So This is How Being Loved Feels Like

Ever since I uploaded the pamamanhikan pictures in my FB account, I've been getting a lot of comments and well wishers from our family and friends.

From the bottom of my heart, I THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU! We are really happy that you accept our relationship and that you are all happy with our wedding.

But the most touching massage that I got from all of those comments and likes, came from none other than my future husband, Doms. Here is his message...

Doms Valentin commented on your photo album:

"thanks for the greetings.. to my future wife, thanks for accepting me and my family. we will take care of you and love you. i won't promise sayo ng magandang buhay but as long as we are happy together and loving each other.. i believe that's more than enough to live a great family life. daig pa ang nanalo ng lotto. (speaking of lotto, makataya nga mamaya.. baka manalo!) love you."

I nearly cried! I know and believe that everything will be OK in our relationship as long as we love and take care of each other.

My message to Doms...

Thank you for accepting me! We can try our very best to have a nice and loving family. I love you so much! I will take care of you... PS.. Sana manalo ka ulit ng lotto!!

Asking My Hand in Marriage

I never knew that Doms pamamanhikan will be a big deal. Well, at the back of my head I knew it was a big deal because I am getting married before my sister and I am the first "apo" of my lola in my dad's side to get married. So, I skipped my sister and 2 other cousins.

When Doms proposed, I told him that part of my family tradition is doing the "pamamanhikan". At first he was uneasy with the idea because he is not familiar with what that is and what needs to be done during this event. So, I happily explained it him. I told him that pamamanhikan is a formal way of asking my hand in marriage to my parents. He needs to bring to his family to our place and ask my parents. They also need to bring food as a "suhol" so that they will allow me to marry their son.

Anyway, we set the date of his pamamanhikan last January 24, 2010. Doms does not like the idea of them bringing food all the way from Makati so he decided to just have a caterer setup in our place. And that happened!

He got LM Catering for the food. Included in the package are the food, dessert, drinks and buffet table setup with one waiter. The food was great! The visitors loved it and my family liked it.


Here was the day's menu:

Beef with Mushroom
Chicken Pastel
Fish Fillet with Sauce
Baked Macaroni
Steamed Rice
Buco Pandan
Iced Tea

When Doms' family arrived they brought additional Casava Cake and Pancit Lucban which everyone tried and liked. 2 of our ninangs came and brought desserts as well. Ninang Jojie brought one box of Goldilocks Sansrival and Ninang Ofie brought White Chocolate Forest from Red Ribbon. My tita's from Malabon also brought Sapin-Sapin, Pancit Malabon, Leche Flan, Ube and Sago't gulaman.

So, the pamamanhikan started with my dad saying his lines about getting married. He reminded us getting married is not easy but with the help of God and our love for each, we can get past anything. My mom's lines were about me and that I'm makulit and madaldal ever since I was kid. She also reminded Doms that I am a sickly person. Doms reply was always assuring and my parents know that he is true to his words.

When the visitors started arriving, they also shared some words to us. But the most touching of all was what my Tita Lydia (my mom's eldest sister) said. I quote "ang pamilya po namin ay malapit sa isa't isa. sana po yung pamilya po natin (referring to Doms' family) ay maging ganun rin. alam po namin ang paghihirap na dinanas ng mga kapatid ko (my mom and dad) nung pinapalaki nila ang anak nila kaya ang hiling lang po namin ay alagaan ninyo yung pamangkin ko kung papaano inalagaan ng mga kapatid sha". That signaled the start of the night and everyone wished Doms and I a congratulations.

I was really happy with what transpired with teh pamamanhikan. Everyone welcomed each other and were talking. This is my one and only pamamanhikan and it was truelly unforgetable.

More pictures of the Pamamanhikan here http://www.mywedding.com/dindinanddoms/photo_300190_15352427.html

Of Gowns and Colors

One of the reasons why Doms and I went to Manila was to finalise with our chosen wedding gown maker the wedding gowns of the bride, that's me, and the members of the entourage.

I was looking through almost 100++ wedding gown designers and I was so stressed to decide. So, when I learned that there is a wedding gown designer near our place. I searched for her and checked out her works. When me and my mom were satisfied with her past works, I decided to meet with her last December.

Concha Espana is a smiling person type of girl. She loves smiling and talking with clients. She lives 10 minutes drive away from us. I showed her the designs that liked and she was very honest enough to say if that type of design looks good or bad on me.

My mom instantly liked her. That's why during our short Manila visit, I finalised with her the designs and gave my DP already.

We spent 3 hours designing the gowns of my entourage including me. I like the way she handles me. What she did was ask me what design I have. Then, she will ask me the body type of that particular entourage member. If she thinks that the design will suit the body type, she will agree ut if she thinks that the design is not good, she will suggest revisions on the gown.

The final fabric used for the MOH, MOB, MOG, BMs, SSs and FG is Chiffon. I like the way chiffon looks like and the way it flows. Our wedding is a morning wedding that's why flowing fabrics and light colors are best.

Unlike my first visit last December, Concha was sketching when we were talking. She was suggesting added designs specially for the MOB, MOH and MOG. She will send me her final sketches for the gowns and I will definitely post it here. I really like Concha and I hope that everything goes well with her. She took my measurements already and by my next Manila visit in March, I will have my first fitting already! I am really really excited! What made me more excited is the type of fabric that will be used for gown. She will use MIKADO SILK!!! My dream wedding gown fabric!!! I will have the same gown fabric as the gowns seen in the Pronovias site!!! Like the wedding gown of Judy Ann and Claudine!!! I feel like floating now... I got a big smile plastered in my face after everything was done. Plus, Concha gave me a wonderful freebie. Instead of the usual 3-yards veil that she includes in the package, she upgraded me to 10 YDS with beading and canope design on the edge of the veil. How cool is that??!?! I am really, really happy that we got her.

With this finalisation, our wedding motif color was changed. But I believe it was for the better. It was switched back to Lavender and Pink. I love the way both colors match!!! So, to my Ninangs, here is my final wedding color motif.

Vignetting the Weddings and Beyond Bridal Fair

Our plane landed exactly 9:55am at NAIA. Our flight from Singapore to Manila was OK but Doms and I were both tired because we left bound for Changi Airport at 4:00am. The 3 hours flight was exciting because we were talking mostly about the upcoming events for our short Manila visit. Every minute of our day were planned and scheduled. So, when we saw my mom and dad from the arrivals section of NAIA, we all know what our next activities.

From NAIA, we went straight to Market, Market where I satisfied my Inengs BBQ craving. My brother LA came and we were all talking excitedly about our wedding and the other coming activities. After the hearty lunch, we went to the Weddings and Beyond Bridal Fair in NBC Tent, The Fort. It was our first time to attend a bridal fair and I was so overwhelmed and excited! The reason why we wattended this bridal fair was to search for our Photo and Video Supplier.

The event venue was great! A lot of wedding suppliers were present and I was so happy talking to them and telling them about our wedding and all the other details. Me and Doms and my Mom, Dad and Brother all had name tags and they look happy too. My mom's goal was to search for a gown design that she likes in the sample wedding albums. My dad's assigment on the other hand was to secure our peso. Doms and I have a savings account in Manila where we send almost all our salaries for the wedding! My Dad has the task to take care of that account. My Brother was there to get his luck on the food tasting areas of the caterers!

Doms and I were focused on the goal of looking at the sample album and shots of our top 3 P/V suppliers. I can see that Doms was walking and walking looking intently on the albums of the 3 suppliers that we like. Good thing, the booths of those 3 suppliers were in one row so he was able to look at the shots more and compare them to the other.

Doms has a different way of determining our P/V supplier. As most of you know, Doms is an Art Director and Photgrapher for a Car and Gadget Magazine here in Singapore. He shoots moving cars, models holding gadgets and landscape and he is great at it! He is not a fan of photographers who does post-processing (or Adobe Photoshop-ing) pictures. For him, a good photographer knows how to set his camera settings and capture the right moment, just like what he does. This posed as a problem for me because I am the one budgetting our wedding and his top choices were so expensive, as in so expensive! But, I just told myself that it will be too hard for Doms if his, a professional photographer, weddings pictures are ugly and not worth it. So, I just left that part to him.

Going back to the wedding fair, we were inquiring on one of our top p/v suppliers. I was looking through the albums and the layouts. I was asking the lady what are the discounts and freebies and she was happily answering my questions. Then Doms asked her, "what if we get the owner as the photographer?". The lady looked at a man at the side of the booth. From that moment, I realized that the man standing at the side of the booth was none other than Mr. Danny Ignacio. Doms immediately walked towards Danny Ignacio and talked to him. They were discussing about photography and the different packages. I know from there that Doms was satisfied with this supplier already. I was asking the differences of the packages and what freebies she can give me. I soo want an onsite video presentation and she gave me a scheme with this. We told them that we will just look around first then we will come back. After a few minutes, Doms said that he wanted Vignette already for our Wedding Photo and Video. So, we gave the DP already. I was soo happy and I can see also that Doms got what he wanted.

While we were paying the dp, I saw Doms walk away. I didn't know where he went. After all the payment was done, I learned that Doms went and talked to my dad. On the hall of the wedding fair, I saw my dad and he just said to my mom, "hinihingi na ni Doms si Dindin". Then, I saw my dad crying. I started to cry too! And my mom was crying also! We were there, in the middle of the entrance hall of the wedding fair, crying! Can you believe it? But, the moment was priceless! I could not describe what I am feeling! I feel happy that the person that I love soo much asked me to marry him and I am also happy that my dad said "yes" and allowed me to get married. I will get married first before my sister and I am the first "apo" of my lola to get married that's why I know that our wedding will be a big deal.

I am so happy that were able to get our p/v supplier already! at least, this is an accomplishment for us.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

For our wedding, we chose venues and locations as well as other suppliers that has one way or another made an impact to us. There are many reasons why Doms and I have been dreaming of having our wedding in Mt. Carmel.

Mt. Carmel was Doms' personal sanctuary. He told me he always hears mass in this church. Especially when his day of coming here in Singapore was nearing. He used to spend most of his break time in this church, praying. That's why, when we were planning our wedding, there were no other options for our church venue but Mt. Carmel.

As for me, I fell in love with this church when my cousin got married there. I like the long aisle, the tainted windows and the high ceiling.

We were so happy that we were able to get our dream church for our wedding. Even if there are people who opposed of this church because it doesn't have have AC (which for me is a very shallow reason), we still love our chosen church.

Wedding Forum Lingo

A Forum or a group is an online community of people sharing the same interests or topics. There are forums for photographers, book lovers, writers etc. There are also groups that talk about the same occasion or common event. This is where Weddings at Work enters. Since a lot of people are members of a certain group, posting topics or answering inquiries should be short and brief. So, there are a lot of acronyms used.

The first time that I joined Weddings @ Work, I was very afraid to comment and add my insights. Not because I have no ideas to share, but because I am not very familiar with the language and lingo that the members are using.

So, I am sharing here some of the acronyms that are used in wedding forums.

B2B = Bride to be
H2B = Husband to be
FOB = Father of the bride
MOH = Mother of the bride
FOG = Father of the groom
MOG = Mother of the groom

PS = Principal Sponsors
MOH = Maid of honor
BS = Best Man
SS = Secondary Sponsor
BM = Bride's maid
FF = Flower Girl

P/V = Photo and Video
OTD = On the day (Usually refers to Wedding Coordinators)
HMUA = Hair and Makeup Artist
STD = Save the Date

Other terms...

Prenuptial Pictorial = Usually done by the chosen supplier of the couple wherein they will take pictures of the couple 3 to 4 months before the wedding, to sample their skin tone colors and to know the angles of the couple.
Post Nuptial Pictorial = Pictorial of couple after the wedding rites and reception.
Trash the Dress = A pictorial session wherein the wedding dress of the bride is being "trashed". Example, a shoot where the dress and the of the bride is submerged in water...

* I will update this post in teh coming days. I have still to learn the meanings of the other terms and acronyms.

Pinas Vacation (Eager Bride and Excited Groom)

Well, well, well... This coming Saturday is our trip going back to Manila. As always, I am already excited. Would you believe that Doms is already packed as early as last week? Even if I just had my Pinas vacation last December, I am very eager to go back again.

Doms will be having his "pamamanhikan" already. The food catering is already arranged and the menu is selected already.

We took the services of LM Catering. This catering service is recomended by one of the H2B's (husband-to-be) in Weddings at Work. I hope that they do well and I believe that they have a good menu to offer.

While writing this blog, I thought of posting another blog about the common acronyms used in the wedding forum that I joined.

OK, off to the next blog!

Exactly A Year From Today

Today is January 15, 2010.









Exactly one year from now will be our wedding. At around 10:30 am, I will be walking down aisle towards Doms, my husband and partner for life.

How time really flies. I just can recall the day when Doms and I became a couple. This happened more than 3 years ago. We've been through a lot. And I must say, our relationship became stronger and stronger everyday.

This coming 23rd of Janaury 2010, Doms and I will fly back to Manila for his pamamanhikan. At the same time, we have the following tasks to accomplish with this short vacation:

• Attend the Weddings and Beyond Bridal Fair in NBC Tent, The Fort.
• Search for our Photo and Video supplier and if everything goes well, give dp already.
  
• Finalize wedding gown designs and give dp to Concha Espana.
• Search for wedding coordinator, florist and event stylist.

With the help of Doms, I know that we can accomplish a lot of things for our wedding. I am really excited about our wedding! I always pray that we can have our dream wedding.

Paper Lanterns

I've fallen in love with paper lanterns ever since I saw them in garden wedding pictures. That's why for my wedding, I'm planning to incorporate paper lanterns in the basic setup of Hizon's. I am still on the process of coordinating with Hizon's In-house Event Stylist. I hope everything will be OK with this idea.

We are still searching for the event stylist that can help us with this idea. Any suggestions?

Wedding Motif and Colors

Weddings are like movies. It has a plot, a climax, a setting and of course characters. Just like any other movie, weddings should have a central theme and mood. Everything in wedding should be in accordance to the couple's chosen theme and mood.

Themes can either be based on the couple's favorite movie (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge etc), or the couple's favorite time era or season (Elizabethan, 50's, Fall, Summer). Themes can also be based on specific brands, plants, or shapes.

For our wedding, we agreed that our central theme will revolve around my all time favorite shape, STAR! Ever since I was in college, I love and adore the shape of the star. I remember putting stars in all of my test papers and notes. So, what better way to feed this obsession is to make it our wedding theme. But that's not all. I am also thinking of incorporating musical notes and cameras to represent Doms' love for music and photography. I still don't know how this will be done but I'm sure, Doms can think of a way to put these images in our STDs.















The best way to bring out the mood of the wedding day is through the chosen wedding colors of the couple. for our wedding, we agreed on this color combination: Pink, Tangerine and Lemon. I already consulted Concha Espana, our chosen gown maker, about the fabric colors for my entourage gowns. She said our colors are so refreshing and that Chiffon has those colors that I like, sweet!








































Now, I need suggestions on decorations for our wedding reception venue. I was thinking of having the round paper lamps that I see in most weddings. I will just add stars int he paper lamp. Hmmmm...

Cute Chloe's 3rd Birthday

Doms and I were invited to JB and Loraine's daughter, Chloe. We enjoyed the food, the games and the company. Here's my picture with the birthday girl:

Location: Northoaks Condo, Admiralty

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wedding Songs

I can recall it clearly. I was in my 1st year high school and one of my classmates asked me to listen to the song "I'm Just A Girl" by No Doubt and it happened. I felt like the song was made specially for me. It's like, every word describes what I was feeling at time. From then on, I have a soft spot for songs and their meanings and how it relates to me and to what I am feeling.

As I grew, and hopefully matured, I tend to judge songs not only with the nice beat it produces but also how that particular song relates to me. There are instances where "Poker Face" (Acoustic Version) by Lady Gaga was playing on a loop in my iPod because apparently, I'm in the midst of anger inside me but I'm still showing a happy aura at that time. And there was a time when "Superhuman" by Chris Brown and Keri Hilson was also in an "indefinite loop" because at that time, I was here in Singapore already and Doms was still in Manila and the only thing that's getting me to survive here in SG alone is the idea the Doms will be coming. Or the time that the soundtrack of my train journey from work to home was "Smash Into You" by Beyonce because I'm excited to be with already. These examples might not mean anything to you but for me, those mentioned are just some of my fave songs of all time.

Now, since our wedding is fast approaching, I tend to listen to love songs most of the time. The reason: I want to be in the "kilig" zone always. Period. also, I'm in a search for songs for the follwoing parts of my wedding:

• Church Bridal March (Of course, my entrance)
• Couple Reception Entrance
  
• On-site Video presentation to be shown in the reception
• Wedding DVD and Video

I've got a full list of different love songs that I want for the instances above but I also made my short list. Here are they.

1. Kailangan Kita sung by San Miguel PhilHarmonic Orchestra. Ever since I saw the movie, I've always made a mental note that when my wedding comes, this song will be my bridal march. I was totally inspired more when I heard the version by the PhilHarmonic Orchestra. Every part of the lyrics is what my heart is saying to Doms. And as I walk to the altar towards him, I want this song to be my background.

   Minsan lang ako nakadama ng ganito. Pag-ibig na wagas at sadyang totoo. Nananabik itong aking puso. Kailangan kita, ngayon at kailanman. Kailangang mong malaman na ikaw lamang. Ang tangi kong minamahal. At tangi kong hiling ay makapiling ka lagi.

2. No Air sung by Boyce Avenue. I've been wanting this song to be the background song if ever Doms and I will have an AVP of some of pictures together and our pre-nup picture. The Boyce Avenue version is slow and the piano instrument makes more of a love song. The intro of the song makes me feel like crying already and the emotion of the singer is so real that I feel what he is saying.

   So how do you expect me, To live alone with just me. Cause my world revolves around you. It's so hard for me to breathe.

3. What'll She Look Like sung by Stephen Speaks. This song was introduced to me by Ronnie, my former officemate from eNETS. He asked me to listen to this song and I immediately fell in love with the song. I want this song for the On-site video presentation of the preps and the ceremony.

   What'll she look like when she opens her eyes and sees what she wnats to see, instead of this cold mirror's lies and all the pieces complete she says with a sign "I think I'm ready..."

4. Kahit Pa by Hale. All right, all right. Hale is so emo and so 2007 but, I like their song Kahit Pa. It's a very upbeat love song. My wedding is morning wedding that's why I want an upbeat song so that people will will pay attention to the video. I particularly like this also for the On-site video presentation. So, I have to choose between 2 songs.

   Dahil kailangan ka. Kailangang pakita natin tayo'y iba. At kahit pa, Hindi papipigil sa mundo. At sa umagang darating. Lahat ay aking kakayanin. Basta't ikaw at ikaw pa rin. At kahit pa ikaw lang at ako..

So, there you have it. Some songs that I want to be sung in crucial parts of our wedding. I know that some of these will change, or even all because it depends on the string quartet that we will get. But as of the moment, this is what I want.

* I will be linking videos of the songs that I want tonight.

Mobile Blogging

Hello fellow brides, grooms, soon-to-be couples and friends,

I'm trying to figure out this new application that I downloaded for my iPhone. It's called BlogPress. It says I can post blogs anywhere. So I'm testing it now.

Now, I'll try to upload a snapshot.





This is Doms' Christmas gift.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Wedding Coordinator

Ever wonder why some weddings runs smoothly? Why everything comes into place at the right time and at the right moment? Well, these happens because of the wonderful works of wedding coordinators.

From the word itself, wedding coordinators "coordinates" everything that is happening in a couple's wedding. There are 3 common types of wedding coordination: full-coordination, partial coordination and on-the-day coordination or famously known as OTD.

Full Coordination comes 15 to 13 months before the wedding. They help the couple from scratch. Like allotting the budget, conceptualizing the theme and concepts, looking for wedding colors and motifs. Partial Coordination happens mid-way through the wedding. The wedding coordinators have the assumption that the couple already booked majority of the suppliers like church, reception venue and caterers. OTD happens only on the day of the wedding. The coordinators will help on events happening on that day only.

For our wedding, we are only getting a coordinator that will help us OTD. I've booked majority of the suppliers and I intend to book the others by myself. I just want our wedding to run smoothly that's why I want a separate "paid" and "unbiased" group doing these tasks for us. Surely, I have my relatives and friends, but I want them to enjoy our wedding too.

Among all the other tasks done by OTD coordinators, here is a list of their tasks:

• Pick-up of flowers/corsage for the wedding entourage and sponsors, missalettes, candles, matches, veil, cord, arrhae, bible, bubbles, confetti and other things needed during the wedding ceremony.
• Provide assistance to the bride in dressing up
• Set Up/Ceremony accessories/materials/Coordination with Priest/Church Staff
• Monitor arrival of weddings suppliers
• Coordination with program emcee and program participants
• Ensure smooth flow of the pictorials with the bride and groom

I hope we can find the "right" coordinator for us.

Choosing the Right Wedding Gown

There are three things that people remember when they attend a wedding:

• How great the wedding ceremony was,
• How tasty the food was and
• How the bridal gown looked like.

Most excited brides like me search endlessly online for the a wedding gown that we think suits us or look good on us. But, what we tend to forget is how the gown will "actually" look on each of our body types.

I've compiled a wedding dress guide that will hopefully help future brides, like me, in choosing the right wedding gown.
Wedding Gown Types

1. Ball Gown / Full Skirt = Ball gown type dresses are recommended for full-figured, pear shaped and thin thin body types.
   This style may also be considered for girls who are petite or have an hour glass figure
2. Empire Waist Gown = Empire waist gowns are recommended for women who are petite or women who do not have a defined waistline. This may also be considered for women with an inverted pear shaped body.
   I have this type of body!!! That's why Concha suggested I have this type of wedding gown. Good thing the wedding gown design that I showed her can be converted to an empire waist gown type.
3. A-Line / Princess = A-line gowns are recommended for the most body types except for women who do not have a defined waistline.
   While neither the A-line nor Princess has a defined waistline, the Princess style does have noticeable vertical panels.
4. Sheath = Sheath style gown are recommended for thin figured or petite framed women. This gown type may also be considered for some women with a hour glass figure shaped body.
   This style is not recommended for women who are thick or short-waisted, full figured, or have a pear shaped body type.
5. Mermaid = Mermaid style gowns are recommended for woman with a figure that they want to show off.
   This style is not recommended for women who are petite, thick or short waisted, or have an inverted pear shaped body type.

Types of Necklines

1. Jewel = Suggested for women with a smaller chest.
2. Scoop / Square / Queen Anne = Works with most figures.
3. V-Neck = Suggested for women with a medium sized chest.
4. Bateau / Sabrina = Suggested for women with a smaller chest.
5. Spagetti Straps = Suggested for women with small to average sized chest.
6. Off-Shoulder = Suggested for women with a hourglass figure or a pear shaped figure.
7. Portrait = Suggested for women who are short-waisted or women with fuller arms.
8. Sweetheart = Suggested for women with a hourglass figure or women with larger chests.
9. Strapless = Suggested for women who are full figured, petite, or have a hourglass figure.
10. High = Suggested for women who are petite or want a dress that has a lengthening effect.
11. Halter = Suggested for short-waisted women or women with broad shoulders. This neckline type is what I choose for my wedding gown.

Types of Waistlines

1. Natural = This waistline works with most body types and is suggested for women who are petite.
2. Drop = Suggested for women with a hourglass figure, larger breasts, or have a slim figure. Should be avoided by women with a boxy figure.
3. Basque = Suggested for women who want a bodice that has a slenderizing effect; however. Should be avoided by women who are petite or have an undefined waist.
4. Empire = Suggested for women with an undefined waist, have larger hips, or are shorter. Should be avoided by women with a hourglass figure. As always, empire has been my cut and my neckline. So for my gown, this is the waistline Concha will use.
   

Taken from: http://www.arcamax.com/weddings/gowns

Wedding Poll

Hello Reader/s,

I am not sure yet who reads my blog since Doms and I haven't "promoted" our site in Facebook where our group of friends are. So, just in case someone is reading this or read this post, there's poll at the bottom right hand side of our wedblog.

Please vote!

Thanks!

Pamamanhikan and Other Wedding Tasks

This coming January 23 to 26, 2010 will be me and Doms' first trip going back to Manila together. After more than a year, Doms and I will be together again in Manila. It kinda brings back all the memories that we have just going to malls like Gateway and Trinoma and watching movies and eating. Well the reason why we are going to Manila is because Doms and the whole of the Valentin family will do the traditional "Pamamanhikan" to my family.

"Pamamanhikan" is a Filipino tradition where the man and his parents visit the woman's family and ask for her parents blessings to marry their daughter. During pamamanhikan, the man and his parents bring p"pasalubong" or gifts. This is also the time when the wedding date is formally set and the couple is formally engaged.



This idea thrills me!!! I have been to my Tito Chito and Tito Freddie's (where we all travelled to Batangkawa, Pangasinan) pamamanhikan before and it excites me knowing that it's my time now!!! Now, Doms and I are planning how many guests will there be all in all and what food items will they bring for the pamamanhikan.

When Doms and I first talked about pamamanhikan, all he said he is not familiar with this and that this is his first time doing this tradition. Of course this is your first time!!! First and last time to be exact!!!

We already brought a new polo shirt for his dad and of course for Doms. Now, it's my turn to buy my dress for this occassaion.

So aside from the pamamanhikan, Doms and I will be going to the Weddings and Beyond Bridal Fair in NBC Tent, The Fort. Our goal is to find a photo and video supplier that Doms deems to be up to the caliber and quality that he likes. Also, I hope we can scout for OTD wedding coordinators, florist and event stylist.

Next on our list is to finalize our contract with our chosen gown designer and maker, Concha Espana. I've initially talked to Concha already during my December Manila visit. She gave me suggestions already and she gave me a quotation. I like her suggestions that's why we are seriously considering her to make my gown. So, this Janaury, I will finalize with her the designs that I choose for the MOG, MOB, MOH, BMs and SSs.

That's it!!! I hope that our short vacation this Janaury to the Philipiines will bring good to our wedding planning. I am confident that we can manage all the following tasks above. We also have other plans to do while there like, meeting Doms friends in 4 x Force, doing grocery shopping and all other stuff.

Seriously Speaking: DIET!!!

OK, I really need to diet!

I want to be beautiful, healthy and sexy during my wedding. I have the advantage because my wedding is still one year from now. So, I better start dieting.

I was searching the net with some tips on how to diet. It all boils down to 2 main things: Eating the right food and Exercising. Sounds simple? Not really!

I am a type of person who likes trying different types of food. Considering that we are in a foreign country, tasting and seeing food prepared in a different way stimulates our appetite. So, avoiding the Roast Chicken Rice and the Minced Meat Noodles is really hard. So, I believe I also need the will power and the determination to do this.

Below are some tips that I found that I think I can do for my dieting:

1. Drink plenty of water. I have my trusty Nike water bottle from Doms and I will make sure that I drink at least 4 servings of water in that bottle. Adding it up will be around 2 litres of water. This is just from the time I am in the office. When I arrive home, I need to drink 1 litre more.
2. Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruit and veggies per day. OK this is kinda hard. First, because I am not a veggie eater and second, fruit and veggies are expensive here in SG. OK, OK but I wills till try.
   
3. Think before eating. Always consider before eating if you are really hungry or not. Craving is different from hunger so, I better interpret the signs properly. I have to remember that my stomach is just the size of my fist. When I feel hungry, I can eat small meals like half bread or light crackers.
   
4. Enjoy favorite food ins moderation. I couldn't agree more. At elast, I can still eat my fave food but it has to be in moderation.
5. Eat several mini meals per day. In connection with number 5, when I feel hungry I need to snack on any food as long as it is in moderation.
6. Eat protein. I need to include yogurt, cheese and nuts in my meals.
7. Be physically active. OK now I know that I need to walk going to and from the MRT station. Also, I need to continue doing my sit-ups and go to the gym every weekends.
   

I really hope that I can follow all of these steps or tips.

Christmas Vacation Ala Wedding Preps

During my short Manila visit, I was able to do the list below for our wedding:

1. Ocular visit to Oasis Pavilion = Bernadette Novilla was kind enough to show us around Osais Pavilion. She toured us to the pavilion, bridal suite, rest rooms and other vital places for our wedding. I became more and more excited because at the time that we were there, a wedding reception was about to take place and the pavilion was majestically decorated. This gave me more ideas on how our reception will be.
2. Preliminary Meeting and Food Tasting from Hizon's = Although Michelle and I were having coordination problems the other time, we were able to put that aside and talk about my wedding. She was there to discuss the basic arrangement for our reception and she answered all my inquiries.
3. Choosing Cake Design = The cake was one of the freebies that I got from Oasis. I saw the different designs already but haven't finalized which design yet.
4. Consultation with Concha Espana = We visited concha and we talked to her about the designs that we wanted for me, the moms, MOH, BMs and SSs. She gave me a quotation already. We will finalize the designs on January.

What Really Happened: The Proposal

For our 3rd year anniversary. Doms and I planned for different things to do. I suggested we go to Hong Kong and Macau and he wanted to go to KL.

I searched endlessly for tour packages that suits our budget but unfortunately, we didn't find any.

So, we went down to the plan of having two days of celebration.

Saturday, 24th October 2009
We planned to shop for our gifts. I bought Doms a pair of Lacoste shoes and he bought me a dress and a pair of shoes. We wore our new outfits in our special day.

Sunday, 25th October 2009
Doms and I went to Iluma Mall to watch Julie & Julia. The movie as so hilarious. I was surprised to see Doms liking the movie and actually laughing out loud in certain areas. After that, we went to the nearest church and heard our Sunday mass. I was thanking the Lord for how wonderful the person beside me is. Doms was the greatest gift that God gave me. Dinner came and we tried Thai Express in Iluma. The food was nice but we didn't like the drinks that we ordered.

We decided to ride the bus going home so we can talk. The one-hour ride was heavenly! We talked about our future. We talked about our plans of getting our own place after getting married. I love it when Doms and I talk about our old age and how we will spend our life together.

We arrived home and did our usual ritual of playing Guitar tour in Doms' iTouch. After that we do our next ritual of updating and training our creatures in the iPod application called Creatures.

While playing, Doms asked me, "Mahal mo ba ako?" I said, "mahal na mahal". Then he asked, "Papakasalan mo ba ako?", I said "maski paulit-ulit". Then I hugged him. When I went back to watching him play Creatures, I saw it! The ring!

I was surprised and the only thing I said was "shit" and tears flowed out my eyes. I was so happy and excited that tears went out instantly.

Doms hugged me and kissed me and said "Ayan ha, papakasalan na kita".

I immediately went to take my phone and took pictures of the ring and of me and Doms.

About the Photographer

Alvin Dominic Valentin a.k.a Doms or Alvin is the eldest son of Dominador and Rosario Valentin. They are based in Makati ever since and Doms was born and raised in Poblacion.

As a kid, Doms is be part of the "nang-aasar" group. He always tease his classmates and friends. He is a very jolly and talkative person and he is considered as the joker of the class.

Amidst the bully facet, Doms is a very artistic kid. He loves drawing, sketching and painting. He would paint anything that he sees and give the paintings to his mom. There was a time that his drawings became part of an exhibit in Makati and some of his works were actually sold and bought by other people.

Doms college days were as fun as his childhood. He took up Electrical Technology as a scholar in Meralco foundation Institute. His college friends were always with him in times of school crammings, deadlines and the whole day times in the arcade.

Yes, Doms is addicted to different kinds of games! He spends almost all his allowance in Time Zone playing Tekken or Street Fighter or Mario Cart.

He worked his way in college by working part time as a crew for Pancake House and as his magician cousin's assistant. That's the reason why Doms has a lot of magic tricks up his sleeve.

Anyway, after graduation, Doms had a work stint in an electrical plant in Laguna but he then resigned and transferred to Sykes Asia. He made more friends and gained reputation as the "unique" or more of "weird" employee.

Towards the latter part of his career in Sykes, he got the urge to try photography and he worked wonders on that field!

He takes pictures beautifully! He joined the Eon SXIS army were he developed his talent more. He climbs mountains, crosses rivers and treks forests just to take the perfect shot. Just like any other photographer, he also developed his graphic design skills. This was his stepping stone when he took the risk and went to Singapore not only to be with me, ehem, Dindin, but also look for a job where his talents are useful.

He is currently working as an Art Director for Big Fish Publishing, a car magazine here in Singapore. He takes pictures of cars, car events and other stuff related to it. He still continues with his landscape photography and he loves trying different kinds of "hawker" food and seafood.

Doms Site:
http://weasly023.multiply.com/

About the Writer

So how will I describe myself? OK, let's start with the basic stuff about me.

My name is Dindin. If you're wondering, that's not my real name. I have a real name but I stopped mentioning it after several people start laughing when they hear my real name. Anyway, my dad is Luis and my mom is Zeny. I was born in Mandaluyong and we stayed in Sto. Rosario until I was on the 3rd grade. We transferred to Fairview and we live there ever since.

I studied in St. Paul Pasig for 14 years and I took up Commerce Major in Economics in UST. Ever since I was in high school, I already love writing. I became part of the Teen Advisory board for Seventeen Magazine and I loved that writing stint!

After graduation, I tried different jobs like being a call center agent and an English Instructor. Then I came across a job opening called Technical Writer. I didn't know what the job scope at first but I tried it and luckily, Headstrong took me in.

I loved my working experience in Headstrong. I liked the people I work with and the group I belong. After a while, another opportunity came and I left Headstrong and worked for Lawson with the same position.

I liked Lawson very well too. I developed friends that I will never forget and will always cherish.

Late 2008, I transferred here in Singapore because I got a job. A certain agency called me up and offered me a job here in SG. Even if it was just a 6-month contract, I still accepted it. They paid for my ticket going here in Singapore.

I loved my first job experience here. There were a lot of Filipinos in my 1st company so I had no problems with friends. After my contract, I looked for a next job. I had problems in looking for a job but luckily, I was referred to Crimson Logic by ,y friends.

Now, my current company is Crimson Logic and I am working as a Technical Writer here.

Enough about my work...

I am person who loves reading!!! My favorite books are from authors like Sophie Kinsela, Cecilia Ahern and Dan Brown. I also like reading the Twilight Saga and Harry Potter Books.

I also love watching movies and series like How I Met Your Mother, CSI, Chuck, True Blood.

Our Reception Choice

Every since Doms and I saw the premises of Oasis Pavilion in Aurora Boulevard, we already made a mental note that when we have our wedding, we will choose and get Oasis as our reception venue. This came true last November 6, 2009.

One week after Doms proposed to me, I immediately contacted Oasis Pavilion. They replied immediately. I was assigned to one of their coordinators named Bernadette Novilla. She is a very nice and accommodating person. She suggests ways on how to improve our wedding reception and she goes out of her way to answer my queries and questions. She also gives me tips on how to handle other suppliers. For instance, our chosen invitation maker is Printed Matter. Printed Matter's office is located in the same building as the Oasis office so, Bernadette was there when we were coordinating with Printed Matter.

When it comes to clarity of terms and agreement, Oasis was really proffessional. They gave me the terms of how to make reservations and other financial information in a proper way. They were fast in making computations when I ask them to provide me for clarifications.

All in all, Doms and I were happy and satisfied with Oasis Pavilion. I hope that when our wedding time comes, everything will be OK.

Oasis Pavilion
http://www.oasismanila.com/

169 Aurora Boulevard

San Juan

7214585

Oasis Pavilion Photos

Welcome to our Wedding Website

I've been dreaming of having and maintaining a blogger site. As I could recall, I have a previous blogger site when I was in college. But, I haven't updated that for a long time. I currently have a personal blog, http://dindin1025.wordpress.com and I have this since mid-2006.

So, since having a "wedsite" is "in" for soon-to-be-couples, I decided to get blogger for updates, announcements and anything and everything under the sun about our wedding.

I hope that you enjoy your visit here and always remember, SMILE!


- Dindin