(Worship) 9 Mornings

As far as I remember, I've never missed the 1st day of Simbang Gabi, although I never tried completing all 9 mornings before.  They say you'll be granted a wish after completing all nine,  but for this, one should wake up at around 3-4 A.M. to make the daily 4:00 or 4:30 A.M. mass. There are also anticipated mass schedules around 10:00 P.M. for those who don't want to wake up early.  For Love and myself, we wanted to complete all 9 mornings (it just feels more old school).

Morning 1 - St. Martin de Porres Parish (Cavite) - 4:00 A.M.

Gospel: The Witnesses to Jesus

I always go on the first day since it's my birthday.  Another year of life to thank the Lord.  Like me, I believe most people like to go on(ly) the first day.  The church will be jam-packed with all kinds of people.  We saw the regulars (those people we also see during Sundays), couples like us, families, all the old religious folks, the teens (most of them just socialize outside) and a lot of kids.   
  

Morning 2 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Genealogy of Jesus

We arrived at the church 1 hour too early (excited) since we thought the mass was at 4:00 A.M.  It was my first time hearing mass at the Sanctuary of St. Paul, the home parish of St. Paul, the store. The church is nice and modern looking. There're 5 video cameras filming the mass everyday which is being televised around the world.  An editing crew is also stationed at one corner of the church. The choir was good and they sang one of my favorite Christmas songs "Emmanuel".

Morning 3 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Annunciation to Joseph

I opened my eyes and it was 4:20 A.M.  
Me: Love, 4:20 na.
Love: Bakit ang late mo nagising?  
Me: Di ako nagising sa alarm.
Love: Pano yan late na tayo?
Me: Actually, hindi pa.
Then we stood and got ready in 5 minutes (hehe).  We arrived at the Gloria.  

Morning 4 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Annunciation to Zechariah

It was 2:00 A.M. and Love just got home from her get together with her former office mates.  She was still hyper when she arrived and told me stories about her night.  We slept at 3:00 A.M. and woke up again at 4:00 A.M. to make the mass. 

Morning 5 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Annunciation to Mary

My turn.  It was a little after 2:00 A.M. when I arrived home but this time no more chit-chat, I went straight to bed.  Good thing I didn't have a hangover when we woke up.  

Morning 6 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Annunciation to Mary (4th Sunday of Advent)

At this point, our bodies were already getting used to waking up like an old person.  It was getting easy and we were also sleeping earlier to compensate for the late nights before.  We went to mass at the usual 4:30 A.M. schedule then attended the Feast talk portion mid-morning.  We rewarded ourselves with Project Pie afterwards.

Morning 7 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Magnificat

So, Magnificat was a song.  I thought it was a spell used to decrease the casting time of a party (it's an MMORPG thing).  Rev. Fr. was inspired by Mama Mary that he also wanted to sing himself.  He sang Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah.

Morning 8 - Sanctuary of St. Paul the Apostle (Makati) - 4:30 A.M.

Gospel: The Birth of John the Baptist

It was the 2nd to the last morning and our last mass at St. Paul.  That morning, we sat in an area being filmed by one of the cameras so if you saw us on T.V., we're famous!  We took pictures of the church and the film crew that morning. One thing missing from that area were Puto Bumbong vendors, so we decided to hear our last mass in Cavite.

 

Morning 9 - St. Martin de Porres Parish (Cavite) - 4:00 A.M.

Gospel: The Prophecy about John the Baptist

We had just attended a friend's wedding the night before and it was really nice. Got a few ideas and we also thought about things we've overlooked in our planning.  The reception finished early but since it was in Q.C. we still arrived a little late in Cavite.  We then heard our last Misa de Gallo, we prayed for our wish, which I believe is the same and then ate our Puto Bumbong and Bibingka! 

 

(Wedding) The Suppliers

Right after we got home from Batanes, it was already full-on wedding planning.  Love was on her phone the whole afternoon calling prospective suppliers.  We based our selections from previous weddings we've attended, our budget, and testimonials from satisfied customers.

CAUTION:  An increase of 25% from the initial wedding budget is (totally) possible.

I think this goes for every couple that plan to get married, the top bookings needed will be the reception location, the church and the photo and video coverage.  For the reception, Love had 3 choices.  We agreed to look at all three and then do a pros and cons list (for our funds), but after she called her first choice which had no booking for the day we wanted, that was it, booked instantly (Bye 20% initial deposit). 

The Country Garden

The great thing about their package is that it includes everything needed for the reception so it was perfect for our rush planning situation.

Their package includes:

• Use of venue for 4 hours
• Catering
• Flower arrangements
• Use of the garden for prenup photo shoot
• Live music
• Lights and sound system
• Wedding Cake
• Bridal Car
• Use of doll house for event day preparation
• Day coordinator

We also availed of their photo booth add-on offering.

The place is perfect for a Shabby Chic theme (I feel so gay knowing this).  Can't argue with Love's decision here.  It was perfect and not bank breaking.

The church that we paired with the Country Garden was the Sanctuario de San Miguel church in Xevera subdivision.  It's small, intimate and looks really nice.

For couples looking to get married, here are the requirements needed by the church:

• Certificate of Baptism
• Certificate of Confirmation
• Marriage License
• Birth Certificate
• Community Tax Certificate
• Certificate of No Marriage 

--------------------oOo--------------------

The third crucial supplier we needed to book for the wedding to push through was the photo and video coverage.  There were some names being thrown around by wedding savvy (not married but likes watching wedding videos) people.  The most notable were Jason Magbanua and Nice Print photography which covers a lot of celebrity weddings.  Pang-celebrity rin ang presyo!

Love liked her brother's wedding photographer so we looked at his other works.  He's really sought after in Pampanga and the output from Love's brother's wedding photos and videos were impressive. 

Studio Portraits

Jerome's been in the wedding media industry for a decade and he really knows what he's doing.  We thought it's better to take advantage of his prices now that he's not yet a big name.  His packages include photo and video coverage with a prenup photo shoot, save the date video and SDE.  (Sample photos will be uploaded in part 3 - The Prenup Photo Shoot)

There it is.  The top 3 bookings made in less than a week after I proposed. 

That weekend, we also booked her hair and makeup artist.  Dan Jose, did her hair and makeup for her sister's wedding where she was the maid of honor.  Love said she liked what he did for her.  The surprise for me in this was the price, ganun pala presyuhan ng mga make-up artist.  I mentioned the price to one of my friends who's also getting married, "mura na yun", she said.  What?

Dan Jose

His package includes the event day hair and make-up for the bride, groom (my conversion is complete), mothers of the bride and groom + 1 bridesmaid.  A trial day is also included.

Another crucial one was the wedding gown maker and suit tailor.  Love did the basic design of her gown herself, and as for me, I just want to replicate a nice outfit I've seen in the movies.

Adora's Creations

Tita Adora was kind enough to fit us in her busy schedule.  She made Love's initial sketch better and the output can now be imagined (now I know what a sweetheart neckline is - more learnings).  She was Love's former office mate and her creations are really nice.  She was also commissioned to make my suit jacket, so the colors are in sync with the gown.  Love's Mom will sponsor her gown :-)

For our entourage we went to Love's family's trusted first use rental shop, YoMeng Dresses.  The fitting was not 'till next year but the dress ideas for the female entourage were already discussed.  Tita Meng did Love's sister and sister-in-law's wedding gowns as well as their whole entourage.

--------------------oOo--------------------

Money Saver Tip:
For our wedding rings my Mom gave us Her's and my Dad's as a gift.  We asked different jewelers until we found Kuya Resty (ask around for him in Pampanga).  He redesigned the rings for us for a fraction of the cost if we bought new ones.

For our invitations and tokens The Oops! shop ( Oops Prints n Keeps ) was suggested to us by Love's sister-in-law as she used their printing services before.  We just finalized the invitation layout and contents and we'll be picking up the printed invitations before 2015.  They also do customized tokens which we'll use for our Primary Sponsors.

The latest supplier we booked was our florist.  Since the Country Garden already includes flower arrangements, we only needed arrangements for the church and entourage. 

Villa Rosa

Tita Aida did the flower arrangement for Love's sister at her wedding (another pledger - for the florist this time :-D ), the pictures we saw were promising, their collection of props are extensive and I think she'll make it as Love dreams it.




It was a busy two months of travelling week by week to Pampanga but as far as stress level goes, it was still pretty easy.  If we go over-budget on one supplier, another one will be below-budget.  Hope it stays this way until The Day but I doubt it.  As for me, I can't believe I'm enjoying this.

(Weekend Getaway) Sonya's Garden

I remember how I planned a surprise cruise dinner for Love on our 5th monthsary.  Seemed like a good idea to try the Manila Bay Cruise (Manila Bay! What was I thinking?).  Actually, the cruise was not that bad, the food was so-so, the yacht was nice, the city lights were quite the sight and we couldn't see the dirty waters since it was a night cruise.  It was turning out to be a not-so-bad romantic dinner but then it was the fellow passengers that ruined our night.  They were foreigners, I won't mention the nationality and what they did but it was irritating.  Good thing we also booked an overnight stay at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay for the weekend to save the monthly celebration.

These days Love and I are really fascinated with gardens.  She has a small one in her condo (alive but barely :-)) and I'm growing my own flowers and plants in our own garden in Cavite.  This hobby all started after our Sonya's Garden visit. I just want to replicate it someday.

The rooms have a rustic design.  They cater to varying number of guests per room.  They have no air conditioners and TVs but the cold breeze in Tagaytay took care of that and as for activities there are lots to do for an overnight stay, we didn't even need to leave the compound.

Here are the activities we did:

Tour the compound and gardens
I'm really bad at describing places using words (so much for writing a novel).  It's so much better when you're there than the pictures.

Proposal Garden

The proposal garden is the first garden that Sonya allowed public access.  The first one was for a proposal.

Eat organic food

They have, I believe, three restaurants inside the compound.  One is open for walk-ins and the other one is near the rooms for checked-in guests only.  We didn't see the third one but I believe they hold wedding receptions there also. 

For checked-in guests

They grow their own veggies, fruits and herbs.  The salad was delicious and we drank different herbal teas (Tarragon and Mint as far as I remember) and juices. They also serve pasta and dessert.  The live entertainment was also unique, Lolo with his guitar singing kundimans (infinitely better than those in the yacht).

Their salad ingredients

Make your own salad

Tarragon Tea

They also have a Panaderia but we didn't get to visit it since there're so many people buying all the time (must be tasty).

Couples massage at Sonya's Garden Spa

This was the highlight of the trip.  We like to get massages from time to time and for this one, we chose the Sonya's signature massage.  How would I describe it?  It was soft and hard, and there were new techniques I haven't felt before. It's really worth trying out.  They also offer facials and the like.

Jog around outside the compound
We took advantage of the fresh air from Tagaytay and went jogging early the next morning.  It was also in preparation for our Milo 5K race (Love needed some training).  Beats jogging in Ayala Tringle or BGC.  We also saw the plantation for Island Rose but it was closed off and covered.

Shop for souvenirs, plants and organic products

They have it all, from herbal plants, organic household sprays, scented candles to organic food.  A haven for green advocates and environmentalists.

Just relaxed
Whether it's in our room, the restaurant or the benches in the garden, the relaxing mood of the place just calms us down.  We took pictures of the flowers we liked in the hope of replicating it in our own garden.

Here are some of the flowers that caught our attention.  I can't name them though.

  

  

  

  

  

If you're looking for a peaceful place to soul search or reflect and see lots of different flowers, crops and plants, this is the place to do it.   That or climb a mountain (no spa).

(Wedding) The Initial Discussion

Love and I were still high after our engagement and were receiving congratulations from our family and friends when my Mom suggested that we plan the wedding already and push for February 2015.  My Mom is based in the U.S. and is going back home late February for her high school reunion.

Love didn't really mind and she just went from newly engaged to full blown wedding planner in an instant. We decided to give it our best effort to book all the needed locations and suppliers but if we can't, then we'll do it on  a later date.

While in Batanes we worked on these things (we created a wedding excel file :-)):

The Date

The last two weekends of February became our target dates.  Since we were restricted it was an easy decision.

The Location

All of Love's siblings got married in Pampanga, her home town.  She asked me if it was OK to do it there.  I said I have to confirm with my family but for me, I was OK with it for the following reasons:

• Cavite doesn't really have a nice wedding location.  Well, except for Tagaytay but that wasn't an option.
• Getting married in Manila I believe, is a lot more expensive.
• Booking for a wedding in 4 months might be possible in Pampanga.

The Church and Reception

Since it was her home town and she's the bride, she gets to chose the church and reception venues. We decided to check out her top 3 choices.

1.  Xevera Chapel - The Country Garden 

                

2.  Chancery - King's Royale Promenade

     

3.  Clark Chapel 2 - Grand Palazzo Royale

                

The Budget

I won't get into specifics about our budget but I can say with absolute confidence that any couple's initial budget will inflate!  About 25% at least.  We agreed on our initial budget then.  Since it's just four months it's a little tight, good thing there's our 13th month pay to look forward to.

The Suppliers 

I won't include the prices as to not ruin the surprise for aspiring couples.  

• Caterer
• Photo and video coverage
• Cake
• Lights and sounds
• Choir/band
• Florist
• Wedding gown 
• Groom's suit
• Entourage dress rentals
• Wedding rings
• Make-up artist (I can't believe the amount women pay for their make-up)
• Accommodations
• Invitations
• Tokens and giveaways
• Bridal car
• Day coordinator
• Photo booth
• Booze... errr... wine.

Number of Guests

"150?".  I initially suggested.  We'll share the guests that we'll invite from our old company (where we met) then divide the remaining by two and invite our own.  Sounds good at the start but like our budget, the number of guests also inflated.

The Entourage

From our experience on attending weddings we made an initial list of the entourage titles we need to fill. We agreed that all male will come from my side and all female will come from her.

• The Primary Sponsors (we decided 5 pairs)
• The Best Man
• The Maid of Honor
• Candle Sponsors (pair)
• Veil Sponsors (pair)
• Cord Sponsors (pair)
• Groomsmen (2)
• Bridesmaids (2)
• Flower Girls (we decided 3 girls)
• Ring Bearer
• Bible Bearer
• Coin Bearer (there's also a rosary bearer and cross bearer but we didn't know that then)

Most of our friends told us that 4 months will be tight and stressful but we're both IT professionals and we're used to deadlines and crunch time work.  I pray and hope we execute great as well.

(Travel) Batanes

Batanes, as I've heard, is a lot of people's dream destination in the Philippines. The sights are supposed to be breathtaking and the feel of being in a virgin island 600 KM away from Manila is already relaxing to think about.  I've seen a lot of great pictures on the Internet and I don't know what my fascination is with lighthouses that I already marked the place as my proposal destination when the time comes.

Did I mention that they have 0 crime rate?  They leave their vehicles open with the motor running and keys in the ignition.  Awesome!

Day 1 - Northern Batan Tour

Basco Airport

Love and I arrived at Basco airport just past 6:00 AM.  The flights to Basco, Batanes (PAL Express and SkyJet) are scheduled early as far as I know.  The airport was built with limestones like the traditional Ivatan houses. 

Batanes Seaside Lodge

We were booked at the Batanes Seaside Lodge.  They picked us up at the airport and drove for less than 10 min.  The lodge has a nice view of the ocean and our package includes all our meals and a 3-day tour.

We took a walk on the beach before our tour began.  The water was great and the sand was like small smooth stones rather than fine powder (oddly nice).

Mt. Carmel Chapel

 

Our first stop was Mt. Carmel Chapel (Tukon Chapel). It's fairly new according to our guide but it follows traditional Ivatan architecture.  It's like a fusion of old and new. The ceiling is painted with the patron saints of all of Batanes' churches. It looks amazing and I get why it became a popular wedding destination.

 Dipnaysupuan Japanese Tunnel

The tunnel was used by the Japanese as their headquarters during the invasion and it has different entry/exit points that were strategic to them during the war (sniping and vantage points).

Valugan Boulder Beach

This is one of the natural wonders of Batanes.  The shore is made up of large boulders that came from a volcanic eruption.  Typhoon Vongfong made it even more amazing because the waves were gigantic.  This is one of the nicest places we've visited in Batanes, in fact, we came back on our third day using rented bikes (25 PhP per hour) and we had the whole beach to ourselves (can't swim though).

Vayang Rolling Hills

The souvenir shops has a T-shirt saying "Batanes home of the winds", this is where we felt it was true.  It's like being transported to another country.  The wind gave Love a bad hair day and destroyed my waxed hair too.  I think the name tells us what will happen if we fall off the hill's trail.

Naidi Hills, Basco Lighthouse

This was our last stop on our first day.  The cafe beside the lighthouse was closed and under renovation (I could have booked an after-proposal dinner for two). This was my initial choice for my wedding proposal spot since I could propose on the top of the lighthouse a-la Ted Mosby (Love doesn't watch that show).   

Day 2 - Batan Southern Tour

Port of Ivana

That boat and those waves!

We were supposed to tour Sabtang Island on our second day but because of the rough waters we decided to cancel our boat trip and tour the rest of Batan Island instead (there's a chance that we can get stuck in Sabtang if the coast guard stops all boat trips).

Honesty Coffee Shop

The shop is just open without anybody watching the store.  The customers pay for the items they get and log the purchase in the logbook.

I am honest

San Jose De Obrero Church, Ivana

While waiting for our van, we started our tour by visiting the Ivana Church.  I prayed for good weather and a perfect place to propose.

House of Dakay

This is the oldest house in Batanes.  It withstood a number of typhoons and earthquakes.

San Carlos Borromeo Church, Mahatao

Another one of Batanes' century old churches. Still prayed for the same thing (now that I think about it, I didn't pray for the YES, I guess it was implied).

Mahatao Idjang and Boat Shelter Port

We passed by the Boat shelter port on our way to Tayid lighthouse.  Our tour guide said that to create this boat shelter (shelter from hard waves), the rocks were blasted away to create a port for boats since fishing is one of Batanes' livelihoods.

Tayid Lighthouse

My chosen wedding proposal spot.  I hope the owner opens the top of the lighthouse to tourists someday.  We stayed until the other tourists started arriving.  When we went down, our driver asked if we liked the lighthouse since we stayed for so long.  Love replied while looking at her ring, "Opo ang saya nga po e".  



Racuh a Payaman (Marlboro Country)

The place had the Sound of Music vibe (the hills are alive).  We tried to be creative with our panoramic shots but I couldn't move that quickly on uneven ground because of my ACL.  They say that it's called Marlboro country because back then there were a lot of horses in the hills.  Now there are only cows.

Wala na maisip na pose sa pangatlo

Alapad Rock Formation

This is also another top-notch place to look at the ocean.  I thought, "pwede rin pala dito mag-propose"

Lunch at Vatang Grill and Restuarant

Photo: storminmykitchen.com

The lunch stop of our tour that day.  I didn't try the Ivatan dishes but their salt and pepper pork was delicious.

Chawa View Deck

This was supposed to be the first stop of the tour but since we started at the port, it became the last stop.  It has a great view just like all the spots in Batanes.  I was thinking of sleeping on one of the benches (if it wasn't noontime)

We then stopped by the souvenir shop and bought our Batanes t-shirts and key chains.  We also bought snacks for our pasalubong

Day 3 - DIY Itinerary

We decided to skip the Sabtang trip due to post-engagement laziness and because there's a chance that we can get stuck and miss our flight (although the weather that day was perfect).

Basco Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Photo: incept.co

We started the day by going to mass.  The mass was a mix of English and Ivatan.  I thanked the Lord for my answered prayers (both the proposal spot and a partner for life).






After that our itinerary for the day was:

1. Dressed pictorial at Tayid Lighthouse
2. Diura Fishing Village - Hike to the Spring of Youth
3. Lunch at Marconines Canteen, Racuh a Payaman
4. Bike to Boulder Beach

We had an early breakfast the next morning and went straight to the airport at 6 AM.  As we go back to reality (and the start of wedding planning), Love and I agreed that we have to visit Batanes again.

When we return there's still a lot of stuff I want to do in Batanes:

• Buy a painting of the Tayid Lighthouse from the local artist store
• Climb Mt. Iraya
• Sabtang Island Tour
• Itbayat Island Tour
• Stay at Fundacion Pacita (This will be pricey)
• More bike touring

Credits to Crista Hammond-Malupa for all (except the GoPro/grabbed ones) of our pics.  I hope you continue exploring your talents in this craft.