welcome to the family

dear april, welcome to our family!

yesterday, august 29, marked the beginning of my kuya's family life. on days like this, ihinahihiya ko ang pagiging iyakin ko.

it was a very intimate event. we felt blessed with the presence of around 55 guests who were also happy to witness the union of 2 lives and souls. during the ceremony, i was the lector and one of the witnesses. 'di ko malaman kung anong espiritu ang sumapi sakin at naiyak ako sa second reading! grabe nakakahiya ang ginawa ko. the guests and the priest were all bewildered (and shocked, probably) why my voice croaked like crazy while reading. ewan. i was moved deeply by the reading. i felt it is the very manual of how a married couple (and every human being too) should live and love - then the world will become a paradise.

come signing of the contract, father pointed his finger to where i should sign. i clearly saw the spot on the paper. ewan ulit kung anong espiritu na naman ang sumapi at ibang spot ang pinirmahan ko. nairita ata si father. "ayayay! i said here!" hahaha sorry! wag init ulo, father.

i loved the reception. everybody loved the food and they had a very simple program courtesy of donna, pam, nerie. at the start of the program, the guests showered the couple with confetti made out of ehem, ikea napkins. hahaha! it was a last minute effort to prepare the confetti. mama, erwin, erika, and i manually cut these paper towels into tiny bits para may maisaboy sa couple at the grand entrance. i love it!

sa wedding toast, syempre gumawa na naman ako ng eksena... susme kinahihiya ko na talagang iyakin ako. i haven't even started yet, umiiyak na ako! ano ba yan. pero i felt i said what i had to say, i affirmed them both for being wonderful persons individually and i wish, the same way as every guest does, that the union will last forever. i am very happy that april came to grace kuya's life. i know he lived in a dark spot once in his life, and now he is vibrant and alive again. i am also an expecting auntie! yahoo!

some more pics:

i love the makeup artist, noel! he's so chika and fun to be with! he is not just a makeup artist but an instant wedding coordinator na rin. i feel it's not all about the money for him because he feels the same way that this must be a grand event and he's so concerned about everything. after the reception he even stayed at the hotel for a few hours to entertain us! susme. i just love him!

this is my sister-in-law, april, with my other soon-to-be-sister-in-law, erika. now, i have 2 sisters!

trivia: april's gown was rented from a boutique here in singapore. people here are shocked to learn that in the philippines, we buy wedding gowns and suits. apparently, the trend here is just to get a package that consists of photo and video coverage, rentals of gowns and suits, bridal car, and others. isn't it practical? i like the concept.

oh, april's bolero was hand-sewn by her mom. i like it!

while waiting for the bride and groom.

here are the girls! the 2 purple gowns were bought from a boutique here. perfect fit except for the length. mama and tita's gowns sort of matched too. they bought it from manila. in the end, everything looked kind of coordinated.

i think and feel it was a perfect wedding :)