Tuesday, August 15, 2006

48 Steps To A Happy Marriage

1. Start each day with a kiss.
2. Wear your wedding ring at all times.
3. Date once a week.
4. Accept differences.
5. Be polite.
6. Be gentle.
7. Give gifts.
8. Smile often.
9. Touch.
10. Talk about dreams.
11. Select a song that can be "our Song".
12. Give back rubs.
13. Laugh together.
14. Send a card for no reason.
15. Do what the other person wants before he or she asks.
16. Listen.
17. Encourage.
18. Do it his or her way.
19. Know his or her needs.
20. Fix the other person's breakfast.
21. Compliment twice a day.
22. Call during the day.
23. Slow down.
24. Cuddle.
25. Ask for each other's opinion.
26. Show respect.
27. Welcome the other person home.
28. Look your best.
29. Wink at each other.
30. Celebrate birthdays in a big way.
31. Apologize.
32. Forgive.
33. Set up a romantic getaway.
34. Ask, "What can I do to make you happier?".
35. Be positive.
36. Be kind.
37. Be vulnerable.
38. Respond quickly to the other person's request.
39. Talk about your love.
40. Treat each other's friends and relatives with courtesy.
41. Send flowers every Valentine's Day and anniversary.
42. Admit when wrong.
43. Be sensitive to each other's sexual desires.
44. Pray for each other daily.
45. Watch sunsets together.
46. Say "I love you" frequently.
47. End the day with a hug.
48. Seek outside help when needed

Friday, June 30, 2006

busy schedule, busy lives

Some updates and what happened in the past weeks:

May 30
Trial Makeup and Prenup Pictorial

We had our joint trial HMU and prenup pictorial. HMU is done by Angie Cruz and Ogie Rayel, prenup pics are by Dino Lara. Angie and Ogie are freelance hair and makeup artists who usually does the makeup of Summit Magazine models. I came to know them thru WeddingsAtWork, and they are currently garnering a lot of great reviews there. Dino, as I have posted in my previous post, was a favorite photographer of mine. I felt that I have to go get all my means just to be able to hire him.

Our trial makeup lasted for around 1 ½ hours. Angie and Ogie create really good makeup that would complement one’s features. Angie did a number which looked like Claudine’s makeup on her day. When I looked at my makeup, it seemed makapal for me, but my fiancé said it looked great. Feeling ko lang makapal because hindi ako sanay using pink and brown on my eyes. But when I saw the pictures, my makeup registered very nicely. And I liked how my skin turned out, it was really glowing! I think Angie uses primer kaya ganun. My hair was also pretty, it hid my large forehead. I had an idea in mind on how I wanted my hair, and Ogie was conceptualizing the same. My hair turned out really awesome.

Then came the photo shoot. Robert of Dino Lara was the one who did the photos for us, and will also be the one assigned on our day. Robert is really good and really funny, as in F-U-N-N-Y! As Gracita had described him, he is like Willie Revillame. Dino said that Robert is a part-time photographer and full-time clown. Robert makes us laugh all during the shoot. Kaya in our pictures, M. and I had those big smiles, which is good I think kasi our smiles look really natural and hindi pilit. I was really mahiyain during the shoot, which is ironic kasi I’m a photo addict. I’m not used lang to studio pictorials. Surprisingly, husband-to-be is really comfortable and was game during the shoot.

After the studio shoot, we went to Makati Park for our outdoor shot. We wanted a place na somewhere near lang since we wanted to do away with the fuss of long drives and enduring traffic. Makati Park is a nice place and I knew there were a lot of couples who also have their outdoor shots done there. Yun lang, they need pa permit before we can shoot. Dino’s team usually encounter problems na even if they have permits, the guards would still ask them which takes away a lot of time. Reason why we had to be discreet. I put Robert’s camera on my bag and pretended to be walking around. When the guards weren’t looking (I’m surprised that there were a LOT of guards there, even more than a bank has!), Robert went to a nearby area, behind a small tree, and started taking pictures. Then we projected naman our picture-worthy poses and mega-watt smiles. We were laughing kasi Robert was hiding pala behind a trash can! Nakakatuwa sya kasi game talaga. When we saw the pics (we got them after the shoot, burn kagad si Robert upon returning to the studio), ang gaganda ng outputs! Raw shots pa lang yun pero panalo na. What more if they had put effects pa. I’m really looking forward to our wedding pics and how they will make those look more dramatic. One of our best suppliers talaga. Worth the price. J

And on another note, when I went home after all the studio and outdoor pictorial, my makeup is still intact and my face didn’t become a bit oily. Galing galing talaga nila Angie and Ogie. My mom said my makeup looks great and she wanted the same MU for her!

June 2, 2006
Gown Fitting with Cecilio

After braving the rain, we went to Cecil’s shop for my second fitting and Mike first of his suit. We’re were late for our appointment, buti na lang meron pang client si Cecil kaya hindi nainip waiting for us. I think that client of him was getting married in a few days. I can feel the excitement of the bride and groom and the family. Ganun din siguro kami days before the big day.

Mike went in to fit his suit. Goodness, he looked great! His suit suited him really awesome. According to Cecil, hind daw lahat ng guys bagay magsuit. But on Mike, he said bagay na bagay. I then went in to fit my gown. At first I thought di pa na-zip kaya maluwag. Yun pala, talagang maluwag! I lost na naman weight. I don’t know if I’m gonna be worried na baka I might be the anorexic bride, but I think it’s too late na to gain weight kasi my gown is again adjusted. But my weight now is my ideal weight for my height, and this is the first time in a long time na I actually can tell I’m really slim na. hindi lang ako sanay with my current weight.

June 17
Do It Youself Souvenirs

We started making our souvenirs which are gel candles with actual Boacay sand and real shells at the bottom. We were able to finish all 90 pieces, but sans the gel yet. We have to secure help pa with our expert friends on how to do it. Pero madali na lang daw yun. In just 4 hours, we finished the designing of the Boracay sand and various shells on the bottom of the glasses. They are all awesome! After we will put the gel, we plan to paste on each a clear sticker with our momogram and our wedding date on it. We got the idea from theknot.com. We hope our guests would love them. Our souvenirs describe our love for the beach and our wedding theme as well.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

having a happy marriage

“Happiness and contentment in marriage are not built on material possessions nor secular advancement. They are built in the heart and mind, and these traits are strengthened by the truths from the Word of God.”

-- "How To Build A Happy Marriage", from the Awake! magazine, July 2006 issue

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

picture junkie

Preparations are ongoing, and it’s making us so ngarag! Especially me na sobrang worrier. I don’t want to be thinking and worrying about a lot of things about the wedding. Nakakawindang! Budget most especially, I want to do away with payments and check-issues. It’s getting crazy!

Inasmuch as we want to make the wedding a lot simpler, I guess that’s just not possible. A wedding is just once in a lifetime event, and everybody must make the best out of it. Minsan lang yun eh dapat the best na. Tutal, you’ll only get married once. And you’re just giving yourself some slack! But the only thing I really think that must be invested on would be the photographs. I got the most talented wedding photographer. I had to justify to my fiancé (and to myself as well) why I’m getting Dino Lara. He’s the priciest one in the market right now. Kaya even if expensive sya, I reasoned out with my love why we should get him. M. agreed naman, and he understands how I feel, and wants to give me what I wanted. I told him, pakialaman na nya lahat about the wedding, except for Dino! Hahaha! I was introduced to Dino’s works long way before I even had a serious relationship to get married to. I was already impressed by his talent that time. I told myself that Dino’s gonna me my photographer if ever I’ll get married (those times I was still depressed and thinking that I’m ending up to be an old maid J). When me and my fiancé finally started the wedding preps, I had nothing in mind but Dino. When we discussed about his rates, we were somehow still contemplating, but eventually we agreed on getting him. When I arranged a meeting with Dino to discuss his services and give our DP, something happened.

I saw another equally great photographer. I was all of a sudden confused on who to get. In my confusion, my fiancé told me (maybe even irritatingly) to finally make up my mind. I was really utterly in pieces. This other photographer offers cheaper service and his style is really good. But I cannot fathom why I cannot choose another photographer over Dino. I kept going back to him and using him as my benchmark. Just to spare me the hassle of thinking whether the other photographer will get the “Dino style”, I decided to book Dino as soon as possible. We then had to pay him the DP immediately so I’d stop changing my mind (maybe all Dino brides can relate to me).

Which just shows, I’m really a photo freak. That’s why documenting my wedding thru pictures is such a great deal to me. And I just want the best guy to do it for me.