The fiancee and I agreed to get married as early as last year. He thought 2020 was an auspicious year and we chose a date that was memorable. Looking through the calendar, we decided on June 20, 2020 as it fell on a Saturday and February 20, 2020 felt too soon after Christmas. We always did well on the first half of year so we felt that June was appropriate, planning and finance wise.
In the Philippines, there is such a thing as “pamamanhikan”. It is when the future groom’s family goes to the house of the future bride to ask for her hand in marriage by talking with her parents. They bring the food and they agree on the wedding date and details and such. The fiancee did that during my birthday last year to save on cost. Haha! I mean, it was a practical idea, after all. Hitting two birds with one stone, basically. While we already had a date in mind, my mom was a bit hesitant to agree as my brother was supposed to go on a month-long trip within that time period.
Anyway, wedding planning began by January. Since I am a procrastinator, I didn’t book a lot. I only secured the photographer and videographer to ensure we had their services as June 20 was apparently a popular date. We already had a wedding venue prior, the caterer we already talked with, along with the flowers and on the day coordinator. I decided to do most of the legwork because I thought they were doable. My save the date was done through http://www.greetingsisland.com for free and I only gave it through the web, no printing necessary. I also got my wedding invitation template from there. I was trying to save wherever I could because I felt that getting married was expensive. I wanted to celebrate the ceremony but I also didn’t want to break the bank. I was balancing the delicate task of a having memorable wedding versus spending unnecessarily. Also, since a Philippine marriage license is valid for 4 months, I decided to wait until April to process the documents. My wedding dress was already agreed upon, with a friend helping me out. I actually had ironed out most of the details, with few items to be completed. I considered it all somewhat ready for execution, given the time frame.
Then COVID-19 broke out. We were so occupied with the quarantine, closure of business and work from home that we never really discussed whether our wedding would push through. Then early this month, we talked and decided to go ahead with it since we already had the wedding rings. We were going to do it, probably at the same venue, with a very pared down guest list. I am looking at about 25-30 people present. We had already chosen a sunrise service so we are going to do it the same way. I haven’t fully made a wedding plan 2.0 but I am already thinking of it. My main concern is the wedding dress because I don’t think I can find someone who can make it in two weeks. So I am hoping to find a bridal salon that will open so I can rent one asap.
This new wedding plan is actually making me very happy. I have always wanted an intimate ceremony with very few of my loved ones and somehow it is working out that way. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money just to please a lot of people. I wanted a small, romantic wedding with the nearest and dearest to us. True, my sister and her family will be unable to come home from overseas but other than that, it’s all good.
Will update you soon. Wish me luck! = )
Mole on my Foot 