Who said we can't attend a weekday celebration?
My friend Frances informed us that her wedding was scheduled for a Monday. She was actually thinking that none of her friends would come because hello, it's a workday! Being the awesome friends we are, we wouldn't let work get in the way of celebrating this special day. Right then and there, even with hectic schedules, we decided to make it to her wedding.
Frances wanted us there because she wanted us to be a part of her wedding. It's an intimate wedding with just close friends and family. Frances and her partner asked me and Dawn to be the reception hosts. We burst into laughter because the idea of us hosting their wedding was hilarious! 😂
Sure, Dawn and I emceed events at school, but a wedding? Our friend's wedding? No way! 🤣 Just the thought of our friend getting married had us crying already. What more hosting and giving heartfelt speeches to the couple on their wedding day? Dawn and I talked that night and we pictured ourselves messing up and saying ridiculous things. You know, that's how well we know Frances and her love life!
The next day, Frances and her partner had a change of heart. They assigned us to sing instead 🤣 I used to be in a choir back in school and a part of the music ministry of our church, but singing at a wedding? I don't think my voice can handle the pressure. But hey, it's Frances who asked, so we couldn't refuse. Since that night, Dawn and I had been searching for the perfect wedding song. Guess what we picked!
With our hectic schedules, Dawn and I had to take time off work. We planned to have 2 days of leave and the rest of the weekend for this trip. And to make the most of our trip to Pampanga, we decided to buy a ride-all-you-can pass for Skyranch Pampanga through Klook. (Let me tell you about our experience in my next blog!)
Dawn and I decided to meet up at SM Manila early in the morning. We had no clue how to get to Pampanga using public transportation but we remembered Frances used to take a bus from our university in Manila to Pampanga. So, we asked her for some directions.
inside the bus on the way to Pampanga
From SM Manila, we made our way to Doroteo Jose. Luckily, there was a bus bound to Pampanga, waiting for us. It took us 2 hours before we reached SM Pampanga.
Our plan?
Now, we're on a hunt for a place to eat. We explored SM Pampanga but all the restaurants were jam-packed because it's lunchtime! It felt like we had memorized the entire place when we decided to have Jollibee meal. Thank goodness it wasn't as confusing as Glorietta in Makati.
After satisfying our hunger, we headed to Oyo Hotel. While we're checking in, guess who we bumped into? Some of our college batchmates who were also attending Frances' wedding!
Oyo Hotel Pampanga where we stayed
Funny thing, Dawn and I considered staying at Sogo Hotel 😂 You know, the infamous meet-up place for a couple to do their thing. But upon looking at their facilities, it's not that bad. Plus, we saw in one of their ads that they have themed rooms! Dawn and I really wanted to try that one, just for the experience.
But Oyo Hotel is conveniently located right beside SM Pampanga, near Skyranch Pampanga, and close to the wedding venue we were heading to.
Our room @ Oyo Hotel
Once we settled in, we went to Skyranch Pampanga. I'll save the details in my next blog!
The next day was Frances' wedding day. Thanks to Celine, her childhood bff, we had a ride to and from the wedding venue. There were a few unfamiliar faces at the wedding, but mostly are our mutual friends from college.
The wedding ceremony started early and ended early as well. Right after the party, Dawn and I decided to take a nap and explore Robinsons Pampanga where we decided to have our dinner since it's also near to our place. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see in Robinsons Pampanga so we ended up heading back to SM Pampanga and settled for a meal at Gerry's Grill instead.
The following day, it was time to head back home. We checked out of Oyo Hotel and met up with the newlyweds for lunch, where we gave our gift - Dawn and I bought them Seventeen's concert tickets. We wanted our gift to be memorable for them and since they're fans of Seventeen, we chose that one.
After our lunch with the newlyweds, they took us to L.A. Bakeshop and treated us some pieces of bread to take home to our families. I'm not a fan of cheese but L.A. Bakeshop's cheesebread is to die for!
Our Pampanga escapade is proof that we're willing to go the extra mile for the people we care about. It's always worth it to break free from the mundane and embrace new adventures. I'm curious about who among my friends is about to say "I do" next 😁 I can't wait to plot my next leave!
📸 All images are mine unless otherwise stated.
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