Choices and choosing

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

The year of the Fire Dog bids well for Joan and I, but nonetheless never a reason to be complacent with preparations. Our fears, worries, and panic about our upcoming wedding are rising at an alarming rate.

Five months to go...

Just before New Year 2006 we secured the pina cloths for myself, the best man, and the rest of the men in our immediate family. My mother was able to get discount from a supplier in Kalibo, but I felt a bit guilty after we saw how hard the weaving process is.

I'll be sailing back to Aklan this February to get fitted by our local lady 'sastre' for my barong. She's been making my school uniforms back in my elementary and highschool years.

The entourage has been assembled, and we've rounded up seven of the twelve principal sponsors since we started personally inviting them during the Christmas holidays. No one refused, mercifully (but it's never in our culture to refuse to be ninongs and ninangs, right?).

We're three ninongs and two ninangs shy of completing the entourage and, thus, finalizing the invitation.

Why the delay? Blame it on my hesitation: first, I fear my prospective ninang/ninong won't even remember me, and; second, I worry to no end about the implications of getting a specific person as our sponsor. Not that I am being too picky, but these people are going to be part of our lives forever.

Just the same, though, I must decide fast -- there are invitations awaiting final layout and printing.

The last batch of souvenirs are in. It's time to dress them up. Yey!

A source of potential heart-attack is our caterer, which has been going through some employee-employer turbulence these past months. They lost two account executives, both handling our account, since we booked last October 2005. The first was suspected of estafa, and the second resigned after working for barely two months.

We have yet to meet the third, and hopefully the last, account executive whom we will be working with. It gets kind of tiring having to familiarize yourself over again with a person, however professional they may be.

Divisoria fun: Souvenirs first batch

Last Saturday we bought our first batch of souvenirs from Tabora St. at Divisoria.

It's amazing how this place looks during Christmas season -- double the usual human and motor traffic, generators were set up to keep almost all sidewalk stalls lit up so brightly till late night, and more foreigners mixing it up with the rest of the bargain hunters.

Good thing we had an agreement with the salesperson a month ago -- the price of our chosen souvenir is now Php8.00 higher than our agreed price.

Pamamanhikan in Roxas City

October 30, Sunday
Roxas City, Capiz

It's like a game of poker: you're never sure what cards are at hand. But everything went smoothly, and it was quite an experience for both our families. ^_^

Roxas City is about an hour and a half away from Batan. We got there in time for lunch. After some introductions, welcomes, and niceties, we carried the affair to the dining area. Joan's parents also prepared a little feast for us, so it's food galore. Yum!

I was told to bring an elderly relative so there will be someone to keep the conversations going with Joan's parents. No need. I was confident my brother and godbrother, both accomplished businessmen, wouldn't run out of things to talk about with Joan's father, while our mothers are both teachers.

And true enough, the conversations about business would have gone on and on had the group not decided to change the topic and finally get down to discussing our wedding plans. (Hey, don't let us spoil the fun. Haha!)

Our opening spiel was brief and straightforward, getting over with the date, church, and venue as quickly as possible.

It went unchallenged, to my surprise. I was somehow expecting to hear objections with the venue (ESPECIALLY the venue), as local traditions would prescribe that we be married at the lady's hometown.

The church got some comments here and there about being a cemetery, but the concern was immediately addressed with a promise to cover the word "cemetery" at the Paco Park's entrance with a banner or something. As to the reception venue, the only concern raised was the traffic condition.

I felt a little chill when the folks started discussing the costs and budget. Thank goodness my brother seemed to have forgotten what he told me when he got drunk at the ship, and didn't challenge me as he had promised. Also, I was grateful my godbrother was there to help us explain our choice of suppliers with his own wedding experience.

The entourage, principal sponsors, souvenirs, and gown designs ate up most of the afternoon. Our folks shared suggestions here and there, and Joan and I agree that they've been really open-minded about the whole thing.

By 4pm, we were relieved to have settled most of the items we were unsure of. By 5pm, it was back to non-wedding-related kwentuhan (and more kainan). We left Roxas City at around 6pm.

All in all it was a memorable meeting of families. I wish my sister, my father, and Joan's brother were there, the picture would have been complete. But just the same, it was a first for us all. ^_^

[l-r: Bimboy (Leo's godbrother), Kuya Larry, and Fr. Glen B.]

[l-r: Tatay Jack, Joan's cousins Belen and Malba, and Nanay Rose]

[l-r: Joan, Tatay Jack, Nanay Rose, Leo, Mommy Vi, and Kuya Larry]