It was my cousin’s wedding yesterday, my parents were one of the principal sponsors and my younger sister was one of the bridesmaids and me was one of the visitors. I dress nicely so I won’t be under-dress like the previous weddings of my relatives but I think I over dress because my dress blend with the bridesmaids.

Below are some of the disappointments, problems they face before and after the wedding.

Unforeseen Event

My cousin’s wedding brought a lot of stress to them, days before the wedding the mother of the groom died so the groom family wasn’t able to attend the wedding, then there was a typhoon so there was a lot of passengers that has been stranded, so some of their visitors and part of the entourage were not able to attend my cousin’s wedding.

Gown Rental

The dresses of the bridesmaid were not done on time and the dress of the matron of honor was a disaster that she wasn’t able to wear it on the wedding day. A few months before the wedding day, my cousin’s family informed the couturier about the bridesmaid dresses, the color and etc., The bridesmaid even went to their house/shop for the measurement, everything went well but not as the wedding day is coming. A few weeks before the wedding the dresses weren’t ready yet, it was told that they were still in Manila as they were sewn in the city, days before the wedding the dresses were still out of sight, the bridesmaid had to be measured again just in case the dresses needs to be repaired for their new measurement.  A day before the wedding the dresses arrives to their house and it is coming from out of town contrary to what is told that is coming from Manila, and since the dresses were not yet fully finished, minor details were not added yet my aunt and the bride has to wait for them until early mornight. Instead of relaxing for the wedding tomorrow they are stressed waiting for the bridesmaid dress to be done.

Catering

The reception was a disappointment too. There are still photos taking photos at the church but the groom and bride’s cut-outs name has to be removed because it has to be used at the reception held at the bride’s residence. The program proper didn’t start until the bride and grooms place was not set-up (re: adding the cut-outs). Then the secondary sponsors were not given a presidential table they have to fall inline in a buffet so they could eat. And according to the family, the food that they choose with the caterer were not the food that was served and the vegetable menu was lacking, their utensils went missing after the wedding (dunno who took them it is either the visitors or the caterer) and even some of the food were gone quickly when there are only a few visitors. In the end, the caterer refunded an amount brought by unpleasing service.

Film and Video

Added to the fiasco was the video and camera persons hurrying to finish the wedding reception ceremony because they have another engagement in the afternoon but they took their time eating at the reception.

Over-all, it was a successful event despite the mishaps and blunders of people they trust on the dresses, reception and documentation of their wedding.

Update:

After a month, they are able to claim the photos and video taken on my cousins wedding day.  Disappointment of all disappointment the video was of low quality, a pirated DVD is far more clearer than their wedding video.  It looks like the  videographer  doesn’t know his craft,  the video was either zoomed out or the people were cut,  the sound and movements were not sync too. They returned it to the studio but the quality was still the same darker and blurry but it sync now, the video was not just a remembrance of their wedding but also for the groom’s family to see because they were not able to attend their wedding. Maybe they could just day “that’s how its done in Odiongan!”

There was a Christmas Cantata and exchange gift party last night at church, the cantata started early and wasn’t able to watch it from the start since we went to town to buy some stuff. It wasn’t that exciting anyway since it was just the same as last year, the young people sung the same song. The exchange gift party was done after the raffle draw where I bought few tickets and didn’t win even a minor prize.  I received colorful food container from the exchange gift party, it turns out my cousin’s wife picked my name during the raffle of names for exchange gift party.

Today is Sunday and it is Christmas day, most of the people in church were wearing red and the kids are feeling festive. Pastor E’s topic for today is part of the series of “Experience the Miracle of Christmas” which is The Miracle of the Method – from the scriptural verse of Romans 11:33.

Pastor E talks about how God’s method transcend us, His greatness beyond measure and beyond human understanding. He added that God’s method include each one of us, He uses ordinary people to accomplish extra-ordinary things and God’s method sanctify us, God is at work in our lives in ways that we do not and cannot fully comprehend.

After the church service, Pastor E told everyone not to leave since there will be a gifts to be given. The kids were given bag of goodies that consists wafers, biscuits and chocolates. When all of the kids got theirs, Pastor E called the young people to get their goodies I immediately run upfront while calling the attention of my younger cousin who is set to marry in a few days, she was in hesitation maybe because we are too old for the bag of goodies but with an older cousin pushing her upfront she followed me. When I returned, my cousin told me that some people voice out if I am  still a young people because as what they knew I am not anymore and I am already married, so I replied while laughing that the bags of goodies are for my younger sister who’s a member of the young people, she went home ahead because she needs to reheat something.

We prepared a little food to eat on Christmas day so some of of our relatives went to our home after the church service, they didn’t stay longer but I have enjoyed their company that I wasn’t able to feel Christmas blue making this Christmas a bit better than last year, especially with my little cousins visiting.

Well, since my personal photos were stolen from my dead travel blog and posted to other people’s website I started to blur photos with people in them for privacy reason.

A few more days before Christmas and I can already feel Christmas rush around me, the parents were already busy buying new clothes for their kids and gifts for their kids Christmas party. Nothing much, happening around me I am slowly eating by the dark hole again, I have a lot worries, questions and regrets. I am feeling alone…

Anyway,  I have already wrapped gifts for my Godchildren; it was a good thing I found gifts for less than $2 at LazadaPH and for the others I just wrapped some old but new clothes. I think for the first time I bought Christmas gift for my family, I bought a bottle of Kirkland Vitamin B for my mother as her Christmas gift, she’s been skipping taking Vitamin B because the brand she is taking is quite expensive per tablet in our local pharmacy and with my father’s weekly compensation we can’t afford it daily, I bought Kirkland label because I believed Vitamin B is Vitamin B no matter what brand it is.

[Photo courtesy of freestocks.org /pexels.com]

My sister wanted a head phone so when there was a Christmas sale I bought Techno Tamashi TH-780 Over-the-Ear Headphones (Blue) for her and inexpensive red wine for my father, there are gifts for J too if only…

The good thing of shopping online when you have no card you can pay via Cash on Delivery which is good deal for me. What I am saving right now is money to send this Christmas for my maternal grandmother, she lives on her hometown together with my biological grandfather and doesn’t want to live with us because she isn’t familiar with the people and the place.

With the year ending, I hope 2017 will be a good year for me. I hope do miracles happens and I hope it will open more opportunities and work online so I can live life day by day and buy my necessities. Oh well, how can I find work online with my slow internet connection? 

Today is my grandfather’s death anniversary and I think it was Cody too!