Thank You (Part 2): The Gifts

Today, I'm a week-old Mrs. Alvin Dolores! :)

But we're not yet done with out thank-yous!

A couple of nights ago, we took time to finally open all our gift-wrapped gifts -- which was sooo much fun! I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve (Not day, because our family usually open gifts after Noche Buena... Or at least we try to wait until then...)! Thank you family and friends for

bed linens (We probably have enough to change sheets every week! Thank you JEC churchmates!)

bananas

(Thank you Gian, for this 4th bunch, I think, I've received from you in our eight years or so of friendship. :D)

Thank You (Part 1)

A week before the wedding,

1. Weather was gloomy in LB.
2. I got several Mad Science confirmations for Dec.6-8.
3. We still didn't have a printer for the newspaper program Yobic and Ching worked so hard on.

The Marriage License

Last Thursday, after spending a good deal of the morning at the civil registry of the LB municipal hall and just when we were about to get to the second to the last step of applying for a marriage license (the last being payment), Dong and I were told that we should be applying at the municipality of either Bay or Pasig, Dong and my place of residence respectively. Not LB, the venue of our wedding). This after having previously gone there twice already (one for inquiry and the other for the family planning certificate)! So for those getting married, heads up:

Prayer Request 05: The Stressor

It's just 75 days before my wedding.

Update 07 (with prayer concerns): 100 Days to Go Today! (The Real Countdown)

I just need to sleep a hundred nights more to become Mrs. Alvin Dolores! That, and complete the following:

Update 06: The Fight

Ilia's also doing our AVP.
She needed 2 versions - his and hers - of our "love story" for the concept she came up with.
She followed it up this afternoon. (I haven't replied - Peace!)
I followed up with Dong his version. (I'm pretty confident in writing MY version because, being the designated storyteller of how we got together and how he proposed, I've shared that probably more than ten times already.)
And we came to another discussion of how we should just do one version - MY version. (He's busy, really bad in remembering details, etc.)
And once again I have to tell him that I feel abandoned by him when he leaves me the major stuff to handle all by myself. Yes, AVP storyline is major for me.)

Update 05: The Countdown (Part 1)

I had planned to post this last Aug. 7, to mark the day when it'll be exactly four months before Dong and I get married. But I didn't have the time until tonight. So I'm writing this 119 sleeps before our Big Day. I guess 119 is as good a number as any.

And so 119 days before the wedding, here's where we're at in our wedding preparations:

Update 04: The Date - Save It!

5 Save-the-dates 6 months before Dec. 7

Cheesy

Prayer Request 04: [Photographer]/Videographer

Yesterday, I was panicking because the wedding videographers I've contacted earlier this month haven't responded still...

Update + Prayer Request 03: The Wedding Dress

I praise and thank God that I'll get to wear the talented Hannah Kong for our wedding! :D And to think I dragged my feet for a month about contacting her!

A ball gown by Hannah Kong

The Birthday Breakfast

Update 02: The Ninong, the Ninang and the Workbook

Last Saturday marks the beginning of an exciting Ninong-Ninang relationship with one of our Ninongs and Ninangs: Ninong Ed and Ninang Judy Niebling!

Prayer Request 02: Major Suppliers

But first!

Thank you God that our first choice for venue, Lina's Orchard in Los Banos, Laguna (Los Banos -- where Dong and I met; Lina's Orchard -- where I day-coordinated a wedding before our fateful June 27, 2009 date, where I gave my "Yes" to... dating Dong... more on this later) still had December 7 available for us when we went there to book last, last Saturday!

The Proposal... Album

Here's The Proposal, in long-overdue pictures. :)

Prayer Request 01: The Pamamanhikan

In about 8 hours, Dong's family will be meeting with my family here, at home in Pasig, for the traditional Pamamanhikan. Please do pray for the following:

1. For a knitting of hearts between the two families
2. For a happy time together
3. For clear communication and coordination about wedding details that need to be discussed

The Proposal

At midnight of Nov. 2-3, at KayAnne's rooftop in San Pedro, Laguna, Dong and I got happily engaged. Here's how it happened (the long version, for some who's already familiar with this story)