Being a penniless, starving artist that I was then, I had no means to give her the wedding of her dreams – a flowing white Vera Wang or a Vivienne Westwood dress, a sunset ceremony on a deserted beach, wedding rings by Cartier or Tiffany, a theatrical reception with a string orchestra, chocolate fountain, free flowing champagne and designer canapés and a dinner whipped up by three-star Micelin chefs from France.
Instead, I married her in our little house garage in Iloilo. She wore a fifty peso ($1) long skirt which she converted into a dress from Landmark in Makati. Our rings were bought for 200 pesos ($4) from Divisoria’s Tutuban Mall and our reception was catered by my own mom who cooked everything from scratch. Our entire wedding cost us 10,000 pesos ($400) which I got as payment for designing the uniforms of Club Noah Isabelle in Palawan. Our plane fares were free, as we’ve accumulated enough points from the loyalty program of Cebu Pacific, back when they still had the Summit Club. I also got some extra money from selling two paintings for only 5,000 pesos ($100).
Since that was all I could offer her at that time, I vowed to myself to MAKE IT UP to her as soon as I am financially stable. Through time, I have learned to keep myself abreast with the thing that has gripped my wife’s fancy into a growing obsession since time immemorial… LOUIS VUITTON.
I remember seeing her face light up every time we pass by the LV flagship store in Greenbelt IV when we were still living in Manila. Her cheeks would gush at the sight of the monogrammed canvas, and when Marc Jacobs, creative director of LV, took bolder steps in collaborating with more artists in designing new bags and reintroducing the classics, the fire became unstoppable. Being introduced to the blog of another LV fanatic Cecile Zamora Van Straten (chuvaness.livejournal.com) didn’t help at all.
So after a successful exhibition in Manila last April, I took her LV shopping. But as much as taking Cocaine and a woman’s Louis Vuitton obsessions are the same, they will always crave for more. Lately, my wife has been bombarding me with not-so-subtle hints (see a comment on my last post!) of what she wants for her birthday.
So as my love for her is growing and getting stronger each day, I have no choice but to translate that love into a silly, materialistic, consumerist, capitalistic symbol of desire to spend forever by her side…. I AM EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY OF LOVE – a long, six hour drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (it actually took me 23 hours on the road as my rickety Toyota Camry's transmission system broke down!), and a seven hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Saigon (the nearest Louis Vuitton store) to buy another LV bag for the woman I am dearly enamored with.
How far will you go for love?
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31 comments:
that's wonderful. LV is LVoe. Puede i-link? hehe
i dont agree with this although I dont have to. but as you said, you are in love and i am also in love. this could be the reason that i can relate and understand fully well the message this post is all about. i bought a cellphone for my ace few days back, too.
beautiful story bro! :)
LV is really very expensive, but if you can afford it, why not diba!
ako kasi i really spend money for things i like, food, clothes, gadgets, etc. i'll rather die happy and broke than lonely with so much savings in the bank. would it buy me an LV kabaong? :)
so buy your wife all the best things in the world and be happy!
cheers!
She's sooo lucky but she's worth it!!!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story of love ...
Best wishes to both of you! Mwah!
@chuvaness: Cecile!!! It's great to hear from you again! Yup, LV is truly LoVe! Sure, link this... I was inspired also by Jeroen's story on buying your latest bag!
@blagadag: yeah, you're right. When you're in love, material things and it's worth are nothing as long as it makes our loved ones happy...
@jake: well, i can only afford the classic designs... the collaborated designs with artists like the commes des garcons and richard prince editions are waaaaay too expensive, although i would have loved to buy them for my wife. yes, i'd rather die broke but happy too!
@gayzha: thanks... a woman can indeed launch a thousand ships... not to mention a thousand bags!
I read again your article and I can't ignore the sweetest smile you too are wearing on your day. This wedding is probably the most significant and genuine vows of all. Even without the most expensive things, you couple promised and pronounced your love to Almighty to stick around with so much happiness. I think you had already made it up since this day. I submit this authentic bilateral smile as proof.
hahahaha!
hay, naku, she uses her LV to no end naman so that makes it practical compared to cheap bags that you just throw after a couple of use.
at alam mo naman asawa mo, just attach LV in anything and happy na sya. at least she's not asking for goyard or hermes. for now.
i'm all for LV is LVoe!
hehehehe!
p.s.
you've forgotten your official photographer was moi (in prada, no less) using a crappy kodak camera. i didn't even know it was tasked to me to document the event.
can i ask for a fee now?
aaaaawwwww!
beautiful love story, with special participation of marc jacobs no less.
na-touch ako.
Palanga...
Im speechless.....
wait...
Im dizzy...
Im hyperventilating...
Im excited..
Im in LVoe...
LV come to me...
Puli na di
@blagadag: We've seen so many friends go through with weddings that almost consumed their relationships and even those totally dictated and imposed by their parents. We're so glad we didn't go through with that... instead, we had something simple but totally our own little way... we hope you find someone as well to share your vows with.
@fuchsiaboy: oh, yes, i have to featue you separately for being our official photographer! but the problem is... there is no balenciaga in saigon! so utang lang ang fee mo! hehehe
@kawadjan: oh yes, Marc Jacobs always finds his way to touch all our lives! :-)
@anonymous (aka my wife): wabs u...
im watchng that dvd u recommended: across the universe.
And it's ur fave c/o ur profile.
LV is now the girl's best friend :) Lahat naman kami mga girls worth to be given an LV or Chanel di ba? Baka susunod niyan mag-franchise ka na lang ng LV store para u don't have to travel far he,he,he...Seriously, your wife is super lucky! and your lovestory is something for the books too!
d**mn'it man, you made me cry! it's nice to know there are men like you and women like her who manage to find one another amidst all the craziness in this world. i find it that so rare nowadays. like, mine i think is still in the factory. you both have always been an inspiration for me. and by the way, she looks good with her LVs. i think that justifies the costs.
awwww nice story!
kahit cheapy ang wedding what matters is the celebration of your love!
and the LV is a nice nice gift!
ngayon well off na kayo di ba? lucky woman!
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hey loven i have a little request can you change my url leviuqse.blogspot.com (retarded's notebook) to www.retardedsnotebook.com on your bloglist??
thanks thanks thanks in advance
Nice.
Ako, I took my wife for a UK trip and there I bought her an LV bag :-) Ang layo ano? That's how far I'd go for a bag, umm, Love.
my gawd loven, kinilig ako sa kwento mo.
@kris jasper: so how was it? did you enjoy the film?
@chezza: huwaggg!!! don;t give my wife ideas... mahirap na nga to go all the way to saigon to buy a bag... franchise pa kaya? hahaha. well, humankind has come a long way other thann chocolates and roses to express their love... now it's LV and macbook airs! lol.
@sarah: you have been more than an inspiration for us as well... we will be praying that the factory finishes him soon so we can deliver him right on your doorsteps!
@alex: thanks... will change it now! cheers...
@gilbert: wow, you took it even further! I'm sure your wife is truly lucky to have you...
@gibo: :-)
wow... ang saya naman ng wedding mo. it's not a 'materialistic' wedding. honestly i think it's very sweet. you were able to enjoy and celebrate that day without spending so much. hays...
mas mamahalin ka pa ng misis mo tiyak! :) speaking of grand gestures of love--lupit! this kind of post makes me believe that true is still out there... :)
ano kayang meron sa LV na bag? hmmm...
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thanks for the compliment, mate :) buti pala may san mig dyan sa saigon!
sweet, terribly sweet. :) and it was cool to read about how you got married. :)
@roneiluke: yes, i hope and pray na mas mamahalin sana ako ng misis ko... kahit malugi ako sa kakabilin ng LV nya... each bag kasi is handmade and is a paragon of good design, kaya i think it's hard to resist if you're a woman... para siyang lutong bahay na ulam sprinkled with love!
grabe, sobra talaga yang san mig light na yan... muntik nang di kami makauwi sa hotel! hahaha. saigon is being invaded by Filipino bands... parang nasa Manila lang kami!
@kouji: thanks... :-)
love could really move mountains. It makes us do things that is even hard for us to explain why we do it. Sometimes, you don't question na. If it makes the other person happy, yun na. esp if that person is the one you love. Sweet mo kuya Loven. parang mmk to....
napangiti ako sa kuwentong ito...
@salingpusa: thanks anton. i'm sure you will be doing the same thing and even more if you are really struck on your knees with the one who makes your heart beat like a jackhammer pounding somewhere on EDSA. Love is indeed one remarkable animal... hahaha, Maalaala Mo Kaya episode ba talaga?
@the zen bitch: :-)
chweet chweet aman. har har.
Dear Spoolartist,
Thank you very much for the Bag. Luvs it all the way to rattanakiri and back.
Me
@looking for the source: wag sanang dumami ang langgam. hehehe.
@anonymous (aka my wife): as per fuchsiaboy, please promise me you'll stick with LV and won't venture furter with Goyard or Hermes, ok? Wans u...
this is a beautiful story loven, you are a very brave man attempting the LV roadtrip! Haha, I am full of envy for faith and happy for you that the woman has made you do things beyond your imagination. You both are great and thank you so much for your hospitality when we were in Siem Reap!
hi lee! whe had a blast as well when you guys were here... hope this is not the last time you'll viit cambodia! hope to see you in brunei next time! cheers...
WOW!!! Ang love nga naman!! Ipapakita ko kay Doc M itong post na ito.
I've been hounding him to buy me a new LV luggage pero ano sagot nya sakin? Isang malaking ngiti(?!)
Haaaay. I wonder when Doc M's smile will be transformed to a new LV luggage!
(By the way, I share your wife's taste for anything Vera Wang!)
:p
ey jake, you should see the new line of Louis Vuitton's damier graphite luggage... you and Doc M will love it for sure and he won't hesitate at all! not only will he give you a smile but his fat platinum credit card as well...
:-)
Hi!!! spoolartist.blogspot.com is one of the most outstanding informational websites of its kind. I enjoy reading it every day. I will be back.
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