M + I Wedding Repertoire

Mr M with my good friends A and C at the videoke session on my 2008 advance birthday celebration

Besides Nihongo, Japanese food, coffee, techno-gadgets, photography, and reading, music is one more thing in common between Mr. M and I.  I can't work without turning on the radio or playing my favorites from iTunes.  My Sweetheart constantly has his MP3 player with him.  I have to concede, though, that when it comes to singing, M is way up there in that category.  He used to be a member of his former church's choir, and sometimes sings solo also;  I stopped singing for our high school's choir after our graduation.  He is so used to performing in his school's affairs, whether by his lonesome or by group;  I never sang by myself in public.  Oh, and let's not forget the contrasts in musical tastes.  My hubby-to-be likes Christian rap / alternative and rock music, while I listen all the time to classics like Bee Gees, Beatles, Rod Stewart (American Songbook collection), Michael Buble, and a couple of OPM hits.  My dear fiance would oftentimes attempt to get me listening to his song choices, and after a few seconds of humming with the singer, I would return the earphones to him :-P  I guess it is this category where we'll find both similarity and difference.

And this makes it all the more headache-inducing for me to choose the songs for our wedding.  Aarrgghhh!!!!!

The song choices for the prenup video and SDE keeps on changing in my mind, and to think I only need to give two choices!  Two?  Previously, I wanted Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, but then I just don't like the word 'lucky' as it connotes some form of superstition.  A couple of weeks ago as I was doing my work and listening to music, I heard Seasons of Love by Shiny Toy Guns being played, which I instantly liked for its falsetto singer.  Then I heard Marry Me by Train, and I was blown away by the mood and simplicity by which it was sang.  I am also seriously considering Simple Things by Jim Brickman even if it's a bit outdated already by the time we have our wedding.  To make things a bit complicated, my boyfriend, who has been influencing me to listen to rock music, suggested Your Love is a Song by Switchfoot out of the blue, which I surprisingly liked.  Yikes, is it really this hard to choose songs?

If the song for the prenup video is already a tough decision to act on, I bet the bridal march is going to be even more challenging.  Think Ikaw, Ngayon at Kailanman, You Changed My Life in a Moment, and the list goes on.  I'm so lost.  There are days when I want those same songs other brides played for their own marches.  I reasoned out that anyway we don't and won't remember each other's wedding marches, and the friend who last got married didn't march to a song because it was a civil wedding.  At other times I want something new, something that only a few have bravely used for their own special day.  And let's not discount the fact that my groom is toying with the idea of singing my bridal march.  I don't know if he'll tear up and sing and cry at the same time, but I know I'd love for him to sing on our big day.  Then again, if we ever say yes to that idea, we'd have to specify whether it'll be for the church or the reception.  Hhhmmm....

Mr. M and I both have left feet, and we're seriously thinking of skipping the first dance and do a couple's first song number instead.  But what song do we sing?  What if my singer of a groom-to-be overshadows and upstages me with his musical prowess?  (Hahaha!)  That won't look good, right?  What if one of us forgets the lyrics?  What if, what if, what if!   How does one fit all of one's choices into a four-hour affair and at the same time create beautiful memories?  How does one not alienate the guests with poor song choices, and yet leave them with good music to remember the night by?  Should it be with or without lyrics?  You see, this whole business of melodies and lyrics can make or break our wedding.  Music reflects the couple's personality, and the more I think about it, the more my head throbs.  Where do I start?

The thing that comforts me is that I know which songs I'd like to hear for the reception.  I have an ever-growing list songs to choose from, ranging from Rod Stewart, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, and so on.  I made a mental list of songs I want with a singer, and the ones I want on strings only.  Definitely on our big day I'd want to hear Kuya Tyrone of TRG to belt out Betcha By Golly Wow by Prince, Staying Alive by the Bee Gees, Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko by VST, Panalangin by Apo Hiking Society, among others.  The rest I'll leave them up to La Bella Voce. Never mind if we don't dance; I absolutely want danceable music for dinner!

Writing this post made me feel giddy and anxious at the same time (see, I'm OC at times).  As I type, I opened youtube.com to listen to the songs I want for our big day.  I'm also reminded of my future sister-in-law's wedding repertoire, which includes a lot of the songs I also want to be played for M and me.  

Ah, musical dilemmas at two hundred and fifty-four days before our big day.  ;-p 

More reception venues in Pasig City

If you've read my previous post about four possible reception venues in Pasig City but still haven't felt the 'it' factor, then let me add some more options within the same city.

Since 2008, we've been holding our Commencement Exercises at the Tanghalang Pasigueño.  I think two seasons ago, Pilipinas Got Talent of ABS-CBN Channel 2 also shot one of its semi-final rounds here. The place is pretty new and well-kept. The ambience is really inviting, and the sound system was perfect.  For Valentine's Day 2009, I brought my mom here to watch Richard Poon sing. 

Tanghalang Pasigueño is a huge events place with a 1,500-seater auditorium named Asemblea Magna.  Thanks to our Mayor Robert 'Bobby' C. Eusebio, who together with his wife Mrs. Maribel Andaya-Eusebio personally designed some areas of the building and conceptualized the furniture and lighting fixtures of the place, we in Pasig now have a venue for big events such as graduations and seminars / conventions. But unknown to many people, this classic and regal structure has many smaller venues within the same building.  It has a 70-seater and a 150-seater airconditioned venues too, depending on the number of your guests.  The lobby itself was also recently transformed to become a wedding reception area, and caterers like Madel's Cuisine have been regulars there.

Here are some magnificent pictures taken at the Tanghalang Pasigueño:

Olivia's Debut

Photo Source:  V Studio

 At the balcony....

 At the balcony again...

 Climbing up the stairs....

 In one of the nooks at the 2nd floor of the building....

 The majestic facade

A different angle at the stairs again...

Wedding Reception at the lobby of Tanghalang Pasigueño 

Catering by Madel's Cuisine

Photo Source:  Madel's Cuisine Multiply Site

 Couple's table

 A view of the guests' tables

 Tables for the principal sponsors

 Another angle

 Actual set-up and event

A view near the couple's table

I asked for a brochure of the Tanghalang Pasigueño rental rates, and have them scanned.  Click the pics to see how much each venue costs.  For as low as Php 4,000 for a 60-pax guest list, to Php 10,000 for 300 guests, Tanghalang Pasigueño just might be the venue for your wedding reception.

For more information, please call 628-0778 or 628-0379.  Look for the very accomodating administrator, Ms. Baby Quillopo.

Up next on my blog:

Pasig Youth Development Center and the Rainforest Park

Reception venue DIY decors

WARNING:  This post will be loaded with lots of pictures.

If money were not an issue, how would you want your reception decors to look like?

Now at 10 months before our planned wedding date, M and I still haven't finalized where our reception will be. All we know is that we want it on the 30th day of August next year, which is also the third and final year of us being boyfriend/girlfriend.  Right now I can only tell you that we want to get married at the Evangelical Church inside the Fort Bonifacio Army Camp.  For the reception, we're considering the nearby Army Officers' Clubhouse which is about 5 minutes away from our church.  Or may be the lovely Atrium of the Enderun Colleges which has garnered quite a number of good reviews for food, venue and service.  If these don't work out, plan B is to do both the ceremony and reception at Light of Love Events Place in Quezon City.  The ceremony will be held at the Integrity or Love function room, then have the reception at the Atrium.  Ah, the options!  And because we haven't finalized the venues yet, I still do not know what to do for my big day as of now.  But thanks to some pictures of our past Junior-Senior promenades, I have some bit of inspirations as the decorations we used for those events were purely DIY projects of the decoration committee.

Here are some snippets:

2008 Juniors' Night @ The Valle Verde Country Clubhouse 

The Valle Verde Country Clubhouse is a bit of an old structure.  But it's really beautiful and elegant.  It's surprisingly affordable too.  When we had our Juniors'Night there in 2008, we paid for set meals at around Php 200 per head.  That rate already includes a generous serving of 3 courses including pasta, rice, dessert, bottomless iced tea and coffee.  They have an in-house caterer so everything was smooth and easy.

For our school's first prom, the decor committee hung drapes in the ceiling, and used sinamay as flower pots and invitations.

It was a bit dark when I took this pic as we my cam is a bit lowtech.  But the lighting effect on the drapes was nice.  The lights and sounds supplier did well too, especially during the dancing part.

Blue and yellow gold touches for the cocktail set-ups

Sinamay decors for the names of the guests, invitations and flower pots.

We just asked the caterers of VVCC to use blue cloths for the tables.

DIY table numbers, invitations and flower pots for guest / students' tables

Nice lights

Another angle

For the backdrop of the stage, the decor committe bought balloons and had them placed on the floor.  They also cut out a silvery material bought from National Bookstore for the lettering of Juniors' Night.  The yellow logo was a cut-out based on their design, while the flowers were styled by one of the decor committee members.

Lobby area of VVCC

2009 JS Prom @ The Glass Garden

The Glass Garden is a popular events venue in Santolan, Pasig.  It really lives up to its name.  From top to bottom it is enclosed in glass.  But you get the garden feel too, minus the worries about rain.  The strengths of this venue are: beauty of the place, ample parking, super cool airconditioning, and nice staff.  What I just didn't like is the price.  It charges a hefty Php 80,000 for 5 hours of use.  Additional Php 5,000 will charged to your account for every hour extended.

Because we had such a humongous venue, the decor committee had to work double time to beautify the place.  Here's how it turned out:

White / silvery drapes for the ceiling

White Japanese lanterns bought at Divisoria....

The gold circles were DIY.  The teachers cut out big circles, then covered them in gold glitters.

All flower arrangements were DIY.  The teachers sprayed blue food colors and paints on white mums, that's why we had blue flowers for that night.  Amazing!

DIY flower styling and drapes on the tables

See the blue-green flowers on the stairs? They were just sprayed on.  Blue fabric on stairs were DIY too.

Beautiful!

I just can't get enough of the ceiling decors!

Nice ceiling decors!  I love them!

Close up shot of the flowers that were styled and colored/sprayed with blue and green food colors by the teachers.

2010 JS Prom @ The Pasig Sports Arena

In 2010, we held our JS Prom at the basketball court right beside our City Hall.  Yes, you read it right:  a big. big basketball court.  We just covered the basketball rings with bronze and gold fabrics, then laid out carpets on the floors.  With simple but carefully-planned designs, it was like being transported to the function hall of a hotel.  Thanks to our decor team, the event was memorable because the students and even teachers were taking photos of the venue.  I myself couldn't resist taking shots!  Here they are:

Stage as styled by the teachers.  The balls on the floor were made by sinamay.  Gold and white / cream fabrics from Divisoria.  Tarpaulin for the backdrop. 

Bronze and light gold fabrics on the walls.....who would even think this was a basketball court?

Sinamay balls for the ceiling decors.  Remember them from last year?

A different shot of one of the walls of the place....

Lighting effect on the sinamay balls....

Stage

Loose twigs from Divisoria

2011 JS Prom @ Silver City

Silver City is a few steps away from Tiendesitas.  It's actually a strip of a building (is it a mall?), and is located at the corner of Julia Vargas and C5.  It's a huge, huge place, but because there are curtains all over, you have no view of what's outside.  It costs Php 80,000 to rent it for 5 hours, but it's also negotiable.  What we did to cut costs is to source out everything else.  For the 2011 prom, we had a Hollywood theme.  The stairs leading to the Silver City hall were decked with stars bearing the teachers' names!  The decor team did a great job copying what the original ones looked like in California.  Too bad, I didn't get to take a photo of that one.  But here are some snippets:

Mock table set-up by the caterer

Black and gold color scheme for a movie star / Hollywood-themed party

Film reels and stars, including letterings, were DIY from paper, cardboards and other materials from Divisoria and National Bookstore

Actual set up

White Japanese lanterns at the ceiling....

Tarpaulin backdrop

Table set up again

Close up shot

Students' table set-up

A view from my table

The lobby --- which served as a nook for the 'photobooth'

Hay.

I wonder how my own reception party venue will look like  :-)