I'm taking 'an elevated level' of risk in publishing this article. Some readers might find this downright unpopular (or insensitive?) as I tackle the 'battle of the (wedding) guest list' and our reasons for planning a destination wedding.
I sought clearance from BFD to post this on his behalf. Should this article fail to give you good vibes, please accept our apologies.
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This is not about BFD vs. Meowth, face off round This is similar to a conventional plot in a story where the protagonist finds him/herself in conflict - man vs. himself...BFD + Meowth conquering the task of filling up 100 seats for their wedding.
We could easily fill up the list, but we're afraid that we're going to talk about 200 guests at the minimum.
We could have kept everything confidential...but why? What's there to hide?
BFD and I are not in trouble with the law...and what we're set to do is lawful in the eyes of the State and the Church. One of the most natural things in this planet is for two legally single individuals to fall in-love, set an altar date, and have their union blessed by the Church. It's no secret. Happiness shared is happiness multiplied - I read this somewhere.
Sabi nila, ang wedding ceremony daw ay 'call' ng bride. Baka hanggang 80 guests na lang kami kung 'call' ko lahat! Though I'm from a big clan, I'm not fond of big weddings.
Why plan a destination wedding?
1. We want to keep our wedding ceremony + reception small, cozy, and intimate.
Intimate, in the sense that we are inclined to invite only family members and (super-duper) close friends.
Here's the math, in worded equations:
* My mother has 11 siblings. I have 14 cousins, 7 cousins-in-law (that's how I call it), 2 future cousins-in-law, 7 nieces, and 4 nephews - including those in the US. My father has 4 siblings. I have a brother, and a cat-chasing-no-gf-since-birth pet dog (my parents' grandson/pet). I'm close to everyone in our family.
* BFD has about 20 people under the 'family category' in our guest list. My share of headcount in this category has already reached 45.
* BFD and I are both social beings with big network of friends. I'm writing this again - filling up the guest list is tough. We're not even done yet.
* In the roster of our blogger-runner-friends or runner-friends, only one person is given full access to the wedding (at this point)...because he has to fulfll the role of being our on-the-day wedding coordinator.
2. We don't have any politicians or high-ranking generals in our guest list.
We don't want any political spectacles in our wedding. We don't want to be identified with any politicians. No offense meant.
Our entourage is lean. As in, very lean.
3. The choice of destination is somewhere close to our hearts.
Singapore could have been the top choice, if not for the overwhelming and uber expensive logistics.
We found a place that is more charming, reminiscent of our Pinoy heritage, timeless...where our guests can relax and celebrate with us. Like our relationship, this place offers the proverbial 'breath of fresh air.'
4. We're keeping the expenses at a reasonable level.
Though BFD and I are both financially stable, we don't want to start our marriage in the red. We are applying a 50/50 split on our wedding expenses. We didn't ask for a single centavo from our family. It's not about pride, but it's more of keeping us responsible for the cost and outcome of any task or 'project' that we are to handle as a couple.
5. "We cannot turn water into wine."
Remember the story of the Wedding in Cana? Only Jesus can perform such miracle of turning water into wine. His gesture saved the couple from embarassment - they almost ran out of wine for their guests. Jesus wasn't inclined to perform his first public miracle in that event, but he was moved through the intercession of Mother Mary.
We cannot please everyone, and we don't want to entertain this kind of pressure.
We want to move around our wedding reception and mingle with our guests - make them feel comfortable, everyone enjoys the food in generous serving. Our guests would drive for about 1.5 hours to destination, and another 1.5 - 2hrs to drive home. We cannot assure our guests of a comfy reception, if there are over 200 guests in the event. It's not feasible for a 3-hour reception.
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The Venue
It took BFD and I over 2 months to finalize the reception venue. It was tough - we had to consider the accessibility of the venue, weather, accomodation, caterer, menu, budget, expected number of guests, and the wedding theme, of course.
We are now finalizing the layout. One of our requirements is to put our table closer to our guests - cozy, not stiff-formal. The rest is about putting the right accents, for the arrangement to follow a single theme. My beloved Groomzilla BFD volunteered to draft a layout and work on the details, together with the Banquet Manager and Coordinators. =)
Our Top 3 Picks
(I will publish another article about our wedding suppliers and why we chose to work with them.)
A. Quaint, rustic charm
B. Blank canvas for a modern Filipiniana theme
C. I love flowers. BFD wants to give me a garden. Moment naman ito. (E.g. Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette, Gardens of Versailles)
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