It’s been almost four months since our Wedding Day. We’ve had our Same Day Edit video uploaded on vimeo for a while now, but I just haven’t had the time to post it on here. Pregnancy has made me lazier than ever, and somehow I’m finding it hard to sit in front of my laptop for long periods. Finally dragged my butt to our computer room to post this. =D

This video was edited on the day and played at our reception.

Just Say Yes — JR and Anna’s Wedding SDE

Song: Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol
Videographers: Wang Videography

Thank you to our awesome videographers! <3<3<3

Finally got around to uploading our wedding photo fusion slideshow.

We were surprised to see some video shots during the slideshow, because it was supposed to be all photos. We knew John, our main photographer, was taking a few videos during the day, but we had no idea he was going to edit it into the slideshow. What a pleasant surprise!

This Is The Day — JR and Anna’s Wedding Photos

Song: This is the Day by Lincoln Brewster
Photographers: Imagine Nation Photography
John Mateos Ong, Noel Salazar, Benjie Tiongco, and Aldrich Lim

View our wedding SDE video here.

Setting aside all wedding posts for a while to make a little announcement:

We’re pregnant!
:)

Call it woman’s intuition, but I already had a feeling that I was pregnant as soon as we arrived back in Singapore. I had been very sluggish and all I wanted to do was sleep all day. Heightened sense of smell, tummy cramps and a missed period, the signs where there. But for almost two weeks, I just pushed the thought aside, thinking that I was just extremely tired from the wedding. That, and I seriously thought I was just being my lazy self again. =P

When I finally woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous, I knew it was time for a home pregnancy test. Two positive sticks and a trip to the Ob-Gyn later, it was finally confirmed. :)

We’re about 5 weeks into the pregnancy (we think it’s a wedding night baby), but I’m still not used to being bloated all the time. I have a slight baby bump, but not yet big enough for plus size intimate apparel. LOL! The past week was quite difficult, with the morning sickness hitting me practically all day, everyday. For once in my life, I didn’t want to eat anything, because everything I put in my mouth just wanted to be hurled out again. I’m finally better now and I think my appetite is back. I just have to remember all the pregnancy no-nos, because apparently there are a gazillion and one of them.

We still have a long way to go, but we’re already very excited to meet the little one in November. <3<3<3

Our big day took one whole year of designing, choosing, deciding and planning. Quite a long time, but it was nothing compared to over seven years of love, sacrifice and relationship building for us to be able to fully commit to each other and finally say our yeses.

JR and Anna – Just Say Yes
February 18, 2011

Theme: Nostalgia
Color Motif: Purple and Champagne

Preparations: Intercontinental Hotel
Church: Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Coordination: Christine Ong-Te
Make-Up Artist: Carla Avanceña (my sister)
Couture: Czarina Villa
Flowers: Teddy Manuel
Bridal Car: Atty. Charlie Alvarez
Strings: KaDense
Sounds + Effects: Mark Tan
Photo: Imagine Nation: John Mateos Ong, Noel Salazar, Benjie Tiongco and Aldrich Lim
Video: Wang Videography

Sharing with you guys several photos of our most memorable day to date. :)

Our rings.
(No class rings here. =P)

Make-Up by my Make-Up Artist sister. :)

My groom in his Mandarin-collared full-open piña silk barong.

The Ignacios. :)

Me, in my ruffled gown by Czarina Villa. I loved my gown! Czarina got it exactly the way I pictured and dreamed of it. <3
Purple peep-toes from Stella Luna.

My family. <3

In my bridal car: a 1930 Cadillac. <3

JR with the best wedding coordinator in the world, Christine Ong Te. <3<3<3

Waiting for my entrance. I was already jittery at this point, but thank God for the photographers, videographers and coordination staff, because they helped ease my nervousness by distracting me. =P

And the door opened.

I was determined not to shed a single tear during my entire walk down the aisle, but after only three steps, I heard the chorus of Dare You to Move by Switchfoot being played live on strings. That’s when the river flowed. And it flowed for a really long time while I walked down the long aisle of the church.

My entrance walk took really long, because:
1) The aisle was crazy long.
2) My extra long veil kept pulling my head back, which made walking difficult.
3) I was afraid of stepping on all the ruffles of my gown, so I walked slow.
4) I was walking in 4-inch heels.

I don’t know how many times the band replayed the song, but by the time I reached the front, my feet were already in pain.

With my parents. <3

My smiley groom. <3

The beautiful altar.
I won’t go into much detail about the entire ceremony, but it was definitely one sweet and memorable moment. JR and I exchanged personal vows, which was the highlight of the same day edit video shown during the reception. I’ll post the video once we get it from our videographers. :)

We did it! :)

We were showered with rose petals and bubbles while we ran out of the church. :)

The groom with his groomsmen.

With my lovely bridesmaids in their magenta gowns (also by Czarina Villa). :)

Originally posted by Benjie Tiongco.
More photos of our wedding on his website. :)

<3<3<3

Mr. and Mrs. JR and Anna Ignacio, officially. =P

Our church ceremony was indeed a memorable moment. People often say that brides walk down the aisle in a state of euphoria, so overjoyed that the the whole crowd appear to be just a sea of blurred faces. True, I was in total bliss as I walked down that aisle, but I saw every single face in the crowd. It was a wonderful feeling having our families and friends there with us, because we could really feel the love. <3

If you’re my friend on Facebook, you can view more of our wedding day preview photos there. Otherwise, come back soon, as I have several wedding day posts in store in the next couple of days/weeks. :)

Our Church Wedding on the 18th of February was probably my most beautiful and happiest day ever. Every girl has her dream wedding, and I have to say that our big day turned out to be so much more than what I had dreamed of. I could not have wanted it any better.

We are currently sorting through the thousands of photos our photographers (we had four!) took that day, so while we’re at it, here’s our wedding invitation.

Design: Printsonalities, with a bit of editing by me (yeah, I’m OC like that =P)
Printer: Printsonalities
Monogram Design: Me

The envelope with our monogram embossed on the flap.

Our Wedding Invitation: pocket fold style. We had the 250 gsm cover customized to a matte Pantone 2623-U color.

The front flap of the invitation had the monogram which I designed early last year. I also added tiny gems in the middle of each invitation, just to add some texture.

Folded out, we had the main invitation on the left, and three wedding card infos in the pocket on the right. The main invitation was printed using a thermography process (raised/embossed lettering), while the rest were flat printed.

Aside from our actual invitation, the husband and I also made a digital copy of our invitation online (I arranged the layout, while JR handled the coding). It was so much easier and more cost effective sharing the online invitation to family and friends overseas, rather than mailing them actual copies of the invitation each. It was also a fun project for the both of us. :)

You can view the digital invitation
HERE

Overall, we were really happy with our wedding invitation. It fit really well with the entire theme of the wedding. The damask pattern was also used throughout the reception details and decor (no peerless mounts, though). I’ll post photos of those soon.

Stay tuned for the wedding photos, coming soon. :)

Happy New Year, guys!

Yes, I know this post is almost two weeks late, but 2011 has already been pretty busy for me. From spending time with friends and last minute shopping in Singapore (yay, to all the sales!) to flying back to Manila and trying to get some wedding errands done.

2010 was quite busy too:

• The first day of 2010 came with the most beautiful surprise: JR officially proposed. :)
• I finally managed to redesign this blog. My favorite layout, so far.
• We went on a quick KL Getaway for Valentine’s.
• We got married! We civilly tied the knot through a quick ROM (Registration of Marriage) ceremony in Singapore. To top it off, our families also flew in to witness our exchange of vows and to be with us for a couple of days.
• I had my first Blog Giveaway.
• To start taking care of our health and getting on a fitness regime, we started jogging/running religiously. I had a hard time the first couple of runs, but now I can happily manage a 5 km run in 35 minutes. :)
• We started planning for our church wedding.
• I turned 27.
• We had our Prenup Photo Shoot in Singapore. We’re not used to having a photographer follow us around, but we definitely had fun that day. I love all the photos too. :)
• An uncle passed away. It was hard to accept, but something that strengthened the family bond more. I love my Viduya family. <3
• One of my new year’s resolutions was to read more. I achieved it by finishing fifty books by the end of 2010. I hope I manage to do more this year.
• The husband and I spent our first Christmas and New Year together in Singapore. We were away from our families, but we enjoyed it nevertheless.

We greeted 2011 at home, with our kitchen table brimming with food and drinks. It was quiet with just the two of us, but we still had a feast.

The first hour of the new year was also spent taking photos together and pocketboothing:

=))

2011 has just started, but I know it’s going to be better than 2010. There are so many things coming up for us, and I’m excited to welcome it all. :)

It’s our first Christmas together. :) We’re spending it away from our families this year, which means we’ll be missing out on the annual family photos at home. And because taking photos next to the Christmas tree every year is something that I look forward to, we decided to just start our very own annual photo tradition too.

Our first Christmas. <3

We also prepared a hearty Noche Buena, which we devoured right after our photo session, but I’ll post about that some other time. :) Now it’s just time to enjoy the next few days, before I have to get back to all the wedding planning. Bridesmaid dresses, bridal accessories and church requirements, see you again soon!

Hope you all have a blessed merry Christmas! <3

Taking some time off wedding planning, here’s an overdue post on my seventh Photos of My Life: My Gadgets, as requested by Vince (duhdoctor) on Twitter.

Productivity and Gaming:

• iPhone 3GS: This was the hubby’s old iPhone, before he upgraded to an iPhone 4. I don’t plan on upgrading, until they release the white iPhone! :)
• Blackberry Curve 8320: I had a short love affair with Blackberries before I switched to the iPhone. I gave up on it when it started slowing down and dying unexpectedly. I use it as an extra phone now.
• Motorola V3 in hot pink: This phone is almost 5 years old and should really retire soon, but I still use it as an extra phone when traveling.
• iPod Touch: This is actually the hubby’s, but he passed it on to me when he got his first iPhone. I used it mainly as a gaming device. =P
• iPod Nano: The hubby got this for me several Christmases ago. :)
• Nintendo Game Boy Micro: I only play Mario Brothers on this =D
• 13″ Macbook Pro: Replaced my old White Macbook for this last year.
• iPad: This makes browsing on the internet easier and more convenient while in bed. Great for reading e-books, and an awesome gaming device too. I’m currently addicted to Jenga HD. =P We’re also using this for our wedding reception. :)

Cameras:

• Fisheye 2: I’ve had this since last year, but I haven’t had time to use it. :(
• Vivitar PN2011: I used to use this a lot. Makes pretty panoramic photos.
• Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S: I bought this to replace my polaroid when they stopped making films. This develops smaller prints than the real polaroid, but I love it just the same.
• Canon Ixus 80 IS: My trusty point and shoot. It’s two years old, but it still takes pretty photos. :)
• Holga 120 CFN: I love Lomography and the pretty photos it develops. Haven’t used this in ages, because thanks to iPhone apps, I get to digitally process my photos looking like lomo shots now.

• Polaroid Spirit 600. This is love! I still have one unused film, which I’m saving to use on a special occasion. I have a Polaroid i-Zone too, but I left that in Manila.

• What I use most of the time: Canon 350 D and extra 50mm lens. This still works like a charm, but we really should upgrade soon! :)

What about you guys, what gadgets do you use?

** For more photo requests, please comment in my Photos of My Life post. **

A little over two weeks to go ’til Christmas!

By this time, I should be busy shopping for gifts for family and friends. I should be baking cookies and cakes to give out. I should be making plans for Christmas dinners and get-togethers, and making sure I am able to meet up with everyone close to me. But, this year will be a little different—the husband and I are spending our first Christmas and New Year away from home.

To battle the homesickness, we decided to buy our very first Christmas tree.  We assembled it in the living room and adorned it with shiny trimmings. The tree is only half the size of our tree at home in Manila, but it’s enough to liven up the place.

Our first Christmas tree.

Now I catch myself watching the lights, almost every night, dancing to reflect shapes and shadows on the glass walls of our living room. Somehow, I find a familiar comfort in this. <3

With all the travel deals out there, it would have also been the perfect time to go on a nice vacation somewhere. But we decided it would be nice to spend our first Christmas as a married couple, quietly in our first home.

This year will be different, but we’re definitely excited to experience this first as a married couple. :)

A little less than three months to go ’til the big day!

It’s been a busy past couple of months, flying in and out of Manila. The main details of the wedding have been set and all suppliers have been booked. All that’s left is to finish working on my DIY projects, buy a few other things and polish all the small details.

With February just around the corner, I’m starting to worry about getting everything done. I’m such a perfectionist that I find myself worrying about everything down to the tiniest detail! Our wedding planner has been a great help with all the ideas and organizing, but I just can’t stop myself from injecting my personal touches in every single thing.  =P

All the ideas are starting to materialize one by one, and I’m excited for that big day when all the hard work will finally fall into place. :)

Most of my time has been spent working on the wedding that I obviously had no time to spare for this blog. My backlogs have piled up and I am so behind replying to all your comments, but I promise to get them done in the next few days. :)

Anyway, wishing you guys a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you find lots of Black Friday deals!