Monday, April 30, 2007

The surprise bridal shower

... really took me by surprise. It was held a week before the wedding and I was very sick with the flu. I wanted to stay in bed so I got quite annoyed that Vince and Kate insisted I had to fit my gown one last time. Vince had to drag me to Kate's atelier and when I got there...
S U R P R I S E !
So pardon my bleary self in these photos. I may have looked like a wreck but I was so so so happy this whole night.

Thanks - Kate, Mariel, Lana, Marcie (who provided these pics), Kat, Alvin, Francis, my surprise guests that I met that night, and of course, Vince!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Vince and I did it!


April 18, 2007
Villa San Miguel, Archbishop's Palace
Mandaluyong City

After eight full years of being I and you, he and she, him and her, Vince and I are now we.

I am now Mrs. Sales.

That’s just awesome.

Special guests


Aside from my best friend Aida flying in all the way from Europe, we were also grateful that Vince’s best friend, Jukka, also managed to get to Manila (from wherever in the world he happened to be—he’s a documentary producer) a couple of days before the wedding.

Theodore teased that we had celebrities in the house. What with our cousin Iza and the Valdes couple, Dennis and Tessa, in attendance. Well, these people are actually my friends!

P.S. Tessa featured the wedding in her column in last Sunday's society pages. I hope you all got your copy of Philippine Daily Inquirer! If you didn't, read the online version here.


What’s a wedding without speeches?


My dearest best friend Aida flew all the way from Antibes, France, just to be at my wedding. She was lovely. She’s my heart warmer.

Theodore introduces Papa who gave a sweet and funny speech (whew, no tears!).

Vince’s dad was up next. He admonished us all to take better care of our world now because we may not have a world to give to our children.

Vince and I thank our guests. I adore this man I married. Really.


The evening’s entertainment


We totally abused our friendship with Kate. Not only did she create our stunning gowns, she also sang us two songs! That Yamaha keyboard is a gift from one of her many male admirers, by the way.

My cousin, former theater actress Ate Tricia Jimenez, sang us a song, too. She was accompanied by my brother Theodore Amper and his string quartet, The Manila String Machine.


The night’s undisputed star—the cake!


Well, by default, as bride and groom, Vince and I had to endure being the center of attention. We dreaded that but it actually turned out okay. Here we are cutting the cake. That cake is three full layers of quadruple chocolate—no styro! Chocolate sponge cake with chocolate butter cream slathered in chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate shavings. This was the hit of the night. 


Strawberry and chocolate girls


Look at my delightful flower girls and junior bridesmaid! Aren’t their gowns amazing? They’re beautifully beaded satin and lace with full petticoats. Kate Torralba, my designer and bridesmaid, totally outdid herself!


After the wedding, we all have a laugh

Vince and I had a laugh outside the church. In fact, we spent the rest of the afternoon and the whole evening laughing with joy. We did it!

My dear friends from Manila Science High: Aida Palces-Bour and her French husband Vincent, and Allan John de Leon.

My cousin, Iza Calzado and her dad, Tito Lito Calzado, took time away from their busy schedules to be with us.


We’re married!


The Sales and Amper families

Meanwhile, at the church…


Vince says he played the My Fair Lady song “Get Me to the Church on Time” as he and best man Jukka drove to Archbishop’s Palace. He was not just on time; he was there early. The wedding was at 4PM. He was there at 2:30! Excited ba? He looks so cute in his gorgeous pinstripe suit and white silk tie. Yum!

Everyone waited for me. I didn’t want to be late but *argh!* I was. Trouble with the gown. Mama didn’t know how to do the straps at the back! Anyway, I arrived at 3:45 in the sleek red Jaguar that Tita Luz Cotoco lent us. I wanted to enjoy a few minutes more in the car with my bridesmaids, you know, to collect myself but I was late! Thankfully my guests were all in a good mood, even my little adorable page boys, Kevin Sales and Zo Onrubia. They’re Vince’s nephews and godsons. They’re super makulit but for the walk down the aisle, they were remarkably well behaved. Bravo, boys!

And here we go…

Getting ready to stun my groom


Who else will do my makeup for the big day? There was no question that my old high school friend, Jigs Mayuga, chief makeup artist for L’Oreal Paris, will do it. He took Ney Guese, this lovely talented young man to do my hair. While we talked, I found out that Jigs is an Industrial Engineering graduate from U.P. Diliman (same campus I went to but I took Creative Writing so we never actually bumped into each other) and that Ney is a Political Science graduate from the Ateneo. Imagine that!

Look at me! Love the makeup. Love the hair. Love the bouquet. Now I’m ready to meet Vince!

I chattered away throughout the beautifying session (I was all nerves!) but when Ney draped the veil over me, I gasped in utter shock. I nearly frikkin’ screamed my head off. I was a bride!