Happy New Year, beauties! It is officially engagement season, so we are bringing in Silviyana couples from past years to help you navigate through this new stage in life. Some words of wisdom from Silviyana couple: Loreyn and Sam.
SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN to see Loreyn’s Silviyana Dress, made using by-product pineapple leaves fabric and recycled Mulberry silk. Embroidered in silk and adorned in Swarovski crystals.
1) How did you meet?
Loreyn: I attended a close friend’s wedding in Calgary, which was three hours away from Sherwood Park, where I used to live. I remember being introduced to Sam and 10 secs later everyone was teasing us since we were the only ones who were single. I didn’t think much about it and we haven’t really had the chance to talk that day.
Sam: I thought she was cute so I decided to look for her on Facebook and gathered the courage to message her– 3 days after the event.
2) What do you feel attracted you to one another?
Sam: She’s very caring, kind, and compassionate, I see this trait running on her side of the family as well. I suppose this was something missing on my side of the family and seeing it in Loreyn pulled me towards her. The way she thinks also makes me curious. Her head lives in a different dimension than I do. She’s very engaged in social media antics while I dive into nerdy topics. We sort of complete each other in this aspect. She’s aware of things that I would otherwise miss.
Loreyn: I felt attracted to Sam when I got to know him. He’s a smart guy who has goals in life, passionate about what he does and works hard to get it. Most of the time, his love language is through actions. He’s not the type to express his emotions verbally, but when he does, he can make me cry because of kilig. Plus we have a common love for Filipino food, outdoor adventures, and travelling!
3) Tell us your engagement story
Sam: I bought the ring in December of 2019, prior to the pandemic, and I was hoping to pop the question during her family’s camping trips in the summer. I bought the ring early so I can pay it off right away and say that it is truly hers. However, I couldn’t pop the question because of the pandemic. Unexpectedly, Loreyn went down to Calgary and started living-in with me, it was perfect since I can ask the question at any time. I wanted her family to be around as well but I couldn’t make that work since they live 3 hours away and the restrictions started to kick in. So, the best I could do was do it while my sisters and their families were around. Us siblings and families went on a weekend cabin trip to the mountains and I decided to pop the question on one of the hikes. I told my sisters about my plan and I wanted them to help me out, stealthily. So, Cory, my sister’s boyfriend, scouted ahead during our hike to look for the perfect spot to ask the question. When we found a spot that overlooks the city of Radium on the edge of the mountain, my sisters started to take their phones out pretending to take shots of the city. Little did Loreyn know they were filming us. So I sneaked my hand inside my backpack to grab the ring and I called out to Loreyn. As she turned around, I kneeled. And I said, “Loreyn, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” She didn’t believe what was going on but eventually, she cracked and cried with joy. While sniffing and wiping her tears away she said “yes”. I slid the ring on her finger, stood up, and hugged her.
Loreyn: It happened while we were on a hike with his family. As soon as we got to the lookout, we all took pictures, and then when it was Sam and mine’s turn in front of the camera, everyone fell silent. I was so confused since it’s been more than 5 seconds and everyone was still silent and their phones still held up. All of a sudden, Sam faced me and asked “will you spend the rest of your life with me?” He then pulled out the ring and knelt to the ground. My mind just went blank, not expecting a proposal at all. All I could think was “is this really happening right now?” We talked about getting married but did not think it would happen that soon. Of course, without a doubt, I said yes!
4) Now that you have been married for a while now, what do you feel would be your advice to newlyweds?
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Plan out the next steps and try to save up as much as possible before having kids.
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Decide on whether you want to buy a house or keep renting.
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Decide if you’re ready to have kids soon or if you want to wait a few more years.
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Also, learn to balance out responsibilities aka house chores.
5) How was your wedding planning experience?
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We did the entire wedding planning in 2 and a half months and didn’t do a lot of overthinking. We kind of had a concept in mind already. It’s just a matter of bringing it to life.
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It wasn’t a struggle for us since we already knew we wanted a small wedding even before COVID-19 happened – even before we were engaged, we talked about our dream wedding. We didn’t want anything too grand or expensive – what mattered most is we’re getting married to each other, surrounded by our close friends and family.
6) Any tips and tricks for someone who is going through the wedding process? Advice as a bride? And separate advice as a groom
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Don’t overthink the process, everything will turn out fine. What matters is that you have all your close friends and family on that day.
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Don’t spend beyond your means. Don’t take out any loans, rather, just save up for the wedding. Going into debt just to have a fancy wedding is not worth it. It’s the memories that will last.
7) What can the wedding industry do to help couples doing a wedding during COVID times?
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Just be patient and understanding, there will be a lot of rescheduling and adjustments – the same goes for the couples who are getting married, know that businesses are also trying their best to navigate in these unprecedented times. Compromising is the best way to go.
8) Any other advice for couples who are dating? engaged? newlyweds?
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Dating: Get to know each other as much as possible. Just take your time and don’t rush. Everything will fall into place at the right time.
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Engaged: Make sure you’re comfortable talking about finances and budgeting before you transition into the next stage – as husband and wife
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Newlyweds: All the craziness of wedding planning is over. Breathe, and enjoy the honeymoon!