I should do a to-do-list like I do in my work. Then may be I would be inspired and excited to really make time for the wedding preps. I need to start on my DIY as well and get suppliers for our invitations and back-up photographer. So here goes...

TO-DO-WEDDING-PREPS-LIST:

1. Update MS Excel file of wedding budget and deposit wedding money contribution to wedding money account.
2. Make down payment to caterer.
3. Asses budget and suppliers overall; see what suppliers are still needed.
4. Finalize list of wedding entourage and principal sponsor.
5. Inform wedding entourage of roles.
6. Trip to Divisoria for wedding cord and fabric flower DIY.
7. Diet and exercise. :)
8. Look for our supplier's contract.

I need to really manage my time to include the wedding preparations on weekends and wedding detailing on some weeknights. I REALLY NEED TOO!!! I have a lot of plans and I guess amidst the busy schedule, time management is always the key to really do a lot of things. I AM DETERMINED!

Mabilis na lang isang taon diba?:)

When Parents Get Excited for Your Wedding

Okay, breathe in... breathe out.... one year count down fast approaching... busy, busy, BUSY work schedule preventing you from wedding planning... too many wedding details to attend to... budgeting and savings to fill up... after wedding plans... wwwoooooohhhhhhoooooo WE ARE REALLY GETTING MARRIED!!!

And to top it of... EXCITED AND EAGER PARENTS <hyperventilating> BREATH IN BREATH OUT!!!<3

I just had a conversation with my family most especially with my Dad and it made me realize, our wedding plans are actually becoming a very serious matter with our families now. On the 21st of this month by next year, Jp and I will exchange vows in front of our closes family and friends in Tagaytay. It is exciting and becoming nerve wracking as days pass by.

At the start of our wedding plans, Jp and I settled that we will be shouldering all the wedding expenses. My father gave his blessing when we first asked permission to marry from my family that it is okay if we do not invite the whole clan for the wedding since we cannot afford it.

That was October last year, tonight was a different matter altogther <hyperventilating yet again>.

I then realize, when you get married, it is not only you and your husband/bride who gets excited but your parents, family and friends as well. And when parents get excited, you get confuse and do not know if it is a good thing or not.

It is a good thing because you know they are full on their support of your wedding. It will be better if they contribute to the wedding funds and it will best if they pay for everything hahaha! But seriously, parents getting excited about your wedding is a good sign.

Of course there are the cons to it. One is they would want to invite the whole barangay or even the whole of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao (depends on where you are) to your wedding, even that long, long, long lost cousin of your aunty's husband's cousin's cousin from nowhere just as not to dishonor them. They would want to change EVERYTHING you have planned and using blackmail or threat to make you do what they want. Parents will act as if we are mere toddlers, not knowing what to do, just to "help" out on our wedding. Worst, we feel guilty when we do not follow them.

But in spite of these, when parents get excited for your wedding, they add the necessary spice to a rather gruelling task of wedding planning. It may not be welcomed at all times, but it will tug your heart here and there knowing they simply want the best for you. Like they always did.

And remember, you will be a parent someday. As much as you would swear not to do the same thing, believe me you will. Might as well start on earning those karma points.:)

Negaversary

Wooohhhhoooo!

Our Daisy Path says it will be over a month till our NEGAVERSARY.

Nega-what?! You may ask? Well there is this thing called a one year countdown till a couple gets married and an anniversary was named after it. Why they call it NEGA, I have no idea. But the prospect of getting into the one year mark excites and scares me of the gigantic task ahead of me. For one, I haven't gotten over any DIY project I have in mind. I need to nail the flower fabric bouquets the least and the additional souvenirs I will give the guests. I need to learn time management because I switched jobs this year and it is a more demanding one than my previous job.

I need to go over our suppliers list one more time and contact my OTD regarding the things they need from us for the wedding and also to seek advice on what needs to be done first.

Pamamnhikan is also due soon!:) Our families think it is too early but I want this to be done and over with. One year is a very short time for wedding preparations. We started in October last year and time flew fast we are onto the one year countdown!!! I need to a lot a day for me to fix all our wedding lists (guests!, budget, things to do) and the wedding details I want, although this last one I might be downsizing on a bit.

I need to go over my list of things to do before I get hitched and sadly traveling solo did not push through this month as I switched jobs and did not have the time to go to Dumagete anymore. I did go to a new province on a business trip though.

There are a lot but the prospect of marring Jp melts my worries away. Day after day, as I get to know him more and more even if almost six years have passed since we became together, amazes me and makes me realize I am right in agreeing to marry Jp.:)

Having A Baby

No... I am far from it hahaha!:)

I visited an Ob-gyne for some concerns over my hormonal problem. I was diagnosed clinically of Polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome in 2006 but the symptoms of this hormonal problem seems to have started way back high school. It is one of the causes for infertility and difficulty in conceiving.

For those who do not know what PCOS is, this condition leads to follicles growing in the ovaries that should have matured to one egg but instead does not due to imbalance of hormones. Normal women would release one egg every month and if not fertilize then mensturation will follow. In my case, no egg matures at all. This condition seems to be more evident in female members of families with a history of diabetes or in obese women. I am in fact clinically diagnosed as obese type 1 (Asian standards) but some PCOS women may be thin as well. Overall, a transrectal or transvaginal ultrasound will be the determinant if a woman has PCOS or not.

Why am I writing this in my wedding blog? Well it got me thinking of the next step after marriage which is raising a family.

I am quite surprised of my ob-gyne's reaction that I am "hurrying" on getting pregnant if I would get married by the age of 29. It seems to be the normal reaction I always get from ob-gyne doctors I have been to before but I do not really comprehend why there is a need to tell me that. It is almost, always done in good nature though and I am aware of the risk factors of late pregnancy in both women and the child plus add to that my condition which makes it difficult to begin with.

But really?! Do I need to know that? I mean, is it not now a norm in society and the medical field for women to get married late and have babies late and still produce healthy babies. Not only do I hear it from doctors, but family and friends seem to have the same opinion as well. Like time is running out on me hahaha! And frankly, I am getting more worried as years pass by.

I almost got myself thinking why JP and I have a long engagement and not just get married civilly and have babies.  Why not?

Then it hit me. Raising a kid is a lifetime choice that you have to at least be physically, mentally, emotionally and a bit financially prepared for. Having a baby changes everything. It makes your life turn 360 degrees more than getting married will. You are now responsible to feeding a child, fending for them, raising them and being responsible for what they would become in society and what they will contribute in the future. It is far more different than just owning a pet or tending to a plant. A child is like you and me, a full human being.

I have seen the struggles of my friends who are new parents. I understand that you will never be fully prepared in all aspects in raising a kid. In fact, JP said that he will only be prepared if our child is there otherwise, he would always think he is ill-equipped to be a Dad. But I want to feel for myself that whatever problems and challenges that will come, I am willing to handle. A baby is cute until it cries, whines, poops and all that... I AM NOT READY YET FOR IT!:)

So I figure, if I decide to get pregnant by the age of 30 and I am saying now that I will, no one can ever affect me. I rather have a child at a time that I am quite sure the least that I can be responsible for him/her than be half-bake about the whole idea just because I am getting older or I have a hormonal problems.

I have faith in God that He will provide.

Someday I will be a mommy but for now, I am okay where I am and nobody needs to tell me otherwise. :)