Poignant. Priceless. Perfect.

I badly want a vacation!!! I haven’t had a real one since I got pregnant. I was planning one for August-September but my husband couldn’t afford to take a week-long (or longer) leave from work so wala nangyari.  Isip ko HongKong  pinakamabilis but I am reserving that for when Jia can already appreciate Disneyland. I realized how much I want a vacation when I received a message from a bride this morning. Sabi niya natanggap na daw niya yung invitations that I sent through DHL yesterday. Astig nga daw kasi ang bilis. Upon reading the message, reaction ko, “Ang galing! Ang bilis! So kung sumama pala ako sa invitations, nasa Singapore na rin ako ngayon.” Then pity sigh!

Then I realized how pathetic that sounded. Hahahaha!!!

Oh well, pasimula na peak season so weddings muna. Net year na lang uli planning.

Jia, my baby daughter, has a Minnie Mouse stuffed toy given to her by one of my brides. Minnie is stationed in Jia’s playard and Jia would hug it everytime Yaya would put her there.

A while ago, Yaya out Jia inside her playard and Jia immediately proceeded to get Minnie and to hug her. I then overheard Yaya, who is trained to talk to Jia all the time to encourage Jia’s language development, say, “Wow, love talaga ni Jia si Minnie… hug ni Jia si Minnie… Minnie splendored thing.”

Di ba panalo? May last na pala si Minnie bukod sa “Mouse”!

Normally, I am not able to fully listen to the homily of the priest during a wedding. We’d be so busy preparing for the nuptial rites and the offertory that we’re not able to focus on the homily.

I was blog hopping when I read a reader’s comment in Jason Magbanua’s site that a particular priest’s homily moved her to tears and gave her goosebumps. This was for Renren and Margaux’s wedding. I remember super liking Father Ed Africa, the priest who officiated their wedding. He was so easy to coordinate with over the phone and was so pleasant in person. So I watched the video again. And what he said rang so true:

Let me remind you today. You’re not gonna promise to each other that you will not disappoint one another. You will. At some point you will. What is important is you don’t go away, you don’t escape, you don’t leave one another because you were disappointed. That is the meaning of fidelity.

Super totoo.

Margaux and Renren from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

*On a different aspect of the video altogether, I love the lighting during Renren and Margaux’s first dance. Ganda no? Galing!*

I was on voice chat with Escie ni Rudy several days ago when our talk drifted to my own wedding cake. She asked how it looked like and I ended up sharing my online wedding album. After our meeting, I looked through my album again and remembered how much I enjoyed wedding preps. Of course, the next step was to read through some of my earlier posts in my wedding preps blog. It brought me back to the time I was so high with the wedding preps. Made me vividly remember how it was to be a bride — the giddiness, the over-the-top excitement, the stress!!! Promise, it’s not an exaggeration to say that I was a super hands-on bride. Midway through the preps, I actually resigned from all my jobs (I think I had 6 part-time jobs then) to concentrate on wedding planning.

I was not a crafty person but I reveled in DIYing so many details for the wedding. I did our invitations, the place cards, the candle favors, the easels and the frames for the photo gallery, the missals, etc. I also went out of my way to acquire items for the wedding. I went to Boracay to have a cord made of “beach” stones and to get Boracay sand which Karla Magbanua, our cakemaker, requested for the wedding cake. I learned the ins-and-outs of Divisoria and Ils-de-Tuls (aka, ilalim ng tulay sa Quiapo) when I was sourcing materials for my gel candle favors. And most important for me I think, I learned to get out of my comfort zone to do things I normally wouldn’t do.

My life has now changed. I’m no longer a bride nor can I consider myself a newlywed (for 3 years after the wedding, high na high na high pa rin ako sa wedding ko… and everytime someone would ask, I would actually say that I was still a newlywed until someone would point out na hindi na. Hahaha!). But backreading my blog made me realize how bride-ly I am up to now. And how much importance I still give my wedding and the weddings I do.

The other day, I met with a bride for the usual obligation-free consultation. She was with her husband-to-be, and her sister-in-law who got married just a year ago. I was surprised that her SIL’s first question was if I was already married. Coming from her own wedding, she said she believes that it is important for a coordinator to know how it feels to be a bride. I told her I also feel the same way. At least for me, it helps to know how much brides think of, dream of, and breathe (LOL!) weddings. And even after doing over 150 weddings, I still feel giddy every time I see a bride and a groom kiss and I silently pray that their wedding be the start of their happy-ever-after.

I apologize for the hiatus. My baby had a little accident, hence, I had to concentrate on her and the brides first.

Anyway, I have lots of blog kwentos on my mind which I hope I can actually turn into real blog posts.

John (aka Abet) Rana of Weddings at Work fame is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. And for his birthday, he wishes for change. Sasama ka ba? Ako, sasama!

Happy birthday, John!

Birthday from Bong Sare on Vimeo.

Last March, we had a beach wedding. We had the ceremony in a chapel on the beach and the reception literally 3 meters away from the water.

During the in-between (time between the ceremony and reception when the couple usually have their pictorials), most of the guests proceeded to the reception site while some, who were checked-in at the resort, went to their rooms to freshen up.

When most of the guests were already seated and we were just waiting for the couple to finish with the touch-up, I sat in the guest registration table to rest. Aside from the fact na malayo yung ceremony and reception areas (super malapad yung beach eh), super hirap pang maglakad sa buhangin while ushering the guests so I was a bit tired by this time. Before I could fully rest, I saw one of the bride’s aunts who also happened to be one of the ninangs, walking towards the reception area.  Now, all of my team members already had an encounter with this tita/ninang, like she wouldn’t move during group pictorials when asked kaya nahihirapan yung photographers, she wouldn’t line up during processional, etc. But since that was the second wedding in their family that we’d handled, mejo sanay na naman ako. Plus, never niya naman ako tinarayan direcho, palagi lang tinataasan ng kilay. Hahaha!

Upon seeing the direction she was taking, I knew she wouldn’t pass by the guest reg table and would instead cut across the sand. So with weary legs and a big smile, I approached her and asked if she already knew her table number (baka naman kasi na-usher na siya and umalis lang pala). This is how the conversation went (oh yeah, before you read this, the bride already warned me about her – na ganito siya talaga – kaya siguro kinaya ko rin):

* C – Clarice; TM – Tita Maganda

C: Hi Ma’am. I will show you to your seat. Do you already know your table number?

TM: (in a masungit tone) Not yet

C: This way, please.

*** We walked a couple of meters.***

C: (hay! nag-small talk pa kasi) It’s so difficult po to walk in the sand. Ang hirap po no? (this was said in a respectful tone, I swear, plus if you know me, you know I’m magalang. and valid what I said coz some guests already removed their shoes.)

TM:  No. I’M thin. I don’t know with you (sabay taas ng kilay)

C: *** thunderstuck and speechless***

*** Out of nowehere, Mitch (my reception coordinator) and Juvy arrived.***

Mitch: Ms. Clarice, Sir Juvy will show Mrs. <name of ninang> to her seat.

C: (to the ninang) Ma’am, I’ll turn you over to Sir Juvy.

***When they’ve walked several meters***

Mitch: Okay ka lang? Andami na niyang tinarayan sa atin. Kaya si Juvy na lang para hindi na ikaw.

C: Okay lang. Mataba daw ako eh.

I then proceeded to tell her what happened. Tawa kami ng tawa.

Hay, unforgettable guests!

The other night, I needed to finish some stuff so I told Bernard to sleep na. I worked until 4a.m., replying to emails and preparing JM’s task list for the next day (“JM” is shortcut for George and Michael, my messengers, and yes George Michael talaga ang pangalan nila). Now, I don’t have my own checking account. Bernard won’t let me have one, hindi daw kasi ako maayos sa financial documentation so magiging magulo lang daw (si Bernard rin ang humahawak ng lahat ng supplier payments ng mga brides eh para sure ako na maayos. hahaha!). Okay naman sa akin but this means that all checks I release for supplier payments come from him. Mejo hassle lang minsan when I forget to ask for a signed check but most of the time, it works out really well. The other night, I needed to pay a supplier. I didn’t have a signed check pero madali naman pagpa-prima sa umaga so I filled up a check na, transferred the necessary amount na, and listed the task in JM’s task list. Yung check na wala pang pirma ni Bernard, I put on top of the task list para madaling mapansin na wala pang pirma. Seeing that the task list, the check, and other stuff are ready, I went to bed.

Around 8am, Bernard woke me up asking me instructions for Michael. Sabi ko bigay lang yung task list kay Michael Then I slept again.

I woke up before 10am. Bernard has already left for work and na-deploy na rin si Michael. When I got home last night, I saw the deposit slip for the check Michael has deposited. So okay na.

This morning, Bernard called me. Nag-issue daw ba ako ng check ng walang pirma? Ha? Syempre I said hindi. I said may check ako na iniwan on top of the task list pero I expected him to see it so he could sign it. He said he just gave all the papers to Michael and he didn’t sign a check. Si Michael naman ni-deposit yung check without checking kung may signature. At ang Metrobank teller naman, tinanggap yung check na walang pirma!!!!Di ba sobrang nakakatawa?!?! So now, BPI (our bank) called Bernard, charging him for issuing a check without a signature! Feeling ko naman, bakit kami sisingilin? Eh di ba dapat invalid lang yun check and it won’t be honored lang? Isang mali nga sa date, bawal na eh. May erasure sa kahit san sa check, bawal na, kelangan may counter-sign. Tapos ito walang signature, iho-honor. Funny di ba? Nyahaha!!!

Haaaay!

One of my brides’ often-DIYed project is the missalette. Since it’s normally not in the top of the priority list, brides who have enough time (or office resources… hahaha!) on their hands want to do this by themselves. But whenever I ask them if they know how to layout a booklet, more often than not I learn that they do not. Most type the missal and then cut it page by page and then manually layout the pages. Hay ang hirap nun kasi everytime you need to change something, you need to redo the layout. There is a better way and you’ll love Bill Gates for this (or at least his programmers).

Open Word and go to Page Setup / Margins / Pages and then select Book Fold (the orientation will automatically shift to Landcsape). If using letter size paper, I suggest using 0.75 inch for all the sides as margins.

You will then notice that the page layout view changes. The page is now the size of half a bond paper folded into two.  This is now your Page 1. Second page will be your missal’s Page 2 (back of Page 1). Basta booklet na layout na yan.

Page 1 normally is the “title page”.  Page 2 is normally blank. Pages 3 to 4 are normally where you put the names of the wedding entourage. Page 5 is normally where you put the names of liturgical entourage. Page 6 is normally blank. Page 7 onwards is the body of the missal.

When you’ve typed up all the text, then you’re ready to print (Hehe! Parang obvious ito.)  Explore your Print dialogue box. Make sure the Manual Duplex option is ticked (unless super high tech your printer and it prints on both sides of the paper at the same time! Wow!). Also make sure that the Reverse Print / Print Last Page First option is NOT selected. Place paper and print All pages. A dialogue box appears in your screen asking for your signal when you’ve turned over the pages. Wait for the printer first to stop, get the printed pages, turn it over, put it back in the feeder, then OK the dialogue box. The printer will resume printing. Get the printed pages, fold it into two, and tsadan! (Hahaha! Pinoy na pinoy, hindi man lang “voila!”) as long as the turning-over process is correct, you now have a missal!

Enjoy printing!

I was a W@Wie when the W@W5 was held. I remember looking at the T0p 10 Suppliers then and marveling at how happy their lives must be. Imagine living and breathing weddings all day, every day? From my bride’s very typical “weddings-are-just-SO-much-fun” point of view, they probably lived happy, glamorous lives.

I told myself that if I venture to wedding planning, it would be really great to also be named “one of them”. (Hahaha! Oo, ang yabang ko no? Pangarap lang naman yun!)

A couple of months after getting married, I signed off from W@W and established an events planning group. I loved it! I thrived in wedding planning and in the busyness of it all.

A year and a half after, we were named one of the 2006 Top 10 Suppliers. I was in heaven!!! Ay sobra!!! Ang saya-saya-saya!

The next year, I got less clients and so was not expecting that I would make it again. We did! And I was just soooo happy.

This year, I must admit, I really hoped that we would make it. Why? Because the Top10 would be awarded during the W@W10 and how cool can that be? Top10 during the W@W10!! But since I got pregnant in 2007 and gave birth in 2008 and accepted so much less clients, I let go of that hope. After lying low for so long because of my pregnancy, parang ang feeling ko naman to even hope to be nominated.

Then, sometime in February, in one of my meetings with Benz and John for the W@W10 party, I asked when the winners would be announced. Benz said they would be able to tally the votes that night and by around 2am, she said, they’ll be able to message the winners.  I went to bed that night 5% secretly hoping that I would get that much coveted message.

Because Jia stirred in her sleep, I woke up at 4am. I actually looked for my phone but realized that I forgot to bring my Smart (business) phone to my bedroom. I told myself that it was probably God’s way of letting me down easily. I actually stopped to analyze how I felt (sobrang counselor pa rin no?). I realized that I was actually okay with not being in the Top10. I even congratulated myself for being so grown-up about it. I said a prayer of thanks and went back to sleep.

Then at 5:41am, I got a message in my Globe phone which was in my bedroom. It was from Benz:

“Congratulations! We just finished tallying the nominations and you are part of the Top 10 W@W Supplier of the Year. ”

My gosh! We made it!!! And since I learned about it after I have totally let go, being nominated was so just so humbling. After not even entertaining inquiries for so long and after all the backlogs I had during the time I was pregnant and just the mere fact that I went through so much, to be included still was just beyond my imagination. To all who nominated our team, thank you, thank you, thank you.

So now, do I feel “one of them”? Hahaha! Nah, I don’t think so. I am constantly amazed at my colleagues’ talents and artistry; looking at photos, videos, gowns, makeup, cakes, reception setups… I cannot help but marvel at how good they are at their craft. Ang galing, galing, galing! They make me so proud to be Pinoy kasi ang galing talaga. I’m just contented and humbled to even share the same award with them. Again, thank you po.

(P.S. During nomination periods for the Top5, most of my brides would tell me that I might be placed in the Top5. Yun naman alam kong hindi abot. I accept a mere 4 or 5 weddings a month, 6 during the peak season. Compare that to Threelogy’s 30+ or Sugarbox’s 40+. Well, you do the math. For now, honestly, I’m just super grateful that I’m here and living that “happy, glamorous life” of a wedding supplier.)