Wedding Kwento Part I

Although we started preps early and I was a hands-on bride (I didn’t get a full-time job because of wedding preps), we still had lots and lots of stuff that we were able to do just at the last minute (last minute for me is like a week before). Our wedding was on Dec 18, I’ll start my kwento with the highlights of the two weeks before the wedding.

Dec. 6
As we expected, none of the guests replied to the RSVP. But since we had definite seating arrangements with place cards, I had to make sure who will really be able to attend. At first I wanted to call or text all of the guests but calling would entail too much time while texting would be too impersonal. Also, Rhodora told me that if I were to personally ask the guests if they would be able to come, some would say yes kasi mahihiya lang sila to say no to me although they would know beforehand that they won’t be able to make it. So I thought of this really ingenious thing to do – I got the spare prepaid SIM card we had at home, loaded it with credits, and texted all my guests using that SIM card with this message. “Good morning. This is Rhodora and we are coordinating Clarice and Bernard’s wedding on the 18th. We would like to confirm your attendance….” Basta something to that effect. I forgot the exact wordings. It was a success! Everybody replied and some did say no. When they confirm their attendance, I would send the following message naman: “Thank you for your confirmation. We have reserved ____ seats for you. Attire is formal for ladies and Barong Tagalog for gentlemen. Thank you again.” If they say no, I would just thank them.

This was what I did the whole of Dec 6. Then I rearranged the seating arrangement accordingly. Sigh! I must have rearranged our seating arrangement like one million times! Exagg! Haha!

By the way, I woke up on the morning of the 6th with a slight fever. My dad, since he was home with me all day, noticed that I was not feeling well. Pinagalitan niya lang ako kasi baka raw magkasakit ako, pano na raw sa araw ng kasal ko. He didn’t know na may sakit na ako talaga.

Dec 7
I had an appt with my thesis adviser on the afternoon of the 7th. After my meeting with her, I called Bernard. We were supposed to meet at Ortigas to grab dinner but I felt that I would not be able to drive from Ateneo to Ortigas anymore because I wasn’t feeling well so I asked him to just meet me some place nearer to Ateneo. He said he’ll just pick me up in Ateneo then we’ll just have dinner in Katipunan. He arrived after around 30 minutes. We had dinner at Gayuma then he told me na he had a surprise for me. I was kinda surprised coz he knew that I wasn’t feeling well but he was insisting that we go somewhere pa after dinner. But since we rarely had time to ourselves na walang kinalaman sa preps, I agreed. He blindfolded me then brought me to this place. Kakatawa pa kasi naka-blindfold ako sa kotse, then paghinto ng car, he guided me, sasabihin niya sa akin kung may paakyat ba or pababa or kung may tao. We entered an elevator pa nga. When he removed my blindfold, we were inside a bedroom sa isang hotel/motel! Sabi ko, “Ano ka ba? Bakit tayo andito?” Natatawa ako sa kanya na nawi-wirduhan! For goodness’ sake, it was like two weeks before our wedding! Hahaha! He replied “Ayaw mo ba dito? Maganda ditto!” Ako naman, “Ha?” Then I heard a chorus of voices behind me, “Surprise!” Okay, bridal shower ko pala, thrown by my w@wie friends! Hahaha!

We had fun that night. Usually when we have shower parties, it was just us girls. But since Bernard was already inside the motel room (yeah, motel nga na nagpapanggap na hotel), we asked the hubbies and H2B’s of our friends to join us. Sobrang enjoy yun gabing yun. They gave me lots and lots of thongs and “barely there” nighties! Hahaha! I even received a crotchless panties!Tuwang-tuwa si Bernard! Hahaha *wink* We even watched Playboy porn (na promise walang kwenta so wag na kayo manood)!!!

Dec. 11 - Saturday
We threw a surprise bridal shower for Abie (ni Rey) at my house on Saturday. Funny thing was, since all our schedules were messed up, it was Abie who arrived first. So when she got there, I asked her to help me with my gel candle packaging. I needed to put a ribbon on the sinamay bag and I was really having a hard time doing it. Ang galing ni Abie kasi she knew how to tie the perfect ribbon! I, on the other hand, attended to Abie’s CD souvenirs. I assembled the packaging. It was funny coz we were doing each other’s wed preps chore! Haha!

Around 7, Candice, my maid of honor picked me up (Abie and the rest were still at my home. I just left them and they finished the ribbons!), kunyari to have a meeting with our emcee kasi raw may prob or something. It was another bridal shower, this time arranged by my MoH. She invited all the single women na friends ko na invited sa wedding, kahit na yung hindi pa niya kilala. Kakatuwa noh! I really have the best MoH ever! The funny thing here was that I knew they were planning a shower for me kasi one of our friends who now resides in Paris emailed me the day before and asked me where the shower would be held. She asked me to text her the hotel and the room number! Hahaha!

Candice knew naman pala that I knew so the whole time from my house to Makati, we were making kwento lang, nakikiramdam. I didn’t know that she knew. She knew that I knew but that I wasn’t telling her. Hehe!

We had dinner lang (We were supposed to have the whole stripper thing but Bernard didn’t allow it daw! Hay!). Each brought a gift which the giver thought symbolized something the two of us shared. Sobrang touching yung pagbigay nila. Then they gave me a scrapbook. Each of the invitees / attendees of the shower had a page. They wrote a letter for me, put pictures, and, because they knew I love to cook, put their favorite recipe on their pages. I was really so touched by all their efforts! I really love my friends!

By the way, kasabwat pala yung mom ko sa lahat ng shower parties ko. Both Rhodora (for the first shower) and Candice (for the second) coordinated with her. :)

Dec 14 - Tuesday
Bernard and I had a facial that afternoon then went to Greenbelt to meet with my friend coordinators, MoH, and emcees. Sobra talagang bait ng mga friends ko! Imagine, they were all willing to troop to Greenbelt just so we can have a final rundown of what was going to happen on the wedding day. My friends who were part of the group but were not part of w@w were so impressed with Rhodora, Teenee, and Diosa. Sobra raw efficient! Syempre, w@wies ang coords ko eh, what can you expect? Sino pa ba ang mas OC sa weddings than w@wies? :) We started around 6:30. We finished 11p.m. na ata. Four days to go! Kaka-excite na!