Hi Corrie (short for Corona notebook), yap that’s what
I’ll call you and you will be my confidante starting
today. Guess what, I’m going to be engaged soon! Hans’s
mom told me awhile ago while we are in the engagement party
of Hans’s brother. Hans is just grinning at me earlier
but I had mixed emotions. I don’t know if I’m ready!
Help me get through the night…sana makatulog ako ng
mahimbing…
July 4, 2001
Hey it’s final! Hans and I are getting married next year.
I called my mom and as I expected, they are also excited.
Especially papa, he even made sermon that I should be good
because it would be embarrassing if I made any problems with
Hans’s family. Grabe…
August 1, 2001
Hans told me that we are not the one who will be choosing
the exact wedding date. He said we will just give the
month and the Chinese monks will “compute”
the lucky date for our wedding.
And guess what…our “lucky” date is December
1, 2002! I spent the rest of the day calling all the
best churches in the city. The fee is so expensive pala!
Most of them cost P15,000-P20,000!
Did
you know?
The 15 day period from the middle to the
end of the seventh lunar month is considered
inauspicious because that is time of the
Hungry Ghost Festival
when the gates of Hell are opened and the
lost spirits are allowed to wonder the earth.
August 9, 2001
Hans’s mom was able to book San Sebastian Church. It’s
still more than a year away but it’s already difficult
to book churches. I searched the Internet, San Sebastian is
the only church that is made of steel. It’s very old
and historical.
September
15, 2001
We attended a bridal fair today, it’s
our first time! There are so many wedding
booths featuring their wedding products
like gowns, shoes, souvenirs, invites, photo
and video packages, coordination, caterers
and a lot more! We also watched a bridal
fashion show, and the gowns are so gorgeous!
Hans
is browsing Kasal.com!
I
can’t sleep…need to research
more options. It’s a good thing
there are wedding resource sites like
Kasal.com.
There are scheduled bridal fairs listed
there and I need to attend those!
My
first visit to a bridal fair.
February 19, 2002
Finally, we have decided on a hotel venue. After reserving
a slot with 3 hotels a week ago, we chose The Peninsula Manila.
The place is very elegant. It will be in the Rigodon Ballroom
and we expect that it can accommodate 500 guests. I also called
several make-up artists earlier and asked for their prices.
Grabe mahal…perhaps I’ll just go for the
makeup artist referred by Hydee, Hans’s sister-in-law.
It’s cheaper and maganda pa ang work nya.
March 30, 2002
I started drafting my entourage last week and now we finalized
the members. Haay, ang hirap mamili at isingit lahat ng
close friends, cousins, nieces and nephews. We have 10 pairs
of entourage members excluding flower girls and bearers. Our
principal sponsors are 10 pairs too! I also called the makeup
artist and made a schedule for a trial make-up on October.
April 3, 2002
I still have no design for my gown! Nakakabaliw mag-browse
sa Internet for gown designs! I like all of them!! We
attended 5 wedding fairs so far and my folder is already
full of quotations from wedding suppliers.
There’s a very nice wedding gimmick – butterflies!
But Hans’s mom told us yesterday that butterflies
signify death so it’s bad luck for Chinese…sigh…buti
na lang because 1 butterfly costs P200!
I
still can't decide on the design!
Which
one of these designs
is the best?
April 6, 2002
I am so excited because we went today to a wedding gown
designer, Edward Teng. We talked about possible designs
that will suit me. He even drew 3 drafts of gowns after
asking my preferences.
Hans’ mom also gave us a budget for our furniture.
It is a Chinese custom that the fiance’s family
should provide the furniture for the couple and the
fiancee’s family to provide the appliances. I’m
already excited to shop for our things! Which design
kaya would be nice? European? Oriental? Or Filipino?
April
12, 2002
Hans and I decided that we wanted a “Ting-hun”
– a Chinese engagement party. It’s a Chinese custom
that the bride’s family will host it. I called my mom
and I told her that I preferred that the venue will be in
Manila. Papa argued with us and he wanted it to be in Ilagan
para isabay na din ang pamanhikan. I was frustrated
because I’m thinking that Hans’ family will have
a hard time to travel for 9 hours. But I realized that it’s
also better that they will visit my hometown and do the pamanhikan
– the Pinoy way. We plan to tell Hans’s parents
about it tomorrow.
I also told them about the Chinese custom that my family will
provide for the appliances. My parents agreed and it will
be their wedding gift to us. Also, it is a Chinese custom
that the groom’s family will pay for the wedding expenses.
April 15, 2002
It’s our 6th anniversary today! Hans’s parents liked
the idea of going to Ilagan for our “Ting-hun”
and they began planning the trip with Ama and Ankong
(Hans’ grandparents) and other relatives. They told us
that it is also a sign of respect to the Filipino tradition.
April 18, 2002
After 3 days of searching our desired wedding ring designs,
we finally found one when we went to Binondo, in one of jewelry
shops there.
May 2, 2002
We booked The Banquet Specialty Shoppe to be our wedding planner.
We found them first from Kasal.com and then we went to their
booth during the wedding fair.
June 8, 2002 – The Ting-Hun
and The Pamanhikan
Hans
serving tea to my relatives.
Hans'
and my family for the pamanhikan.
A
necklace from Hans' parents.
Our
engagement cake.
Our
engagement gifts.
June 12, 2002
Hi again… I have a month’s worth of journal
entry today. I went home June 6th to help my family
prepare for the big event – Engagement/Pamanhikan.
We hired a caterer and party organizer to provide the
food and decorate our garden for 100 people.
On the night of June 8th, I hid in my room and waited
while my family and Hans’ family talked (pamanhikan).
I’m not supposed to be seen before the “Ting-hun”
proper. I wore a red formal dress because a “Chinese
fiancee” should wear red.
Did
you know?
Drinking tea is an integral part of Chinese
weddings much like the Western tradition
of toasting champagne. In Chinese weddings,
the new couple performs a tea ceremony
to pay respect to their families. The
type of tea served is at the discretion
of personal taste, though black dragon,
orange blossom, and classic green tea
are the preferred choices.
When the pamanhikan talk was over, Mama guided me in
walking backwards. Hahaha! I felt funny walking that way.
The next part of the program was the giving of engagement
gifts to both of us…new dresses, sets of jewelry, etc.
The last part is the Chinese tea ceremony where I have to
serve tea to Hans’ family members and he did the same
to my family. Whew! What an experience!
August 8, 2002
Yesterday we found a gorgeous sofa set from Play and Display
in Herrera St. cor Ayala. The good news is, it is on sale!
We reserved it immediately and then today we paid it in full.
It will be delivered in our home next week! I also listed
the final members of the entourage after long, tiring, and
numerous revisions. My main problem now is the guest list...on
my side, we should only have 200 guests, but my list is growing
and growing every week!
August 27, 2002
This morning I received the baptismal certificate and other
requirements from our parish. We submitted them in San Sebastian
and then we received our wedding banns to be posted in our
respective parishes.
Sept 20, 2002
We finalized everything awhile ago with the wedding planner
on the specific details of the wedding cake, table arrangement,
flowers, limousine, schedule of photography and video, invites,
music for the reception, and others.
I also submitted to Edward Teng the picture of the gown
design that I picked from a magazine and also the beadwork
that I chose. My mom and the bridesmaids went with me
earlier for body measurements. We finalized the motif
and chose salmon color instead of celadon green, my
first preference. Green seems to be not a lucky color
for Chinese so we changed motif.
Me
and my mom in the couturier shop.
Sept. 27, 2002
We applied for our marriage license…we also planned for
our honeymoon. We were thinking of spending it in Palawan
or USA depending if I pass the interview with the US Embassy.
My
trial makeup
with Manolo Dilla.
October 6, 2002
I went earlier to Manolo Dilla for my trial make-up.
I also shopped for my wedding sandals. My feet ached
because it was so hard finding the right comfortable
wedding shoes! I found a Rusty Lopez gold sandals and
bought it at once.
October 22, 2002
We had our food tasting earlier in Manila Pen with Hans’
parents and Chinky, the banquet coordinator of the hotel.
We chose a 6 course set menu for the reception instead of
the usual Chinese lauriat.
October 27, 2002
My friends (13hoodz) surprised me with a bridal shower
last night! My college friends, cousins, officemates
and my sister attended the party. We had so much fun
playing kinky games!
October
28, 2002
We registered at Rustan’s bridal registry and
chose our preferred wedding gifts. We had a hard time
choosing because parang gusto ko lahat! Hahaha!
My
friends surprised me with a bridal party!
Nov
21, 2002
We still don’t have souvenirs for the guests! My wedding
gown, entourage dresses and Hans’ suit were delivered
today. Some guests haven’t confirmed yet so it’s
really difficult to make the seating arrangement for the reception…
November 26, 2002
We attended our confession at the San Sebastian and after
that we went to the Manila Seedling Corporation in EDSA to
look for miniature plants as souvenirs (as recommended by
my boss). We ordered 400 pcs. and Hans will pick them up on
the 30th.
November 30, 2002
I had my manicure, pedicure, waxing, and body massage done
at a spa in Ortigas yesterday.
Me and my family checked-in in Manila Pen today and I can’t
sleep…tomorrow is the big day! I hope I will not cry
in church. I spent the night chatting with my parents, brother
and sister. All of us are tensed! I also double-checked everything
that I need – safety pins, oil blotting film for my face,
candies, white chalk for accident stains on my gown, and a
mini-pressed powder. I hope I didn’t miss anything. God,
please make everything alright…
December 1, 2002 – The Wedding
December 3, 2002
Well, Corrie, I am Mrs. Hans Uy as of 2 days ago! Did
I cry in the church? Yes. And worst, I couldn’t
stop! I was worried that something bad will happen.
But when I saw Hans and he looked like he was falling
in love again, I relaxed and took his hand to comfort
me.
Tonight is our first night to sleep in our own bed.
And I hope it would be the start of many beautiful nights
for me and Hans.
Thank
you, Corrie, for helping me prepare for the most important
day of my life. Tonight is going to be my last wedding
journal entry. Another chapter of my life has began…
It’s a Chinese custom that
before we sleep on our bed, a male who is born
on a Dragon year must sleep there first. This
is to invite fertility to the marriage. Hans’s
brother happened to be born on a Dragon year so
he slept in our bed last night.
