Bridal Car - Silver Arrow Bridal Car, Inc

During the initial stages of the wedding, the bride has been constantly going on and on about wanting to ride in a beautiful vintage car (like most do). As the groom and as a guy, this of course raised a bunch of red flags-- one being, most of the vintage cars available in the Metro are hellaciously pricey and two, there's always the fear of the car breaking down during the actual wedding day (which would be very, VERY embarrassing on all fronts).

Of course, these are things that women rarely think of. They just want to ride in a vintage car to their wedding and look pretty. Case closed. That's not being sexist or anything, but you don't exactly expect the missus to be thinking about gas mileages, the quality of the air conditioning (Nissan's better than Toyota's for example) and so on.

The most popular would be Don Robert's Bridal Cars. But since we were late with our decision for the cars and that our wedding was to be held on December 1 (which is the start of the whole "marrying season" and not June), they were already out of the models that we initially wanted. So with about four to five weeks away from the wedding, this broom went on a crash, Internet search for a bridal car.

PENDONG! Peace :)

Here's a little tidbit about me and the missus, we always do the "Pendong peace"gag where upon the sight of an old Volkswagen Beetle, whoever sees it first delivers a brain-scrambling "batok" to the hapless and unsuspecting victim (which is usually me, the groom).

Being 6"0 tall, there was just no way I could squeeze myself inside the Beetle. So instead of riding in it with the missus, we decided that it would serve as her Bridal Car going to the venue. We rented the Beetle for 3 hours, but were informed by our Mr. Everything wedding coordinator Jhune Salud that they (Silver Arrow) were already at the hotel as early as 12 p.m. (with the departure for the venue not until 4:30 p.m.-- wow! Speaks volumes of their professionalism and commitment).

Also, it should be noted that I never really met with any of Silver Arrow's team. It was all through text, bank transfers and one phone call to seal the deal. :)

Contact:

Sherryl F. Sese
Silver Arrow Bridal Car, Inc.
0927 5747551

The Playlist (Updated, Final)

CHURCH

Prelude

I Believe - My Sassy Girl OST I believe

Lullaby - My Sassy Girl OST

Entourage

Canon in D

Bridal March

Two Words - Lea Salonga

Marriage Rites/ Vows

Mahal Kita - Maricris Garcia

Sa Piling Mo - Regine Velasquez

Offertory

Lord I Offer My Life

Communion

The Prayer

Pictorial (6)

Ikaw Lamang - Janno Gibbs & Jaya (Duet) 

Now That I Have You - The Company (B)

Habang Atin Ang Gabi - South Border (D)

Pangarap koy Ibigin Ka - Regine Velasquez (B)

I Will Be Here - Gary Valenciano (D)

Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin - Ariel Rivera (D)

Recessional

Love Story - Taylor Swift (B)

RECEPTION (10)

Arrival of Guests

Lavie en Rose

Smooth Operator - Sade

Something Stupid - Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman

God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You - NSYNC

For All Of My Life - Foreal

I Just Can't Stop Loving You - Michael Jackson

When You Say Nothing At All - Allison Kraus

First Love - Utada Hikaru

Til There Was You - Paul McCartney (Upbeat)

Lucky - Jason Mraz

Entourage, Sponsors and Couple's Grand Entrance

Without you - Usher feat David Guetta (D)

Dinner, Pictorial, Intermissions (15)

A Thousand Years - Christina Perry (B)

I Wont Give up - Jason Mraz (D)

Bubbly - Colbie Calliat (B)

Forever - Damage (D)

All I ask of you - Phantom of the Opera OST

Always - Atlantic Starr (Duet)

Beautiful In My Eyes - Jericho Rosales (D)

Because Of You - Keith Martin (D)

Marry Me - Train (D)

Could Not Ask For More - Edwin McCain (D)

Everything - Michael Buble (D)

When I Met You - Apo Hiking Society (B)

Spend My Life With You - Eric Benet and Tamia (Duet)

Baby Now That I Found You - Allison Kraus (B)

The Last Time - Eric Benet

Wedding Traditions (Cake, Wine, Doves)

Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler 

Moon River - Frank Sinatra 

Dance with Parents (Groom and Mom)

I'll Take Care of You - Steven Curtis Chapman

Wedding Dance

Forevermore - Side A (D)

You are invited

Since the soon-to-be-bride has kept this antsy soon-to-be-groom from making anymore pre-wedding updates, I'll just try to provide some insight on the wedding preparations from here on out and just publish it all after the ceremonies.

There are a lot of things that I want to share with whoever chances upon this blog in hopes of helping you out with your wedding preparations-- or at the very least, to offer some humor on an otherwise extremely stressful (think dandruff and dermatitis attacks) phase in my/ our life/lives. Let's start with the invitations, and how we've come up with our own original look for our wedding.

Going with our chosen theme which is "kiddie/toy land" and being given free hand to conceptualize and pretty much do everything in regards to our wedding invites, I went with something simple yet original: a three-panel Hallmark card type that's easy to understand and comprehend. Don't you just hate wedding invites that have multiple, unattached pages? I know I do, I happened to lose a few pages on a recent invite and ended up being late, not knowing there was a bridal registry and so on.

Fortunately, I'm a bit of a cartoonist so I was able to make a few drawings here and there. The copy part was also made by yours truly but to be quite honest, I'm not THAT convinced that Bridesmaids and Groomsmen should be one-worded, uhm, words.

Hindi ba Bride's Maids? Groom's Men?

I went with a clean look, cover page is the main illustration, back page is a smaller illustration with our initials "A&W" and the wedding date "12.01.12" to make it look classy. Then there's the inside flap with the ATTIRE, RSVP and Location Map of our venue (taken from the Internet):

The inside panels contains the main invite copy, followed by the PRINCIPAL and SECONDARY SPONSORS. We chose to not crowd our wedding with random friends playing several roles. Really, who needs 10 groomsmen or 20 bridesmaids? Hindi naman ako tatakbong konsehal e. Lalo na si Mrs V :)

Of course, this only works if you have a background in advertising and have a working idea of what you want in a wedding invite. If you don't want to spend countless hours conceptualizing, stressing and working on it-- would still suggest to go with the invite printers out there-- there's a lot you can find at wedding fairs that sell at Php 40 an invite (heavily templated of course). Always go for the matte finish because it makes your invite look classier. Glossy ones seem a bit too poster/ magazine-ish (unless you prefer it to be that way).

Credits:

Copy: A. Velasco

Artwork: A. Velasco (basic sketch), Josephine Bunyi (illustration and watercolor)

Layout: Jose Loreto Timog

Printing: Tomas Carunungan of Nitto Printing

Pre-cana Seminar at San Agustin Church

I'm writing this two to three weeks late so forgive me for not keeping track of all the major and minute details. Our attendance to the San Agustin Church's Pre Cana seminar was pre-arranged by our coordinator Jhune Salud.

Though it's at the opposite end of the Metro Manila map from where we are to be wed, it was probably the only one out that that 1) had a good name and 2) was open on Saturdays. Winy was in town for only a couple of days and after securing our marriage license from the Pasay City Hall and going through the Canonical Interview at the Mt. Carmel Parish in Quezon City, the seminar was the 3rd piece to the paperwork puzzle we needed to accomplish before Winy flew out of the country to go back to work again (the 4th being the Banns Publication).

Okay, so we arrived at around 7:30 a.m. early enough to hear the first English mass of the day. Winy went inside to pray while I opted to put in some extra sleep in the car because it was going to be a hellaciously long day for us (Pre cana in the morning at San Agustin, final food tasting and contract signing at Center Table in the afternoon in Paranaque and lastly, a long drive to Calumpit, Bulacan).

A few minutes later the mass ended (guess it started around 6:30 or 7, kudos to those who were there) and Winy was knocking on the car window. There was another couple looking confused and asking the guard on duty so Winy decided to ask them if they were also there for the seminar. They were having a conversation in front of the car so, though sleepy, I got my ass off my seat and exchanged pleasantries with the couple whose names I cannot recall.

Since the seminar (or the Parish Office) wouldn't open until 8:30 a.m. Winy wanted to have breakfast at McDonald's. Guess she frequented it a lot back when she was still with Manila Bulletin because my bride was on "I need to eat. Now." mode and was telling me which corner/street to drive into.

She had a lot, while I opted for hot chocolate. Once we arrived back at the church there were more cars now and the office was open. I really didn't feel the need to eat in fear of my weak stomach so I just told Winy to hold on to the food.

Inside there were a lot of couples seated and some inside this glass-windowed office with about four or five desks with elderly men and women smiling at one another. Guess this was the Registration part of the seminar. When it was our turn, I gave my McD's breakfast of hot chocolate and hashbrown to the old lady.

Okay, on to the seminar.

We were asked to proceed inside some sort of classroom that had two huge statues by each side of the white board. The Virgin Mary on the left, and I don't know which Virgin was on the right. We waited for everyone else to walk into the room before our teacher, Teacher Flo I think, I'm not really sure with her name but she was very engaging and entertaining.

Since we started late, out teacher was obviously rushing. We went over the following in a scatter-brained order:

I. Catechism (7 sacraments/ initiation)
1. Baptism
2. Confirmation
3. Holy Eucharist/ Communion (Sacrament of Healing)
4. Confession/ Reconciliation
5. Anointing of the Sick (Commitment/ Vocation)
6. Marriage/ Matrimony
7. Holy Order

II. 3 Missions after Baptism
1. Priestly
2. Prophetic
3. Kingly

III. 7 Gifts of Confirmation
IV. 2 Parts of the Mass
1. Liturgy of the Word
2. Liturgy of the Eucharist

V. Reconciliation for Catholics

VI. Virtues of Marriage
1. Chastity
2. Poverty
3. Obedience

Can't say that I listened to all of the above; quite surprised that I even took down notes for it. But everyone who was there really wanted to learn and listen to what the teacher had to say. She's been married for over 20 years now, had a very trying time early because her husband had many vices, but they're still together and enjoying their retirement so to speak which is something I could only dream of right now with Winy.

We took a short break at around 10:30 a.m.; the kind people of San Agustin Church prepared light snacks of ham and cheese sandwiches and iced tea for everyone. I finally ate but only after receiving affirmation that the parish had working toilets. Winy was eating again-- a happy, healthy bride is always a good one rather than dealing with a figure-conscious train wreck.

Back to the seminar and our teach explained how hard it is at times as a married couple because you only have each other to rely on. That there will be times, specially for women, that they'll have to swallow their pride and just give their husbands a pass. There's also sex. Men want sex everyday. Women will just have to be creative with their excuses and alibis but while also knowing when to give in.

We were done by 12 p.m. and received our certificates right away. The groom-to-be of the couple we spoke with earlier led the closing player and his bride couldn't have looked any prouder. Winy was probably wondering why I didn't volunteer. Or maybe I'm just over thinking things. I'm good with speeches, can't say the same with prayers.

San Agustin Church gave us a booklet to read and a bunch of papers on the pros and cons of the RH Bill. Haven't read 'em but will get to that soon.

:)

Marriage License and Canonical Interview

It's been a while since I last updated this blog, been busy juggling everything on my plate lately and it has admittedly taken its toll (my doting mom has taken notice and has placed me under a mandatory StressTabs diet). Working on the wedding without your partner isn't fun. We've been arguing a lot, mostly because of my temper that has worsened over the weeks. Is "worsened" even a word?

Fortunately, my fiancee has been nothing short of being an saint and has put up with all my short-fused ways. She calls me "groom-zilla," I just take it all in stride. Better me than her-- if only because I fear that she'd go on a mad killing spree had she been in my place.

A few days ago, Winy flew back home so we could work on the requirements for the wedding (which is now only two months away). First on the list was the Marriage License to be secured from our city hall. Since I'm the one who's Manila-based and our coordinator, Jhune Salud is also from the area, we opted to apply at the Pasay City Hall instead of the one in faraway Calumpit, Bulacan.

We met Jhune at Jollibee Roxas Boulevard corner Libertad at around 11 a.m. on a Monday (I obviously took the day off) and were asked to accomplish three different sets of application forms. Jhune kept reminding us to double check our answers since he only had the ones that we were already writing on. I kept badgering Winy about it, only to be the one to commit an erasure a few minutes later.

Hah. Serves me right.

Okay, so we took Jhune's AUV to City Hall (I made up a lame excuse that the car wasn't available-- in reality, we just didn't want to go through the ordeals of having to find decent parking space at the City Hall) and went inside to go to this place where they have your papers processed. You can visit the Pasay City government website (Google!), they'll pretty much walk you through the whole thing (akalain mo yun! Aim High Pasay!) and the best part- they DON'T TAKE LUNCHBREAKS. Yep. The poor souls were still there even if it was already 12:30 p.m. Have to give them credit for that.

Anyway, Jhune pretty much walked us through the whole thing and it didn't take very long from there. I wrote a letter of authorization so Jhune could take care of obtaining our license and what not. If you're from the Pasay area and are looking for a solid wedding coordinator who'll take care of the requirements, then Jhune is definitely your guy.

Okay, next on the "to do" list was acing the Canonical Interview.

Jhune had us scheduled for October 4, Thursday and told us to be at Mt. Carmel Parish (in Project 6, Quezon City) at exactly 7:30 a.m. sharp. We were there by 7:15, and were surprised to find out that they don't open until 8:30 or 9 a.m. Oh well. Better early than late right?

First, we were given three to four pages worth (multiple choice AND ESSAY) of questions on what we thought about love, marriage, sex and parenting. I didn't really have a hard time answering the questions since it all came pretty natural (hey, we're in love, we want to get married, so it was all relative from there). Winy had a bit of trouble with the essay part, but only because she was dead sleepy.

Next was the interview with the priest. Winy went first and took about forty-five minutes. FORTY FIVE MINUTES talking to a priest. Yikes. A taho vendor stopped right in front of me so I bought myself one and another for Winy when she finishes with her interview.

Few minutes later and she walks out, stone-faced and tells me that I'm up. She gets to eating the taho while I make my way to the room inside the Parish Office.

A lot of questions, nothing I couldn't answer really. But then, there's the trick question: ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF DIVORCES?

The practical, JOURNALIST in me said "Yes Father, I am. But only if it's really broken."

This answer apparently raised all sorts of red flags to the point wherein the priest said, "I cannot allow you to marry under this church."

Instant kambio. He's a priest. I went to the school of lying, cheating and stealing (re: I wanted to be a lawyer once). Game on.

So I reasoned out with him, which took an extra twenty minutes, before he finally gave in. I don't know if he was just messing with me or what not, or if he could really cancel our wedding with that one question (and my reply), but I was really scared. What if Winy answered differently? How would I break the news that the priest cancelled/ rejected our wedding because I messed up?

Buti na lang.

Once we got over the "I'm not going to break-up your wedding" bit, Father Ferdie (?) called for Winy to come in so he could interview us both. It was really light, and he explained how, if we were to get him as our priest for the actual wedding, he wasn't big on the whole profound sermons and stuff. He's not a fan of all the singing too. He's as straight-up as they come, and is all about getting the bride and groom married. End of story.

Well, I like it that way. I had to check first with Winy if she was okay with this and she said she was. That's when Father Ferdie said that they raffle the wedding among priests (Father Andoy and another one). So even if we wanted to get a certain priest from Mt. Carmel, it would still be up to the "random" draw.

Ok. Cool. Let's get married!

Next, the pre-cana seminar. Which my friend Cita tells me is NOT about "seminar bago kana-in si asawa" :)

The Playlist

We were fortunate enough to have acquired the services of SJT Strings for our special day. Was given a list of songs to choose from for the various activities. Here's what we've picked so far (still subject to change if we find anything nice from now until November lol).

I just can't put into words how giddy/ happy my fiancee and I looked and acted over webcam last night-- with me searching and playing each song on YouTube and the boss listening intently and approving/ disapproving the songs.

Our theme song, "Forevermore," will of course be the one that we'll dance to. But one of my favorites, "Sa Piling Mo" will be used for the exchanging of vows. It's just a beautiful song that I wish we could also dance to later in the evening. :)

Ang MUSHY.

Groom update on requirements

This morning I took a cab to the old St. John the Baptist a.k.a. "Pinaglabanan" Church in faraway San Juan. Didn't bother taking Betsy (my seven year old Mazda 3) along because I'm not a fan of driving around in circles in odd places. Yes, San Juan is a blooming city, I know, JV Ejercito's done a marvelous job and all, but I just have a thing against uncertain places.

If I can take a cab or get there via public transport the first time so I can familiarize myself with the roads, then that's what I'll always do.

Once at the freshly painted-looking church, I took a quick look inside and gave thanks. There was a baptism going on by the altar, and I couldn't help but picture myself, some twenty-odd years ago, being held by my mom and my dad, with my now unknown godparents around. Wonder how we all looked back then. It's a shame that my parents didn't keep any photos. Oh well.

Updates on the Trial Make-Up, Femme Ento Measurements & Jhune Salud

It's been a while since the last entry, been busy juggling work, social life (what's left of it anyway) and trying to squeeze in wedding preparations whenever the spirit moves the Groom and also, whenever the Bride flies home from overseas.

First thing on our "to do list" was for The Bride to have a trial make-up with Ms Jeng Flores of Jeng and Carlan. A little back story on Ms Jeng, she originally said that she wouldn't be able to accommodate us on December 1 because she had an earlier engagement. This didn't sit well with the Bride, and as a Groom, it was on me to pull out all the stops.

Themes & Motifs Bridal Fair: Caterer, Musician and Make-up

This morning, I headed to nearby SMX with three things on my wedding checklist: caterer, make-up artist and musician-- but only after my eyes and fingers were going numb from hours of playing Batman: Arkham City (wonder if, once I'm a full-time husband to my lovely wife, she'll still let me play video games, surf the net and watch series 'til I fall asleep *crosses fingers*).

Anyhow, it was pretty easy to find the suppliers that I wanted to meet and book with. Center Table Catering for the food, Jeng and Carlan for the make-up and SJT Strings for the music. We've been to their shops in previous fairs, so it was more of a formality and ensuring that they're ours for our December wedding.

First stop: Center Table Catering

Millet (extreme right) is our Account Executive :)

They had this little stall along other caterers who were busy trying to woo me away with flyers, freebies and what not. What they didn't have though which could've made me change my mind was food tastings, or at least a sample of their products. That, plus Fernwood is a stickler for suppliers and we're only able to work with the accredited ones.

What the groomsmen will wear

I'd like to think that we were able to come up with a great, good looking batch of groomsmen/ male entourage. All of them have confirmed (I'm holding you guys on your word now) and understand the situation so I'm just really blessed to have them in my life.

Because of budget constraints, we won't have any tailor made suits for them (which they're okay with-- one of the great things about being a guy haha). They'll bring their own black suits and white collared shirts, with the ties to be provided by the couple.

Wedding Coordinator: Jhune Salud

Jhune Salud  full service, event planner, management and consultant team.

Preparing for a wedding is definitely time consuming and emotionally exhausting. For most people, a wedding is considered as one the momentous moments of life. Wedding preparations are given the utmost diligence, meticulously polishing all aspects and dimensions that would create the perfect atmosphere for that big day.

But not all soon-to-wed couples have the luxury of time to see-through every detail that would encompass their dream wedding. Wedding preparations entails stress, pressure and sometimes discomfort to couples, since every thing has to be carefully prepared and orderly done.

But soon-to-weds need not to worry anymore, since here at Jhune Salud Wedding and Events we see to it that everything that needs to be done is accomplished with utmost satisfaction. We do not only guide couples through the process but most especially we create pleasant memories.

Weddings as well as other special events including debuts, anniversaries, parties and others are guaranteed with a hassle free, orderly and glanderous celebration that is cherished for a lifetime.

Jhune Salud and his team are composed of dynamic, young, creative, and passionate individuals. The team accommodates your every need and exhibits a very humored and friendly conservations. Its not just transactions made with a wedding planner but a journey made with friends.

The above copy was lifted from Mr Jhune Salud's official website which looks pretty enough to convince viewers about his legitimacy in the events planning industry but hasn't been updated in maybe the last four or five years. Still, that hasn't stopped me and my fiancee from getting his services as our December wedding's official planner.

Couturier: Boy Kastner Santos

The Groom and the Couturier

After weeks of searching, we finally have a winner for Winy's bridal gown and entourage couturier: "Tito Boy" Kastner Santos of Sheaths Couture.

Since we're working on a fixed budget, Winy made it a point to look for the best couture in the Metropolitan Manila area (okay, not really, since Tito Boy is based in Bacoor, Cavite) that our money could afford. True enough, we "discovered" Tito Boy in a bunch of forums, Facebook posts, Multiply entries and Blogspot wedding diaries.

Most of their conversations/ dealings were done online since Winy's based abroad. Finally, once the fiancee gave me the go signal, I decided to drop by the Weddings @ Work bridal fair at SM Megamall last Friday, February 17.

Suppliers update

Originally posted on February 9, 2012 on angelvelasco.multiply.com


One of the nuances of having and maintaining a pet blog (http://kilikilishot.blogspot.com - please do visit and like the official fan page on http://www.facebook.com/kilikilishot if not for the entries, then do it for me. For friendship. Please? Lol) is that I often run out of interest to even bother opening my personal blog.

And it's not like I'm running out of things to write either-- there's the whole CJ Corona thing, my DOM-like fascination with innocent teenage girls in school uniforms and the latest food joints that have recently drawn my attention- Bon Chon is off the hook I tell you.

So allow me to write a couple of updates re my December wedding, where we are at the moment and who we're trying to get. If you have dealt with any of the suppliers listed below, or know anyone better (and reasonably priced), please feel free to leave a comment. Well-wishers are always welcome too. :)

The Venue

Fernwood Gardens, Quezon City

Originally posted on November 17, 2011 on angelvelasco.multiply.com


Last Saturday was spent driving around Tandang Sora looking for the famed Fernwood Gardens to inquire about their wedding venue packages. I didn't really do a lot of research as far as the location was concerned, so half the morning was spent literally exploring the wonderful new roads that connect Visayas Avenue and Commonwealth (the one that passes along New Era and El Shaddai among others).

Turns out, I detoured prematurely and was supposed to exit right at Sanville where good friend Melissa lives. Once inside the complex subidivision, there were a couple of old street signs that led me to the gardens which was just as magnificent in person as it is in pictures.

The Wedding Planner

We're now officially just a year and close to a month away from the big day. Nothing's set in stone yet, but we are definitely pushing for December 1, 2012 (save the date, just in case you receive an invite-- if not, sa bahay na lang tayo mag inuman).

Originally posted on November 7, 2011 on angelvelasco.multiply.com

And since my beautiful and forever blossoming fiancee doesn't share the same country code, I find myself having to take care of the little details and nearly stressing myself out over it. In my last post, I've mentioned that we're looking for Wedding Planners to help us out. But given the fact that I enjoy dishes more when I cook it and that we're on a rather tight/ fixed budget, I'll forego that option and keep it on my back pocket-- for now. I'm giving myself until March to figure things out and check if I can handle it or not.

Good thing one of my friends, Kim, is getting married this January so I can always check and compare notes. She chose to get a wedding planner which makes the whole thing a lot easier, and I can definitely see that they're bound to have a great wedding next year.

Anyhow, here's my checklist of sorts:

1. Church

2. Venue

3. Caterer

4. Couturier

5. Jeweler

Meet the Parents

Originally posted on September 25, 2011 on angelvelasco.multiply.com


Technically, I've already met my fiancee's parents. It was the first thing I made sure to do during our relationship's infancy to show that I was serious and in it for the long run (but honestly, who would've known back then that we'd be together this long-- even longer, right?).

But meeting her parents and asking them for their precious daughter's hand in marriage are two different things. What made things a tad bit more complicated was that her father's living overseas while her old-school conservative mother pretty much runs their town like an O.G.

She's not into politics, but I've always told my fiancee that whenever her ma felt like running for a local seat, she'd win via landslide all day. That's how recognized and respected she is in her neighborhood.

The Proposal

Originally posted on September 10, 2011 angelvelasco.multiply.com

AV: Let's keep this one a secret for now and refrain from reposting or quoting it on FB, Twitter or wherever, since I'll only share this with my Multiply friends who I consider as a big part of my life. This one's for us geeks!

Last Thursday, the wife celebrated her 25th birthday with her friends via a videoke party at Centerstage, Jupiter St. The "mini-reunion/ birthday celebration" lasted all three hours and ended at around 12-ish. After that, it was off to the house because she said that she was tired and didn't want to "head to Starbucks MOA" or "grab a bite at McDo."

But before anything else, let's rewind a bit to when I bought her engagement ring. It was the last week of August, and Bie was set to arrive for her nth vacation this year at the end of the month. I knew that I had to buy the ring at the soonest possible time, and wouldn't have the time to do so once she arrives (since my sister will also be in town and I will be driving for both ladies in September-- ah the joys of being the official family driver).

One sunset by the bay

My beautiful GF now fiancee with,
well, a lanky dork 7 years ago

It's been seven (going eight) years since my now fiancee and I started this relationship. Admittedly, we didn't take it that seriously and brushed it off as just another college romance that could or would probably die down in a couple of weeks' time.

She was the pretty girl of her class but not the one that fits the popular, airhead type. She was more reserved than outgoing, simple than stylish. Her family and friends kept her grounded, and it was a joy seeing her around our college building- St. Raymund's which houses both the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters and Commerce.

I was the guy who came from some high-end school (La Salle Greenhills) but took all of it for granted. You could say that I pretty much made it easy for my classmates to see me as some sort of airhead/ loner/ poser. Every time I tried to reach out, they would think that I was just in it for something (say, to run for politics, or to sell something-- at the time, MP3 CDs were the bomb). It was my fault really, since I'm not the type to start conversations or hang out with friends. So yeah, my world revolved around her the minute I saw her. I knew I didn't want or need to be with anyone else but her.

We were finally able to exchange pleasantries during our college's intramurals. Both being freshmen, I played for the men's basketball team while she played women's basketball and chess. She was awesome. I, well, wasn't (that's why I ended up blogging about basketball and not actually playing it professionally).

I was nervous but I managed to introduce myself and my other classmates which she opted to interact with over the lanky six footer with zero game (me). Lesson learned: girls won't say it, but they like being ogled at like eye candy-- it makes them feel pretty at times I guess.

Summer break came, and we were off to 2nd year. That's when I had the balls to ask one of my friend's for her number. Yeah, she gave her number to one of my guy friends and not to me, the one who introduced the whole lot to her. Blah. I believe my SMS went something like:

"Hi, I'm Angel Velasco from 1Jrn1. Is it okay if I text you?"

Not sure with the last part. But that has got to be the worst non-personal pick-up line known to man. Sent via text. What a loser.

But true enough, she replied, we exchanged a couple of texts, was even on YM a few times before finally-- I asked her out on a date.

Yan ang Maynila :)

She wore pink, I wore blue.  I think her shirt had the word "Angel" on it.

Yun na! :)

No, seriously, we boarded an FX from UST to Malate Church. Went inside to pray a bit, sat by the benches at Raja Sulaiman park. And that's where I told her, that I wanted to "be with someone that I could watch sunsets and grow old with." Perhaps, back then, it was a little too much for her and she was just going along with the whole thing. I was (and always will be) pretty emotional in a "here's my heart, please keep it safe, nurture and love it" kind of way anyway.

She said yes, we went to Mayor Lito Atienza's beautified Maynila baywalk (which has now been turned back to just another place where commonfolk walk around and pollute), watched the sun set and had dinner. It was simple, but I felt that I had just met the woman who I wanted to spend forever with.

2011, my 26th birthday and when I finally decided
that yes, I want this woman to be my wife

And here we are, from 2004 to 2012, working on just that.