TOPAZ HORIZON

My wedding was featured again last night on an ETC show. Actually, they were featuring Kate Torralba as a wedding gown designer but since Kate said I was her favorite bride, the show used photos from my wedding.

Now why was I Kate's favorite? No, it wasn't because I'm her friend. She liked me best because I wasn't a bridezilla and I let her do whatever she wanted. All I told her was the color motif and that I don't want to look like the traditional bride; instead I want to look like I'm on my way to the Oscars! When Kate showed me the initial sketches, I got scared--STRIPES! I was thinking, "Good lord, we're going to look like psychedelic zebras," but aloud I said, "Well, you're the designer, Kate, so you know better." Anyway, thank goodness I didn't impose myself on Kate because she came up with gowns that were incredibly beautiful.

Anyway, I'm making this post because I noticed that a lot of readers come to this blog because they were searching "wedding", "kate torralba", "archbishop's palace", "entourage gowns" on Google. Well, here's a list of our wedding suppliers. They come highly recommended and they are so very reasonable when it comes to prices. Have a happy wedding!

Ceremony: Contrary to its name, this is a small chapel, charming and near everything.
Villa San Miguel, Archbishop's Palace
438 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City
531-7069/7034

Reception: Very classy and again, in the middle of everything. And the food is amazing.
Le Souffle at Fernando's
G/L Amorsolo Square, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell Center
890-6543/7630

Photographer: He's the lifestyle photojournalist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer so his specialty is candid shots.
Chito Vecina
Unit 4D-4E Casa Bougainvilla 3834 Mascardo St., Pasong Tamo, Makati
www.chitovecina.net
809-6190

Jeweler:
Goldenhills Jewelry
Level 3A-053 Expansion Mall, Robinsons Galleria, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave, QC
631-8146, 299-6122

Designer: No need to add anything! =D
Kate Torralba
Greenbelt 5, Makati
0917-6221229

Tailor: He's the personal tailor of former President Erap Estrada! He charges an arm and a leg, though, but my groom (and my little pages) looked fabulous!
Napoleon Arienza
0917-5295028

Makeup was done by my old high school friend. Love him!
Jigs Mayuga, Chief Makeup Artist for L'Oreal Paris
0917-5748556

Hair was done by a friend, too. We didn't even have a trial session. Ney just made me look perfect from the get go :
Ney Guesse, Chief Hairstylist for L'Oreal Paris
0915-2089007

Hair coloring: Louis is the best when it comes to hair color. Your hair will look like it's naturally that gorgeous. Even my husband tells me that he now appreciates Louis because he can tell which ones have bottle-colored hair!
Louis Phillip Kee
Louis Phillip Kee Salon
G/F One McKinley Place,
Bonifacio Global City

Florist: From the very beginning of our relationship, Vince got me flowers from Holland Tulips. It only made sense that they do our wedding!
Holland Tulips
www.hollandtulips.com.ph
807-7854, 809-2435

Stationery: I think they're the cheapest quality stationer in the country. Emphasis on quality.
QP Designs
www.qpdesigns.com
733-2339/2307

Cake Artist: People talked about the wedding cake for weeks! They forgot everything else. That's how good the cake was.
Gel Colet
0917-5367829

String Quartet: He's my brother, yes, but he's very very talented and will make any wedding special.
The Manila String Machine
http://manilastringmachine.blogspot.com/
Theodore Amper
0918-9066377

... 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...
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!

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!

Photo by Benjamin Combs from https://stocksnap.io/

Life these days has been pretty strange. Eventful. Too eventful, in fact. It's a bit sad I haven't had any real time to actually type down my thoughts here as the events happen. At the same time, it's best I also didn't do so. Now that things have settled down a bit, I have a different perspective on certain things. And also things are still unfolding so I don't really want to have an opinion on anything yet. I am in wait-and-see mode.

So what are these "things"? Oh, aside from Gandalf dying so unexpectedly (we're still sad), there's the career front for both Vince and me (it's been very very interesting lately), the expenses for the wedding and the house (oh my God!), my evolving thoughts on motherhood (nope, I still don't want to be a mom and I'm relieved Vince isn't so hot on becoming a dad either yet there's a big change: We are open to the idea that parenthood may be an option), and oh other things. Lots. But it's all good. Life happens.

Anyway, the wedding's full speed ahead! Everything's pretty much okay except that the church flowers and papa's suit haven't been paid for. I still have to buy shoes for my flower girls. We haven't found a necktie for Vince. The misalette has to be approved by Fr. Dacanay and then I'll have to print out a hundred copies of that. Vince has to get a haircut, I have to get my hair colored. Oooh, lots of things still to do! But I'm cool.

I'm amazed (and so is everybody else!) at how relaxed I am about this wedding. That's because weddings are the silliest, most expensive affairs. So I just can't get stressed about something so inane. I just want it over and done with. I'll be happiest when it's all over. I am so looking forward to becoming a wife but I just hate this bride business!

Photo from Pexels.com

Hello, my dear readers! I have been away for a while and that's because I am attending to so many things.

First, the wedding. Second, the magazine. Third, our new home!!!

Funny, of the three we're most excited about the house (then our magazines, then the wedding last). I guess that's because the wedding's just a silly little party while the condo unit is our future home. We are so thrilled! We want to move in ASAP!!!

A WEDDING IS THE EASIEST THING

Not that I don't care about the wedding.

I am so glad I work in a magazine. Fixing a wedding in less than three months is actually quite a breeze! I have no idea why there are stories about bridezillas, and brides and grooms and mothers fighting, or brides needing a year or two to plan a wedding. Really, it's just like one big photo shoot.

Well, it does help that I know a lot of people in the photography, beauty and fashion industries. And my experience as an editor makes it very easy for me to review locations and services, ask the right questions, and book vendors. I did all of that in a week! It also helps I have the most amazing future sisters-in-law, Lizelle, Anj and Reza. My goodness. I do not know what I'd do without them! If I can only make them all my maids of honor, I would. They have helped me A LOT.

So I have the loveliest little garden chapel to get married in (Archbishop's Palace), the most elegant restaurant to hold our reception (Le Soufflé at The Rockwell Club), Manila's darling designer to make the gowns for me and my ladies (Kate Torralba), a talented makeup artist and hairstylist to do my hair and face (Jigs Mayuga and Nhey Guese of L'Oreal), and my own brother to provide the music with his string quartet (Theodore Amper, cellist for The Manila String Machine). Now, all I need are the rings, the cake, the flowers, and... well, I need a lot of other things. But so far, so perfect!

Weddings are a piece of cake.

THE NEW HOME

Now the house is an altogether different story.

What a complicated business buying your own home is! So many papers, so many taxes, so many fees, so much... government! Grabe. The condominium unit we purchased is a two-bedroom, two-bathroom affair with a breathtaking 90-degree view of the city. It is an amazing place. I kid you not. Great way to start a new life together!

And then the government stepped in. The fees and taxes just kept coming and coming and coming. We paid for so much more on top of what the house cost. It is not right.

CORRUPTION TAINTS EVERYTHING

Speaking of that, let me go back to the wedding. When we went to our city hall to apply for a marriage license, Vince and I could not believe what was happening. Every question we asked cost us P10. Unbelievable but true. And I was naive enough to ask for a receipt! I am so stupid. Faced with corruption, I did not know what to do except to ask for the right thing. And when it was refused me, I was lost. Buti na lang marami akong barya! Finally, Vince told me to stop asking questions.

When we were also getting Vince's baptismal and confirmation certificates, we found corruption yet again. At the Dela Strada Parish Church along Katipunan Ave., the parish workers gave us Vince's confirmation certificate without a hitch or money exchanged. In the Parish of the Sacred Heart Church in Sta. Mesa, I observed that this time we had to pay for the baptismal certificate. It was okay since the church looked like it needed it and it was just P45 (I heard the woman behind the window charge the lady ahead of me). But when it was my turn, I got charged P55 for the same thing! Was it because I was dressed well and the lady before me wasn't?

It's not right. Dela Strada did not charge us anything and it was a church in a wealthy neighborhood. Sacred Heart was in the middle of an impoverished place—their parish people shouldn't be shelling out money anymore! Well, it does make sense that Dela Strada won't charge; perhaps their offerings every Sunday are more than enough. Still...

SIGNING OFF

I am learning a lot these past few days. I am learning a lot about how churches work, how the government works. I am learning about how families work, mine, Vince's, and combined. I am meeting so many different kinds of people. I am seeing so many new places. Some bad, most good. If there's anything I'm grateful for because of this wedding (aside from getting me a mighty fine hubby!), it's the experiences.

They are amazing.

Now, I don't know when I'll be back but do drop me a line now and then!