still waiting for venue confirmation

We just really want to get this part over with.
We want to pay our venue's down payment already so we could start concentrating on our US wedding preps.

And we're worried that the more the days drag by the more our chances of getting the Bridal Fair promo rate is getting slim. I wish they'll consider the date that we confirmed and reserve our date (though only pen-booked) as the official reservation date and not the date when they receive our payment. Because the way the things are going we might not be able to send our payment til first week of February since it's Thursday (January 27) now in the Philippines and the promo ends this January and we still haven't received any confirmation email and payment details from them yet.

*sigh*

P.S.
We're getting the worry-free package.
H2B insists on it. I'm 50-50 between worry-free
and all-in

we have a date!

US wedding : May 19,  (we decided against september)
Philippines wedding: January 19, (the closest date to a US holiday/long weekend)

church - pen booked!

finally got to talk to someone (R) from N! yey!
so we're now pen-booked on january 19

Is our venue really slow?

i've been emailing them asking about additional fees for non-credited suppliers and asking them how to go about paying for the reservation, still no reply...

then last night i decided to just call them... i talked to an AE on the phone... i asked if our date is available and he said it is!

good.

and then he said he'll email me some packages and he'll highlight the items that he thinks is more appropriate to me.... i said awesome!

i waited for a few hours..

then finally i got the email....... what he sent me are things that i already know from my previous correspondence with  Ms. AE so I immediately sent C an email telling him that we would like to reserve B on January 19 ,  for 100 pax and that we also would like to book the church

That's another problem I have. I emailed N to ask if January 19 is available and they said yes and they requested that I call them. I called them but I kept getting "the phone number you're calling is outside he coverage area".... sheesh!

so i don't know.... i'll try and call them again tonight...

Anyway, back to our venue, I'm still waiting for them to reply. I need to know how we can pay the downpayment and I am so so so anxious to book the date officially because I don't want to lose that date! We chose that date  because that's the closest Saturday to a US holiday (Martin Luther's) and we want that so that guests from the US don't have to waste too many time offs if they want to attend our Philippines wedding. But fine, I'll wait. I'll wait for a few days and if they didnt reply after that time then i'll start bugging them again..... Hopefully, I  can restrain myself from calling them every day.

inhale...exhale...

FG it is!

H2B is really loving our venue... he's been showing our venue's website and photos to his friends and relatives already! and the gondola is just the selling point for him! lol ...he said it's really unique..... he also fell inlove with the church too.....

here's their website: <removed for security reason>
he wants to book the worry-free package....he said he liked the idea of just writing a check once and that's it....

i kinda like just the all-in.... because i want to choose my own photographer, videographer and OTD....and i dont think i like a bar in my wedding.... i dont want drunk guests, lol

i already contacted our venue asking them if our date is available and how we can go about reserving the place officially... they haven't reply yet! they're making me nervous!

this is a practice of patience, lol


p.s.
it's challenging to be an overseas bride
and planning 2 weddings

wedding by the sea - Cape May

if we're pushing through with the cape may venue here's what it will cost:

  $200 - chairs ($4 x 50 pax)
  $100 - arbor
  $200 - 4 wedding feather banner (i thought two is fine but bob wants 4 feather banner)
----------
 $500

all from: http://www.weddings-bythesea.com/

Ceremony Locations: Sunset Pavilion, Beach (Provide Cross-Street Name), Dune Walk / Deck, Bandstand Gazebo, Kiwanis Park Gazebo, Lighthouse area, Harbor View Park Pavilion, Hotel, Other.





and for the legal stuff:

Licensing – State law requires that all who marry in NJ must have a marriage license issued in NJ. A 72 hour mandatory waiting period applies. Call the Registrar of Vital Statistics, Mon-Fri, Noon -4PM at 609-884-9599.
 

Contact the Cape May Registrar at the city clerk's office (609) 884-9599 for a marriage license appointment. Appointments are Monday through Friday, between noon and 3 PM.

Once you apply for a license, there's a 72 hour waiting period before the license is issued - so don't `wait until the last minute! You can apply for the marriage license within six months of your wedding date.

Permits – Scheduling with City Hall is necessary for use of public facilities. A $25 administrative fee and official beach rules apply. E-mail to weddings@capemaycity.com.

   Start your wedding plans by contacting Terry Stickle, the city's wedding coordinator, at (609) 884-9580. Terry will help you reserve your beach wedding location.

so that's additonal:

  $25 - for use of public sites if there are over 20 guests
  $25 - administration fee

------
$50

and for the reception we're looking at $90/pax....so that's another $4,500

TOTALS:

$   500 - ceremony rentals
$    50 - legal fees
$4,500 - reception
-----------
$5,050

plus:

$  150 - wedding dress

$  200 - bridesmaid dress (4 ladies, i found some cheap ones online, hurray)
$   ?    - photographer
$   ?    - videographer
$   ?    - save-the-date (this is my DIY project)
$   ?    - invitations (might be a DIY project)
$   ?    - souvenirs (head massager from kikkerland)

i need to look for cheaper caterer.....and cheap photo/video..... i really want to pull off a $5K beach wedding..... i can't believe we'll be spending that much for a very simple wedding when in the Philippines for that same amount that will cover all the expenses for a very good wedding already!


anyway, we're thinking of going to cape may this weekend and check the suppliers and look for ceremony venue.... i want the sunset view but the lighthouse view is cool too....

H2B got excited over our wedding venue

I showed the h2b a video of a couple who has gotten married on the same venue that I'm proposing we get.  It was this video:

<hidden>


He got all excited when he saw the gondola.

Then I showed him our venue's  website, our venue's photo gallery and showed him more gondola photos and all the more he got excited! He can't wait to show it to his family & friends.

The price is not as cheap as he thought it would be but when he realized for that same amount that our venue's asking we can never have that same very nice wedding here. And he loves the gondola as much as I do (it reminded him of our gondola ride in Venice). So now he's all for it. We just need to decide on the dates and to figure out how we're going to pay the downpayment since we're both in the U.S.

Note to self: Call BPI New York and inquire about opening a checking account.

Tip from someone who got married in the Philippines to a foreigner husband

I suggest tagawan mo yung church kung san kayo ikakasal (or ask someone sa pinas). Baka may iba pang requirement for your husband kasi di sya catholic. I think he needs to undergo basic cathechism. Is he willing to be catholic?

Bring you marriage contract pag-uwi nyo for the church. Para di nakayo kumuha pa ng marriage license sa pinas, legal capacity from US embassy etc. (Essentially, skip nyo na yung civil requirements).

But I think it still better to call the church sa pinas para makuha mo lahat requirement. Sa barasoain church kami kinasal, we presented our marriage contract (certified by philippine embassy - check phil embassy website for requirement), and baptismal cert & confirmation cert (certified as issued "for marriage purposes"). And we still have to do the pre-cana, meeting with the priest etc.

Wedding insurance

i think i want wedding insurance...
both here and the philippines..

i saw one..its $500 for $35,000

wedsafe.com

i wonder if that's for real...

Church Wedding Requirements Checklist

Diocese of Paranaque

I. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1.Baptismal Certificate issued within 6 months of wedding date and with notation “for marriage”

2.Confirmation Certificate issued within 6 months of wedding date and with notation “FOR MARRIAGE”

3.Birth Certificate (NSO copy)

4.Marriage License
OR Civil Marriage Certificate (if civilly married)
OR Affidavit of Marriage Between a Man and a Woman who Have Lived Together for at Least Five
Years from the City Hall
5. CENOMAR



II. REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGNERS - do we still need this if we're already married civilly in the U.S?
1.Certification of Free Status to Marry from the embassy of country of origin.
2.Certificate of Freedom to Marry from parish priest, pastor or religious leader
OR Marriage Banns to be issued by the parish/es abroad where he/she has lived for 6 months or more
prior to the wedding
3.Photocopy of pages 1 & 2 of passport
4.Endorsement from the Japanese Chaplain, if he/she is a Japanese citizen
5.Clearance from the Chancery



III. REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-CATHOLICS
1.Baptismal certificate or certificate of religious affiliation
2.Certificate of freedom to marry from pastor or religious leader. In case there is no religious affiliation, Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) from the NSO
3.Petition for Permission for the celebration of Mixed Marriage or Petition for the Decree of Dispensation from the Impediment of Disparity of Cult signed by contracting parties and endorsed by parish priest
4.Permission for Mixed Marriage or Decree of Dispensation from Disparity of Cult issued by the Chancery



IV. PARISH REQUIREMENTS - can we do this here?
1. Canonical Interview Date: Priest: ____________
2. Publication of marriage banns for 3 consecutive Sundays ­__________ __________ __________
and Permission from own Parish
3. Marriage Preparation Program
A. Pre-Cana B. Catechism C. Natural Family Planning
4. Sacrament of Confession (a week before the wedding date)
5. Officiating Priest: ____________________________
Appointment: ___________________
Authorization No.: ____________________________
Valid Until: ____________________
If the Officiating Priest is not from the Diocese of Parañaque, a photocopy of his Authority to
Solemnize Marriage and celebret should be submitted.

V. Other Requirements
List of Sponsors
Wedding Fee OR #


wow!

that's a lot!

I wonder if we still need those Pre-Cana & Catechism. H2b is not Catholic and converting to Catholic is not our option right now.

photo credits: http://adichbanks.multiply.com/

we "kinda" have a date and the reason behind the dates

"kinda" because we just have the month and year.

so it's going to be sept for the US wedding.
jan for the Philippines wedding.

it would be a very long engagement but we have to consider a lot of constraints and parameters like:

1. we prefer that the US wedding would be after my apartment lease ends. (dec 2011)
2. since i want a beach wedding it should be around summer time but august is too hot ...
3. the US wedding has to precede the Philippines wedding so it would be lesser documents and lesser hassle on applying for wedding license in the Philippines
4. we prefer january for the Philippines wedding because that's one of the colder months...we don't want december because it's a holiday season, people would be really busy and the airfare sky rockets!
5. we prefer a date closest to a long weekend for our guest coming from the U.S. (martin luther king)

on passport invitation

i know i said i dont want to use that since my couple friends did that already but i'm thinking i wont be using that here in the U.S. (and they did) & i found a different design so maybe i can use that for our philippines invitation...

here's the link:

http://www.beachwedlockinvitations.com/purple-passport-invitations-tropical-hibiscusbrsale-18390-p-1003.html

http://www.beachwedlockinvitations.com/passport_invitation_options.html

yes, still shaving the yak...

travel theme

yeah, travel wedding theme...

i mean it makes sense, right? i'm a professional vagabond (just like how h2b calls me, lol)... i used to own a travel agency....we both love to travel.... we've been traveling a lot together....and he proposed while we're traveling...

so yeah....final answer, it would be a travel wedding theme.... i think some call it destination theme...but whatever they sound the same to me...


so the idea is (not plan..we still need to put our heads together on this):

DIY postcard for STD (save the date, ok, what the heck do you think it is, lol)
DIY boarding pass invitation for the U.S. wedding
passport invitation for the Philippines wedding.

there....

ok, back to work

on DIY boarding pass invitation

oh yeah..

i found a DIY invitation and it would cost us $28 plus the cost of print & the cost of paper...

awesome!

on boarding pass invitation

this is cute too...

i'm thinking of having this for the U.S. wedding invitation.

still shaving the yak

A. C. on Jan 11, 2011 11:10 PM

i want a travel themed wedding invitation and wedding favors for our philippines wedding...

i remember a friend of mine telling me about her friend having a postcard type of wedding invitations...hmm...that's a thought....

a couple friend of mine had a passport type wedding invitation....i actually really really like it but i can't use that idea anymore.... i don't want them to think i don't have originality....

i better go to bed....

p.s.
the snow is pretty pretty pretty! i wish my bed is right next to the window...

shaving the yak

i keep telling myself that i should just focus on the more important stuff (read: venue, food, photographer)...but here i am getting excited about the wedding favors *shakes head*..

but what the heck, i really want to do some DIY stuff so once the storm leaves i'm going to a.c. moore or michael's to check prices for beach theme wedding favors...

i'll be getting ideas from these sites:

http://www.americanbridal.com/beach-weddings.html
http://www.myweddingfavors.com/beach-favors.html

and my budget shouldn't exceed $100 for wedding favors for 60 pax (50 + 10 extra)

on wedding budget

i'm getting worried about the budget...

as some of you already know we're planning two weddings, here in the U.S. and the philipipnes...

i want the wedding here to be as simple and cheap as possible since we just have very few guests in the U.S but i want my wedding in the philippines to be my dream wedding (we'll need $xx,000 - xx,000 for that).....im hoping to be able to pull off a US wedding for $x,000-$x,000, if i have to do a lot of DIY stuff so be it.... it might be impossible but i want to crunch some numbers first before i give up on that idea.... if it's really impossible, well, las vegas here we come! LOL

i am a techno bride

just read this: http://www.weddingsatwork.com/index.php/the-ultimate-techno-bride/


duh.

of course i am a technobride... i have blogs all over the place so of course i'll have a wedsite, lol

oh, and did i tell you i'm a software engineer? so of course i'm a techno bride, lol

FG , maybe?

FG .com, might be our first philippines' supplier...

a friend of mine (hi chonz!) suggested FG when i asked about the other venue on one of my tweets and after a week of procrastinating i finally emailed them and asked for their rates..... i fell inlove with their gondola! and i kinda like what i'm seeing, rate-wise.... i just need to look at the price in its US $ equivalent and not the peso equivalent so i won't pass out, lol... actually, compared here in the U.S..the price is actually  still cheaper.... i heard people talk about $50,00+ for a U.S. wedding but i still need to see if that's true.... i may need to start researching about how much an average U.S. wedding costs and how much a very simple beach wedding would cost....

motif is peach with yellow

Peach has always been my favorite color that's why my motif should have peach.
So why with yellow?

Once upon a time I chanced upon a Philippine wedding photo in I think it was Photonski that has peach and yellow as motif. It was so cute! I'm still desperately looking for that photo. I should have saved  that photo *sigh*

So yeah, peach and yellow.


And I want my entourage to have a grecian-like gown... like the one in the picture

looking for beach wedding gown

i dont want an expensive beach wedding gown because i want the US wedding to be as simple as possible...

but i have seen a few so far (see pic insert)..

i know it's funny...im not even sure if i'll lose weight in time for my wedding to be able to wear something like that, lol...

actually, there are a few more dresses that i found....i'll put them in our Photo Gallery - Wedding Dress Hunting

deciding on a date

the first thing we had to decide on is what date... if we want our friends in the U.S. and h2b's relatives (who are all in the U.S.) to be able to attend our wedding in the Philippines, we have to be smart about the date...a date that coincides with a US holiday (read: long weekend) is what we're aiming for....we also don't want our church wedding to be during the rainy season nor the summer season....

with this, we have decided it would be in January 2013....January 19 because it would be Martin Luther King is on Jan 21st, therefore, a long weekend....

it would be 2 years from now so we have paid most of the major suppliers already and have saved enough money for honeymoon (we're thinking el nido)....

so there...it's been decided....

now, for the civil wedding, it won't be until next year, 2012.....why? well, i just renewed my apartment last month (december 2010) and i'll have to pay the whole year still whether or not i stay for the whole 2011 in that apartment....i would love a spring wedding though.... and would love, love, love a wedding by the beach...

wedsite creation

..i'm actually not sure how i ended up creating this wedsite...what i remember doing was i was browsing thru some files and links at this bride/groom-to-be's yahoogroup and then voila i just found myself comparing weddingannouncer (too common), theknot (don't like the available designs) and mywedding.com...... we chose mywedding.com to be the official wedsite that would contain all the official announcements....we'll just use this blogspot site for journaling the preps...
..
we're trying not to get  too overwhelmed by all these preparations so we'll do one baby step at a time....