Perfect proposal
Last Tuesday, July 17, to celebrate our second year anniversary, Toti asked me to be ready to leave work at 6:30pm. He said he made reservations for our dinner date. I didn’t really suspect anything because we usually go out for fancy dinners on special occasions.
In the car I gave him my anniversary gifts: 1) a bottle of white wine I personally selected and bought from a winery in Virginia during my recent US trip, 2) and a song recording kit – a microphone, CDRs and notebook – to support his desire to write new songs again. This is on top of the personal coffee maker I gave him on the eve of our anniv because he recently discovered a new love for coffee drinking. Cute naman diba? But no…
I soon discovered that our dinner date venue was Ateneo! When we arrived, he gave me a 3-dozen bouquet of peach roses. He reminded me that in college, he could only afford to give me one peach rose. Awww…
Then he brought out his carefully prepared picnic basket from the trunk. I was thrilled! I easily guessed we’d have dinner at the place where we had our first date back in college when I still pretended I didn’t like him (hehehe!) – the old Food For Thought stall near the library. Even if the food stall had been gone for over 2 years now, it was still a very nice romantic place to reminisce how we met over 11 years ago.
We sat in one of the stone benches where we actually had our college date. He brought out a table cloth and table napkins, and a bottle of champagne. Naks! Super impressed and kilig na ako! As he handed me the food tupperware, he showed me a picture pasted on the cover. It was the old Food For Thought stall! He said we were having the exact same food we had on that college date! I couldn’t believe it! Apparently, he hunted down the old owners and after being turned down by one of the partners, he got an email saying that the daughter of the other partner was willing to cook the food for him based on the old recipe. How wonderful! I was almost in tears… almost lang kasi I tried not to be too emotional. Mahirap umiyak na gutom… Hehehe…
He then brought out his cell phone and started playing music from our college days that he downloaded. Bilib na bilib na ako! May yellow sunflower scented candle pa because he knew I liked yellow and sunflowers.
While eating, he gave me another gift. It was the scrapbook I made for him on our first year anniversary! He added pictures and souvenirs with his own notes and messages. Dito naiyak na talaga ako. It was touching to imagine him printing, cutting and pasting away on a scrapbook! It must have taken days to complete, something I never imagined a guy would do!
I thought that was it. I knew I couldn’t take any more surprises. I was so overwhelmed! After finishing our meal and my crying mode was over, he invited me to take a short walk behind the Faura building. There was an open area there with a lot of trees where we both remember him performing at the “Nag-iisang Buwan” Ateneo Musician’s Pool concert more than a decade ago. It was where he first sang the song he wrote for me in college.
As we turned the corner of the building to the garden behind Faura, we saw an aisle of lanterns with candles leading up to a white tent in the middle of the trees… NO WAY… I didn’t want to consider the thought that it might be another part of his surprise. I shoved it aside. It’s probably just some ongoing college project or student activity.
When we got nearer, he finally admitted that the entire setup was for me! Another surprise! I tried to stay calm kahit parang hihimatayin na ako… I took pictures pa from different angles just to avoid trembling. He finally called me into the tent. As I walked towards him, I started hearing voices singing from behind me. It didn’t take me a second to guess. I knew the song and the people singing. It was his Release best buds singing in a capella the same song they serenaded me 11 years ago in Ateneo!
AYON NA ANG KATAPUSAN NI BIANCA AFRICA. Hagulgol time to the maxx!!! Dinig ata hanggang loob ng Faura yung iyak ko. Walang poise!!!
I was moved that the boys were all there, even wearing themed outfits with neckties and school boy caps. They each held one peach rose! Instead of Toti singing the solo, it was his dear brother Paolo.
In the middle of that heartwarming moment, Toti quietly explained to me the reason why he wanted the evening to be special. I may not completely remember his exact words but I understood everything. He said he wanted me to remember the wonderful things that brought us together. He said he wanted to recreate some of the important moments of our unique story, celebrating how we began and how we were blest with a second chance after almost a decade. He wanted us to have another beautiful story to tell… Finally, he said he wanted to show me how much he really loves me and remind me that I have no reason to ever doubt him. Then he got down on his knees and asked me to marry him. I said yes. =)
Sobrang saya ko. I forgot to even look at the ring he put on my finger! But when I finally gathered my senses and looked, I saw how perfect it was too!
The boys handed me the roses and congratulated us. A few feet away I could see Toti’s Kuya Wowie and Paolo’s girlfriend Karen taking pictures. Rosa and Raquel were also watching from a distance, obviously a big part of the whole scheme. They all left right after, just as quietly as they appeared out of nowhere.
After a few minutes of enjoying the moment together and the view from our tent, we decided to leave too. Toti wanted to have drinks to celebrate at Cantina, the old Tia Maria’s restaurant where I had my debut and where he performed for me with the boys before. Since it was a night of reliving the old days, I thought it the perfect place to cap the evening.
When we got there, meron pa palang surprise! Anubah?! The Release boys, our friends who helped prepare the proposal, AND our families were all there! I think it was truly the best way to celebrate. With everything that happened, we were both bursting with energy to share the story with our loved ones. Ang saya-saya!
So that’s how it happened. =) There are still so many wonderful stories to tell about how Toti prepared the proposal. This is all for now kasi nobela na ‘to!
Please don’t ask when we plan to get married. We haven’t even had the chance to talk about it yet! Hahaha! Basta next year. =)
Thanks for all the good wishes! Also want to express my sincerest thanks to all those who helped Toti with the planning and preparations. Special mention to the Wong brothers, Karen, the Release boys, and the Temple-kada – especially Raquel and Rosa!!! I’m super touched!
Right now, I just feel truly blest. I wish all of you who have a special place in my heart the same kind of happiness and love.
In the car I gave him my anniversary gifts: 1) a bottle of white wine I personally selected and bought from a winery in Virginia during my recent US trip, 2) and a song recording kit – a microphone, CDRs and notebook – to support his desire to write new songs again. This is on top of the personal coffee maker I gave him on the eve of our anniv because he recently discovered a new love for coffee drinking. Cute naman diba? But no…
I soon discovered that our dinner date venue was Ateneo! When we arrived, he gave me a 3-dozen bouquet of peach roses. He reminded me that in college, he could only afford to give me one peach rose. Awww…
Then he brought out his carefully prepared picnic basket from the trunk. I was thrilled! I easily guessed we’d have dinner at the place where we had our first date back in college when I still pretended I didn’t like him (hehehe!) – the old Food For Thought stall near the library. Even if the food stall had been gone for over 2 years now, it was still a very nice romantic place to reminisce how we met over 11 years ago.
We sat in one of the stone benches where we actually had our college date. He brought out a table cloth and table napkins, and a bottle of champagne. Naks! Super impressed and kilig na ako! As he handed me the food tupperware, he showed me a picture pasted on the cover. It was the old Food For Thought stall! He said we were having the exact same food we had on that college date! I couldn’t believe it! Apparently, he hunted down the old owners and after being turned down by one of the partners, he got an email saying that the daughter of the other partner was willing to cook the food for him based on the old recipe. How wonderful! I was almost in tears… almost lang kasi I tried not to be too emotional. Mahirap umiyak na gutom… Hehehe…
He then brought out his cell phone and started playing music from our college days that he downloaded. Bilib na bilib na ako! May yellow sunflower scented candle pa because he knew I liked yellow and sunflowers.
While eating, he gave me another gift. It was the scrapbook I made for him on our first year anniversary! He added pictures and souvenirs with his own notes and messages. Dito naiyak na talaga ako. It was touching to imagine him printing, cutting and pasting away on a scrapbook! It must have taken days to complete, something I never imagined a guy would do!
I thought that was it. I knew I couldn’t take any more surprises. I was so overwhelmed! After finishing our meal and my crying mode was over, he invited me to take a short walk behind the Faura building. There was an open area there with a lot of trees where we both remember him performing at the “Nag-iisang Buwan” Ateneo Musician’s Pool concert more than a decade ago. It was where he first sang the song he wrote for me in college.
As we turned the corner of the building to the garden behind Faura, we saw an aisle of lanterns with candles leading up to a white tent in the middle of the trees… NO WAY… I didn’t want to consider the thought that it might be another part of his surprise. I shoved it aside. It’s probably just some ongoing college project or student activity.
When we got nearer, he finally admitted that the entire setup was for me! Another surprise! I tried to stay calm kahit parang hihimatayin na ako… I took pictures pa from different angles just to avoid trembling. He finally called me into the tent. As I walked towards him, I started hearing voices singing from behind me. It didn’t take me a second to guess. I knew the song and the people singing. It was his Release best buds singing in a capella the same song they serenaded me 11 years ago in Ateneo!
AYON NA ANG KATAPUSAN NI BIANCA AFRICA. Hagulgol time to the maxx!!! Dinig ata hanggang loob ng Faura yung iyak ko. Walang poise!!!
I was moved that the boys were all there, even wearing themed outfits with neckties and school boy caps. They each held one peach rose! Instead of Toti singing the solo, it was his dear brother Paolo.
In the middle of that heartwarming moment, Toti quietly explained to me the reason why he wanted the evening to be special. I may not completely remember his exact words but I understood everything. He said he wanted me to remember the wonderful things that brought us together. He said he wanted to recreate some of the important moments of our unique story, celebrating how we began and how we were blest with a second chance after almost a decade. He wanted us to have another beautiful story to tell… Finally, he said he wanted to show me how much he really loves me and remind me that I have no reason to ever doubt him. Then he got down on his knees and asked me to marry him. I said yes. =)
Sobrang saya ko. I forgot to even look at the ring he put on my finger! But when I finally gathered my senses and looked, I saw how perfect it was too!
The boys handed me the roses and congratulated us. A few feet away I could see Toti’s Kuya Wowie and Paolo’s girlfriend Karen taking pictures. Rosa and Raquel were also watching from a distance, obviously a big part of the whole scheme. They all left right after, just as quietly as they appeared out of nowhere.
After a few minutes of enjoying the moment together and the view from our tent, we decided to leave too. Toti wanted to have drinks to celebrate at Cantina, the old Tia Maria’s restaurant where I had my debut and where he performed for me with the boys before. Since it was a night of reliving the old days, I thought it the perfect place to cap the evening.
When we got there, meron pa palang surprise! Anubah?! The Release boys, our friends who helped prepare the proposal, AND our families were all there! I think it was truly the best way to celebrate. With everything that happened, we were both bursting with energy to share the story with our loved ones. Ang saya-saya!
So that’s how it happened. =) There are still so many wonderful stories to tell about how Toti prepared the proposal. This is all for now kasi nobela na ‘to!
Please don’t ask when we plan to get married. We haven’t even had the chance to talk about it yet! Hahaha! Basta next year. =)
Thanks for all the good wishes! Also want to express my sincerest thanks to all those who helped Toti with the planning and preparations. Special mention to the Wong brothers, Karen, the Release boys, and the Temple-kada – especially Raquel and Rosa!!! I’m super touched!
Right now, I just feel truly blest. I wish all of you who have a special place in my heart the same kind of happiness and love.
posted by everythingyellow at 8:19 AM
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