We're married!

It was such a beautiful wedding. God blessed our Big Day with lovely weather. A lot of our guests were present, even during the church rites. Everything went smoothly. Everything was just wonderful! More details soon.

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin and Ann Carilo. It fits so perfectly.

Our pre-nup photos!

Just a few shots from our pre-nup photos taken by Pranz and Ysa of Prya. We love, love, love the pics! And we had loads of fun during the shoot, too. Pranz and Ysa were really fun to work with. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!



Photography by PRYA.

:)

Vin + Ann Wedding Trailer!

Our wedding trailer is out, and we absolutely love it! Our families and friends love it, too. All the hard work we put into it were sulit because it turned out to be an awesome video. Like falling in-love all over again!

Check it out HERE!

We're still trying to figure out how to post the video on this blog. Meantime, enjoy it on the Vimeo site of our creative videographers from Geronimo Photographico.

:)

Pre-Nup Video Shoot: Check!

We had our pre-nup video shoot with Jonas and L.A. of Geronimo Photographico yesterday. We can't even begin to tell you what it was like. 5 hours under the hot UP Diliman sun. It was exhaustion to the maximum level! But this was all overshadowed by the fun and laughter. Our wedding trailer is going to be a montage of different scenes, so we had to shoot in different spots. We had to change outfits five times, too. Plus, we had to pose for photos! Our friend Nadine's photographer friends offered their services for our pre-nup pictures. (Thank you, Ysa and Pranz of PRYA!) So in between shooting scenes for the video, we were projecting for the photographers naman. Talk about multi-tasking! There we were - acting, smiling, laughing, kissing - under the scorching heat! Whew! Hirap maging artista! Hehehe. It was challenging, yes. But we did an awesome job!




Now we can't wait to see the edited video. It should be ready by the end of the week. Once we've finalized it, we'll post it here. Exciting!

:)

Goin' round and round...

...round the metro, that is. Distributing our wedding invitations.




As much as possible, we want to deliver the invites personally. Especially to our ninongs and ninangs. So far, we've delivered to around twenty people or so. We still have a loooong way to go. So for the next few days, we're gonna be busy, busy, busy.

:)

Our wedding invitation!

Our invitations are all finally printed. I found a new supplier to replace the old one. The original plan was to have our invites printed by this company that prints our school's collaterals. But the people working there are terribly lazy, and took their sweet time just to give us a quotation. So we decided to look for a different printing company. Our good friend, Tita Mags, recommended New World Printing Corp. Their rate was a bit more expensive, but the owner, Mr. Roger Cuan, was more maayos kausap. So we gave him the project. And we are very, very satisfied and happy. :)





The pink sleeve that holds this invitation bears our names - ALVIN & ANNE. This whole week will be spent going around the metro to distribute the invites. Sounds tiring but fun! Looking forward!

:)

Save The Date!

Our SAVE-THE-DATE card, designed by my graphic designer extraordinaire sister. Thanks, Adie!

:)

Meeting the seamstress.

We were able to gather all the ladies in our entourage (except for Tita Mags) for the sukatan session with our seamstress, Mommy Virgie. It was the morning of Father's Day at Figaro in UP Techno Hub. The girls already saw the colors they were going to wear, and the dress design. We all had a fun time over coffee, pies, muffins and a tape measure!

From left: Candle sponsors Karlo Melendres and girlfriend Jackie, lovely bride Ann, Mommy Virgie, Bridesmaid Andrea Asis and Maid of Honor Adie Asis

From top left: Dashing groom Alvin, Father of the Groom, Bridesmaid Bianca
From bottom left: Bridesmaid Andrea, Mother of the Bride, Baby Dominic, Mother of the Groom

Ann poses with our flower girls - Trina, Nadine and Jeje

Posing with Mommy Virgie :)

First fitting will be scheduled this month.

Hey there, fellow brides!

If you need a bit of help on your wedding preps, check out Bridalbook.ph!

My friend, Doc Harry, shared the link to the site with me as soon as he found out that I was tying the knot. And the site has been very helpful! Alvin and I found our photographer (Terry Uy) and videographer (Geronimo Photographico) through their suppliers' directory. You'll love the look of the website, too! So go check it out!

:)

Photo / Video

We changed our photographer. From Luminosi, we switched to Terry Uy. We want a photojournalistic feel to our wedding pictures. After searching on the net and meeting up with different people and teams that had this particular style, and after very careful consideration, we finally took our pick. And we chose TERRY UY. Check out his wedding photos. They're absolutely fantastic!

For our wedding video, we are still in the process of looking for a good and affordable one. We found Geronimo Photographico on the net. They offer great video packages. Plus the rates are easy on the budget, too. We'll be visiting their office next week to check on the sample videos. So far, we got a good feeling about this group. If you were able to get the services of this videographer, feel free to leave a message and tell us about your experience. We really appreciate feedback from other people. It helps us in selecting our suppliers. Thank you!

:)

The fit bride gets fitted! :)

We visited Mommy Virgie, my seamstress, yesterday. We already told her about our plan to change the colors of our entourage. So Hon and I spent a good hour looking at swatches and selecting different shades of yellow, blue, green and pink.

After choosing the right colors for the entourage gowns, it was sukatan time for me. I wasn't able to buy my wedding shoes yet. So I just brought an old pair of high-heeled gold sandals to wear for the fitting. I'm thinking of bringing that pair to Solea and have my wedding shoes custom-made around that design and the height of the heels.

After I got fitted, we finalized the price. We got a pretty good deal! Next step: Gathering all my girls to take their measurements.


:)

Meeting up with our entourage...

...well, part of the entourage, that is.

We met up with my college friends the other night for a lovely dinner at Romulo's Cafe. I already informed them beforehand of the roles they were going to play in our wedding. We showed them how their dresses would look like, and the colors they'd be wearing. Vin and I decided to drop the pink motif and go for a colorful entourage, like the balloons that carried the house in the movie "Up." So, my flower girls decided they wanted yellow, and my secondary sponsors would wear blue.

I haven't seen my friends in a long while, so the stories were endless. It was also the first time Vin and I shared wedding plans and details with them. It was a happy night. Looking forward to the sukatan with my seamstress. That should be fun!

:)

Bride and Groom with flower girls (from girl in blue jacket) Jeje, Trina and Nadine, and cord sponsor Len.

The Pamamanhikan

It's a bit strange for a couple who have been together for a decade and whose families are already close friends to still go through the traditional "pamamanhikan."

Back in the day, the groom's family would visit the bride's home with gifts. The groom would perform house chores like gathering water or something like that.

Posing with Alvin's parents

Posing with Anne's parents

For the Carilo and Asis families, we just all met up for a lovely dinner at Red Kimono, UP Ayala Techno Hub. It was the official engagement meeting of our families. Plans were discussed. Stories were exchanged. Laughter was abound. It was a good night. A really nice and modern "pamamanhikan."

Asis Siblings

Bros in-law!

The Seamstress

To beautifully create the bridal and entourage gowns, we got the services of Mommy Virgie. She was the one who made the gowns for a family friend's wedding a few weeks back. She has a quaint dress shop right where she lives, near the busy streets of España, Manila.

One thing we like about Mommy Virgie is that she lets me choose the designs I want. I have complete control over my gown and how the whole entourage would look like. Plus, she's so nice, warm and friendly. So even if her place is a bit hard to go to, parking-wise and all, she won me over, and she gets the project!

:)

A New Look!

Thanks to my uber creative, net-savvy sis, Adie, for helping me create a new look for this wedding blog. :)

Alvin and I chose Disney's UP to be the theme of our wedding. After seeing that movie for the first time, he called me his Ellie and he was my Carl. That's how we envision ourselves many years from now - old and gray, wrinkly, but still together and still very much in-love.

We'll show you how our invitations and souvenir designs look soon. The invitation is a mix of blue and pink, with an image of that famous floating house in the movie, carried by balloons. Our music CD souvenirs are going to look like Ellie badges - that grape soda crown, remember? I found this computer shop in Kamuning where they print directly on the CD (plus print the case cover art and burn the songs, too) for just 35 pesos/cd. Coolness!

Confirmed!

Entourage:

Maid of honor: Adie Asis
Best Man: Carlo Carlos
Bridesmaids: Andrea Asis and Bianca Carilo
Groomsmen: Khris Ortega and Ton De Luna
Ring Bearer: Anthony Asis
Coin Bearer: Ricardo De Guzman, II
Bible Bearer: Ricardo De Guzman, Jr.
Flower Girls: Nadine Pena, Kathrina Sanchez and Jeosara Jose

Candle: Karlo Melendres and Jackie Victa
Veil: Jessie and Mags David
Cord: Oliver Melendres and Lennie Arboleda-Oliver

Confirmed principal sponsors:

Mr. Jose Luis Vera
Mr. Bernie Buenaseda
Mr. Rolando Sulit
Ms. Cherry Reyes
Mr. Guy Ilacad

Atty. Rey Melendres
Mrs. Ma. Teresa Melendres-Aristan

Mrs. Minda Villarreal

Ms. Monette Asis

Ms. Ayette Asis
Mr. Ricardo Asis
Mr. Elmer Hernandez
Atty. Joel Bretana
Mr. Alfredo Bigcas
Mr. Ramon Regio
Mrs. Maria Emelda Tan

Reception Hosts: Ida Hidalgo-Pangan and Jess "The Blade" Reyes

Time for photos! :)

Photos taken by my photographer extraordinaire fiance, Alvin. 'Pag siya ang nasa picture, then ako kumuha nun. :)

At the Quezon City Hall, working on Marriage License requirements.

The fiance fills out some forms

Our wedding preps scrapbook! Colored pens are fun! :)

Peek-a-boo!

At National Bookstore Techno Hub. Buying stickers for our scrapbook.

New friends Jen and Rio of Luminosi Studios

Yup, we finally found our photographer and videographer! Luminosi Studios, co-owned by photographer Igor Maminta, a friend whom I met during a PLDT event last year. We visited his studio in Makati and were entertained by two very friendly account executives - Rio and Jen. Rio also happened to be the ka-barkada of Alvin's sister, Bianca. Small world. :)

We got an awesome package! Whee!

:)

Day 1 (Take 2)

We got a bit init ulo during Day 1. So we labeled the following day as Day 1 (Take 2), this time with more love and patience. :)

Food tasting at The Grand Terrace! We were excited, like two little kids happy about getting free food. Tee-hee! VS&F Catering was the official caterer of the venue, with both companies owned by the same family. The place was all set up when we got there. The lights were turned on, the tables were set beautifully, there was water cascading from the glass walls surrounding the Palm Hall venue. The buffet was in full swing. Everything was perfect! And if a few days ago I was complaining about how my dad bullied us into changing our reception venue, I was won over instantly that day. We tried each dish that was served, making tick marks on our food list, selecting what to put in our own menu for the reception. It was a happy day!

Reception Venue: The Palm Hall of The Grand Terrace, Commonwealth, QC.
Caterer: VS&F Classic Food International
Cost (venue, food and other amenities): P160,000.00 for 150 guests

Day 1

Off we went to Dangwa to pay a visit to Jennifer and Agie. They were the ones who took care of the floral arrangements and stage design requirements during the AICS graduation events this year. Since we'd be giving them AICS rakets every year, we were able to get a really good deal at a very budget-friendly price.

The 18,400 peso package comprised of bouquets for:
- the lovely bride
- 1 maid of honor
- 2 bridesmaids
- 2 moms
- 3 flower girls
- 3 female secondary sponsors

Plus, wristlets for 20 ninangs. And flowers for the grand staircase at our reception venue. A winner deal, don't you agree?

Florists: Jennifer & Agie. Dangwa, Manila.

Not bad for the first deal we closed on Day 1 of our wedding preps. After a quick lunch at Jonas in Banawe, we went around to check out photographers and videographers.

We went to: Roper's, Smart Shot and Wally Gonzales. Alvin was okay with the packages at Smart Shot. I was still waiting to be convinced, or maybe swept away.

Church and Reception Venue

When we were first working on the wedding details, the reception venue we had in mind was this Filipino restaurant called Adarna Food & Culture. It's a lovely place located along Kalayaan Ave. in QC. We immediately fell in-love with Adarna, and the dishes, a variety of classic pinoy viands, were superb! But my dad wasn't impressed. He wanted a big reception venue, with ample parking and can house all the relatives he wanted on the guestlist.

So the new venue: The Grand Terrace along Commonwealth Ave. QC.

I was grumbling about this change for a few days. Until Alvin and I attended their food tasting last weekend. I was won over! More details about this story as we progress.

Nobody can ever make us change our minds about the church - Holy Spirit (BFQC) Parish. This church had sentimental value to us. It was the sanctuary to a decade of our memories and experiences. This church was where we ran to when we needed peace and quiet, a place to have heart-to-heart talks and heartfelt prayers. After the painful break-up, when we got back together, this church was where we knelt down and thanked God for bringing us back to each other. It meant a lot to us, and to get married there was a decision both of us shared.

So the church has been pencil-booked, awaiting required documents. We already have a reception venue. Time to work on other details. Lesgow!

The Proposal

He called me up in the middle of the night. Was I asleep? Not yet, I told him. I just spoke to my mom about the wedding reception venue. He wanted to drop by and talk. He was feeling sad about a story I told him that night while having dinner. He just needed to see me.

I stepped into his car and we embraced. I was whispering to him in a comforting tone. He looked into my eyes and started to talk. About how he was sorry I didn't have the engagement story that other people wanted to hear. About how he felt sad about it. We've been together for ten years. We broke up, I got hurt. We found each other again. He wanted to do something to show me that I deserve something wonderful. He spoke of how much he loves me. About a realization he had, that it was time for him to surrender to faith - faith in me, faith in our love and faith in God.

"I know that when your friends ask for an engagement story, you tell them we were together, we had a heart to heart talk, and we decided to spend the rest of our lives together. Honey, this is now a story that you can finish..."

He was suddenly holding a small, blue, velvet box. The lovely diamond sparkled as soon as it was uncovered.

"Please make me the proudest and happiest man on earth by becoming my wife. Ann Joy Marie Serrano Asis, I love you. Will you marry me?"

I don't even remember what I said. I just know I was in his arms and I was crying rivers of happy tears. The ring looked so beautiful on my finger.

He wasn't really feeling depressed about the story I told him. He just wanted to catch me off guard. He got out of bed in the middle of the night, knowing that it was already the perfect moment for a simple but most heartfelt proposal.

Then we were at the church. The same church we'd be married in on September 8. The lights were off and everything was quiet. Peaceful. The whole proposal speech was said again. This time, with God as our witness. We held hands and prayed together, entrusting everything to Him.

We've been engaged since last year, officially when we talked and decided to get married in 2010. I didn't need to show a ring. What for? I already had a man beside me who loved me with all his heart and would never stop loving me even after I lose all my teeth and hair. Now, in the middle of all our wedding plans, I got proposed to. So beautifully. I wouldn't have it any other way.

That is my engagement story. No drama, no fanfare, no candlelight and champagne. Just me and him, a peaceful church and a beautiful diamond. It's absolutely perfect.

En route to forever...

Hi there, family, friends and blog-hoppers! Welcome to our wedding blog! Our big day is set on the 8th of September, 2010. The preparations are so much fun! Things get stressful at times, especially when we're trying to trim down the guestlist. But at the end of each day, we look at each other, mutter our special "grumble" and laugh out loud. It's exciting, this journey to happily ever after.

We've been together for 10 years. A decade of full of adventures, happy tales, sad stories, fortunes and misfortunes. A decade of love, blessings, and lessons learned. Now, we're ready to set sail again. Destination: Marriage. We're going on a wonderful journey called LOVE. Come with?

:)