CHIPS N FOZZY

Yesterday, it all happened.  Thank you everyone.  Thank you God.  Everything fell into place.  Joy, tears, happiness, laughter and love - a beautiful cocktail for the soul.  Couldn't ask for any of it to go differently.

Photo by Nelwin Uy

Things are slowly falling into place.  The wedding is next week.  I'm typing this blog with my hair styled into a loose, romantic updo and my face dolled up in a somewhat smokey eye kind of drama.  It's weird for me to look at my reflection and actually not see eyebags.  Yup, I just had my trial HMU with Cathy Cantada.  Brilliant job.  What did my dad say about it?  He said that he might cry because I look like my mom when they got married.  Is that bawl-worthy or what.  I sure hope the liner Cathy used is tear-proof.  I cry like a baby at even the slightest twang of sentiment.

More and more, I find it hard to sleep at night.  Besides wondering who and what on earth I could've forgotten, I wonder about what would happen after the wedding.  Like, how different will we be?  After almost 9 years of being together, how much will we change?  It's not me having second thoughts, it's just me wondering.  It's the right thing.  But it's me scared of what can go wrong.  I guess it comes with the territory, this wondering.

During the first months of this engagement, I felt such a rush with the preps.  So much excitement booking the suppliers, making the rounds, evaluating possible vendors.  Now I'm just plain excited about getting married.  It's something Chips told me months ago -- that the important thing is that we're getting married.  I guess I was too much of that typical bride to listen.  Now it's like, come on let's get it on.  Let's do this!  I can't wait!  The important thing is that we end up together like we've always wanted, and we have our family and friends to see it happen.

Sometimes we think too much.  And we make everything too much.  But the simple truth is, we can't wait to spend the rest of our life with the love of our life.  That in itself is special.

Happy holidays everyone.  Spread the love.  Mwahs!

 1)      It takes at least 2-3 weeks (depending on quantity and degree of difficulty) to print and assemble invitations.  Sending them out to your guests one month before the wedding is ideal.  Work backwards.

2)       If your budget can afford 20 or even 50 extra sets, get those extra sets.  New names will always come up as you’re writing the invitations and sending them out.  Especially in this culture where “tampo” is so rampant.

3)      Your parents, being your parents, will be forgetful of the list they initially gave you.  Or, they will forget in general some people that should (at least by their perception) be invited.  So item number 2 will be all the more critical.

4)      Check with your printer if the envelope would be safe to run through your home printer.  Some paper types are prone to creasing, especially if your printer eats paper from the bottom and not from the top.  Printers that eat from the bottom need to feed / rotate the paper through almost the entire spool ergo, more crease risk.

5)      Get extra envelopes.  Especially if you’re doing calligraphy.    Usually, printers will provide for up to 20 pieces for free.

6)      When approving your design and your paper, always clarify color registration with your supplier.  Certain papers in certain weights will absorb ink differently, thus you may not get the exact shade that you saw (and probably fell in love with) on your computer screen.  That’s what makes the proof VERY important.

7)      Pay attention to names, especially if they require special characters.  Some fonts do not have these special letters or symbols.  So if you’re planning to use a non-typical typeface, be sure to proofread!

8)      RSVP is somehow a practice that never left the ground in this country.  Have an email or text blast requesting for them to confirm attendance (and request for a headcount as well).

9)      Be wary about invitations that the family sends out just out of courtesy.  They just might come.

10)   Lastly, your invitation should make you happy and feel all-so giddy inside every time you see it.  Like excitedly flashing fireworks in your soul that yes, you’re getting married and you want to tell the world.

To those couples still prepping and stressing, I do hope this helps.  Cherish the moments when joyous tingles run through your smiles.  At some point, you may think it may be too much for just one day.  At the end of it all, it could get too much.  But above all, know that you're doing this because you want to spend the rest of your lives loving each other.

Spread the love, guys!

The weather's getting colder and the wedding's getting freakinishly nearer.  Time to scream!  The weekends are non-existent.  My eyebags are getting the better of me.  We've been running around trying to complete everything and so far here's what we've got:

- Wedding rings done!  We just got them over the weekend.  Lovely lovely.  Chips will need to get used to wearing jewelry.  We've got skinny but bony fingers, so there may be some difficulty in getting the rings worn during the actual ceremony.  Fair warning to those who will be watching us. 

- Already bought the gifts for the Principal Sponsors.  Yehey!  That's finally done and over with. 

- Coordinators have also gone on oculars at the Church and at The Peninsula.  We've also turned over our supplier contacts already.  Just a few kinks remaining, but other than that, we're fine.

- Calligraphy personally done by moi - on 180 invitations.  I haven't done calligraphy since high school.  Feels great to be doing it again.  Chips says I could make a career out of it.  Invitations have been sent out and some RSVP's have been logged.  We've got more invites to send out, just waiting for the extra envelopes we ordered.

 

Now yammering on the other things left to do:  I'm currently working on the guestbook.  Laying out the photos from the prenup and stuff.  Chips is also laying out photos for the Lomowall, which will be the backdrop for our photobooth.  Which reminds me, our supplier has yet to email me their proposed design for the print-outs.  Hmmm... what else?  Oh yeah, need to check the misalette because we just copied off from some past wedding.  I haven't even read through it yet.  Fitting for gowns and suits are supposed to be this week.  I really hope they turn out well.  Especially Chips' suit.  I'm going to die if it doesn't.  Okay that's it.  Enough yammering on a Monday morning.

Cheers!  Spread the love.