this is it!

i woke up to the sound of my cell phone. someone was calling me @ 8:30 a.m. & all i could think was, "please let me sleep!" then i suddenly remembered it was dec. 30, 2004! holy shit! the phone was still ringing so i picked up and it was tess, one of my closest friends who is now settled in canada with her husband ben (na kabarkada rin namin). we spent a few minutes - kamustahan, she asked if i was ready, how was i feeling and all sorts of stuff that only brides-to-be would understand and feel. i missed her and wished she could be there at the wedding but we knew it was impossible.

after her call, i got up, made some morning chit-chat with everybody there. all i could remember was that after some time, julie arrived together with her assistants flor & mel. marla would be arriving a bit later with the flowers. julie proceeded to arrange the gown on top of the bed together with the accessories and everything else in preparation for the bridal shoot. while she was doing that, i had a shower then she started applying makeup. it was around 10:30 when she started and i thought it was a bit early but it turns out that she wanted to try and see how i'd react to the make-up kaya inuna na niya ako. i had coffee while she was applying make-up and flor was blow drying my hair. afterwards, it was ate ynna's (my MOH) turn, then mom and ate lou who had arrived with dan that morning. julie was only going to do the make-up for us four so, i guess, the schedule was okay. by lunchtime, she had finished with everyone so we oredered lunch from red ribbon. after that, the junasan crew arrived, they set-up their cameras in the room while we tidied up, brushed our teeth and sat down for retouch. marla, the florist and a member of julie's "team" arrived with flowers while i was being made up. the flowers looked nice but i think they needed a bit more color, i hoped they'd be more orange-y. but they explained that there was a shortage of orange roses and that those were already sprayed so, okay na sa akin yun. as i said, as long as everybody who needs flowers had them okay na.

junasan's crew assigned to cover our wedding was a three-man team - jigs (video), april (assistant) and ting (photo). ting was actually someone ricky's family knew; as in matagal na because the studio where he used to work for covered jackie's wedding if i remember correctly and other "parties" they had. now, he was a freelancer and had our wedding as his assignment for that day. i was beginning to fell nervous because it was almost 1 p.m. and they weren't there but of course, nakarating naman.

everything else that happened was a flurry from then on. pics and videos in the room, beside the accessories, on top of the bed behind the gown, a shower of rose petals and so many poses that, when i recall them now, i cringe out of embarrassment. but surprisingly that day, lumabas talaga ang pagkabungisngis ko. grabe, di ko napigilan but as jigs and ting said, okay yun, mas maganda, parang mas at ease ako while they shot and clicked away.

we all managed to pullout of astoria by 4:30 p.m.. we even had some time to have a couple of pics taken at the lobby of astoria. the lobby isn't as grandiose as that of shangri-la or even holiday inn pero, okay na rin. ting wanted to get some shots at fernwood before it got dark. sayang naman daw ang ambience ng fernwood.

we were there by 5:15 p.m.. ricky was already there, in fact, some of the guests were there already. we spent a few minutes trying to decide where we could park the car or stay to wait for ting and the junasan crew. julie arrived, retouch agad sa bridal car! then, ting asked me to step out of the car and ricky saw me even before the ceremony. wala na ang element of surprise! hehehehe....

i couldn't tell what his reaction to my "look" was. i asked him and he said it was "okay lang". i really wished (and i still do) i was beautiful and slim so that he'd break out into an approving grin upon seeing me & feel "proud" of how his bride-to-be looked like. but i guess it's too late for an appointment with dra. vicky belo for liposuction and plastic surgery. di ko nga alam baka gusto na niyang magback-out nun

so we gamely posed for a few minutes in various places in fernwood. we managed to get a couple of shots before it was totally dark. there were still a few minutes to spare because i think the priest wasn't there yet. i was standing a few yards away from the entrance to the chapel with julie and flor & me-ann and another assistant of emily. julie & flor stayed until the whole thing was over while me-ann left before i walked down the aisle.

beautiful marlet (she was in red!) was there and started helping me by coordinating with the parish secretary asking for this and that and ther things... i was worried about the seat plan and registration papers but i gave them to bobot who said he'd take care of everything. they all wanted me to relax and concentrate on the wedding but it was difficult for me... until i knew i had to just let go.