13 highlights of my parents 40th wedding anniversary celebration
1. It was a 2 day affair. Feb. 4, 2008 the eve of their anniversary, we checked them into a luxurious one bedroom suite at the Discovery Suites, Ortigas.
2. The room was filled with elegant floral bouquets of roses. There were even rose petals scattered on the bathroom floor. The bathtub was filled with warm water and floating rose petals. The entire suite smelled of fresh roses.
3. My sister and I stayed for dinner which we ordered from room service. We had beef oxtail kare kare, pumpkin soup, grilled rosemary chicken, potato puree, spinach gratin and steamed rice.
4. While they were still glued to the TV watching the live proceedings at Congress, my sister and I said goodnight so they could enjoy their overnight stay in the lap of luxury.
5. The next day, February 5 is the actual date of their 40th wedding anniversary. My sister and I along with D, my fiance picked them up at around 11:45 AM after they checked out of Discovery Suites. We planned a full day for them but we kept our itinerary a secret. They were totally clueless and quite eager to learn about our surprises but we kept it a mystery.
6. Our first stop was lunch at Max's Restaurant in Baclaran. 40 years ago after their very low key wedding with only a handful of relatives in attendance, they proceeded to have dinner at Max's all the way in Baclaran for their 'reception'.
7. We feasted on chicken (of course!), kare kare, pinakbet, sinigang na hipon, fresh lumpia, pancit miki bihon and buko pandan ice cream. It was a great family bonding moment as they regaled us with stories of their wedding 40 years ago. A truly nostalgic walk down memory lane.
8. To kill some time, we proceeded to SM Mall of Asia. Admiring the lovely view of Manila Bay from the 2nd floor as we sipped coffee at Seattle's Best. More conversation ensued with Dad and D taking the helm as we discussed everything and anything under the hot scorching sun. Funny thing is that both D and Dad were in matching maroon t-shirts.
9. Our next stop was Santa Ana church, the church where they got married 40 years ago. We got there just in time for the 6:30pm evening Mass.
10. My sister and I went to the church a week ago to offer a thanksgiving mass specifically for their 40th wedding anniversary. When the lector announced the special intention of the mass, my mother started crying right there. She thought that we were just going to stay a few minutes, say our prayers then leave. She didn't know we had made a special offering for the evening Mass.
11. We decided to head over to Shangri-la Plaza for dinner from Santa Ana. We wanted something light and settled for some seafood fare at Fish & Co. Fish and Chips were the main dish on our table.
12. We celebrated by doing a reenactment of February 5, 1968. We heard Mass at the church where they were wed that Tuesday evening, 40 years ago. And ate at the restaurant where they toasted their nuptials with a select few relatives. I was really glad that D didn't have work so he could join us for that special occasion.
13. We all had a grand time. It was a long day filled with nostalgic memories, bright hopeful prospects for the future and special thanksgiving for the blessings this family has enjoyed throughout their 4 decades of marriage.
2. The room was filled with elegant floral bouquets of roses. There were even rose petals scattered on the bathroom floor. The bathtub was filled with warm water and floating rose petals. The entire suite smelled of fresh roses.
3. My sister and I stayed for dinner which we ordered from room service. We had beef oxtail kare kare, pumpkin soup, grilled rosemary chicken, potato puree, spinach gratin and steamed rice.
4. While they were still glued to the TV watching the live proceedings at Congress, my sister and I said goodnight so they could enjoy their overnight stay in the lap of luxury.
5. The next day, February 5 is the actual date of their 40th wedding anniversary. My sister and I along with D, my fiance picked them up at around 11:45 AM after they checked out of Discovery Suites. We planned a full day for them but we kept our itinerary a secret. They were totally clueless and quite eager to learn about our surprises but we kept it a mystery.
6. Our first stop was lunch at Max's Restaurant in Baclaran. 40 years ago after their very low key wedding with only a handful of relatives in attendance, they proceeded to have dinner at Max's all the way in Baclaran for their 'reception'.
7. We feasted on chicken (of course!), kare kare, pinakbet, sinigang na hipon, fresh lumpia, pancit miki bihon and buko pandan ice cream. It was a great family bonding moment as they regaled us with stories of their wedding 40 years ago. A truly nostalgic walk down memory lane.
8. To kill some time, we proceeded to SM Mall of Asia. Admiring the lovely view of Manila Bay from the 2nd floor as we sipped coffee at Seattle's Best. More conversation ensued with Dad and D taking the helm as we discussed everything and anything under the hot scorching sun. Funny thing is that both D and Dad were in matching maroon t-shirts.
9. Our next stop was Santa Ana church, the church where they got married 40 years ago. We got there just in time for the 6:30pm evening Mass.
10. My sister and I went to the church a week ago to offer a thanksgiving mass specifically for their 40th wedding anniversary. When the lector announced the special intention of the mass, my mother started crying right there. She thought that we were just going to stay a few minutes, say our prayers then leave. She didn't know we had made a special offering for the evening Mass.
11. We decided to head over to Shangri-la Plaza for dinner from Santa Ana. We wanted something light and settled for some seafood fare at Fish & Co. Fish and Chips were the main dish on our table.
12. We celebrated by doing a reenactment of February 5, 1968. We heard Mass at the church where they were wed that Tuesday evening, 40 years ago. And ate at the restaurant where they toasted their nuptials with a select few relatives. I was really glad that D didn't have work so he could join us for that special occasion.
13. We all had a grand time. It was a long day filled with nostalgic memories, bright hopeful prospects for the future and special thanksgiving for the blessings this family has enjoyed throughout their 4 decades of marriage.
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