WEDDING EMCEE PHILIPPINES READS POETRY

ODE TO NIGHTINGALE BY JOHN KEATS

MY heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains
One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:
'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,
But being too happy in thine happiness,
That thou, light-wingèd Dryad of the trees,
In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

O for a draught of vintage! that hath been
Cool'd a long age in the deep-delvèd earth,
Tasting of Flora and the country-green,
Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!
O for a beaker full of the warm South! 15
Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene,
With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,
And purple-stainèd mouth;
That I might drink, and leave the world unseen,
And with thee fade away into the forest dim:

Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget
What thou among the leaves hast never known,
The weariness, the fever, and the fret
Here, where men sit and hear each other groan;
Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last grey hairs,
Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies;
Where but to think is to be full of sorrow
And leaden-eyed despairs;
Where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes,
Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow.

Away! away! for I will fly to thee,
Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards,
But on the viewless wings of Poesy,
Though the dull brain perplexes and retards:
Already with thee! tender is the night, 35
And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne,
Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays
But here there is no light,
Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown
Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways.

I cannot see what flowers are at my feet,
Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs,
But, in embalmèd darkness, guess each sweet
Wherewith the seasonable month endows
The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild;
White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine;
Fast-fading violets cover'd up in leaves;
And mid-May's eldest child,
The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine,
The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves.

Darkling I listen; and, for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a musèd rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain,
While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad
In such an ecstasy!
Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain—
To thy high requiem become a sod.

Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!
No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown:
Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that ofttimes hath
Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam
Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

Forlorn! the very word is like a bell
To toll me back from thee to my sole self!
Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well
As she is famed to do, deceiving elf.
Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades
Past the near meadows, over the still stream,
Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep
In the next valley-glades:
Was it a vision, or a waking dream?
Fled is that music:—do I wake or sleep?

Reception Program - Makes or Breaks Your Day

Thinking about reception program might be bothering the couple if they are thinking to have their own. Maybe they are thinking of a certain theme and program part inclusions. That’s fine but they have to remember the sequence in running the show and how long it takes to sustain the guests on foot. An ideal length is 2 hours and 15 minutes that includes mealtime. Making it so long has its negative effect. Through experience and exposure we know how to pace the show.

Keeping safe we maintain the standard flow and if there are inclusions then they are used to maintain the steady flow. As a rule we do the most important parts of the celebration first. The traditions are never missed and necessary because they are here to stay. They are special rituals and symbolic as that.

We always emphasize, if it is a buffet serving that souvenir shots are done first before proceeding to the banquet table just to avoid congestion and run things smoothly on the handle. It is also convenient for the couple rather than they move around to have their pictures taken with the guests.

Any program has its climax by choosing the next bride and groom to be in the future, so to speak and a game is devised either by the couple but on our part we do not divulge the game mechanics because we want a touch of surprise on that portion. We want to involve the couple at the same time. It has a positive feedback and we want to maintain it that way. Who knows the chosen partners during the game will make it in the future, if they are meant for each other. Let’s see!

After the program we encourage dancing to make the most of the time paid for using the venue. Hire a DJ and we are ready to have a professional one to do the job. Some of your relatives still stay and friends to carry on the merriment. It is your big day and enjoy the moment.

Unique Asian Wedding Traditions Revealed

Traditions are parts of culture and there they stay to follow especially in Asia where traditions vary from each country. We live in a modern world but still ancient beliefs are put to test because it is symbolic in the plainest sense of the word. Weddings are events where everything to do for a happy life is measured by following what the sages say discovering the simple rituals to save the day, so to speak. The modern thinkers dismiss the idea but when they are prepared to tie the knot they think otherwise. No harm in trying as the saying goes.

If you try to examine the word wedding, wed is a Greek word that means pledge and that strong word defines how they go on living together as husband and wife. Wedding rituals connote to a pledge made by the couple and there they start a brand new life.

In Japan, the bride wears a purple gown signifying the color of love and if you examine the dress it is an elaborately-embroidered Kimono silk covered with purple iris-flowers. For Japanese, love is sacred.

In China, the bride wears a bright red gown symbolizing luck. It is elaborately adorned with golden phoenixes, chrysanthemums and peonies believing to bring wealth and good fortune. The groom, on the hand wears a traditional black silk coat over a robe embroidered with dragon. But before the grand day, a whole roast pig is offered as an engagement gift. And fireworks are famous from Chinese weddings to scare off evil spirits for better lives.
In Indonesia, reception festivities only begin when the couple greeted the whole guests in line. They receive their guests until the very last one. This is still followed by some Asians but today it is not necessary so. The bride and groom are brought to a room waiting for everybody to arrive ready for the grand entrance.

In Korea, before tying the knot, they are brought to a Kung-Hap, a fortune teller to look into the couple’s future. This is a must for Koreans but those exposed to modern world think otherwise.

Filipino tradition of throwing a spear in the front steps of the intended bride is no longer used, instead a golden ring is offered for their engagement.

In India, the parents of the bride wash the couple’s feet with milk and water to purify their souls. This is symbolic and up to now Indians follow the ritual. During the ceremony both holds grains of rice and oats and green leaves symbolizing wealth, good health and happiness.

These are documented rituals familiar to most Asians but being in the modern world directs thinking to a practical point of view but still, traditions stay.

Before You Marry, Beware

During the early years numerous accounts were recorded about consequences that befell upon two people getting married. Perhaps, it happened several times and spread like fire creating fear among those who will tie the knot. Even today some are aware of wedding beliefs, the reason why they consult to find the meaning or symbolism of an act or anything related.

As to records of yesteryear, days played major consideration. Choosing a day signifies their future. Monday was connoted for wealth,Tuesday would bring health, Wednesday was the best day of all, Thursday meant losses, Friday symbolized crosses and Saturday was no luck at all. That brings us to believe that Fridays and Saturdays are the worst days to tie the knot.

I don't know if this is common to you that the bride must not make her own dress and never look in the mirror until totally dressed and as everybody knows that the groom must not see her in her wedding dress before she arrives in church. Are you aware, too that when a bridal party meets a funeral, is unlucky? Do you know that when the clock in the church strikes during the ceremony is bad omen? Even a thunderstorm has to do without having children. Even death is put to test. The one who speaks the loudest dies first. Whoever drops the ring will be the first to leave. Also the first to turn away from the altar and the first to sleep during their first night dies first.

But the good news is that the first to step out of the church door will be the dominant partner ruling out.

There are other beliefs but the ones mentioned are quite new to many and universal. It's not only us Pilipinos who are aware of these but the rest of the world.

It seems a warning but only you married couples know how to put things together and rule the way you live because you know better. The spirit within you dictates the right path.