Attending all the Seminars

12:46 AM gem 0 Comments

We're finally glad we're done with all the seminars that we had to attend for our wedding. Church wedding is indeed tedious and demands a lot. We first attended our Pre-cana seminar from the church where we will get married, Parish of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Based on statistics, they rank #3 among the most number of weddings held every year- 200-300 weddings a year. And because of that, they always come prepared for every pre-cana seminar that they will be conducting.



It was a whole day event that we enjoyed. Breakfast, snacks, lunch were prepared. The speakers were all good and the place was airconditioned. If I am not mistaken, we were around 20 couples who had a crash course on how to make a marriage work. It wasn't like my everyday Religion class when I was in Highschool. It was more on the awareness that a lot of people get married but end up apart. Hence, the Church believes that a seminar like this is necessary so married couples would understand and expect that Marriage needs effort and nurturing of both parties for it to become successful. Family planning was also discussed. Because it is a very interesting topic, I'll post a different entry for that.

Second that we attended was a Pre-Marriage Counseling Seminar by the Municipality of Malabon. It was for four hours. A short version of our Pre-cana seminar, they tackled almost the same things. They only differ on topics about laws for women, children etc...

And the third was our Confirmation or Kumpil seminar. When the speaker talked about the 10 Commandments, the 7 Sacraments, our ears began bleeding... here we go again. It was the same lesson taught by a different teacher.


But among all these, what I really appreciate is the effort that our Church and Government give to create awareness of the real value of marriage. Though we hear about failed marriages left and right, when it's your turn to get into it, you'll realize how big is the task at hand.

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Palakasan

10:58 PM gem 0 Comments

Hinahapon na ako kaya kinakailangan ko na umalis para sa regular kong check up sa aking OBGYNE.  Sikat ang OB ko. Director ba naman ng ospital. Pagdating ko sa office niya, nakita kong may pila na pero nakalagay sa pintuan ang "The Doctor is OUT". Wala pa si Doc kahit na dapat e nandun na siya dahil sabi ng office hours niya e 5pm to 7pm. Sige na nga, wag na akong magmaganda dahil 5:45 naman ako dumating.

Dahil alam ko ng maghihintay din ako ng matagal ay inilabas ko sa itim kong bag ang libro ni Bob Ong na di ko pa matapos tapos basahin. Kaya siguro naging Filipino ang blog ko ngayun para maiba naman. Nahawa ni Bob Ong e. Di ako naiinip kasi normal na sa akin na matagal si Doc. Maya maya pa, may dumating na dalawang babae. Nasa 50 anyos pataas na siguro ang edad. Sa talas ng pandinig ko, nalaman ko na Chinese sila.

Basa. basa. basa. Mga 6:30 ay dumating na si Doc. Hay salamat! Aandar na ang pila. Hintay parin... Basa... basa... Kung nauna ka sa doktor, di mo man alam kung sino ang nauna sayo, alam mo kung sino ang susunod sayo... kasi nga nauna ka sa kanila. Nang kumonti pa ang  tao, lumabas ang sekretarya. Akala ko sa akin siya nakatingin. Senyales na "AKO" na. Pero laking gulat ko ng hindi pala ako ang sinesenyasan kungdi ang dalawang Filipino-Chinese na mga may edad na kaharap ko. Kahit sabi ng popular na larawan na nagkalat sa Internet na "Keep Calm and..." hindi ko malaman ang isusunod sa katagang iyon dahil hindi ko makitaan ng magandang dahilan bakit nauna pa sila sa akin! May pila naman diba?

Bigla tuloy nag flashback sa akin ang ilang pangyayaring katulad nito.

Si Tita ko mahilig sa pag "singit". Marami kasi siyang kilala. Miss Congeniality kung baga. Ugali niyang magbigay ng pasalubong sa mga taong madalas niya nang nakakausap o nalalapitan. Kaya tuloy nung minsan na nagpunta kame sa isang government office para kumuha ng benepisyo- nakita ko na pagkahaba haba ng pila. Pero si Tita, pumasok lang doon mismo sa Employee's area, binati ang kakilala niya, tapos e sumunod na kaming naasikaso. Walang pila. Noon palang alam kong hindi ko kaya ang ganung pamamaraan. Masunurin kasi ako. Kapag kakain nga ng kendi si Abryan at itatapon nalang ang balat sa kalsada e pipigilan ko pa para hingin nalang ang balat at ilagay muna sa bag ko hanggang maitapon sa basurahan. Ganun ako kamasunurin. Hindi ko sinasabing masama ang mga taong di sumusunod sa nararapat. Ang sinasabi ko lang ay mas madali para sa akin ang sumunod nalang sa batas, sa rules, sa tamang asal. Kaya nga may RIGHT path kasi RIGHT! hehe.

Kung wala akong dalang libro at kung gutom na gutom na ako, malamang ko iba ang naging eksenang sumunod. Pero sabi nga sa 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, be PROACTIVE. Wag na magpa stress dahil hindi ko naman kontrolado kung gusto ng ibang tao na gamitin ang pagka ELITISTA nila para mabigyan ng "special treatment". Sige na, kayo na ang mayamang kailangang mauna. Siguro malubha ang karamdaman kasi may edad na kaya pagbigyan nalang. Ang maganda dun, matatapos kong basahin ang libro- na natapos ko nga bago ako tawagin ng sekretarya.

Sa akin lang, hindi ko sinasabing pabayaan ang baluktot at magbulag bulagan. May mga pagkakataong kailangang ipagtanggol natin ang karapatan natin kung alam nating nasa tama tayo. Pero hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon kailangan nalang laging makibaka- parang laging may gera.

Attract positive energies.

Kahit naghintay pa ako, masaya naman ang naging usapan namin ng OB ko. FAMILY PLANNING. Nakakatuwa talaga siya pag nagbibigay ng opinyon. Salungat kasi siya sa tinuturo ng simbahan pagdating sa "Natural Family Planning". Sa totoo lang... sang ayon ako sa kanya na mahirap talaga ang itinuro sa amin nung nag seminar kame sa simbahan. Yung aalamin mo kung kailan ka "Fertile" sa pagkuha ng temperatura ng babae at pagmomonitor nito araw araw. Aba!!! mahirap yun- (promise!) Kung may mga nadadalian- ito ang masasabi ko- IKAW NA! :)

Napag usapan din namin yung sinabi sa amin na paraan para sa mga mag-asawa kung gusto nila ng lalake o babaeng anak. Ang hirit ni Doc e walang scientific basis yung sinasabi nila. At hindi daw ba mas masama na ituro yun kasi sino ang tao para pakielaman kung anong gender ang gustong ibigay ng Diyos sa mag asawa. (may punto naman si Doc dun!)

Masaya ang naging usapan. Kakaiba talaga magpayo si Doc. Hindi lang sa kalusugan, pati sa personal na opinyon, nakakamangha. Kaya nga ba sikat siya e. Biruin mo sino bang Doktor ang darating ng 30 minutes nalang at tapos na ang Clinic hours niya pero sa kabila nun marami paring pila. Ibang klase talaga siya.

Kung nainis ako sa dalawang matandang yun, malamang nasira ang araw ko at hindi kami nakapag kwentuhan. Kaya ang bottomline: Wag na lang magalit. Kung may magagawa kang paraan, gawin mo. Kung wala naman e wag mo nalang pansinin. Sabi nga nang Prettier than Pink "Easy ka lang, relaks ka lang, simple lang ang buhay ngumiti ka nalang. Daanin mo sa galit noo'y kukunot lang..."

Sa mga may ikinakagalit diyan... alam niyo na ang gagawin... :)

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Prenup... prenup...

10:42 PM gem 0 Comments

Got tired today but it was fun! Here's a glimpse...


HMUA: Tita Ruben
Location: Heima Store

Some of these shots I will post on my Instagram.
Find me. francineangel

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Do you have a couple theme song?

12:58 AM gem 1 Comments

When I was in my teens, I love having theme songs. I even had a theme song for every crush I had. Somehow, it reminded me of those cute guys who made my day complete.

When we attended our Pre-cana seminar and we were asked what our theme song is. I honestly answered "none". There were lots of songs which became a part of our relationship but we never really considered them our theme song.

The only couple theme song I couldn't forget was "It might be you" by two of my closest friends. It made me very cautious of choosing songs back then because it might define how the story will go. Since it was "it 'MIGHT' be you" meaning "unsure", they didn't end up together. *peace*

So is it weird that we do not have a theme song?

This morning, Abryan suddenly sang a song on auto repeat while we were on our way home. Then he asked me if we could play it on our wedding day. We listened to the entire song. It was really funny and I am sure the chorus would best describe what happened to him. However, we just laughed because it wouldn't be that appropriate for a wedding.

About the song:::

Yes... this will very much pass as a theme song when we were starting the relationship. When everybody thought that this guy is nothing but a pretty face and will do nothing but cheat and make women cry, God gave a different kind of relationship that required a change of character.
And that is what happened to us.

You can CHOOSE not to let your past actions define who you are.

Your environment, your family history, your past relationships are not a basis of who you will be.

You CHOOSE what your character will be. It is not an easy process but it starts with a CHOICE.

And there's one thing I know... I never keep a blind eye on wrong doings. With this I can honestly tell that the man I will marry has come a very long way from who he was when I first met him. That is the reason why I will marry him. <3

Here is the song that would describe our journey before this marriage.

FYI: this is not cheesy!




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How to prepare a wedding in a short notice: The Requirements

1:58 PM gem 0 Comments

For most couples I know, their engagement took 6 months to 1 year preparation. So why are we rushing it? I would simply answer it with a "what's it to you?".  The Mayans said that the world would end on 2012 so we might as well get wed this year right? (Kidding)

Really, I thought of having it next year. Yet, I guess for couples who are both working, 6 months to a year would really be ideal. But for us where I take charge of a business, I "know" we can make this work with the little time we have.

Our ID Photos :)
WHERE TO START???

Know the requirements.

We were just blessed because we are accustomed to the internet world which makes the requests of documents much faster compared to lining up in the government offices which could have taken us forever. Here are the basic requirements for a church wedding.


  • Baptismal Certificates
  • Confirmation Certificates
  • Marriage License
  • NSO Birth Certificates
  • Single Status Certificates (CENOMAR)
  • Canonical Interview
  • Ecclesiastical Banns
  • Permit
  • Pre-cana Seminar
  • List of Sponsors
Baptismal Certificate: You have to request this from the church or parish where you were baptized  Good thing we are both from Malabon so it only took a motor ride to travel to and fro to our parishes. Depending on the church or parish, it would just take a day to process this. *Check!*

Confirmation Certificates: Although we both graduated in a Catholic school in high school, we really wonder why our parents did not thought of having us confirmed when we were 11 or 12 years old. We went looking for a church where we could have this done. FYI, since a bishop is the only one allowed to perform this sacrament, we finally found a schedule in a church in Caloocan. Be reminded that some churches hold confirmation ONCE a month so you better be sure to attend it. (Quiapo church hold Confirmation rites every week just in case you are really in a hurry) We are still to attend our Confirmation on the last Saturday of this month. ***Pending***

Marriage License: Tada! How stupid of us to leave this last. You will get this from your Munisipyo. The requirements are NSO Birth certificate photocopy, Cenomar photocopy, but you will need to bring the original ones for checking. Then, you will be scheduled for a family planning seminar. Your names will be posted in the municipal hall for 10 days before you get your license. Since we thought it would just be a whim, we unfortunately have submitted our original birth certificates and cenomar to the church so... we would have to request again! delay... delay... delay... ***Pending***

Birth Certificates and Cenomar: Save your sweat. Do this online. It only takes 3 days and the documents will be delivered right at your doorstep. Birth certificate costs 300 + pesos while Cenomar is 400 + pesos. 

Canonical Interview: Will be scheduled by the church where you will hold your wedding at. 
For us, it will be next week, on a Wednesday. ***pending ***

Ecclesiastical Banns: Your chosen church will give the bride and groom a request form which will be given to the churches where the bride and groom were baptized. Their names will have to be announced after the mass for 3 consecutive Sundays. This would be the perfect time for those who would want to STOP the wedding to come forward and state why the wedding shouldn't happen. Of course, the reason should be lawfully acceptable. If no one disagrees...

the Permit will be issued. *** we should be getting this, this Sunday ***

Pre-Cana Seminar: You can choose which church you would want to have this. They have schedules. ***checked***

List of Sponsors: You need this for the marriage license and for the church. 

Other than the Marriage License, we are all good to go. 

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What happened after the Proposal?

11:43 PM gem 0 Comments

It has been a month and two days since Abryan proposed. Right after the fleeting feeling that I will get married, the preparations have to happen. I was very comfortable with a civil wedding. That was what we originally planned. I was not really in the mood, and I don't think I am that type of woman, to tediously plan for a church wedding. Like my closest friends used to say, I was always one of the boys. But after the "pamamanhikan", my mother, who is based in Hongkong talked to Yan and they decided that a church wedding is always better.

So why is it better? I had to try to understand why I would agree with a church wedding since I already had my mind set on a civil one.

For our parents.

Not just for mine, or for any bride of that matter. I just realized how any parent would love to see their daughter or son receive God's blessing through the church. Since my family is still traditional, I know they would really be glad if the church bells ring.

For God

For those who know our love story, the beginning of our relationship wasn't ideal. We went through a lot of trials and we both believe that it's just right that we put God in the middle of our relationship as husband and wife. IDK, saying our vows in front of the altar will forever remind us that we did not only make a promise to each other but to God as well.

And all the other things we've learned in our pre-cana seminar made me realize that a church wedding is not just a "paper" signed legally, it is a commitment to God that we will forever love each other.

So how long do we have to prepare for this wedding?

2 months!

It's exciting.

I would really want to have it next year but this year has got to be THE year. Having a lot of time to myself, I have the opportunity to really be hands-on in the preparation.

This wedding website was made a few weeks after the proposal...

WEDDING WEBSITE

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