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Danny & Joy The Wedding Special
Danny & Joy The Wedding Special
Danny & Joy The Wedding Special

 

INTRO

DETAILS

ENTOURAGE

FAQs

ARTICLES

PHOTOS

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HOME > The Wedding Special > FAQs

Studio shot of Joy and I Who's the lucky girl?
She's a woman, not a girl! Her name is Judith Lopez Balean, the eldest daughter of Prof. Abraham C. Balean and Dr. Purita A. Lopez-Balean. Mental note: Need to ask Joy (her nickname, by the way) if she considers herself lucky.
How did you meet?
Believe it or not, through Friendster! Joy hails from Bicol while I live in Manila but we have known each other before in the mid-1980s while studying at the University of the Philippines.
Bulatlat logo Could you tell us your story?
Joy's personal essay titled Friendster-inspired `wired' meeting ends in wedding was published in the Philippine Graphic. Please read it to know our "weird" story.
I wrote about her in a personal essay titled Finding Joy in a Time of Crisis which was published in Bulatlat, an independent weekly online news magazine of which I am a member of the Board of Editors. Please check it out now.
DWIZ logoThe Probe Team Documentaries logo Is it true you were featured on radio and television, as well as selected broadsheets?
Yes. In line with Valentine's Day 2005, we were interviewed live on the radio program Woman Talk hosted by Marou Sarne-Pahati on February 8, 2005, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. aired over DWIZ 882 khz (AM station). Excerpts of this interview were also aired on February 12, 6:45 a.m. over DWIZ.
Our story was featured in the Valentine's Special of The Probe Team Documentaries titled "Basta Pinoy, Sweet Lover" aired over ABC 5 on February 15, 2005 at 10:00 p.m. Please check out selected vidcaps of this episode.
The following months also saw our story being featured by selected media agencies. Please go to the Articles section for details.
Why did you get married?
We're old enough and we're ready. More importantly (even at the risk of sounding corny!), we love each other.
How would you describe your wedding preparations?
One word can describe our wedding preparations: Weird!
We decided to get married in July 2004 and the first thing we did was to look for our wedding rings. We finally bought a pair a few days before my birthday last September. We booked the UP Parish and the University Hotel only in early October 2004. After that, we rushed to secure the necessary documents from the Catholic Church and the local governments of Quezon City and Tabaco City (Albay).
Needless to say, we operated on a very tight budget and an equally tight schedule.
Given our background in design and layout, we produced our wedding invitations and created this Wedding Special website. On the other hand, Joy designed her wedding gown while her sister Francia designed the gowns of the entourage. We both wrote the poem we distributed to our guests as wedding souvenirs. We also conceptualized the motif and theme of our wedding.
Are you aware that December 28, your wedding day, is Ni�os Inocentes?
Yes, we know. We initially chose December 26, but Sunday marriages are not allowed at the UP Parish. The same was true for December 27 which falls on a Monday. We therefore settled for December 28. We can say that on the day of tricksters, we are the only ones who are serious!
Why did you choose the UP Parish as the place where you will be married?
That is the place where we first went after we personally met in my office at the UP College of Mass Communication. Joy and I also asked for blessing there.
Why did you have two wedding receptions?
Not all of Joy's friends and relatives in Bicol were able to go to Manila on December 28, hence the need to accommodate them through another reception.
Unlike the one at the University Hotel, the reception at Mi Jardin in Tabaco City did not have any program. We only played the video presentation of the December 28 wedding and reception and our guests looked at our photo albums. We also made them read the articles we wrote for Bulatlat and Philippine Graphic.
Congratulations! How can we contact you?
You may go to the Contact Us page to know our email address and cellular phone number.

Page last updated: 24 February 2006
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� 1999-2006 / Danilo A. Arao & Judith L. Balean