Hatch 22 Cafe & Bakery with the bride-to-be

I just received the best news, my good friend Bambi just got engaged! Oh, I am so happy for her my heart is bursting with joy!

As we were talking over the phone, I kept having flashes of our adventures in Boracay a few years back with our friend Marge. Many life conversations took place in our favorite restaurants and special life celebrations with our friends from Assumption. It also dawned on me that after she gets married next year, she will be leaving Manila and will be settling down in San Francisco, USA. She has not left yet, but I am already beginning to miss her.

You see, Bambi is the type of friend who brings our group together when our friends would come to visit Manila for vacation. When our busy schedules could not accommodate planned lunch dates, we found that it was better not to plan them at all. Oftentimes, unscheduled lunch dates would work better for us.

So here we are, it's mid-afternoon and we're having late lunch at Hatch 22 Cafe & Bakery in Rockwell. It seemed like ages since we last saw each other and for a good four hours, we chatted up a storm, talked about her engagement, pre-wedding plans and of course, the love of her life, Ricky.

A book to help Bambi with her wedding preparations, from celebrity wedding planner, Jo Gartin:

Jo Gartin's Weddings: An inspiring guide for the stylish bride. If you happen to be planning your own wedding too, check out Jo Gartin's website, Love is by Jo Gartin.