Virtual wedding planning

I haven't tried this game but when I found it on Yahoo Games, I was so thrilled! Imagine planning a wedding and having fun at the same time! This so reminds me of Jennifer Lopez in the movie, The Wedding Planner.

According to the game description:

Plan a Dream Day Wedding for your friend Jenny in this beautiful, fun, and romantic game. Use your keen eye and memory to find items at the flower shop, gown boutique, bakery, and other stylish shops to help make Jenny's special day a dream! Between shopping trips, play Perfect Match to help unlock the secret honeymoon level, or try Choose A Story – you'll decide what happened at Jenny and Robert's first meeting, on their first date, and of course the proposal! You'll encounter a wedding crisis or two along the way -- solve these challenging levels and you'll get to pick the flowers, cake and dress for Jenny's big day!

Game Features:
· 12 levels and 9 mini-games, with 16 unique backgrounds
· Crisis! Save Jenny's wedding from the brink of disaster
· Perfect Match – play this memory matching game to unlock a tropical honeymoon level!
· Choose A Story – it's up to you to decide how Jenny and Robert meet, fall in love, and get engaged in this unique game

Just imagine how you can actually plan a wedding again and again without paying real money or earning the ire of your bride and vendors. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun? I'm sure some brides can only wish they could do the same with their weddings. Try it out. Maybe we could all learn some planning tips from the game. Enjoy!

Sun up or sun down?

Some brides are morning people. Some are party people.

When I got married, the ceremony started at 10am followed by a lunch reception. I almost didn't make it to church on time because I called in the make-up artist and her team at 6am to fix up seven females. I realize now that we should have given an earlier call time. I have heard of make-up artists going to the bridal room as early as 3am and it's like preparing for simbang gabi :-)

One of my sisters and some of my cousins got married in the afternoon. This gave them more time to plan, re-plan, troubleshoot and revise anything from the wedding march to the reception program. True, afternoon weddings and dinner receptions are ideal, especially if you were up all night finishing your do-it-yourself souvenirs or rearranging your table assignments. Or if your groom was tempted by his barkada to do the stag party the night before your wedding. Poor, poor you.

In the afternoon, the pictures are usually more dramatic with the sun setting after the ceremony and having fireworks at night during the reception. But since I was to be wed in a no-so-lit church, I chose to get married late in the morning when the sun was at its peak. Also, I was getting married on a Saturday and on a rainy month so I chose a time when traffic was lightest and unfortunately, that was usually in the morning.

So, what are the benefits of holding your wedding in the morning?

• For one, more natural light, less flashbulbs.
• I haven't really attended a breakfast menu wedding but I've always heard people say that it's cheaper than a lunch or dinner reception
• To match the light food, no pressure to provide alcoholic beverages
• Your bridal gown and entourage dresses could be made of lighter fabric, pastel hues vs. nightime long gowns with lots of beads
• Less traffic (except if you're getting married on a school day)
• Some events venues even offer discounted prices for morning celebrations

How about afternoon/evening ceremonies and receptions?

• More time to prepare
• More people likely to attend especially if you're holding it on a working day
• A sunset shot
• Fireworks
• Party music
• Booze

How about not-so-nice things you'll have to deal with?

For morning weddings:

• Vendors late for their call time
• People late for the ceremony -- couldn't wake up early
• Can't do an outdoor reception because of the heat

For afternoon/evening weddings:

• People get really hungry because they skipped lunch getting ready for the ceremony
• People leave early to get ready for work if you marry on a working day or a Sunday, may waste the fact that you hired a band
• The elderly sleep during your ceremony
• Children will get fussy -- time for bed or skipped their afternoon nap
• Drunk and/or rowdy guests

Whatever time you choose, make sure it's the time that you and your groom are comfortable with so whatever happens, you enjoy your own wedding. :-)

Weddings in color

My family and I are probably a few of the people in this world who are really unconventional when it comes to weddings. My parents sired four girls and to date, three are already married. The oldest sister got married in the US in1996, in a traditional white gown with very few entourage members. I got married in 2004 wearing a red wedding gown. The sibling after me got married just last year with an off-white gown with red, yellow and orange ribbons and flowerettes.


Here she is.



Not so long ago, after seeing my older cousins get married and having so much trouble getting fittings for their big entourage, I always told everyone that I'd have my entourage in jeans to make life easier for everyone and make my wedding memorable. Of course, I didn't get married in jeans but I was the first bride in the family to wear red while my entourage wore white dresses. My husband wore a suit while the male entourage members wore barongs. We stood out as a couple and eventually made the wedding memorable.

In some wedding magazines I've read, I've seen a bride wear royal blue, or silver or even gold. I've seen designer wedding gowns with colored sashes, swarovskis, ribbons or embroidery. Locally, I've seen an entourage wearing beaded denim dresses. I even recently saw pictures of a bride from my wedding e-group wearing a blue-shaded gown and her entourage members were wearing white tops in blue jeans -- even the girls! Very brave and very unconventional indeed.

Cakes also used to be just white with ribbons matching the wedding motif. Now, cakes even set the tone for the reception -- lavish with swarovskis, playful with quirky toppers, festive with fruits, flirty with flowers.

This is just proof that weddings need not be all white afterall.

Tagaytay Treasures

Since the start of 2000, a lot of brides and grooms from Manila who want to have an elegant, relaxed but intimate wedding have opted to have their celebration in the coolest vacation spot next to (and closer to Manila than) Baguio, Tagaytay.

The most popular wedding destinations are the Caleruega Chapel and Sonya's but a lot of restaurants and private gardens have opened up for weddings as well in the past five years or so.

In the blog Our Awesome Planet by Anton Diaz, Anton visually entices readers on how some of these Tagaytay treasures can make your weddings beautiful, with menus you can delight your guests with. Some of Anton's recent posts include Balai Taal (www.balai-taal.com), Hacienda Isabela, Antonio's, Ville Sommet (www.villesommet.com.ph) and Balay Indang.

Caleruega remains a crowd favorite because of its quaint interiors and the dramatic (but somehow tiring) bridal ascent to the chapel. It is not a popular wedding destination at night and during the rainy season because the road going to the chapel is not well-lit. The little chapel is just right for about 150 guests and for those brides who don't care much for long aisles. Also, in choosing your wedding ceremony/reception location, it would be a nice thing to consider if the venue is accessible for elderly guests.

As for a reception venue, Sonya's continues its passion of providing comfort food -- something you can always come back to whenever you want to take a break from all the fastfood and oil-loving dishes we Filipinos are fond of. Having all-you-can eat salad, pasta and dalandan juice is a refreshing change from usual hotel (even catered) food amidst natural surroundings and cool weather. The nice thing about Sonya's is that they don't charge corkage fee for additional food and beverage you may want to bring in.

Also, since you're already in a garden venue, you need not spend more for flowers since Sonya's provides garden-fresh flowers. When we went there, the tables had my favorite fragrant flower of all time -- gardenias!

And since it was summer, Sonya's offers a summer photo opportunity in her very own sunflower farm. What more can you ask for wedding photos?


Sonya's also offers a charming Bed and Breakfast that brides can use for their preps and where the newlyweds may want to stay on their 1st honeymoon night. Some of the different rooms can accommodate as much as 13 persons inclusive of breakfast. And if that's not enough, Sonya's also has a delightful spa to ease those wedding jitters.



Here's a shot of the "waterfalls" outside the Conservatory. This cools the interiors and adds to the peaceful ambiance while dining. For extra comfort, Sonya's added big evaporating airconditioners in the Conservatory and in the Greenhouse venue.

Sonya's recently converted their big greenhouse into an additional ceremony/reception venue, providing restrooms, tiled and pebbled floors among colorful chandeliers and blooms. Their signature mismatched furniture and china completes the rustic feel of Sonya's.
Since most wedding vendors based in Manila request for additional out-of-town fees for Tagaytay weddings, soon-to-weds really have to look for Tagaytay-based suppliers or those from Manila who charge the least out-of-town fees. I really hope the Taal volcano doesn't errupt in my lifetime. I'd hate to see what kind of damage it may do to Tagaytay and its lovely wedding venues. Sniff...


I would like to thank my officemates, Pinky and Brenda and my sister Mixie for the additional photos of Sonya's.

My (wedding) fair lady

I just love going to bridal fairs. For wedding buffs like me, it's like wedding heaven filled with flowers, reception decor, sumptuous food, beautiful gowns, jewelry, great music, lovely photographs and videos, sugar-filled treats and wines. You come home with delight, suddenly hyper or possibly intoxicated from all that cake and alcohol. If you're diabetic or allergic to alcohol, this could be a depressing place for you.

Once in a while, I drop by the bigger wedding fairs that happen every year in the metro. It's the ideal place to spot new trends and possible suppliers not just for weddings and debuts but for corporate parties and events, even children's parties! And usually during bridal fairs, the exhibitors offer discounts and freebies for those who book on the spot.

For soon-to-weds, going to bridal fairs is the perfect venue to interview possible suppliers. In one big event, you can sample their work (food, wines, cakes) , see their portfolio (flowers, reception set-ups, photographs/video, gowns, event coordination) and find out if you "click" with a particular supplier.

If it's your first time to go to a bridal fair, I would caution you into booking on the spot just because there are discounts or freebies being offered by a supplier. Chances are, you may not even need the freebies. Going to the fair is the perfect opportunity to test your emotional quotient by examining if a certain exhibitor is really worth having at your wedding or what they have is just a whim. Do you really need those fireworks? Or the vintage car for just 3 hours? If not, it would be best to simply collect then select. By "collecting", we mean being nice enough to collect all the leaflets, calling cards, pamphlets and other marketing materials that each supplier hands out as you comb the aisles. See anything you like? Make a mental note. NEVER take photos of an exhibit. You may also leave your contact numbers with them and await invitations to a food tasting or a sample concert. Then, after the fair, you can trim down your choices to your top three and give them a call based on your vision of your perfect day.

In doing a little bit of research and pinning down exactly what you want for your wedding, it will help you to decide the kind of look and feel you would expect from your potential suppliers. For inspiration, you may want to look at marthastewart.com or brides.com.

At the end of the day, choosing a good supplier needs enough discernment. Like choosing your life time partner, your suppliers should be those that you've chosen with both your mind and your heart (and possibly your wallet). Choose the ones that feel right and you can't go wrong.

On to the next fair!

Wedding Reality

In a few weeks, a local channel, QTV-11 will be launching a reality tv show about soon-to-wed couples. The groom and bride to bes will be subjected to several relationship tests and the winning couple will be awarded with the wedding of their dreams, including the honeymoon. Cool huh? In a country like the Philippines where soon-to-weds are usually economically-challenged (and wanting lots of frills that don't really make a wedding, just some nice-to-haves that vendors lure couples into), a wedding contest can be a good thing.

I once joined one. I even got the 1st runner up title. And just like Ms. Universe, if the winner would forfeit her prize for any reason, the prize will be given to the 1st runner up. The contest was in June 2004 and I still had my dream wedding in August of the same year. After taking so long to decide, the winner did eventually forfeit the prize but since the sponsoring vendors already backed out, I only got the honeymoon prize -- a 3-day-2 nights accommodation package in a posh Palawan resort. Not bad at all.

I never thought reality TV shows about weddings would click but I found myself hooked on three shows on the Lifestyle Channel: Whose Wedding Is It anyway?, For Better or For Worse and The I Do Diaries. The first one is about real weddings from a wedding planner's point of view. The second one is about the families of the bride and groom who will plan and execute the wedding without consulting the bride and groom all within a budget of $5,000. The last one is about two brides-to-be planning each others' wedding. Like any reality show, there are usually glitches but the wedding usually turns out okay, some better than the others.

Can't wait to watch the local version airing in March I think.

Seeing stars (and finding wedding dresses for pregnant women)

It's been an eventful week right after I attended an old college friends' wedding last January 7. I was 9 months pregnant and I had initially picked a Caesarian schedule, January 6 but my husband wanted to make it January 12 so that our baby girl could have the same birthday as his mom who passed away when he was still a teenager.

Unfortunately, I developed a fever on the evening of January 9 and was rushed to the hospital early morning of January 11 and moved the CS schedule to January 15. It's been a blur since then, my days now filled with motherly joy while taking care of our little angel, Beniya Manna whom we fondly call "Iya".

Back to January 7. My friend Ruey, who I never thought would ever marry, got married at Santuario de San Antonio and had an afternoon reception at the Hotel Intercontinental. It was the earliest (or should I say oddest) wedding hour I have ever attended at 2pm but since SSA was airconditioned, guests didn't mind dressing up for the occasion.




I, on the other hand, initially had a difficult time looking for an appropriate wedding guest dress fit for a pregnant woman that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I was, after all, giving birth in a week's time and I didn't want to splurge on a dress I wouldn't be using again for a long while -- if ever I get pregnant again.

Imagine how relieved I was to find not just one but two steals at a maternity store near my place -- Great Expectations. I used the other dress when I escorted my husband in attending an awards night and the other dress, I used for Ruey's wedding. And, with a bag, shoes and shawl I already had to match (plus my mom's gorgeous jewelry), I was all set. I just had to reconcile with the thought that I would be forever immortalized as a pregnant woman at this wedding.

I also bought my wedding gift at the last minute, deciding whether I should give a cheese set (couldn't remember if Ruey was the cheese and wine type since we had barely seen each other in the last 5 years or so except when he attended my wedding in 2004) or a set of fluffy pillows. I opted for the pillows and lovingly wrapped and beribboned two big boxes the night before the wedding. Whew. I must say that I now have more respect for all those department store people who are assigned to the giftwrapping section.



It was truly one of those weddings I enjoyed going to as it was really an occasion for friends and family to witness wedding vows of two people in love. The theme was celestial and SSA was still decorated with paper star lanterns from Christmas. Tiffany Blue and silvery white was the color of the day and you would see the theme and colors in the flowers, invites, entourage dresses, guest table (there were star-shaped paper "coasters" on the tables) and the couple backdrop set-up had cut-out star-shaped paper lanterns and snowflakes. The cake frosting was silvery white and my husband loved the personalized m&m souvenirs in tin cans. The m&m's had the words "joy," "love," "kiss," "ruey and joysie, " also drawings of a wedding cake, a bell and a heart.



I also appreciated that my friend, truly nontraditional as I am, did not include some of the frou-frou wedding traditions that most people area used to. The cake was cut right after they came in (I attended a wedding last May 2006 and they also cut the cake right after they were introduced as Mr and Mrs) and to that I say: "yes, have your cake and eat it right away." They also did not have a 1st dance nor a bouquet and garter toss which I suppose comes from the fact that most young Filipino bachelors and bachelorettes aren't excited about these days no matter how creative the "toss" has become over the years. In most weddings, people are more excited going to the chocolate fountain. I am. :-)

Congratulations Ruey and Joysie!

Some things never change

I like the fact that weddings seem to reinvent themselves over the years. The wedding gown and entourage fashion, the cake flavors, changing doves to butterflies, changing cords to crystals. It just speaks of how we can all make wedding celebrations personalized and more special depending on how adventurous the couple can be.

Who would've thought that flower girls can sprout angel or butterfly wings as they march down the aisle? That your cake's height could match your bridal gown train's length?

I like the idea that a lot of new designers, younger photographers and stylists are coming out of the woodwork. They incorporate a lot of new trends but still manage to stick to some classical pieces that won't make your grandchildren say "Lola, ang baduy naman ng pose niyo" when they come across your wedding pictures someday.

Here are some pics during my parents' wedding.
Still the same types of poses, right? Mother and maid of honor helping the bride in her preps, father taking bride to aisle. I do like the thought that photoshop can now make wedding albums more dramatic by manipulating colors, even focusing on details like the rings, flower petals, the shimmer of the arrhae and even beads on the bridal gown.












I know that most photographers have the usual shots but I admire more the photographers who are able to capture moments that are not staged. These are photographers who really "capture moments," unlike others who "shoot poses." These are the same photographers who work on what's available rather than moving heaven and earth (consequently barking orders and stressing everyone) to achieve the poses that they have in mind -- chances are, these are poses that they've seen other photographers do hoping that if they duplicate them, they'd be regarded as avant-garde or cool too. NOT.

Some of the wedding photographer sites I like looking at are the following:

www.dinolara.com by Dino Lara
www.fotogra.ph by Mimi and Karl Abesamis
http://www.photonski.com/paulvincent/weddings

See for yourself the kind of photos that make you go "awwww..."

All that matters

Last night, hubby and I went to the wedding of our best man, JB. JB and his now wife, LZ were so excited like most couples, about this wedding. It was, after all, the culmination of their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and the beginning of their life as husband and wife.

Since both are Christians, they decided to hold it late in the afternoon at the gardens of the Church of the Risen Lord in UP Campus, Diliman. The ceremony was supposed to start at 5pm but when we got there, all the tables and chairs and food stations were moved up to a cramped room beside the garden. We got word that the set-up was beautifully done by Batis Asul (good food by the way) by 4pm but then it started to rain. Since there were no provisions made for tents, everything had to be moved indoors and there was an hour or so delay to the ceremony.




By the time the ceremony started, it was already dark. I kept on thinking, what a waste of natural light -- the garden could've been perfect -- there were wild white lillies and hanging flowers perfect for the backdrop of the ceremony but they were not seen due to lack of lights. Since the main sound system was moved upstairs for the reception, we only had to settle for a karaoke machine that didn't give justice to the wonderful intro for the entourage and the live guitar music.

Would people consider the wedding a disaster? I personally think not.

It was because this intimate gathering was focused on the ceremony, the real reason for the event, not the frills of the celebration. I didn't see an agitated coordinator, a complaining or whining parent or flowergirl -- everyone was so composed, even the bride and groom. Everything and everyone that mattered most was there. All the guests were saying that the rainshowers should be thought of as a blessing, not a party pooper.

One of the reasons I enjoy going to weddings nowadays is because it reminds me of the reasons why my hubby Rahyan and I got married, why we should stay married, why we should continuously work on being married. Weddings remind me again of the symbols and the responsibilities of husband and wife, as God planned it to be.

The pastor also recounted one of the most celebrated unions in the 1980's -- that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana -- where millions all over the world watched as the royal couple pledged their love for each other. Who could forget the beautiful dress, the horse-drawn carriage, the hundreds of potted flowers, the smiles and waves on the balcony of the newlyweds. Well, we all know what happened to that pledge.

Seeing JB and LZ get married reminds all of us that even with all the preparations, sometimes , we still don't get the wedding of our dreams -- but I guess what is more important is to get the MARRIAGE of our dreams. After all, at the end of the day, that's what really matters.

Then again

Couldn't find wedding pics from my maternal grandparents' wedding. Some of my relatives said that they eloped -- it was during the war period and my mom became their firstborn in 1944. Then, my lola Amang and lola Daluz got married finally in church sometime in 1950 in Sta. Mesa. I still have to look for pics for the proof because I only have the scanned wedding contract and certificate.

I swear, weddings needed only a few witnesses and that was it. You were bound for life.

Nowadays, you need to go through so many people and documents to get married -- this is on top of the nice-to-haves that couples insist on having for their wedding day -- bubbles, fog machines, fireworks, etc. Couples nowadays need to compile their birth and baptismal certificates, some churches even require a CENOMAR (certificate of no marriage), pre-marriage seminars, dispensation (for mixed religion marriages), marriage license, some even opting for pre-nuptial agreements.

Traditionally in the Philippines, similar to other Asian countries, the groom's family pays for the wedding celebration. Modern brides opt to pay for their own wedding (split with her groom of course) to ensure that her wishes, wants and whines are granted (instead of the Mother-in-law's). :-)

I sometimes wonder how it is with our tribal countrymen -- is it easier? is there less hassle in getting married by a brook or on top of a mountain? does slaying a chicken mean a better marriage? Can't wait to witness different traditions in our different regions -- I hope I get invited to all types. hehe. I want to see the different wedding garments (chicken feathers perhaps?), ethnic wedding music, taste food apart from the usual breaded fish and steaks and fondant wedding cakes.

Hmmm. Will do some research on this and post them soon.

Then and then

Ah, finally found a smiling pic of my lolo and lola on their wedding day. They were happy after all. How could they not be? Even after the wedding, they were writing each other love letters. Imagine. Calling each other darling and honey in the 1940's. Gush.

10 things to do before your wedding

This is my paternal grandparents' wedding photo. I really don't know when this was taken (have to ask my dad for the exact wedding date). I've never even met my lola because she died of tuberculosis when my dad was only four years old.

Funny how sad they look in their wedding picture. Bawal ba talaga ngumiti nung 1930's? Well, I suppose this is the official/formal wedding picture that's why they were probably asked not to smile. I will never know the reason. My grandfather has been gone for a decade now and he was probably the only person who could've shed some light on this non-smiling photo.

Sepia.

In those days, this was the "in" thing probably. During my parents' wedding, it was mostly black and white. I'm not even sure how weddings were conducted then. But I'm pretty sure they didn't have AVPs or fireworks or bubble machines back then. Just probably a simple ceremony and celebration and a lifetime of togetherness. Gush.

They definitely never came across wedblogs and wedsites that had helpful hints (got this from a newlywed's site) for the soon-to-be newlyweds like:

1. Don't start your wedding planning without a budget. One of the most stressful elements to wedding planning usually is money. Make sure you decide up front how much your total wedding budget is going to be and who will be contributing and how much.

2. Don't spend more than your budget or what you can afford. Your wedding day is an important day, but it is only one day. You don't want to start your new life together by going into "serious" debt from your wedding expenses and being strapped with that debt for the next five years.

3. Don't rely upon oral agreements with vendors. Get everything in writing!

4. Don't try and do everything yourself. Planning a wedding can be a full time job in itself. So, don't try and take on such an enormous project alone, delegate as much as you can! When it comes to weddings, everyone loves to help, so let them!

5. Don't insist on having it your way all the time! Come to an agreement on the things that are less important.

6. Don't skimp on your photography. Your wedding day goes by so fast, and after it's over, all you'll have left is your memories and your pictures.

7. Don't get crazy over every detail. It can really take the pleasure out of the wedding planning process. I mean, will it really matter that the ribbons for the favors are baby blue instead of ice blue?

8. Don't forget to thank everyone involved in your wedding and those that gave you gifts. Also, don't let those thank you notes pile up. Send them out promptly after you receive a gift.

9. Don't overload yourself the day before your wedding. This is not the time to put together 200 favors. Try to do only one or two small tasks and leave the rest of the day to relax and pamper yourself.

10. Don't expect perfection for your wedding day. Expect a "terrific" day and set reasonable expectations. Never forget, the main goal is to get married.

I swear, love is beautiful. Eternal. But planning a wedding seems to get more complicated as the years go by. I wonder how weddings will be when I'm a grandmother?

source: www.usabride.com/wedplan/10_donts.html

Wedding love

I love weddings.

Real weddings. Weddings borne out of real love. Not those that are meant to solidify business relations of two families like common corporate mergers. To each his own but nothing beats a commitment ceremony and celebration ng dahil sa pag-ibig ( because of love). Those are weddings that make you giddy, sniffle and gush -- not necessarily in that order.


I have nothing against lavish weddings. If only for the couple's (or their parents') resources, the pomp and multimillion glamour that go into it, I love looking at the details. The flowers, the cake, music, the little delights that make a wedding celebration special -- smiles, father-of-the-bride tears, flickering candles. Sigh. Am really a romantic.

I love looking at wedding ceremony and reception pictures -- the set-up, how flowers are tastefully arranged, successfully executed themes (the ones that don't go overboard), how good photographers can play with light and textures to show wedding details, blushing brides and nervous grooms just before they take the matrimonial plunge. I appreciate photographers who take time to identify the venues they've covered in their websites and blogs. They enable me to gatecrash other couple's weddings.I applaud couples who go out of their way to personalize their weddings -- it just makes everything more special. It almost sort of gives you an idea how hands-on they will be in their married life, hopefully.

I like weddings so much that I've amassed a collection of wedding magazines and books. Whenever my mood dips, one look and I'm back to normal. It's my substitute for chocolate or a really good dessert. Going through wedding-related blogs and other sites really make my day.

But even if I like weddings, a coordinator I would rather not be. If I attend a wedding, I'd like to savor every minute of it -- not scurry up and about like I do in my day job. I want to appreciate the sights, scents, tastes, the sound of anticipated joy. A creative consultant, puede pa. Of course, I do not claim to be an expert on wedding things -- I'm contented in being just a spectator. Oh well, everyone's a critic.

Rahyan and Meleen's wedding story

You know that feeling like you’ve been looking for someone, really search and yet feel as if that person doesn’t exist? Then just when you lift everything to God and promise not to feel bad just in case his plan for you is not to have a lifetime partner, someone comes along. That’s how I found Rahyan.

Or how he found me.

Or maybe even more accurate, how God planned for us to meet.
I was really at a point in my life that I was ready to live as a singleton for the rest of my days. I went to Baclaran, specifically the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help regularly, not praying for a partner but rather, praying that if I were to have another relationship, let it be for keeps. Let him be the one God has truly planned for me. At one point, I made an actual list of the qualities I wanted in a lifetime partner and I told God that I will accept no one who can not live up to at least 90% of the things on my list. Guess what, Rahyan had about 95% of those qualities! How else could I go wrong? Rahyan and I met when I joined an acting workshop to which he was the overall head. It wasn’t love at first sight but on one night that he and I got down to talk about life and such after watching would you believe, Finding Nemo, everything fell into place.

August 5, 2003

This was the day that Rahyan and I became a couple. To this day, we both didn't know how it happened, but after watching a movie together for the first time, played with Goddess tarot cards and spilled our past love stories, we simply felt that we clicked. I can really say that I wasn't certain at first about Rahyan's suggestion to become a couple but something in me was really pushing me to do so. You know that "inner voice" thing? You just had to override logic when your heart tells you to do something. And so I did.

February 2004 -- The Proposal

I can't remember exactly how it happened.

There was no hidden string ensemble by the bushes in a fancy restaurant. No flowers. No engagement ring presented on a silver platter or stuck on a little cake.

It was a text message. From me. :-)

Months into the relationship, Rahyan and I would often talk about getting or not getting married. We were starting to wonder if we were both the marrying type or not. I always told him however that marriage is something really sacred to me. Something that is forever. Something that I would never do unless I was really sure whoever I was going to marry was whom God sent for me.

So how did I know it was Rahyan? I just knew.

Check out some of our wedding photos at: http://community.webshots.com/user/meleenr