100-DAYS OF GRACE. (Like the falling of Autumn leaves, purposeful moments descending on a sunny pile of orange, yellow, crimson and bursts of sienna)

We no longer have to imagine it.   

We did, though, some 16 months ago. Some 480 days ago.  Some 11,520 hours ago.  Some countless sips-of-coffee and kilometers-worth of café receipts, ago – when we started this sweetest journey together.  Gab and I wondered back then, where would we be 100 days before the wedding?  What would we have accomplished?  What would have been our most unpopular decisions, and most creative triumphs, if any?

Today: officially, we’ve entered our 100-day marathon before the big day.  Unofficial, as of this writing, its 92 days. And that’s how quickly these prenuptial days burn up in a tireless, peerless, but glorious blaze.  It’s been well over a year now when Gab and I first toyed around with the idea of marriage.  How we felt so stress-free then: wading across the tideless seas of our assumed universe where time was not a factor; where 15 months seemed so, so faraway; where our list of ideas, themes and wishes could stretch on forever, with no rhyme or reason, or requited love from our wallets.

But an even better part is that the larky, dream-like undercurrent of those days have been replaced by fantastic, like-minded people, beautiful events, plush ceremonies, and sun-kissed bliss – all of which have filled up the calendar pages of our year so far.  Somewhere up there, I know that God is smiling at us, egging us to push forward further and find grace as we bury ourselves deeper and deeper into the relentless prenuptial exercises that are already upon us these next 90 days.

It is humbling, for as active as we are, we realize that there is much left to accomplish and account for these last 3 months!  But, on the other hand, we’ve never been prouder of the numerous items we’ve already ticked off from our to-do lists. In addition, we’ve never been more excited than the way all our vendors have tailored their lovely designs to match our daydreams (and budget), and in the process, how they’ve become a precious piece in the wonderful jigsaw puzzle of our lives the past 9 months.  In a manner of speaking, we’re even thrilled of the way we’ve made a few savings here and there, so that we can focus on our DIY details.  (And trust us, once an irresistible DIY idea flies by, hold onto it; you’ll never know when that concept might be the darling of the crowd, so to speak.) Everything’s shaping up and all the pieces are falling into their places exactly the way we planned.   

Just the way we always thought we’d be. 

We already know that the next hundred days will brew up a storm past June, July and August like a hurricane. These next days, weeks, months will surely be the most memorable yet! But we feel like patting ourselves at the back, for April and May were such whirlwinds of a month!  Here are the things we checked off our To DO list the past months.

nabbed my confirmation cert, finally!

1. A few weeks back, Gab & I braved the local bureaucracy, as we marched towards Quezon City Hall to file our application for marriage license. To avoid aggravation, I made lots of phone calls to inquire about the forms, processes, submissions, to ensure that our requirements were complete without a hitch before going there.  Very fortunately, the gods were smiling, as we hardly went through the hassle most couples experience in processing their marriage license. Small queues and helpful tips from roaming staff/street hawks helped expedite our way. The efficiency more importantly earned us a few hours to spare – which we used to take trips to Immaculate Heart Cathedral (near E. Rodriguez) where I finally claimed my Certification Certificate; and to Sanctuario de San Jose, where we submitted our forms and signed up for a day-long family planning seminar.  And because Gab chose to accompany me throughout the process – windless skies and sunny streets notwithstanding – made the entire process an even more pleasant adventure.   

...Census says: we're ready to rock & roll!!!!! :)

bespoke suits and tuxes and good breeding

 2. This month Gab & I finally visited and met the cool crew behind Sarto Manila - a custom tailoring shop in New Manila that Gab’s been keeping an eye on since he read through their very articulate and on-the-button blogsite.  Gab had been taking increasing interest in their bespoke suits, which looked stylish but not overly stylish.  Roguishly young, I think? Conversations started over email, and there was immediate rapport/chemistry between Gab and his couturier – so much so, that one of the Sarto partners had wondered if Gab was an old friend! Sarto’s partners-in-crime Jonathan and Albert immediately reeled in my fiancé’s sense of style and without missing a beat pegged down every bit of nuance and detail that Gab was looking for. He’s now very much a Sarto man himself.  Dressed to kill, not to be killed. Haha!

3. In May, we also twice met with Kim of Jeanel's Handicrafts, to discuss and go over the design of our wedding favors.  For those who aren't familiar with them, Jeanel's is very talented group who does carefully hand-made crafts, embroideries, and an array of export-ready decors.  They're based in Daraga, Albay - a faraway, sleepy town w/c has a fantastic up-close and personal view of the majestic Mt. Mayon - so there was definitely an authentic, country feel to our interaction.  It took us all the way to the Bicol Region to find the people who would provide our guests with well-made souvenirs.  This item, we can honestly say, is close to our hearts, and has a brilliant design that's uniquely ours. So unique, in fact, that Kim gave us exclusivity over it. :-)

4. It took us a long time to decide on one of the few missing suppliers for our wedding: the musician.  We’ve seen several in fairs and local websites, but couldn’t decide on one because they all appeared the same.  We also wanted a chorale group since we both enjoy a well-sung song, but we don’t want too many voices drowning out reception chatter.  Finally, with the help of Gab’s mom, we nailed down The Bernie Pasamba String Ensemble – highly-reputed, seasoned musicians, and legends in their own right in the industry.  We’re thinking of jazzing up their playlists/repertoire, by adding a few contemporary/pop-renditions to their mix.  The guests should have a fun time while being serenaded and  their old souls stirred up inside.

making the music last through a lifetime...

Oh – and June will be the month when a most difficult aspect to music comes around: the selection of wedding songs and background tunes! HELP!!

important detour to get our pre-nup permit :)

old Manila coffee and emptied bread toasts

5. What has made us even busier and PAINFULLY spend-foolish these past weeks amidst our crazy wedding-meets-condo carnival, is our pre-nuptial pictorial. Last month, Gab & I already made an ocular inspection of our preferred venue – and a couple of weeks ago, we made a side-trip to obtain requirements to shoot. We were confident our specially requested photographer from Niceprint (same guy who did Ogie+Regine’s popular wedding) would do an awesome work on us, so it was just a matter of donning chic and cool clothing that matched our themes. So the weeks that followed, we went around major malls and tiangges, and SPLURGED on tops, blouses, jeans, hairdresses and other accessories to perfect the look we wanted. We had an entertaining time dressing the part and imagining our poses, even if Gab had a distaste for mall-based fitting rooms and needing to take his pants/shoes off. 

pre-nup splurge! several more shopping bags and receipts not included here

 

5. And the finishing touch? About week ago, I got an appointment to meet with and reserve the services of a very fabulous and classy lady in Cherry Pacheco – who committed to do my hair and makeup for the prenuptial shoot.  Hip and fashionable, her portfolio is amazing, especially at such a young age!! And her charm and cheerfulness just exudes throughout her work and dialogue.  I couldn’t be any more glad that Cherry gets to bring out the drop-dead gorgeousness that all brides want for themselves.

We are getting closer and closer to the big day. The planning is coming along very well and we are almost done with everything as scheduled. Few months more and you’ll already smell the Brew. 

A few months more, and we don’t even need to imagine or blog about imagining it, anymore. :)

Watch out world – there’s so much more in the NEXT FABULOUS ENTRY.