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night to make sure he understood my detailed
specifications and requirements.
We did not hire a wedding coordinator and an
event stylist. Beingpractical and cautious, Ana
wanted to personally manage everything, from
the design of the cake, the wedding invitation,
the souvenir items, the table centerpiece, and
to the smallest of details. We both wanted to
make our wedding very personalized. A lot of
Ana’s friends helped us, including her current
and former students. Everybody had a part, which
helped us save a lot of resources down the road.
The entire wedding preparation was a product of
love, friendship and utmost creativity.
Our marriage was celebrated by Fr. Roger
Cruz, a local parish priest in Marilao, Bulacan,
our hometown. His homily was pure, enjoyable
and full of godly messages. The entire wedding
ceremony was filled with joyful tears, genuine
laughter and priceless moments. Barasoain
Church’s aura was also festive in nature with
all the traditional decorations t hat matched with
our theme. Its historic significance added an
insurmountable value to the memories that we
had collected on that day.
Church: Barasoain Church (Malolos City)
Reception: Malolos Club Royale
Hotel and Restaurant
Wedding Gown: Joan Aquino
Wedding Suit: Andrew Badiola of Irene’s
Embroidery Barong deCalado
Photographer: Mara and Mike Photography
and Rain Pangindian
Videographer: Mara and Mike Photography
Cake: Punky Porca (Box of Sweets)
Flowers: Saccharine Shoppe
Hair and makeup: Ian Villafranca Artistry
promised that we’re doing it once, never again.
And wedding is supposed to happen once
unless you’re celebrating a milestone, you know.
Some of our closest friends and relatives gave
us wonderful and inspiring messages. Video
presentations, endless photo shooting and other
entertainment-related gigs capped off our night.
We spent the night with our guests and loved ones
in a hotel in Malolos City, not far from the church.
It also became a sort of reunion, as we had the
chance to meet anew our relatives and friends
from different stages of our lives. A short program
was prepared to brighten and liven the night,
which was led by two enthusiastic hosts, both of
which are Ana’s friends and esteemed historians
in the Philippines. We did all the traditional
wedding activities, such as the toasting, cake
slicing, releasing of doves, as well as games! The
4-ft tall cake towered and dulcified our night. Its
design, overall ornamentation and artsy aura was
cultural and highly personalized.
We went to South Korea two days later for our
honeymoon, and before I head back to the US.
The weather was bitter cold but we were ready
with our winter clothes and accessories. We
stayed a couple of days in a suburb area near
Seoul, and explored the city and other spots
through its uberly sophisticated and efficient
subway system. We visited historic sites and
other popular tourist destinations, such as the
Seoul Tower, National Museum of Korea (the sixth
largest museum in the world), Myeongdong and
Gangnam District.Cleanliness and orderliness
was enviously conspicuous. Trendy youths and
young adults showcasing modern winter clothes
flooded the streets and shopping centers. Seoul
is such a wonderful and iconic city. We also had
the chance to try the traditional Korean attire while
roaming around the airport. We were ecstatic
with gusto upon learning this perk, and it’s all for
free (make sure you try thison your next Incheon
airport visit)! Ana and I tried the attire befitting a
king and a queen. We promised ourselves that we
will go back to South Korea and further explore
this wonderful gem.
Ana and I also danced our hearts out! We
subjected ourselves to a series of rehearsals with
our dance teacher (Ana’s high school classmate),
who taught us basic dance steps, both traditional
and modern. Yes, for the sake of our wedding
and in hopes of entertaining the crowd. And we
What’s next? We are excited. Soon, Ana will be
joining me for good. We will continue to write our
love story together, and take the ultimate road to
forever. Yes, there’s forever. No? Well, we have
a lifetime to prove it, so stay tuned. We will love
each other forever and a day.