There’s always a first time…
“There’s always a first time for everything” as what Msgr. Bauson said in our wedding last Saturday, February 10 in Caleruega Chapel.
We have started the processional even without the officiating priest yet! There was a miscommunication between me and the sacristan of Caleruega Chapel. When I arrived in the church at 8:20am, I immediately put the missalettes in the pews of the chapel and then I saw the sacristan fixing the altar already. I approached him and asked if the priest is already there. He answered me yes. All along, I was thinking that the priest might just be inside the sacristy at the back of the chapel.
The bride, Nicole really wanted to start the processional at 845am so we can start the ceremony proper at 9am. We were running a bit late then since not everyone was there at 845am. Nicole arrived in the church at exactly 5 minutes before 9am. With the long walk upstairs to the chapel, we started the processional a little past 9:10am. While waiting for Nicole and my other coordinator, was helping her to get up together with Veluz and her staff, I immediately called on the whole entourage and asked them to line-up outside the chapel. I was so focused on the time and ensured only that everyone is complete, like the entourage, readers and offerors except that I didn’t double check the priest in the sacristy. I really thought it was a fault at my hand.
We have started the processional and I was in front assisting the entourage for their seating arrangement while my other coordinator was at the back cueing them when to walk. It was a short processional as Nicole and Earl have a very small entourage.
In the middle of it all, the sacristan told me that the priest wasn’t there yet! I was astonished! My mind was rumbling on what to do. I immediately asked Earl (groom) if he saw the priest and he said no. Oh no! Earl told me to ask her mom about his whereabouts. Dra. Arceno told me that he was checked-in already in Caleruega. I ran to the sacristan again and told him that he is probably still in his room. I then figured out that he actually told me earlier that the priest was there already so I went back to him and cleared things with him. And yes, he knows that the priest was already checked in caleruega so when I asked him earlier if he’s there already, he answered me yes but he didn’t mention to me that he was still in his room.
My other coordinator, Sherlou ran to the security guard to ask Msgr. Bauson’s room number. Sherlou ran to room1 to check on Msgr Bauson and he was there, not yet prepared. He said he thought the wedding was at 930am. He immediately changed and ran up to the church. That time, Nicole was already in front of the altar with Earl.
I have to coach Tracy, the commentator to ask the guests first to take their seats as we waited for like a little close to 2 minutes (I really checked my watch!) for Msgr. Bauson.
Msgr Bauson marched in the middle of the church saying “there’s always a first time for everything” He pulled it off actually and there’s a gush of laughter inside the church. He apologized to the couple before starting the ceremony. He even explained that he was there in the chapel earlier which was true because when we were unloading the materials for the church, I saw him going down the stairs but I didn’t know that he was the officiating priest. I just recognized him when he was running up the stairs after we have called him.
Indeed, this was also a first for us, a first time that we started the processional even without the priest.
Lesson learned: do not rely on what you cannot see. It is better to double check everything.
Nicole was a very organized bride. She gave me a whole folder of the photocopies of her contracts and receipts from suppliers with annotation of all her instructions. She’s wishing that the flowers from the church can be transferred to Sonya’s Garden. But apparently, her florist cannot do so since they have another function the same time. I then decided that we removed the clipped floral arrangement during pictorial and we ourselves brought it to the reception. We just designed the calla lilies in the benches, entrance of Sonya’s greenhouse as accent floral arrangement.
It was almost 12nn but we haven’t started the reception since Nicole and Earl are still having their pictorial. As instructed, Pritson should be offered to the guests upon their entry so that guests can have pre-lunch snacks. But the priston supplier almost arrived at 11am so they were pretty late in offering the pritson. There was a long cue of guests lined-up in the pritson table. Nicole’s mom have asked me if some of the guests in front, esp the old ones can be served with pritson already instead of them lining up. I have actually asked the waiters of Sonya’s to do so but they just cannot do it since very few pieces were left in the pritson table and a lot of guests are still lining up.
People were a bit weary because they might be starving already. Ana, the captain server of Sonya’s have asked me if they can already serve the salad since a lot of guests are asking them about it. She explained to me that it would be better for them to serve it since their serving style can be longer. They do refill the salad bowls actually as long as the guests want more. With some thought, guests have come all the way from Manila for a 9am wedding, they might have left Manila at 730am, most of there could probably be up by 6am or before, others might not have taken their breakfast at all, I then decided on it and gave a go signal to Ana to serve the salads as I think it’s the best possible solution since most of the guests might be starving already.
Serving at Sonya’s was quite long not because the waiters are slow but because they really make sure that guests get to enjoy the food. In fact, before they do serve the 2nd course, guests must at least have asked them to do so because some are really enjoying eating the refillable bowls of greens/salad.
Nicole was upset about it because it didn’t happen according to her plan but I explained to her that I’m taking responsibility for that since I know it’s the best option. She actually agreed eventually to serve to everyone the salad before their grand entrance.
She mentioned to me in the middle of the reception that what happened turned out fine since the program just finished in time for everyone’s lunch. What we really don’t want to happen is that people start leaving without finishing program because they just have finished eating. Most of the guests stayed until the end of the program, some even stayed even after and enjoyed the mocha sans rival wedding cake that were offered to the guests by the bride herself.
We got a number of compliments from friends as how the wedding went. There were a number of guests who actually asked for our calling card. After a days work, we enjoyed the sumptuous meal from Sonya’s. Nicole and Earl were generous in providing meals for their suppliers. It is worth the wait to just eat after the end of all our works since we get to relish and relax more with the good food from Sonya’s.
“There’s always a first time for everything” as what Msgr. Bauson said in our wedding last Saturday, February 10 in Caleruega Chapel.
We have started the processional even without the officiating priest yet! There was a miscommunication between me and the sacristan of Caleruega Chapel. When I arrived in the church at 8:20am, I immediately put the missalettes in the pews of the chapel and then I saw the sacristan fixing the altar already. I approached him and asked if the priest is already there. He answered me yes. All along, I was thinking that the priest might just be inside the sacristy at the back of the chapel.
The bride, Nicole really wanted to start the processional at 845am so we can start the ceremony proper at 9am. We were running a bit late then since not everyone was there at 845am. Nicole arrived in the church at exactly 5 minutes before 9am. With the long walk upstairs to the chapel, we started the processional a little past 9:10am. While waiting for Nicole and my other coordinator, was helping her to get up together with Veluz and her staff, I immediately called on the whole entourage and asked them to line-up outside the chapel. I was so focused on the time and ensured only that everyone is complete, like the entourage, readers and offerors except that I didn’t double check the priest in the sacristy. I really thought it was a fault at my hand.
We have started the processional and I was in front assisting the entourage for their seating arrangement while my other coordinator was at the back cueing them when to walk. It was a short processional as Nicole and Earl have a very small entourage.
In the middle of it all, the sacristan told me that the priest wasn’t there yet! I was astonished! My mind was rumbling on what to do. I immediately asked Earl (groom) if he saw the priest and he said no. Oh no! Earl told me to ask her mom about his whereabouts. Dra. Arceno told me that he was checked-in already in Caleruega. I ran to the sacristan again and told him that he is probably still in his room. I then figured out that he actually told me earlier that the priest was there already so I went back to him and cleared things with him. And yes, he knows that the priest was already checked in caleruega so when I asked him earlier if he’s there already, he answered me yes but he didn’t mention to me that he was still in his room.
My other coordinator, Sherlou ran to the security guard to ask Msgr. Bauson’s room number. Sherlou ran to room1 to check on Msgr Bauson and he was there, not yet prepared. He said he thought the wedding was at 930am. He immediately changed and ran up to the church. That time, Nicole was already in front of the altar with Earl.
I have to coach Tracy, the commentator to ask the guests first to take their seats as we waited for like a little close to 2 minutes (I really checked my watch!) for Msgr. Bauson.
Msgr Bauson marched in the middle of the church saying “there’s always a first time for everything” He pulled it off actually and there’s a gush of laughter inside the church. He apologized to the couple before starting the ceremony. He even explained that he was there in the chapel earlier which was true because when we were unloading the materials for the church, I saw him going down the stairs but I didn’t know that he was the officiating priest. I just recognized him when he was running up the stairs after we have called him.
Indeed, this was also a first for us, a first time that we started the processional even without the priest.
Lesson learned: do not rely on what you cannot see. It is better to double check everything.
Nicole was a very organized bride. She gave me a whole folder of the photocopies of her contracts and receipts from suppliers with annotation of all her instructions. She’s wishing that the flowers from the church can be transferred to Sonya’s Garden. But apparently, her florist cannot do so since they have another function the same time. I then decided that we removed the clipped floral arrangement during pictorial and we ourselves brought it to the reception. We just designed the calla lilies in the benches, entrance of Sonya’s greenhouse as accent floral arrangement.
It was almost 12nn but we haven’t started the reception since Nicole and Earl are still having their pictorial. As instructed, Pritson should be offered to the guests upon their entry so that guests can have pre-lunch snacks. But the priston supplier almost arrived at 11am so they were pretty late in offering the pritson. There was a long cue of guests lined-up in the pritson table. Nicole’s mom have asked me if some of the guests in front, esp the old ones can be served with pritson already instead of them lining up. I have actually asked the waiters of Sonya’s to do so but they just cannot do it since very few pieces were left in the pritson table and a lot of guests are still lining up.
People were a bit weary because they might be starving already. Ana, the captain server of Sonya’s have asked me if they can already serve the salad since a lot of guests are asking them about it. She explained to me that it would be better for them to serve it since their serving style can be longer. They do refill the salad bowls actually as long as the guests want more. With some thought, guests have come all the way from Manila for a 9am wedding, they might have left Manila at 730am, most of there could probably be up by 6am or before, others might not have taken their breakfast at all, I then decided on it and gave a go signal to Ana to serve the salads as I think it’s the best possible solution since most of the guests might be starving already.
Serving at Sonya’s was quite long not because the waiters are slow but because they really make sure that guests get to enjoy the food. In fact, before they do serve the 2nd course, guests must at least have asked them to do so because some are really enjoying eating the refillable bowls of greens/salad.
Nicole was upset about it because it didn’t happen according to her plan but I explained to her that I’m taking responsibility for that since I know it’s the best option. She actually agreed eventually to serve to everyone the salad before their grand entrance.
She mentioned to me in the middle of the reception that what happened turned out fine since the program just finished in time for everyone’s lunch. What we really don’t want to happen is that people start leaving without finishing program because they just have finished eating. Most of the guests stayed until the end of the program, some even stayed even after and enjoyed the mocha sans rival wedding cake that were offered to the guests by the bride herself.
We got a number of compliments from friends as how the wedding went. There were a number of guests who actually asked for our calling card. After a days work, we enjoyed the sumptuous meal from Sonya’s. Nicole and Earl were generous in providing meals for their suppliers. It is worth the wait to just eat after the end of all our works since we get to relish and relax more with the good food from Sonya’s.
To Nicole and Earl, wishing you the best of married life...God bless you both!
