So when it's gonna be?

Okay. So the proposal had been made. A couple of days ago, just coming back from our trip to Macau, we immediately told my parents and his sister of the proposal and the upcoming wedding. And naturally, this is the time when we think of when the wedding should take place.

 Initially, the only thing that hinders us from setting a wedding date is our budget for the wedding itself. We wanted to pay for the expenses ourselves, and not ask our families – unless they volunteer themselves. So this one was of major concern for the both us, as we wanted to make our dream wedding possible at the price tag we can actually afford. So the year 2012 was definitely out of the picture, and decided whether it would be 2013 or 2014.

Choosing between the years seemed so simple at first. But both had its own pros and cons. By 2014, we would definitely have the budget we’ll need to make the dream wedding a reality. But it somehow feels too long for an engagement, and too long of a preparation is too stressful to handle. Also, more time buys more things in its own sense, so by 2014 we might be having an extravagant wedding rather than the simple intimate wedding we want. Plus, Ron has his own personal life point: to be married when he is 30, and not 31.

2013 on the other hand, seems to be realistic and practical as well. By then, we would have enough savings to make the wedding happen at a reasonable cost. We have enough time to find suppliers, who will deliver quality service at the cost we could afford, and we will be able to save for our dream home right after the wedding – thus, having a home by 2014 will be more of reach. Another additional point for the 2013 wedding is that, he’ll only be at his 30s. Haha!

So there, the year was set. 2013 it is!

The date did not come easy as well. A lot of questions surfaced during the entire process of choosing the date. Should it fall on a weekend or a weekday? A weekend wedding means that most of the guests we would choose to invite will be available, and attending our wedding wouldn’t cause too much of a hassle for them. But, traffic would be inevitable as it is on a weekend. On the other hand, if we choose a weekday wedding, a few guests will be able to make it, and those that are of working class need to take time off from work to attend. Thus, hassle on their part is an obvious result – but fewer guests would mean less cost on our part. At the end, we decided to make it on a weekend – thus limiting our calendar choices to about 8 days out of a month.

Another thing we considered is my relatives coming from overseas. It had always been a dream to have my entire family at my wedding... so this one was something we needed to discuss. Having a relative who studies abroad means that they are only able to come home during holidays or school vacations. And since it is set on 2013, one of my relatives will be coming home by May, and intends to stay for a month or so. Again, this sets another limitation to our choice of wedding date – only the months of June, July and probably December as well.

Last point to consider was a pamahiin or cultural belief. My mom opened this concern when we were asking suggestions regarding the date. Accordingly, a wedding should take place when the moon is considered to be a New Moon, or nearing a New Moon. For some reason, I personally follow certain pamahiin, as I find no wrong in doing so. Wala naman mawawala kung susunod (There’s nothing to be lost if we follow) – that’s what I say. Fortunately, my husband-to-be doesn’t mind that I want to follow this particular pamahiin.

So having all these considerations laid out for us, there was only one thing to do. See the 2013 calendar that shows the phases of the moon.

Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2013

Looking at the calendar, there were only 3 dates to choose from: June 8, 2013, July 8, 2013 and December 3, 2013. One that fits everything so perfectly is JUNE 8, 2013. After checking and discussing our budget and our work schedules, we both agreed to stick to this date.

Funny because all the while, I was secretly smiling as I had been dreaming that if a wedding was to take place next year – it would be on this date.

So there you have it. The Saradpon – Dones Nuptials will be on the 8th of June 2013.

Wish us luck!