Thoughts of a Novice Fairytale - Wife...

It's been a while since I last posted something on my page. I'm not sure whether to change my blogspot link or just continue with my previous one. As of the moment, I'm drawn to sticking to the old version.

I haven't posted anything about our 4-day Honeymoon at Hongkong. I was supposed to post pictures and blogs about it as soon as we came home but little did I know that getting married would entail a lot of things that would keep me busy to the neck.

Getting married did a big change in me. Being not used to waking up early in the morning and just doing nothing at home but surf the net, I found my first few weeks pretty tiring.. But I so love doing the things that are now forming part of my new routine.

I love waking up early in the morning to fix my husband a mean breakfast. It's not the waking up that I love but rather the gratifying feeling it gives me knowing that my husband liked the meal I purposely prepared, seeing him "down" everything on his plate with a smile is priceless. Down to every little detail that involves my husband, I do readily. I make sure he gets the feeling that our home is his sanctuary. Now who wouldn't want to go home to that, right? In return, I get such a very appreciative response from him. =) Fair enough.

And then there are the finances which we're now focusing on. I, being an only child, got a little used to shopping and getting things which some (I realized) I don't necessarily need. Getting married kinda changed that in me. Now I can say I'm much more responsible financially. And I've decided to keep it that way. =)

All in all, it's a big adjustment for the both of us. But I can say, things are pretty much in good shape..

I'm praying that this coming year would be a greater one for us. I'm back into events coordination as well. I've pretty much had all the time I needed for my own wedding so it's high time to go back into the job I love the most. Ally my friend (and first client) was so happy to hear the news. I'm just as thrilled.

Looks like I'm gonna have a good start... =)

Our Wedding Onsite Video

We are now posting the link to our very own wedding onsite video, made especially by the one and only, Mr. Jason Magbanua...

Click this link and start watching.. Enjoy!!!

The Wedding of My Dreams...

the lobby of our reception area...

It was the wedding of my dreams... A very happy moment for us and our families... I was the relaxed bride, ever so jolly. Just imagine, it's now the turn of the wedding coordinator to celebrate her own wedding... nice one, right? Since everything was well prepared, I felt like I had nothing to worry about, even if our main photographer got a little late, there was no stressed bone on my body. I took everything in stride. It was my day, and I wasn't going to spoil it for the world.

Being the ever so-prepared bride, I had everything in place, and as a bonus, the team which I hired to supervise our event were all sooo smart and dependable. Believe me, I was laughing all day, smiling at all these wonderful people, making my suppliers kulit so they'd have their lunch first before they start working on me.Weeks before, I've arranged all our DIY accessories for the reception and the ceremony.. I felt so excited just imaging how my Do-It-Yourself crafts would look at the table once they're all set...

our guest table... nice, ei?

my DIY flowergirl's tin bucket...

my diy-candle holder... wait, where's the kissing bell?

our personalized table napkins...

our DIY-wine bags & place cards... =)

our chocolate fountain... delish!!

It also helped that I had an awesome dream team with me on my special day.. Tita Princess & Eric were there to do my make up and hair, my back up photographers Marco & Gerard were on time, taking turns & finding angles and shots they could make use of.. Edward Teng's staff was ever so dependable prepping up my heavily-beaded wedding gown as early as 9:30 am.

Edward Teng's staff Ate Cita prepping up my gown..

Love, Beth and Kaye, got into action as soon as they arrived at 10am, fetching all of our souvenirs and doing a rundown on my "must-bring" accessories... I handed over to them the acknowledgement receipts e and the balance - payments of some of our suppliers which I personally prepared. . Of course, there was down-t0-earth Jason Magbanua , our videographer who I made kulit because me and my good friend Hyacinth (who is in the States) are both starstruck with him and his works... I was even giggling on the phone with Hya while I updated my facebook. In short, I had nothing to worry about. I was literally in good hands. Everyone was in a relaxed mood, even watching "JAWS" at Star Movies..

my dream team busily watching "JAWS".. hihihi

It was literally stress-free until I got to the church. I started feeling nervous only when I got off the horse-drawn carriage and was about to walk down to my waiting groom.. So that was how it must felt for every walking bride.. Mommy and my cousin Bobby rode with me at my Cinderella-coach, and just after my mom disappeared at the hallway to meet my dad, my knees suddenly turned into jelly. (I'd like to think strawberry jelly this time) As I faintly heard "Canon in D", I realized that my entourage were slowly walking down one by one, and that Leihson was already waiting near the altar...

my super beautiful bridesmaid, Arni... (Charmed One)

my gorgeous cousins Bibsy, candle sponsor Joan & Matron of Honor Beegel

my goddess-like beautiful cousin Jates, our veil sponsor...

my Kuya Borge & my angelic cord sponsor, Pamela...

When I heard my cue (The Prayer), the door opened for me and swirls of smoke came out and I started walking... ever so slowly, the slowest walk of my life that is. (one, two, one, two, just as Eric, my hairdo fairy instructed)... As you all know, I walk three times the average normal walk of a person so this is a first. I couldn't remember any of it anymore as it turned out like a blurr to me, all I could see was my parents and Leih waiting for me... anticipating....

here comes the bride..

As I was walking, I was telling myself, "I'm not going to cry"... though tears startied welling up at the corners of my eyes... My parents met me halfway down the aisle and "delivered" me to Leih who was teary-eyed yet all smiles at the front...

can't seem to let go of my folks..

When it was my turn to say goodbye to Mommy and Daddy, my tears just rolled down instantly. I couldn't muster the courage to control myself. My chest was choking, I was out of air, I felt like bawling... I couldn't seem to get past Daddy... I just can't... I hugged him tightly and kissed him.. i suddenly felt sad and anxious at the same time, I knew Daddy was trying to calm himself so he just hugged me back, ever so tightly as he patted my back... And then they said, lot of people stared crying as well... ( as I am writing this, I am in tears, just recalling that memorable walk)..

on our way out of the church...

me and my groom, Leihson...

The ceremony was so solemn, so hearfelt.. Fr. Sel Hernandez gave us his homily in Tagalog so it meant a lot more meaningful to us... It was "tagos to the bone" as they say. And just after the priest announced "You May Kiss The Bride", Leih, my husband, gave me our first kiss as a newly-wedded couple, and then he kissed me again on my forehead and hugged me tightly. It was surreal. It was full of respect and love. It was more than I could ask..sharing our first kiss...

the newly-married couple...

Truly, it was the wedding of my dreams... My family was there, my aunts (Mommy Abut & Mommy Chenggoy) came home from abroad just to be there on my wedding day..and of couse, almost all my cherished friends were present, save for some who weren't able to make it.. Even a few of my best best friends ( Hya, Ghia, Mai) were away but still, I know deep in my heart that their thoughts are with me...

It was a beautiful bountiful celebration that came after wards. Surely you wouldn't want to miss the "first dance" which we painstakingly practiced with our patient choreographer, Dustin. I'm not sure how it looked at the reception, but I'm grateful that I was able to get Leih to dance in front of so many people. That was enough effort on his part and I applaud that..

our first dance... to the tune of "Sway"...

my dad and my dearest Nanay Luz who gave us personalized pastillas wrappers..

as Jason Magbanua's onsite video was being shown...

We are just so happy our wedding's finally over.... beautifully & very successfully done.. All our efforts paid off, I should say... All those hardwork I put on these preparations paid off. It was a good thing I started on early with our planning. It pays to be a wedding coordinator, INDEED!

Now, I'm a Mrs.... =) Yay!!! I couldn't be any less happier... =)

My Wedding Flowers...

If there was one thing that I like most, it would be flowers... When Leih was still courting me, he wooed me with flowers of different kinds, knowing how much of a flower-person I was.. And on my wedding day, I wouldn't go for just any kind of arrangement. It would definitely be one of my choice and color...

For our wedding, I hired two florists. My first was in-charge with the church set-up and is accredited by our venue. I carefully browsed thru their selections and chose the lamp post design which I imagined would give off a "ligh- in-th- park" effect once the sun starts to set.

Our second florist however, handled my whole entourage bouquets & mine as well. I made specifications on what flowers I prefer, though I let the florist do away with what he thinks would be best for my entourage. I personally chose both florists for their distinctive and gorgeous arrangements, and of course, they have already made names in the floral business so it's a bonus. In times like these, you can't entrust your wedding flowers to just someone, right? I should know, I've been handling weddings for a few years now.

And boy were we so happy upon seeing our flowers. My instinct was right. I definitely made the right choice.

my entourage's hand-tied bouquets..

those are of deep purple, it's my camera that's colorblind..

our Principal Sponsors' bouquet..

my lavender Ecuadorian roses & tulips...

the bride's labor of love... my flower girl's tin buckets...
aren't they just the cutest?

And I got what I wished for... the flowers that I imagined on my wedding day were all so beautiful.... It made our moment much more unforgettable. Thanks to my dream team.....

Checking In At Vivere Suites...

We just got home from the hotel. 'twas a very busy day for Leih and me... Good thing, my cousin Jates ((who also happens to be my veil sponsor) was with us to help with the unpacking.. The hotel room was beautifully cozy... We even had a few minutes to take some pictures while we got silly waiting for the concierge.

a warm bubblebath??? good idea...

my beautiful cousin Jates posing for Maxim. wahahaha.. just kidding..

see those boxes beside me? those are for our sponsors.. =)

Upon heading home, we dropped by the mall to get 2 items for our prizes tomorrow, and took a peek at our flowers which was being arranged by my florist Martha.. I don't have a good cam with me so these were the least that I can do... but the flowers were all soooooo amazing... I just can't stop raving about it.. And wait till I post pictures of my little girls' flowerbuckets.. they are just sooo adorable. I can't be any prouder..

my proud work of art... my flower girls' tin buckets...

A few more things to print and I'm hitting the sack.. Gotta get ready for tomorrow... =)

The Wedding Dress...

Last Saturday, we fetched my wedding gown at Edward Teng's shop in Sta. Mesa. It was a busy Saturday for the both of us. Busy yet excitingly happy. Everyone at Edward Teng's shop were sooo nice to us.. I couldn't have wished for anybody else to make my gown. It was one of our best choices ever.

Jojo showed me the improvements and additional embellishments on my gown, and even gave me beautiful accessories to match.

some of my accessories inside the box...

the box where my wedding gown is kept..

I'm still not decided on what pillow to use as I have more than a few to choose from. All my other accessories are already inside the box. In a few days, I'll be wearing my dream wedding dress. Eight more days to go. =)

He-Says, She-Says Shirts...

I got new customized statement- shirts for me and Leih, courtesy of my w@w sister Carmela Harder... She designed the shirts just as she designed my cards..

super tapos na ang mga araw na yon.. hahaha

And Leih answers back.. whoah!

Now, I'm not sure when to wear this, (after the wedding or upon arriving at the hotel for the wedding preps) Either way, we're wearing our shirts later when we go to the mall. hihihi..

KABOG!!

Our Boxes' Final Touch

These are how our boxes will look like once they're complete... Pink ribbons will be for the female sponsors, while the lavender ones will be for the male.

some of the boxes we got... =)

box for our Ninangs....

box for our Ninongs..

Nice, ei?

A Little Time For Shopping..

I got a gorgeous new pink luggage bag... I fell in love with it the instant I laid eyes on it. Man was it expensive (though I'd rather look at it as an investment). Hey, I think I deserve even just a little time to splurge on a luggage bag, don't you think? LOL I'm not sure though what to put in it as I'm not thinking of the tour just yet. Maybe a day after the wedding, then I'll start cramming.. Seems like the best idea ever. hahaha.

mine looks kinda similar to this one...

I also finished printing the reminders, table seating plans, event program and souvenir lists for my coordinating team which I personally prepared myself. It was painstaking to get our guests' names and assign seating designations for each but years of practice prepared me for this kind of job.. Now I'm much more at peace, knowing I've accomplished the most important task.

I also got a new set of contact lenses (which led me to get almost bloodshot eyes, dang). But even that couldn't dampen my spirits as I am more than thrilled because I'll be seeing my wedding gown this Thursday and I was advised that it looked much different than how it did the last time I saw it, complete with all the additional swarovsky crystals they put in, thanks to Jojo of Edward Teng's staff who was so utterly gracious enough to give in to my whining... He is just the best..

Turning Over the Kid's Flower Buckets..

Tomorrow I'll be turning over our tin buckets & little bears to the florist. Just looking at the little tin pails which I did myself a year ago makes my heart well-up in tears & pride.. It seems only yesterday that I sprayed paint on it and messed up the garage floor... It seems only yesterday that I purchased the little bears at Forever Friends... Everything seems like only a day has just passed... Indeed, time flies fast. In 11 days, I'll be getting married and I'll be using a different surname (which up to now hasn't sinked in much yet).. In 11 days, I'll be someone else's wife, and adjustments will start to surface...

But then, we all need to move up a notch in our lives, at one point, right? At least, I won't be alone anymore, having someone to always be with me, in times of happiness & problems... At least, there will be an additional member in the family... and at least, we could start building our own family in the near future..

Now, that's something to look forward to. =) 11 days.. that's all that's left in my singlehood days...

A Not-So-Spariffic Experience..

I had a body scrub appointment at the spa yesterday. It was my first, actually. I didn't even have an idea what they do there, but being always the "prepared Ayha" that I am, I brought with me extra undies & shorts just in case it gets all messy.. And was I soooo right about the messy part.

I chose to have the milk, honey and oatmeal body scrub. Honestly, it just felt the same, not as intense as I thought I'd have with a dead-sea salt scrub. Fairly enough, it was okay... What' I didn't like about it was that I got soaked for thirty minutes in deliciously smelling milk & honey in a super cold room, at some point I thought I was going to die of hypothermia..the oats, honey & milk they used on me..

This probably became the reason why I was feeling sick all day, getting a red runny nose and red teary eyes to match. I was plain sick and I hate it. I just hope it goes away real soon as I don't want to walk down the aisle with a box of tissue in my hand.

All in all, the scrub wasn't so bad, but next time, I'm sticking to my routine Swedish massage. No regrets on that for sure....

Give-Aways For The Sponsors, Check!

After my "NEW MOON" movie marathon, Leih fetched me at MOA and headed towards Glorietta to get some boxes for our principal sponsors. The basic plan was to give them wine and mini cakes but then, we thought of adding something more they could enjoy for a few more weeks after.. We chose round boxes but got only 6 pieces, the rest we'll be ordering at Papemelrotti in MegaMall. It was a dilemna for us whether to get Starbucks coffee beans for the sponsors but we ended up choosing our very own Manila Gourmet's premium drip grind coffee.. Not only does it taste divine, it's aroma is just to-die-for... You can even imagine yourself waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.. Now, we would like our sponsors to have that kind of experience.. =)

a cup of freshly brewed premium coffee in the morning, anyone?

some of the goodies from Marks & Spencer...

We also picked assorted bristish biscuits & shortbreads of different flavors, chocolate and oatmeal cookies, and a lot more pastries from Marks & Spencer, (those with healthy food values of course) .. It will go well with the thick round packages of La Vache Qui Rit Cream Cheese which my Dad handcarried on his way to the Philippines.. Just writing this blog makes my mouth water.. How I wish I could take one box with me and just eat to my heart's content. (Goodluck with that)

A bottle of wine, mini cakes, and a box full of goodies, I think we're pretty much done here..