Double delights: a pre-wedding seminar and a prenup pictorial!

Marriage is supposed to be for keeps.  It's a lifetime commitment for better or for worse.  So how do you make it last and weather all sorts of trials and problems?

Honestly, I do not know the answers.  Of course, we need to put God in the center of our relationship, and to follow Biblical principles for marriage and parenting.  But the truth is, I know I'll never know what to do until I myself am there in that situation.  So it's best to be prepared beforehand, even at least in theory, to avert all sorts of troubles that may be avoided.

M and I both agreed that we need a lot of marriage counseling, as there are problems and concerns which might find their way into our marriage and cause friction between the two of us.  Thankfully, we have a lot of support from our family and friends, and even churchmates, who pray for us always and are ever-ready to give Biblical advice.  I really thank God that He has given me a man with whose faith I share, and with whose principles I agree.  I am also grateful to God for giving me so many ideas even before I got into a relationship with M!  Yes, I attended all the parenting seminars of my church.  Why, even the sermon series these days are about parenting and taking charge of your family / group! 

When I brought up the topic of a pre-wedding seminar to M, he was naturally for it.  Thank God!  So last Wednesday, I finally had free time in the afternoon so I went to BDO at SM Megamall  and paid the downpayment for what is going to be one of the best decisions M and I have made for our wedding preparations. You see, we both signed up for Before I Do pre-wedding workshop as we know that marriage goes beyond feelings and emotions.  It's a lifetime commitment before God, our families and friends, and we have to be determined to keep this marriage at all costs.

Before I Do is a pre-wedding workshop the aim of which is to educate couples about the many facets of marriage based on sound biblical principles. I didn't know that it was conceived by my churchmate and one of my favorite photographers, John Mateos Ong and huis wife Monique.  The workshop includes topics like Sex & Marriage, Financial Responsibility, Communication, the Five Love Languages, and Biblical Roles of Husband and Wife.  The workshop is interactive because after each topic, participants break up into small groups for either an activity or sharing of experience and shared reflections. Check out what it is all about from this website.

For only one thousand and five hundred pesos (PHP 1,500), M and I can participate in this seminar-workshop on November 5 and take home freebies too.  Wow!  I was literally running to BDO Megamall to hand over my payment.  Only twenty-five (25) couples may be accomodated every workshop, so I was really relieved when we were still taken in.   

And here's the part I like the most:  we get to have free prenuptial photo shoot anytime between November 2011 and April 2012 (except holidays and week ends).  Praise God indeed!  I couldn't stop saying wow while reading their confirmation email.  A free prenup from Before I Do means that I now have two prenups!  Remember, I won a prenup pictorial a few months ago?

So now I have a hundred and one more reasons to slim down and stay fit....I better look good in those two prenups hehehe ;-)

I you and your H2B are serious about preserving your upcoming marriage, do check out Before I Do.  It runs only every April and November.  Hurry, reserve your slot before it's too late!

Piece of Cake?

Simple, timeless and elegant cakes by Elizabeth Anne Designs

What will your wedding cake look like?  Do you have a design in mind, or are you giving the bakers free reign?  Is it going to be a three-tiered delight, or a five-layered treat?  Will it be a carrot cake, plain chiffon, caramel, or any other specific flavor?  Will it be the cake you'll be availing from your caterer (usually included in the package), or are you having it customized from a different supplier?

Way back when I still didn't have a boyfriend, I already knew what I want my cake to look like.  It'll look like the picture from Elizabeth Anne Designs which I posted on top.  Simple, fuss-free, minimalist.  But then since joining Weddings at Work, my tastes have evolved.  Choices for cakes have become so wide range that every now and then I shift from the minimalist design to the uber grand, and back.  And to think it's just a cake!  We're not even talking yet of how much should be spent on a supposedly simple concoction formed out of mixing butter, eggs, sugar and milk.  

If only I have enough moolah to spend, I have no doubt as to who will bake my cake the day I marry Mr. M.  It's Joy San Gabriel, bar none.  Just look how yummy and visually appealing her cakes are:

 I love how this cake captures what husbands ought to do hehehehe  :-)  Panalo, di ba?  ;-)

It's pink, and I like it.  Cake + cupcakes + cute cake toppers.  I just love how elegantly Joy combined all three without making them look like some kiddie's birthday cake

I want one!

Wow, look at all those yummy sweet treats from Shauna Younge Dessert Tables

 Talk about color coordination and presentation

Now here's the catch.  The cheapest wedding cake I found from the most reliable sources in the wedding industry costs Php 5,000.  Whaaaatt?????? It sounds so scandalous to me!

With that price tag, I don't know about you, but cakes are and will definitely NOT be on my list of priorities for my wedding.

When M and I started listing down the wedding items which we could scrimp on to save more money for our after-wedding life, one of the things that came to my mind was the cake after I found out that it costs almost the same as one whole lechon already.  After all, it's just the two of us who will slice and enjoy it for ceremonial purposes.  It's just a less than 3-minute feature in our wedding and before I could even swallow a spoonful of it, we're onto the next part of the festivities.  Budget brides like me just can't afford to spend so much on a piece of item that will probably end up being given away to guests or being brought home by my relatives right after M and I eat a mere spoonful of it.  I just can't accept the fact that I will be paying Php 5,000 for a cake with only a single layer edible  (the other two tiers are just made of styrofoam).

So what are my options?

I'd probably buy a couple of cakes in various flavors and serve them buffet style:

 For those with sweet tooth, check this out!  Cake Buffet from Marlene's Fans Club

 I'm having a pink-themed wedding with hints of green, and thanks to this picture of a cake buffet by Project Wedding, I'm getting some ideas on how to execute my big day.  Perfect.  :-)

 The more, the merrier.  That seems to be the dictum of whoever prepared this delectable spread.  Photo taken from the Flick account of ♥ he@rt ♥

 

 Cakes with a Japanese twist.  Photo by Bryan Lyt

 We're having a Japanese-themed wedding, so maybe I can take a cue from this picture, eh?

Now when all else fails, I can rely on one of my favorite local brands, Red Ribbon cakes, for my wedding.  Think of how many cakes I can buy with just Php 2,000 ---- and they're all edible, so our guests can enjoy these sweet treats, as opposed to shelling out Php 5,000 for a three-tiered cake with only one layer edible.  
 

Source:  article.wn.com

Ah, and let's not forget another favorite:  Estrel's caramel cakes.   Wow, composing this blog alone makes me want to pick up the phone to place an order....

M always gives me roses.  Maybe I can incorporate that detail in the cake for our wedding like what this picture shows....

A pot of roses for a cake.  Brilliant idea from Estrel's.

See how very affordable Estrel's cakes are based on their price list:

Writing this post got me all thinking.  What do I really want for a wedding cake?  Apparently, there's too many options to explore.

If only deciding about this matter is a piece of cake  ;-)