Two Families, One Roof

Dear Online Diary,

Every detail of the wedding has been finalized. The only missing link is that our families haven't got the chance to meet in person. We can't let the two families meet only on the wedding day itself so last September 18th, H2B and I arranged a simple and straight-forward dinner just to let acquaint everyone with each other. Get a glimpse of the two families together under just one roof.

{Agcaoili and Dela Cruz Families: serious and wacky shots}

That's all I can afford to share for now but don't worry. You'll see more photos of us on the Big day. That's for sure. :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Bonding Moments, Family, Wedding

A Sacred Visit to Saint Clare Monastery

Dear Online Diary,

Prayer is such a powerful tool especially when it’s done wholeheartedly.

Last Sunday, H2B and I visited St. Clare Monastery in Katipunan, Quezon City. Many attested how Saint Clare made their heart’s wishes come true.

{Shrine of St. Clare}

We’re no different. H2B and I wished and prayed together for a good weather on our wedding. We wrote our heart’s greatest wishes on a piece of paper, offer sampaguita and eggs as part of tradition and lifted everything to Saint Clare and Jesus Christ.

{Entrance to the St. Clare Monastery}

{Pathway leading to St. Clare Monastery and St. Clare Shrine}

The monastery is divine, almost magical if I may add. I felt my heart lightened as soon as we reached the monastery. All of a sudden, it felt like we were walking in a path of clouds. Thank you for the blessing and overflowing love and guidance. :))


X.O.X.O.,



PS:
Our heartfelt thanks to W@W sis Mau, who unselfishly gave us direction to the monastery. Cheers to you sis and God bless! :))

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AN blessing, Bonding Moments, Santa Clara Monasteryo, Wedding

A Blessed Canonical Interview

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Dear Online Diary,

Couples who wish to marry are required by the church to attend a Canonical or pre-nuptial interview, or dulog, as it is known in the vernacular to find out any possible impediments to the forthcoming wedding, to ensure the freedom of both parties, and to determine the couple’s knowledge of the duties, responsibilities and doctrines of a Catholic marriage. Source: Kasal.com

When Ms. Miles scheduled our canonical interview, my heart started to race and immediately after, I searched the web for anything about canonical interview and what we need to expect. Unfortunately, the sources aren’t many. Some says the priest will ask you to recite several prayers, enumerate the Ten Commandments, pray the rosary and such. We did ask our relatives about it but all we got from our titos (Uncles) and titas (Aunts) is a knowing smile, and the same old phrase, “Just be yourself and be honest.”

Searching the archive of our W@W e-forum, I’ve found out that the priest will generally ask about your relationship. The bride will be interviewed first, followed by the groom, and then both will be interviewed together.

Days before our scheduled interview, H2B and I somehow resolved that we will just be ourselves and answer the questions with all honesty (no pun intended).

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Last Friday, August 13th, we promptly went to the parish office for our scheduled interview. After a couple of minutes, Ms. Miles prompted me to enter the office to start our interview.

(This is it!)

I turned to H2B, who gave me a loving smile and pressed my hand tightly for assurance. My heart was beating real fast and my knees are literally shaking, I could hardly walk. When I opened the door, there he is – Rev. Fr. Angel – smiling at me. He started the session with questions about our relationship – how we met, how me became lovers and some other questions a friend would normally ask. I relaxed and at some point, tears (of joy) started to flow down my cheeks (now, where’s that hanky when I need one?) as I relive my 6-year relationship with H2B (Yes, I am such a crybaby).

Rev. Fr. Angel asked more personal questions, my view on certain matters concerning the church and married life. After that, he asked me to call H2B for his turn.

After around 20 minutes, H2B was all smile when I saw him came out of the door. He called me and said that Rev. Fr. Angel wanted to talk to us together.

Rev. Fr. Angel said that he was glad that he met us and thanked us for sharing our relationship to him. He added that we’re the youngest couple he interviewed so far and that he wanted to see us grow old together. He mentioned a few more important things to remember about marriage and these are my favorite:
1. The church promotes marriage to give life. It is the responsibility and duty of the parents to raise their children to become good followers of God.
2. Marriage is not the end of friendship; rather it is the continuity of it.
3. Continue to let God be the center of your marriage and family.

Now that I’ve come to the end of this post, I finally understand why few people dare to share their experiences with Canonical interview. In my own personal view, it’s private and special. It’s something that should be kept and cherished between me and H2B alone. But H2B added something else and I agree. It is a blessing. :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Bamboo Organ Church, Bonding Moments, documents, marriage, raves, Wedding, Wedding Checklist

Updates for the Past Week

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Dear Online Diary,

It dawned on me that it’s been ages since my last post. I’ve been very, very, very busy with all things related to wedding now that we have a little more than 2 months left before the Big Day. Now, for the updates:

City Hall Seminars = Checked!

H2B and I took a leave from our job last August 5th to attend the City Hall seminar about Family Planning and Marriage Preparedness. It was a fun day saved to the seminar where the speaker talked about the programs of DSWD, which took 3 hours off our day. (pictures to follow)

Misallette = almost finished.

I asked for a copy from the Church registrar since they do not allow “personalized” ceremony. They have a structured ceremony to follow. We got no problem with that just as long as they will bless our marriage. It took me a week just to finish typing the book. It’s ready for printing and copy reading.

Principal Sponsors’ Gift = almost done with the deal.

We found the perfect gift for our PS last Wedding Congress Asia. We just need to agree with the design and we’re done.

Speaking of Wedding Congress Asia, H2B received a text message from the organizers congratulating him for winning a GC from Bradford shoes. Congratulations, H2B! :))

Wedding Rings = scheduled for pick-up on August 27th.

Our rings are now being mold. I hope they will do the rings perfectly. I can’t wait to pick up our babies on August 27th.

Invitation = endorsed for printing.

We've finally approved the mock-up invites and we're scheduled to visit Wink this weekend to see the actual design before they mass-produce the invites.

DIY Wishing Well = almost done.

Yes, we will place a wishing well at our reception venue for monetary gifts and wishes. We still think it’s tacky to include our preferred gift in our invites but having a cute wishing well will somehow lessen the impact. It’s not a charity event, we know.

For this week, I can’t wait to get our marriage license and I’m giddy to attend our Canonical interview. Plus, we’re schedule to take the 4-part Pre-Cana seminar next month.Whew! :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Accessories, Bamboo Organ Church, Bonding Moments, bridal fair, DIY projects, documents, Wedding, Wedding Checklist

The Hotel Preps Ocular Experience

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Dear Online Diary,



It was last Wednesday when H2B and I went to NSO to accomplish several legal requirements but the big story was how we went and chose the hotel where we can do all the pre-wedding preparations. As I previously noted, we planned to visit five, but we felt the “this-is-it-feeling” on the third hotel.



Our first stop: Microtel.

Microtel was introduced to us by Ms. Beth, our OTD coordinator. Since we were within the vicinity, we decided to start our quest with this new hotel. The location is near-perfect for pictorials. The receptionist who assisted us was nice and accommodating. She answered all our questions in a very professional manner. The thing is, the hotel is not yet fully operational. As they led us to the model rooms, constructions are on-going along the corridor and even inside the elevator. The A/C seems to be not working at the time, which is, should we say, a markdown.



The Suite. Hmmm…. Let’s put it this way. The photos of the rooms posted on their website are spacious. When we saw the room, well, it’s a bit disappointing. I mean, it has kitchen appliances and other amenities but it’s a bit small for a suite. I can’t imagine how we could fit our suppliers and entourage inside the room come our wedding day. One other thing, the published rate is higher than what’s indicated online. There’s a difference of around Php 3000 and it's not quite reasonable for us (but then again, this is just our opinion).

{Microtel: The suite room photo taken from their website}

Our second stop: Heritage Hotel Manila.

This is my “dream” hotel preps. This is one of my Nice-To-Have wedding items. Hahahaha. The lobby is elegant and spacious. The manager entertained our queries politely but with authority. He assured us that we can have our pictorial wherever we want as long as we will advise them about it. He assured us that he'll guarantee a late checkout if we’re going to book on the spot. Anyway, I love the corridor. It’s spacious and carpeted. I love the suite room. It has big glass window, spacious and inviting. I love I’m obsessed with the sweet-and-clean fragrance of the corridor and rooms.

{Heritage Manila: Suite room with a huge glass window}

We did not book them (poor me). Beside the fact that it’s waaayyyy over our hotel preps budget, there are so many restrictions such as: We can’t bring in food for the suppliers and they can only allow a limited number of people to enter the room. These factors are critical for us so we have to let it go.



Our third stop: G-Hotel Manila.

We almost drove past the hotel because the hotel is not as high as the other hotels along Roxas Blvd. G Hotel has been getting good ratings from past W@Wie brides because of cleanliness and affordability. The lounge is simple yet clean and inviting. H2B did the talking. He asked the questions. He requested some other things. The attendant was very accommodating. He even gave us a trivia about the hotel (which slipped off my mind). I hardly understood what he was saying at that time because I was too busy admiring the suite room and imagining how and what’s it’s going to be on the day. I know it’s perfect because it fits our budget, it’s spacious and they have reasonable restrictions on food.

{G-Hotel: Black and White Lounge}

H2B rarely makes a decision when it comes to booking our suppliers. He often adheres to what I say or want. I knew he wanted to book the hotel when I looked into his eyes. He’s a big fan of simple, uncomplicated things. I did not get a carpeted hallway but what the heck. I could never choose a carpeted hallway over the happiness of my H2B, right? So, you know what happened next. We booked G-Hotel for our pre-wedding preparation because H2B loved it. Well, either that or he do not want to go to the next hotel. :P



Oh, that makes Hotel preps = checked!!! :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Bonding Moments, Wedding, Wedding Checklist

Documents: CENOMAR

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Dear Online Diary,

It was a good Wednesday for H2B and me because we accomplished two items off our checklist.

We got up early in the morning and head over to NSO Pasay branch to request for another copy of Birth Certificate and to claim the CENOMAR that I’ve requested a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, it wasn’t as stressful as it was when I first went to this branch. We spent a mere 30 minutes on application process but we were instructed to wait an hour and a half to claim the documents.

We were wondering what to do when I saw that there’s a shop of Philippine products across the NSO building. The best part is that the store was holding a sale. The store houses different handicrafts, interesting furniture and awesome souvenirs from various cities and provinces of the Philippines. Just to name a few, they have colorful handmade bags from Vigan, Batangas and Iloilo; handicrafts made of semi-precious stones, shell, wood and paper; furniture made of Narra and Yakal; and house adornments and small decorative pillows. I recognized that some of the items are also available at Kultura Pilipino (SM Department Stores) and Regalong Pambahay but those items we found at the store are available at 50% off. To make the story short, we got some for our wedding:

{Turquoise votive candle holders for our Candle Offertory and a small treasure chest made out of capiz, which we used as our rosary keepsake}

After a blissful "waiting period", we went back to NSO Office and went straight to Releasing section to claim the documents. We gave the receipts to the guards, sat and enjoyed the silent movie (remember Charlie Chaplin?) being shown (for entertainment, I suppose). After a little over 30 minutes, we heard our names called. We joined the queue to claim our documents. Before we left the office, we reviewed the documents for misspelled name and incorrect entries. Thank God, all the documents are error-free. Oh and yes, we are both free to marry. *matter-of-fact tone*

{NSO Documents: CENOMAR & Birth Certificates}

We’re just waiting for H2B’s confirmation certificate (schedule of release this weekend) to complete the church requirements. Meanwhile, we're ready to apply for marriage license (my heart always skips whenever I encounter these words).


PS:

We were having our lunch at a random restaurant in MOA when we decided to do ocular visit at several hotels along Roxas Blvd. We planned to visit five, but we felt the this-is-it-feeling on the third hotel. The story coming very, very, very soon! :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Accessories, Bonding Moments, documents, marriage, Wedding, Wedding Checklist

We RSVP on Wedding Congress Asia!

Dear Online Diary,

I’m so excited to attend the Wedding Congress Asia on July 31-August 1, 2010. Not only because it might be the last bridal fair that we are going to attend but also because I’m excited to attend the seminars that they are going to put up.

If my memory serves me right, this bridal fair was one of those that we enjoyed the most (next to Martha Stewart, if I may add) because there’s a lot (read: hundreds) of suppliers and the seminars and speakers are just amazing. All of the speakers made H2B and I realized that the wedding industry is a wonderland. I’m actually open to idea of joining the industry after we tied the knot.

Oh well, so much for that. I’m just so excited about the bridal fair. I can’t wait to meet our booked suppliers and learn so much more through the seminars that they are going to hold. I’d like to share the bridal fair’s website. It’s so cute. It’ll ask you if you’d like to announce your wedding day during online registration. I said yes and here’s ours:

{Wedding Congress Asia Website: Really nice website and that's our mini wedding announcement. I enclosed it in a heart :)}

As a bonus, we will be meeting some of our W@W sisses. Can’t wait for that either. :))

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Bonding Moments, bridal fair, raves, seminars, suppliers, Wedding, weddingsatwork

The Five Languages of Love

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Dear Online Diary,

Many but not all couples who are getting married have heard of Gary Chapman. He is the famous lecturer of love and marriage. The most popular of which is his lecture about the five different languages of love.

Is it really possible that love has five languages?

Believe it or not, yes it is. According to studies, many marriages ended in divorce because the couple failed to identify the primary language of love that their respective partner is using.

Exhibit A.
A wife complains that her husband do not feel that she love him even when she’s doing all the house chores. Her husband in return, says she do not love him anymore because his wife do not spend quality time with him.

Exhibit B.
A man says his wife do not love him anymore and is filing divorce. The reason – his wife is not as expressive as she was before. She rarely tells him how much she loves him. The wife contradicts the man’s accusation and says that she’s been giving him gifts and often go shopping for new clothes for him.

The problem – the two couples have miscommunication. They do not know the primary love language of their respective partners.

I’m sure we wouldn’t like our relationship to end like this. We want to give the best that we can to our lifetime partner but how?

The key is to identify the primary language of love which your partner is using. The five primary languages of love are:

1. Words of Affirmation
The person using this as the primary language needs verbal complement and words that build confidence about his or herself.

2. Receiving Gifts
The person using this love language enjoys gifts and presents from his/her partner. this is like an assurance that the other person is thinking about him/her.

3. Act of Service
This person feels most loved when his/her partner help him/her in carrying out a responsibility whether it’s a house chore, an errand or a work.

4. Quality Time
This person needs undivided attention from his/her partner. They appreciate spending long walk with their partner and great conversation.

5. Physical Touch
This person requires his/her partner to be intimate with him/her. They want their partner to embrace them, hold their hands or kiss them often to feel that they are loved.

H2B and I took a test together during the Before I Do seminar to see if we’re expressing our love correctly and to identify our primary language of love. We’re not using the same primary language of love but now that we know what the other requires, we have a better understanding of how to show our love to each other.

As what Gary Chapman said, fill the love tank of your partner by knowing his/her primary language of love.

Know more about Gary Chapman and his amazing works here. Before I Do workshop was held last November 14, 2009 at the Renaissance 2000, Ortigas, Pasig City. Related blog post can be read here.

{"I Heart You" photo by H2B =)}

X.O.X.O.,

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AN Bonding Moments, marriage, raves, seminars