5 Tips for a Stress-Free Wedding
The fact that most people don't have a stress-free wedding comforts me. Misery loves company, as they say. Ha ha! But seriously, I was so happy and nervous that I cried the entire night before! We've been preparing since we got engaged in June, and preps haven't been that easy (until our coordinator, Deen Libatique).We didn't have a rehearsal dinner, and I was sure I was missing something but didn't really want to stress myself out. Also, my family is always late. Paolo and I stayed at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay. He had his own room, while I shared a suite with my family. They took forever to get there, so I was left alone for about 6 hours just doing quiet time, unboxing my dress, walking around and crying.
The next morning I immediately sent a text to my makeup artist, Jo Ticzon, that I "looked like Garfield". It didn't help that earlier, my mom crept into my room and thought I was still asleep. She snuck a kiss on my cheek. *FANNING EYES TO STOP CONDENSATION AGAIN*
Tip #1 : Try not to get too emotional the night before
Anyway, Jo and I put damp (not soaked) cotton pads on them until the swelling subsided, and she worked her magic on my face. She and I have known each other for a long time, back when I used to style photo shoots in between writing about technology. She's wonderfully talented and down-to-earth and is a magician when it comes to eye baggage.
Tip #2: Enjoy the little things
That's my brother Michael. He's my favorite because he's the only one I've got. He and I are very close even though we're 6 years apart. We're watching the thirteen-second Aldo-McGregor fight on loop here. Sometimes you just have to think about another person's life to have a stress-free wedding ? Like how I'd hate to be Jose Aldo right now.While this is going on, my parents were in their room writing their speeches. I just tried not to think about why they're doing it ON THE DAY OF my wedding.
Paolo's older brother Carlo was in the U.S. when we got married; we really wanted him to be there on our special day.
Tip #3: Hire people to help you create a stress-free wedding
Deen took care of all these things I didn't want to worry about. She helped us out a lot since we honestly had no clue how to go about this beyond wanting to get married. She found us a printer for the invitations made for us by Kata Francisco, picked up the flowers from Dangwa, and handled the ring box and the decorations at the ceremony and reception. Oh! And she coordinated everything with the people at Antonio's. That's very important.
Tip #4: Let go of things beyond your control
A few minutes before this photo, Paolo saw my family in regular clothes carrying some McDonald's walking back to the hotel. He was already in his tux and heading to the wedding venue, so you can imagine his confusion! Like I said, my family is always late. It is not the stress-free wedding day I imagined.. Mom had the hair people fix her hair three times until she was pleased. She also got a manicure MINUTES before Paolo saw them. But look how happy and put-together and super punctual we look in this photo. True story: Deen asked me where my mom was and with the most nonchalant face I shrugged and said, "I don't know."
Tip #5: Remember what the day is for
Our wedding wasn't about a dress or a horrible cake (you'll see it later) or hair or makeup. It's about family---a safe place to make mistakes and be loved anyway. The first place you should experience a love that never fails.One last goofy shot and we're off to the ceremony!What about you? Is your family always late too?