CHIPS N FOZZY

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!

 I don't know if I want time to go faster or slower.  On one hand, I can't wait to be married.  To fall asleep and to wake up with my man beside me.  To brew coffee and talk after breakfast (or dinner, since the odds of me getting up to afford breakfast is like slim to none).  To watch TV and maybe fight over the remote control.  To make a mess because I have way too much clothes and shoes.  I know we'll argue.  But getting thru those things makes life more fun, and makes us better at being "us".

On the other hand, I can't help but think we don't have enough time for the wedding preps.  The bridezilla has awakened, as Chips would imply.  One minute we thought that we had all the time, and now my brain is in a panic of counting how many weekends we have left, and when I could possibly take a leave this month to get the papers done.

Okay.  I'll try not to think about what needs to be done.  So I'll just focus on looking forward to Palawan.  And that's 66 days until we see the beach again.

We got super great news from our DMCI agent last night.  Our condo will be turned over earlier than expected!  As in super earlier.  The original date was December 2010 (which would mean we'll be living with Chips' parents... or mine for a year).  But because DMCI is so uber great, the turnover for our unit at Tivoli Garden Residences will now be on February 2010!  Woohoo!

We'll probably be able to move in around March though, since we asked for a bare unit.  But still.  Utter happiness.  I'm so excited.  It's another design project for me.  Hehe.  I do hope that since Chips and I got through the wedding planning scott-free, we could get through decorating without killing each other.

Some photos of us when we attended Eric and Suzette's wedding in Malolos.  Barasoain is such a beautiful place for a ceremony.  It was humid and it rained.  Miraculously, the rain stopped when it came to the reception, which was a garden set-up.  The food was great!

I unfortunately have a default rocker face when it comes to photowall moments.

I'm pretty much done with the motif planning (well, the OC artist in me actually had it done even before Chips proposed).  But since I'm such a slave for the world-wide web, I continue to love browsing for inspiration.  I don't know if I just want to punish myself for "why didn't I think of that" thoughts or "maybe I should've" regrets.  Anyways,  I stumbled upon The Perfect Palette.  It is an absolutely gorgeous site with a collection of theme and color combination suggestions.  Totally brilliant.