♥ ✿Grand Entrance for Baby Charlie✿♥

How long has it been since I last posted? And where do I even start to tell you what I’ve been through and how I’ve felt, where I am right now? I just have to say — women who give birth, period, are awesome. Mad respect! Giving birth itself is empowering. Because you’re doing something that your body was designed to do: Create another human being, have it living inside you for nine months+, and have it come out with 10 fingers and 10 toes, that in itself is a miracle.

But first a little back story, we checked-in the hospital when my water broke 20th July. It was the longest 28 hours of waiting for our baby to come out. Thank heavens to the wonders of epidural, I run-of-the-mill the throes of heavy labor, vomiting, cramps and pushing almost close to losing all your energy. Lo and behold, 0853 am of 21st July, Charlize Fhoenix ‘Baby Charlie’ came out naturally (she was 1 week early from my due date). It’s a feeling like no other — and no mother would trade it for the whole world! My husband and I were all set for picture taking as planned (winks!) and the longest skin-to-skin (it’s the first time the mother, happily lays her eyes on her newborn, holds her baby and feels the warmth of her baby’s embrace, those dainty little hands latched on to her while their hearts beat in perfect rhythm as one) but NOT! I heard a staff saying, chorioamnionitis! My baby girl was cyanotic and grunting too thus NICU team has to take her away from me few minutes after they put her into my chest.

To cut it short, my baby developed RDS that she was placed on oxygen support through a ventilator for 4 hours then wean off to NCPAP. She was also started on antibiotics since I had fever during labor. It’s both a blessing and curse though to be in the medical field (NICU Nurse in my case) and yet I am left with my legs both numb from anesthesia when all I wanted is to be with my little chipmunk (insert I was literally crying a river!). I have to make a conscious effort to keep my head above water lest I get overwhelmed and drown. Through all the uncertainty, we have wonderful friends and family when all seemed pitch dark, there was always that feeling that it would only be a matter of time until the light shone on us again. It is a knowing you get in the gut even if you see no neon signs. I think it is this great thing simply called faith. I say that not to be dramatic, but true enough, next day she was out of oxygen support, all pink and very active as if nothing happened. Well, she is really her mother’s daughter, she wanted a grand entrance indeed! Lol!

Today, I am a little over a week being a Nanay/ Mommy. It feels like having little hands finding their way into my heart, wrapping it with a pink warmth that is as comforting as warm milk with honey. There is a quietness about motherhood that is soothing; a kind of purposeful peace that makes you respect the rhythms of your life and days. John Stuart Mill once said, "You will inhale happiness with the air you breathe, without dwelling on it or thinking about it." The same could be easily said of the blessing that is a child.

♥And They Lived Happily Ever After♥ -Book 1 & 2-

Book 1: My ex-fiance-now-husband and I are still overwhelmed. Allow us to share with you the ‘moment of moments’: a moment we both have hoped for and dreamed of, a moment both our parents have prayed for all these years, a moment that God from all of eternity has worked for. Our love story that has spanned several major cities in the world and that has led our grand day branded ‘Journey to Forever.’ It was exactly the way we wanted it, 'light, fun and relatively private and intimate, festive and full of our families’ and friends’ love and laughter.’ We will forever be grateful indeed to have had the wedding that we have always envisioned. Thank you mucho-mucho to our family, friends, Luis and all our suppliers who all did more than expected of them. PS: Out of the 8k+ pics, I think I have given enough justice downsizing it. Book 1 is all about the creative materials and wedding details. We wanted everything to be personalized and well thought out, like a real family gathering where everyone will have fun.◕‿◕ Click the link for the photos: https://www.facebook.com/ahriss/media_set?set=a.10208049963476297.1515461193&type=3

Book 2 is all about the wedding proper and reception. Our love was sealed in Stella Maris Chapel – perched on top of a hill, gleaming with its grandiose architecture and solemnity, with a 360-degree view of the ocean and the islands. With the sunset in the background, enjoy the reception set against a majestic backdrop that is the Mount Mayon with the rhythmic sound of the waves caressing the shore. Flowers filled the venue, all looking freshly gathered from a nearby pasture. The Entourage were in long, flowing dresses in shades of purple motif, while the men sported a relaxed look in crisp, barong and black slacks or white top (gusot-mayaman) and khakis. The guests were requested to come in floral attire. The celebrant, Rev. Fr. Francis 'Kuya Ching' Zurbano, was heaven sent. He drove all the way from Laguna to Bicol and gave the most personal homily just for us and with his special blessings for all. The best advice we got was from our ninongs/ninangs, ‘Keep Christ at the center of your relationship.' To capped the night off was a fireworks display. This fairytale romance is destined for a forever happy ending indeed.◕‿◕ Click the link for the photos: https://www.facebook.com/ahriss/media_set?set=a.10208052288574423.1515461193&type=3 I get overwhelmed

The Entourage

The Entourage (änt-u-’razh) pretty much gives away the content of the movie, whether entourage as people (gang or barkada), wedding participants or surroundings. I dare say, they are our support group, our A-team, our wedding day front line. If you were chosen to be part of it, read on and find out what is ideally expected from you. (I have enumerated them according to processional sequence):

Best Man. The Best Man is the chief male assistant to the groom during the wedding. Like the Maid of Honor, this role is generally given to someone close to a groom, such as his brother or his closest male friend. The Best Man is responsible in organizing a Bachelor or Stag Party for the groom. He assists the groom on the wedding day, ensuring that the groom gets to the wedding on time. The Best Man acts as a legal witness to the marriage. He gives a speech at the wedding reception, and offers the first toast to the Bride and Groom.

Groomsman. A groomsman attends to the needs of the groom during the preparation and the wedding ceremony. He is also in charge of running errands for the groom. The groomsman helps in ushering guests to their seats before the ceremony, and escorting the bridesmaids down the aisle during the ceremony and reception. Primary Sponsors A typical Filipino Wedding has a long list of “ninongs” and “ninangs”, or Godparents. Ninongs and Ninangs stand as principal sponsors and witnesses in the ceremony. They are expected to provide guidance and counsel to the couple during their married life.

Bridesmaid. The bridesmaid attends to the bride during the preparation and the wedding itself. If the bride has any task or errand, the bridesmaid makes sure it gets done. A bridesmaid is often a close friend or sister, and often there is more than one bridesmaid.

Maid of Honor (Matron of Honor if married). The Maid of Honor is the primary attendant with the most honors and duties of the bridal party, and is considered the equivalent of the groom’s best man. She is usually the bride’s sister, cousin or closest friend. The Maid of Honor plans and hosts the bridal shower and bachelorette party. She assists the bride with her dress and make-up, and arranges her veil and train before, during and after the ceremony. The maid of honor holds the bride’s bouquet during the exchanging of wedding rings and witnesses the signing of the marriage. Secondary Sponsors. Composed of 3 pairs: the Candle Sponsors to light up the wedding candles during the ceremony; the Veil Sponsors to drape and pin the veil on the groom’s shoulder and over the bride’s head; and the Cord Sponsors to tie the cord around the shoulder-area of the bride and groom.

Ring Bearer. A young boy not usually more than 8 years old. The ring bearer walks down the aisle carrying a satin pilow that contains a pair of wedding rings. Coin Bearer. A young boy who usually marches next to the ring bearer. The coin bearer carries the arrhae, or 13 coins, which represents groom’s pledge of his dedication to the welfare of his wife and future children. Bible Bearer. An optional member of the bridal entourage but is becoming ever more popular nowadays. Usually a young boy or an adult that hold the Bible as a symbol of the Couple's Faith. Flower Girls. A young girl not usually more than 8 years old. Her primary role is to carry a small basket full of flowers and drop the flower petals as she walks down the aisle.

There’s no rule book stating how many pairs of sponsors a couple can get or how many flower girls they can have. The roles and responsibilities mentioned on this article are ideal but in reality, it may vary depending on the willingness of the people involved to perform other people’s tasks. So chill, you have no choice anyway!lol.ツ

RSVP

I cannot stress this enough, do not forget to RSVP, particularly for my wedding. ツ Whenever an invitation is sent out, the words "RSVP" usually printed at the bottom of the invitation cards. It means that you have to call up the host to tell him or her that you are attending the affair. If you do not call up, that means that you are not going. The very purpose behind RSVP to give the host an idea of how many plates of food he must order, of how many bottles of wine and champagne he must prepare, of how much budget he must raise. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who do not give a hoot to RSVP. They simply show up, or do not show up at all, without responding beforehand, pity the poor host! Next time you receive an invitation, look at the words RSVP. Then, take a little time to decide whether to pick up the phone or not to make any call at all. And then, put yourself in place of the host. If you yourself were hosting the affair, would you not want to know how many people would be attending -- so that you could prepare the name-tags, put the proper order to the caterer, and do everything necessary with the minimum waste. Remember, the best attitude is gratitiude! That said, our wedding invitation shall be ready at your door-step by next month.♥

Wedding Jitters

Dip into the marital pool unprepared and you’ll probably end up drowning in catering details, floral billing requirements, church booking issues, invite printing problems, making follow ups for fittings, not to mention arranging for the transportation and accommodation for the local and out of town guests? Whew! These days every wedding comes with a price. And for those unwilling to go with the wedding-organizer flow, the price can be as high as a failed marriage.

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But approach any bride in the middle of wedding preparations and, instead of the glowing blushing wife-to-be you’re expecting to find, you will be met with bridezilla. There’s the panic-at-the-last-minute kind (a.k.a. the runaway bride), there’s the everything’s-got-to-be-perfect-down-to-the-bridesmaids-nail-polish type (a.k.a. OC bitch) and then there’s the weep-at-the-tiniest-detail bride (a.k.a. the high-strung hag). Wedding jitters/ cold feet? Oh sure, it is not all just happy times, there are hills and valleys, many good days and some bad. In the flurry of things, we’re just grateful that we're more aware now that we are sort of we’re a team now, going through all the preparations and into the succeeding marriage. We sort of have to sacrifice our independence a little more and put in a lot more compromise. Because I’m very independent so for me that’s something that it’s a little hard to carry off, sometimes he is like, ‘Let me handle it, let me help you,’ and then I’m like, ‘Oh right, we’re a team now.’ It’s important that we’re strong together and we have that foundation. Open your minds and find the middle ground.

The most important part of the wedding process? RELAX, five bold letters that together make a world of difference. A little each time, go with the flow as situations unfold. It is with grace that I’d like to think comes from the heaven above.

Dress Code

Dressing for a wedding is a tricky affair. You want to look fabulous and effortlessly glamorous without heading into OTT territory (over the top = upstaging the bride/ groom). In our case, beach setting calls for dresses that are easy to maneuver around in.

I love anything in the purple family while most young girls pick for pink or red as their favorite color. So naturally I was ecstatic for my wedding motif. Initially, it was hard to swing as my Mum and sponsors kept nagging me that purple is the color of mourning for the Chinese. But it’s my wedding anyway, it will be purple reined indeed.

For the Entourage (Ladies) Principal sponsors - Magenta; Secondary sponsor - Violet; Matrons of honor - Purple; Maid of honor - Fuchsia; Bridesmaid - Lilac. (Gents) Principal sponsors - White barong and black trouser;

Secondary sponsor - White linen (locally known as 'Gusot mayaman') and light brown pants.

Kindly send us your measurements by the end of June so my very dear couture can start his magic.

We can also send you the cloth (Mesh) if it'll be way easier for you. Lastly, you can always opt to buy your own dress if you so desire. For our dear guest: Ladies, kindly come in floral knee-length frocks.

Gents, wear brightly-colored floral top and smart casual pants.

We opted for color scheme that will further highlight the paradise setting. Dress for the part—as a guest to a wedding. Follow as instructed, thank you!

Misibis Bay Resort & Casino

God must have personally placed Misibis island to be our wedding venue. A private tropical luxury island playground in the Philippines. Nestled on a pristine stretch of beach along the southern tip of Cagraray Island in Bacacay, Albay. Celebrate with us and completely immerse in incomparable relaxation within the resort or around the province.

Here join us savor the drama of Stella Maris Chapel – perched on top of a hill, gleaming with its grandiose architecture and solemnity, with a 360-degree view of the ocean and the islands.

With the sunset in the background, enjoy the reception set against a majestic backdrop that is the Mount Mayon with the rhythmic sound of the waves caressing the shore.

Going to Misibis Bay is a breeze! From Manila, take a 50-minute flight to the city of Legazpi offered daily by AirPhil Express, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Zest Air. Then choose to travel by land (approximately 45 minutes), by a private helicopter (approximately 15 minutes), or by fast watercraft (approximately 30 minutes) that travels along the scenic coastline of the province.

We also have organized for the guests to avail discounted rates if you wish to stay extra nights before or after our wedding if you book before July 15, 2015. Check out: http://www.misibisbay.com

Prenuptial Shoot

The prenuptial photos inspired from our journey that has spanned several major cities in the world and how we relate for each month. It’s a full year countdown that fans an ember of desire for more, a wanderlust almost — this wanting to look through new windows, walk on more unknown streets, knowing full well that there is still a lot out there to learn from, embrace, live for as we journey towards September 2015. Part of making your engagement session successful is wearing a look that matches your chosen concept. To help you look pretty for your prenuptial shoot, here are some tips. Brainstorm, Think of your props and accessories, Stick to hair and makeup that matches several sets of clothes, If you want, have your trial hair and makeup session on the day of the shoot, Prepare a retouch kit, Be friends with your HMUA! #muchosgraciasEms&Cielo