A Different Kind of Summer Romance (and Finding Time to Do Everything)

We GET it.

Hitting the resort after a birthday party

Its torch-like out there, the prickly heat of the sun like hedgehog quills, and its glare – especially at midday – is overwhelming every bit of Earth and infrastructure. Day-lit working hours tending to be a bit more sluggish, office loads more grueling than usual, and our traffic-tested tempers lousier than we’d wish!  A/C seems to be broke even at full blast, and I’m ‘fraid there just aren’t enough horses to ramp up the, er, horsepower. Gab sweats a lot, lot more than I do, but I’ve had my full and unfair share of changing shirts within the same hour these days.  And if you’ve driven past by those thermostats beside the traffic lights: we’re looking at 38, 39, 40 degrees Celsius! Wow. Literally, enough to induce human convulsion.

Calm moment at Club Manila East

So you can imagine how much of another miracle its been that, despite the furious, unrelenting heat here in Manila that Gabby ABSOLUTELY despises, we were able to accomplish our fair share of grown-up tasks, eventful due diligence and rewarding rendezvous(es?) the past 2-3 weeks to keep our happy momentum from melting down, or burning down from its own flame.  Of course, we haven’t hit the beach either, as much I’ve been wanting to, but that’s always an open possibility right after marriage.  And that’s just about the most comforting, lovely reality thereafter.

SVD dinner @ ShangriLa Mall, w/ Tonet

late visit with Frances & Baby Chloe

As we had hoped, we’ve gotten great responses and more than a few thumbs-up for the Save-the-Date packages we started distributing out since late March to friends we hadn’t seen for a while now.  Its been dubbed a “labor of love,” by a few friends – and that’s what it is precisely.  Others wondered if those were our Invites, already, and if receiving one meant getting a free Frappe. Hmmmm!!? Other friends were more hilarious, as they tried in vain to twist and open the coasters as if opening Forrest Gump’s box of Choc’lits.  Gabby calls it a fusion of strengths: our love for the café culture, and matching, granular workmanship from our lady friends at Creative Prints. We love them dearly… But its mid-April now, and we still got several dozen SVDs waiting to be released as soon as we’re able to reach a “binding” decision on who else makes it to our guest list.  If only money grew on trees… (we’d plant more of them every day!)

First jam w/ TNJ in two years, and first to get married. That's my bassist :)

 The other week, we also took a day off from work to finally meet with our preferred lensman at NICEPRINT. Niceprint hardly organizes early 1-on-1 meetings with their more coveted photographers, so we felt privileged to be a rare exemption!  We wanted to check firsthand if we’d hit it off well with our guy, if there was real or just contrived chemistry between us, and more importantly to solicit his views on our pre-nup shoot scheduled very soon!  Very fortunately, he (barely in his 30s) was very receptive and engaged by the ideas / concept that’d been brewing ala Caffe Ti Amo concoctions in our heads for some months now!  Exciting exciting! Around us, vivid wallpapers of John and Priscilla, Ogie and Regine, and posters of elegant couples perked up our smile not because of their conspicuous, Photoshopped-caricatures, but because we feel we are already affiliated with among the industry’s most admired and respected names.

Our sneak "pre-nuptial" preview + another Gabby/frappe sighting :)

recovered plywood from Gab's backyard

The DIY Spirit also continues to inspire us at every turn! We were such busybodies during the SVD preparations, that we’ve completely embraced the risks, the rewards, and the intimate process of doing some of the additional wedding items ourselves! For the SVD cups and frappes, Gabby did most of the graphics and editing, re-coloring and general design, I did the reproduction, trimming and cutting, and inking all the names.  It might not seem all that much work until you start putting in the long hours right after office, and then see your sleeping hours fall to the sound of timbeeerrrrrrr. :)

giving birth to another DIY Project :)

So what’s our next DIY project? We got the base material with us, but we’re still figuring out an effective design amid the crisscrossing of daily events. Gabby, however, is already doing his best impersonation of a carpenter who thinks he can do a little more than just nailing and hammering. :) I love him!

At any rate, beads of sweat, fuel, food and vendor receipts aren’t the only things piling up these days of wedding planning.  As if wedding schedules weren’t enough distraction from our work, the intermittent renovation and improvement activities involving our  1-½ BR condominium near Ortigas/New Manila has also been well underway since the start of the year.  It still amazes me how we've managed to be so productive and proactive in meeting both our wedding and condo-related responsibilities, on top of being soaked at our respective offices.  I'm just so thankful that Gab hasn't ever been remiss in his property+contractor obligations, design consultations, and weekly inspections, despite the  humidity outside and the distressing number of scheduled payments and other preoccupations! (i.e., Gab also does some freelance writing)  And he isn’t letting up on making sure our modest place is as alluring and accommodating as our shrinking peso-denominated bank accounts can afford… hehe. 

True to form, we’ve been visiting the nearest Wilcon megastores on our spare weekend hours to peruse through and list down estimates for floor and wall tiles, kitchen and bathroom wares – and those in fact are getting to be more entertaining than we initially thought!! Oh, and one time we went accent piece hunting at the popular LRI Design Plaza and the upper-crusty Kish shop in Reposo St., Makati – but came out empty-handed and humbled at the same time. Though we are definitely purchasing an item or two there soon....

...only, not this semester, I’m afraid! :)

But we get it. This is already getting to be a summer like we’ve never ever romanced before.  Oh, summer breeze, you make me feel fine…

Adulthood takes another step forward with help from a small sledgehammer

My fiancee the white-collared carpenter, perfecting the art of chipping cement blocks :)

..a few weeks later...

...VOILA.  (Gab peers out from his self-styled, custom-designed coffee den/type)

Busybodies that we are -- we deserve THIS

Caffe Ti-Amo means "I love You,"  with rich foamy milk on top :)

2011 IS WHEN EVERYSECOND COMPLETES OUR MIRACLE

Hello 2011, first and foremost.  Its barely over a month into our sparkling new year – the first of the new decade – and we already love you!! 2009: you were amazing, 2010 you took a million of our breaths away; 2011, you shall be our everysecond gift. Already, the seven remaining months loom – to be defined by both the gentle and powerful rise and recession of tides, recollections and revisitations, dreams and miracles. Our hearts overflow with honey-sweet anxiety and excitement as if drawing nectar from the gods!

We remember the first time we ever started planning about our wedding.  It was, as it remains today, a hazy, dream-like midday episode right about a year ago in our project office in LWUA.  It was a casual progression of events, but never too casual that you’d be inclined to forget the details underpinning the sweetest happenstance of our lives.  We were working on independent things, side by side on a makeshift mess hall at the office.  Then Gabby raised an innocently playful but inwardly important question: “If we’d get married, who’d form our guest list?” I was taken aback with mild surprise, but it was a caressing, most heartwarming surprise; I was speechless at first, but my eyes and body language betrayed any trace of reserve whatsoever.  That one small question sparked another, gaining voluptuousness, fire and momentum with each swing.  Until exhausted and left to melt unto the singular passion of our discourse, we found ourselves remaining nearly motionless in our seats creating and working on what would be our first and only working copy of our Excel-powered Wedding File. Its first 8 syllables pronounced everything we’ve embraced, worked for the past 15-odd months, and wished to happen like none other before:

“De Vera-Obmina Nuptials,”

I remember US being enthused at and enthralled by the newfound, joyous feeling.  We’d fall further for each other as we meticulously/carefully typed in the names and basic details that would comprise the heart of our wedding celebration.  Tito. Daddy. Tita. Mommy. Kuya, etcetera, etcetera.

Exactly a year since that crazy tidal wave swept away at the casualness of that midday episode, we are still using the very file and the same file name – only the contents are updated with every chance we get.  Its only fitting that the file manages to trace how so far along we’ve come along in terms of planning; how much we’ve learnt, unlearnt and the dozens of awesome people who’ve touched our lives throughout the planning process. 

Now that we’re down to our last 7 months, the body of work and changes has become truly evident:

·         Our guest list, which we had originally set to a ceiling of 180 pax, has soared to 250! It’s admittedly among the hardest items to accomplish because of the considerations that every couple has to make for themselves, their family, friends and extensions (here and abroad). But we’ve more or less agreed and worked out an immovable ceiling of 250.   Sorry for those guests numbered 251 and up, we love y’all still! :-)

·         We’ve managed to haggle and insist our way to create our dream team of wedding suppliers! We can’t stress “haggle” enough, because if you want your dreams realized, a lot of work, PR, and compromise have to fit the equation.  [unless, say, we got a limitless budget?] Some people have asked us if its really worth their time to attend wedding fairs and such, or if the better, less-mainstream suppliers are more likely at their home-based offices clandestinely completing their obra maestras?  To that, we say: YES to BOTH.  What we mean is that, do your homework and fieldwork because we’ve had rewarding and not-so-rewarding encounters with both types of suppliers.  Sometimes, you look hard and often enough, you’ll suddenly realize your preferred design had been staring you at the face all the while.  And sometimes, nothing can be farther from the truth.   One true benefit of having a long planning horizon as we did is that you get to scout every nook and cranny for possible vendors or designs that are within your domain of possibility.  And that has meant a world of difference to us!

·         After 15+ months of real planning, its no secret that the wedding budget we originally estimated was meant to be destroyed! :-D It’s an epic fail, as the budget and timeline we set were revised several hundred times over.  Inevitable changes take place with every other week or month of planning: add a friend or two here, add another cake layer here, pepper the place with a few more lights, enlarge the portraits, upgrade the buffet, rent a snazzier limousine, add a few more Swarovski bits down the train – all of those cost money, money, money!  “Budget today, gone tomorrow!” :) Say it with me…haha!

·         But – just the same, we just can’t believe we’ve nearly completed our “planning,” and will be spending the remaining 7 months executing (or paying for) the things we want to happen.  Seven months is like a hiccup, it’ll come so quick – and we know that as a matter-of-fact.

We’ve spent the last few weeks of January burning out our laptop batteries while going over our wedding sheet timeline and reviewing our most critical next months TO DOs. Allow me to proudly share to you our timeline and some pictures for the first quarter months of 2011 It makes me blush in anticipation…

		REMARKS
2011
JANUARY
29	Measurement (Camille Garcia)	OK
	DP 15,000.00 Camille Garcia	OK
	Compilation of chocfrappe pics	OK
	Finalize SAVE THE DATE design c/o Creative Prints	OK
FEBRUARY
19	Mock fitting (Bridal Gown)
	Book musician
	Meeting w/ Josiahs (Maui) (re: set-ups, food, sched)
	Meeting w/ Fernwood (lala) (re: air cooler, Lights and set ups)
	Finalize Songs (church & reception)
	Meeting w/ Nice Print (re: concept of pre-nup and sched)
	Finalize/book Cake Design
	Reproduction of SAVE THE DATE c/o Creative Prints
MARCH
12	Kat's confirmation
	accomplish CHURCH requirements (birth cert, confirmation cert)
	Distribution of SVD
	Purchasing and Order of wedding Favours (Principals, CF Team)
	Payment - Bleu (5,000)
	Mothers, entourage Measurement ( Camille Garcia)

Seems to me we’re doing pretty well!!!

It cannot be said enough, but this timeline – and the wedding sheet in general – has become such a wonderful and effective guide for keeping track of  our deadlines, arrangements and other obligation. Just going over it is pretty much an inspiration to recall how much we’ve accomplished given the breadth of wants and whims.   We recommend every engaged couple to keep one.

Measurement w/my gown designer Camille

Finalizing details of my  gown  :)

  

---------

The life we wanted together starts with a commitment to a miracle emanating from an 8-syllable statement.  And that’s why we’re treating every month, every week, every day, every second of 2011 as a communion drawing grace and purpose from that commitment. 

Seven months more.

Seven months more.

That’s all there is to it, before we humbly set aside our Wedding File and work on our Blank, New Excel Sheet

Bleu Weddings & Events Management Booked!

I have always loved weddings and originally thought I would have a huge role in planning my wedding and will not be needing professional coordinators to work for us. But as the planning progresses, Gabby & I also considered the fact that "who's going to assist us or do this and that for us during the event- Wedding". we need someone to work for/with us a week before and the day of the wedding.

Last Monday (Aug 31), We, together with Gab's mom /tita Susan met with Ms. Bleu and her lovely set of daughters in Techo Hub, CBTL to book her On-the-day coordination for our wedding. Bleu Weddings and Events Management offers complete event planning and consultancy services specializing in Weddings, debuts, graduation balls, anniversaries and more! Her passion for weddings and events inspired me to pursue my dreams of becoming an Event Coordinator someday as per Ms. Bleu "life is too short to spend doing something that you do not feel passionate about!

What a long HAPPY and PRODUCTIVE weekend before the official 12 months countdown BEGINS...

Ms. Bleu, Me, Gab, Tita Susan & The Lovely (youngest) daughter of Ms. Bleu at CBTL

  

The Meeting

The Contract

EXTRAORDINARY: As planning crawls into August

A dear friend had told us shortly after her wedding: “after a few months of heavy preparation, you’ll hit a planning gap, before the planning takes off again...”

Much to our chagrin, its been over a month since we last updated our blog. But beyond being busybodies ourselves, there just has been little progress to write or ponder about since we last attended that large midyear wedding fair at PICC. We’re not complaining of course; among the many valuable and helpful things we’ve relearned so far during our sweet wedding planning – it’s that you really invest/allot time in the things that matter to you the MOST. Just like getting into a small-scale business: time is as important a prerequisite for achieving a modicum of “success” as infusing generous heaps of capital. This is to say that we both have spent considerable time and money (capital) since we decided to marry – and we are undeniably happier for it even if it translates to a few absences here and there from the office; even if it means allowing our savings to bleed openly, or our ATM cards to be thrust in and out of random cash dispensing machines; even if it means needing to MOOCH and leech from willing patrons and not-too-willing siblings [whether in cash or in-kind doesn’t matter!!]

We’ve also used the past month to renew our chase for <ehem> more trivial things that nonetheless complement/pronounce our increasingly-shared personalities. For friends who’ve been keeping themselves up-to-date, we purchased a top-of-the-line Lumix Camera to capture in more vivid megapixel the endearing, important moments lined up for us these coming months. Accordingly, we booked for ourselves and a few VIPs a gratuitous trip to HongKong. And should the weather agree with us, the 4d 3n trip should be most rewarding and picturesque! 

We also took time out to visit Quezon province to indulge in non-urban delicacies (i.e., Lucban’s Finest, and pancit habhab) and find sweet solace in local respites. There might be a few hectares of arable properties waiting for us, as well! 

Last but not least, we’ve used the past 30+ days searching for viable micro-scale businesses where we could pour in any semblance of loose cash still with us.

In the end, we’re faced with a bursting, opportune reality of a planning horizon that remains roughly 12-months long! And since we’ve frontloaded a lot of the wedding preparations, we feel there is more-than-enough time to enjoy both the conveniences and inconveniences of nitpicking and detailing out the remaining items on our to-do list. (And we all know how much brides-to-be love to nitpick!!!) The shortlist still includes couturiers, musicians and florists. Does the long preparation period afford us less excuses to stage a wedding that is nothing short-of-perfect? It does, certainly. But in that lofty standard lies our pursuit of a celebration that will be as fitting and memorable, as it will be special to us, to our friends and families.

Like enjoying a blend of warm cocoa and hazelnut syrup on a drizzly September night – filling the entire evening with the nigh palpable aroma of love and magic. And the aroma being cast over the twinning of hearts and souls – and the process of the entire universe conspiring anew.  So, while the long preparation period does afford us less excuses to stage a wedding that is nothing short-of-perfect, there is much more reason to hope for the extraordinary to take place.

*Sigh*...and watch us take off again.....

Our Dream Venue- Booked :)

WE FINALLY, FINALLY GOT IT. It took us months to get to this point, but we got here at last. *sigh* And certainly, what a night it was to have finally booked the only venue that & we ever dreamed of holding a picture-perfect wedding. For a few months since we started planning, weve been to the major nuptial venues around the Metro (literally, North to South) each with its own advantage, and disadvantage. It was a costly and tiring summer endeavor, but we loved taking time off together to see these sites, and loved having mini, pa-cute arguments over this and that, and whatnot. The first time we went to an actual wedding at Fernwood (Coral) a few months ago, suffice to say, we fell in love with it (despite the cost!). Three of four Fernwood gardens appealed to us a lot (Coral and Cycad), but we were so fortunate last night to have seen another actual wedding setup in the original Fernwood Garden (venue 1), because it looked so magnificent, serene and intimate altogether especially under the evening rain. The serenade of classical strings, floral arrangements, the ample mist, custom-made waterfalls and a mini-lagoon filled with gorgeous swans, just W-O-W. Few minutes later, we were happily booking for ourselves and maybe 250 other guests the Fernwood Garden, with the owner, Sir Al de Veyra, cheering and smiling us on.:-)



As a dear friend had advised us during her wedding, the place has to speak to your heart. And so we have, and we just so blessed and happy that we did. *sigh* We can finally have the picture-perfect celebration we want to share w/ our loved ones -- even if we had to spend a bit more.


And even if it rains, the dream doesn't stop.