It's A Party!

  • Fr. Fidel Maria D. Orendain, of Don Bosco, will officiate our wedding. Young, articulate and good-looking, he is the only one we've imagined doing this task since francis first heard him celebrate mass at a Bar Operations in Manila sometime in 2003. It wasn't easy booking him for our wedding; we even had to postpone the printing of our invitation. Still, as they say, 'best things are worth waiting for', and francis, not the kind who easily gives up, persisted. Again, thanks to francis' friend, we finally booked him just over a month ago;

 

  • Atty. Allan Frederick E. Blanco, francis' good friend and roommate during Bar Review, will be the first reader;
  • Ms. Almieda C. Duenas, a common friend whom francis often hear as volunteer reader/psalmist at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Dormitory during his review, will sing this psalm for us: "I Thank My God Each Time I Think Of You!";
  • Ms. Christine S. Matugas, a classmate and friend of mine who also happened to be francis' sponsor in high school, will be our second reader;
  • Ms. Iris Consuelo P. Caniga, my friend and dormmate, will lead the Prayer for the Faithful;

 

  • Engr. Harnell Z. Hayo, francis' classmate in elementary and high school, will pair with my college classmate and friend, Dra. Ligaya A. Solera, to light the candles at our wedding; 
  • Atty. Francisco S. Pando, francis' best friend and confidant at work in the Supreme Court, will be coming home just to attend our wedding and will pair with Atty. Haide P. Acuna, francis' school mate and colleague, to clothe us with the wedding veil;
  • Atty. Tadeo B. Tumaodos, another good friend of francis, will partner with Atty. Riza Marie Mangubat-Gariando, a friend who was instrumental in booking our reception venue as well as our officiating priest, to bind us together with the wedding cord;

 

  • Our Grooms Men and Brides Maids are a little bit young for the conventional role. Thus they will double, respectively, as our flower girls, coin bearer and ring bearer. They will be Joseph Dwight L. Batoctoy, Joseph Dhune L. Batoctoy, and Jewel Dime L. Batoctoy - nephews and neice of mine - as well as Klenth Laurence L. Navarrete, Gaelen Mae Z. Cabilao and Hannah Candace S. Balagot - all godchildren of francis;

 

  • Mss. Gisell C. Almagro, Madonna Lumayag and Germaine Consolacion S. Buenconsejo,  who have selflessly acceded to our request, will team up to take charge of the details on our wedding day. Ms. Diana S. Amatong, a classmate of mine, and Mr. Julius Jay S. Balbuena will later host the program at our reception;

 

  • Mr. Ceferino C. Batoctoy, francis' ninong and who timely came home from the U.S., has agreed to make the wedding toast. His role, not simply a conventional toast, will be the only speech we'll allow during the program;