Dressing Up the Groom

Whoa!  It's only 80 days to go before our wedding, and I can already feel the pressure :-p    I think I don't have any reason to worry about my and the entourage's gowns, or the flowers or our invites, but every so often I am reminded about how close we are to the date, and how much more still needs to be done.  Every time I feel this way, I just do whatever I could with whatever time we had, since we are both neck-deep with our work.

So last Saturday, M and I went to Divisoria to buy his barong and some materials for decors which I'll be needing for the reception.  I never liked the idea of having my groom wear a tux, so I was more than happy to know that M feels the same way.  He did tell me though that in case I want him to be in tux, he'd gladly don one (I twitterpated with this!!!!!!)    :-)

Since he's dressing up for me on this day (hahahaha!!!!!!!), I tagged along with him to Divi.  We knew beforehand whom to go to, because M and I and this supplier, Brian, had been church mates since 2008, though we are not close to him at all.  One night while sharing the excitement of wedding preps to his small group, Sweetie mentioned about my preference for barongs.  That's when we found out that Brian's family is one of the major suppliers of Onesimus (yes, that trusted, classy brand you see in malls!), as well as other barong retailers and gown makers in Divisoria.  So it was only natural that we go to his shop when the time came for us to purchase my beloved's wedding attire.  Don't be fooled by Divi.  Yes, the place doesn't look nice at all, and sometimes I just want to declare my latest visit as the last time I will be there, but it's really a good place to find everything you can possibly ask for.  I must say that for the love of Sweetie, I'd gladly go to Divi again and again so we can spend wisely for the wedding :-)  

Here's the piña cocoon barong I chose for him.   Why did we opt for piña cocoon (the 2nd best type of fabric for barongs) instead of piña (the best type), especially since their difference is only Php 500 (cloth only)?   Well, I wanted something that Sweetie can still use after our big day.  Piña barongs are usually worn during weddings or oath takings.  If he'll be attending another wedding in the future and wear a piña barong, he might outshine the groom (and irk the bride!).   Sweetie won't be having any oath taking activity anytime soon (or maybe none at all).  So if we bought him piña, he'll end up using it only once.        

awesome details!

To add a Filipino twist to our cherry blossom-themed wedding, I picked a lavishly-made embroidered piña cocoon barong with coconut tree details.  The entire front of the fabric carried this design.  Happiness!

excellent craftsmanship!

I tried to find out how much a piña cocoon barong costs in Onesimus and SM Kultura, and I was shocked to know that they command as much as Php 6,000 (and to think, that was the lowest priced piña cocoon I saw)!  What a big blessing Brian was to both of us!  We only paid Php 2,500 for Sweetie's barong!  Throw in around Php 600-1,000 for the tailor who will sew it, and still we are way below the price you normally pay for a piña cocoon barong from the mall.  Thank you, Lord, for blessings like this!

Brian's company sells barongs of all types, and not just the top of the line.  If you need piña jusi, abaca or other types of barongs (even kimonas, women's barongs, uniforms, embroidery, logo/label, and RTW), they have them all.  I think grooms and brides who intend to shoulder the cost or buy barongs for their entire entourage would be happy to know that a ready to wear piña jusi barong from them starts at an outrageously low price of Php 900 (and mind you, it's a very, very good design and excellently sewn at that!).  

If you need a reliable supplier for barongs from Divisoria, chances are they are being supplied by Brian.  So please contact:

Brian Ong of Mychelyn House of Barong

Tel # 313-8093 / 986-5005 / 585-5034 / 0933-5880322

Email: mychelyn_barong@yahoo.com

Pas D-60 Ilaya St., Binondo, Manila

819 New Ylaya Textile Market (Beside BPI Savings)

Branch:  Stall 2K-15 2nd Floor, 

168 Shopping Mall, 3 Soler St., Binondo, Manila

How We Spent Year 2

Last August 30, Sweetie and I celebrated two years of togetherness. I thank God that despite coming from different backgrounds, opposite personalities, and many other differences, M and I also have our own share of striking commonalities which have made us click and draw closer to each other.  We have had more than our share of small fights and snubbing, but I can only praise God that He really sustains our relationship, because by His grace we have made Him the center of it.  That for us is the single ingredient that has made so much a difference in our two-year relationship.

M and I started out as friends, and I believe this has made us better as partners too.  We started off with just friendship in mind, and I am so glad that it blossomed into something more beautiful --- in His time.  There was no flirting, no put ons, no pretensions --- just honest motives to interact and have fun, which eventually became something that was meant for exclusivity.  I wasn't looking for love when I met him; I was serious on serving God and I gave Him my complete and undivided attention, not knowing how he would cook up a plan on how I would later on meet my perfect match.  I gave God the authority and freedom over my life (including love life!), and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.  God gave me so much more than I could ever ever ask for, and to this day I can only smile and thank Him for giving me more than what I deserved.

I pray that all single people reading this blog would give themselves completely unto God first, before giving their hearts to another.  And I pray that God would be the center of their (and your) relationship, as this is the only way to preserve and protect it.

Happiness in a relationship has a time-tested formula after all.  It is happiness = God at the center.

Okay now, back to regular programming. 

As promised, I am now publishing some of the pics we took during our anniversary lunch cum lakwacha last August 30.  I must warn you though that we take pleasure in the simplest things; hence, the pics are really just ordinary things we like to capture in between flashes.  :-)

For our 2nd year anniversary, we choose to eat at Pepper Lunch Shangri-La Mall branch.  The store was almost empty when we arrived at around 12NN, but a few minutes later it was brimming with hungry customers.

Pepper Lunch has a very straightforward approach.  No fancy frills.  Just good food and simplicity.

Hahaha a useless pic just to show you I was there

This shot turned out quite dark, but it was actually very bright inside the store.

My baby's order was beef curry.  I am engaged to a very simple guy.  Just give him beef curry, and he'll be fine.

See?  Hungry little hippo  :-D

I told him to mix it so he can grill the meat....the aroma coming from the curry was really inviting!  

I had beef the night before, so I ordered chicken curry for myself.  Yum yum yum....

I took a pic of the instruction that comes with the hot plate when it is served to you.

I love it that they used disposable glasses.  NO to plastic!

Yes, great value indeed.  For about P400, we had our stomachs full. We'll definitely be back, Pepper Lunch!

After lunch, we headed to Bonifacio High Street at The Fort. We rode a bus going to Ayala MRT Station, then boarded a Bonifacio High Street bus which charges P12 per pax.

Happy me.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pics of our BHS lakwacha.  Apparently, there are areas there that charge for pictorials, since the place is becoming popular for prenups.  So I didn't bring out the camera.

On our way home, I asked Sweetie to have our photos taken at the Fujifilm Studio in Megamall.  One of the pictures from our pictorial was in this previous post. 

Happy anniversary, Sweetie!  I love you  :-)

The Five Love Languages

Does your partner feel loved?  If you answered yes, let me ask the follow-up to that question:  what do you do in order to make your partner feel loved?  Is this the kind of thing that he / she wants you to do for him / her? 

One of the many things that I truly appreciate in my relationship with M is that he tries to really know me, do things that really please me, and just love me the way I want to be loved.  Our Monday night dates would always be short and sweet, but he finds creative ways to get to know me better and deeper.  There are times when he asks me straightforwardly so he can find out more info; at other times, he just observes and concludes, then discusses with me what he thought about, and whether it is true or not. I am really thankful to God for giving me someone who tries his best to meet my emotional needs in a way that does not overshadow how God provides for everything that I could possibly ask for.    

I'm no relationship guru, but one of the best things I've learned is this: whatever type of relationship we are in (as romantic couples, as parent-child, as brother-sister, etc.), if we want the other person to feel loved, we need to find out what is his / her love language, and "speak" it.  Be consistent with it.  Be intentional about it.  Love must be mutual in order for a relationship to be successful, and how can we make it succeed if the other party does not feel loved in spite of all the efforts we've been doing?

Loving someone is both a task and a decision; there are lots of hard work to do, and a good and lasting relationship requires the deliberate effort of the people involved in it.  If we give 110% in our careers, shouldn't we do the same to our love lives and relationships?  Love isn't just a matter of expressing it any way you want to; it has to be done in a way that clearly and consistently communicates your love, dedication, affection and fondness for the other.  It is a language that you have to speak, and one that the other person must fully understand.  For instance, what good is it to keep buying her flowers, when all she wants is for you to give her your full attention whenever she talks?   

I've heard countless stories of people breaking up, or getting in a violent fight or too many arguments (things that can potentially destroy any relationship), which could have been avoided if only people learn this important principle:  know your loved one well enough to do what he / she wants you to, and therefore, make emotional deposits into his / her love bank as often as you could.  We all experience days when it feels as if the love bank has just gone empty with too many withdrawals (ie, arguments, misunderstandings, etc.), and speaking the kind of love language that your partner has is one of the best things a person in a relationship can do to further nurture and nourish your love. Some people feel most loved when you give them quality time.  Others need to be affirmed by receiving gifts from people who matter to them.  Some people are touchy touchy type, so physical contact matters a lot to them.  Others need to hear your words of assurance and affection every so often.  And finally, there are those who feel most loved when the people who matter most to them help them carry out tasks.  People may sometimes speak not only one, but as many as three love languages.  Whatever their love language is, the bottomline is this:  if you want a successful relationship --- one that is continually growing and maturing --- then make your loved one really feel LOVED.  And one of the best ways to do that is to find out his / her specific love language(s).  Curious?  Click here to find out what is your love language.  You can also try more specific tests (ie, for singles, wives, husbands, children, etc) from this site.

Mr M gave me this huggable dog we named Choco last summer.  No reason at all.  ;-)  He just wants to give me a dog to hug as I sleep. To date, I think I have about 5 dogs and a big white teddy bear --- all coming from him.

Pardon the cheese, but he also grabbed this one the moment we stepped in Papemelroti.   We both are fond of dogs, though ironically, neither of us owns one.  Not even a puppy.  He said someday we will.  In the meantime, this brown pooch is him, and the one white is me.  ;-)

I took the 5 love languages test, and it revealed what I had known all along:  my love languages are receiving gifts and quality time.  Good thing I have a beloved who pampers me with small and big surprises every now and then  ;-)

I am just so glad that even when I was still single, my cell group leader from church taught us the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  That best-selling book went on to sell millions of copies, and has been rewritten to fit different kinds of reader.  So now there's 5 Love Languages for Teenagers, for Singles, for Married People, for Men, for Children, and most recently, an edition that lets you discover your apology language.  About two years ago I bought myself the original one, The 5 Love Languages paperback edition for only Php 400.  That book has been read by a couple of friends and officemates who responded positively when I told them about it. Many of the principles from that book still ring true today.  I am so glad Mr. Chapman expanded it such that we now have The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, God Speaks Your Love Language, The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, The Family You’ve Always Wanted, How to Really Love Your Adult Child, and a couple of other relationship-related books which I would want to have in my personal collection.

If you don't know your or your partner's love language, or if you want to further improve your relationship with anybody (not just your fiance), I have four practical suggestions:
1.)  Take the love language test.  It's really very simple.  Click here.  No cheating please.  Let your partner also take it separately.  Then discuss the results.  Affirm and confirm. 
2.)  Immediately apply what you have learned about yourself and your partner from the test.  Please be deliberate and intentional as possible.  And the best time to do it is NOW.
3.)  Check out your local bookstore.  Start with National Bookstore or OMF Literature, Inc.  Or visit the Christian bookstores nearest your place.  Or go online via Amazon or other reliable online sellers.  Buy yourself a copy of Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages in the edition of your preference (Original edition, Edition for Teenagers, for Singles, for Men, etc.)
4.)  Are you a frequent blog reader?  Then add The Five Love Languages Blog to your blogroll.  

All images of the books were taken from the Five Love Languages Official Website.  The rest have been taken by me.