"Ew...no I don't want a debut!" god knows from when-October 2011
November 2011, while watching my cousin performing with Justin Beiber in So You Think You Can Dance. My cousin goes "magbobook na kami ng tickets ha", and everyone echoed the same words Debut! debut!debut! Thus, the pressure was on. In both sides, I am the first one to have a traditional debut. That night (when my Blackberry cracked for some reason), I bbmed my mom and my uncle about it. I couldn't imagine how to go about this with a month of planning, and considering it was the Christmas holidays. One requirement is to make the venue look like my personality. It's pretty challenging to make a hotel or a country club colorful. When I went to scout for places together with my mom and my even coordinator(Marella), nothing really pleased me. I didn't want to adjust what I wanted just for the venue, so I didn't know where my debut will be held. My mom said why not make it personal and intimate. So we had it in my house. Intimate, thus, close friends and relatives only, who I see most of the time. I gave myself a limit of how many people I can invite, and so as my family.
Imagine:
Finalizing the decorations (3 weeks)
DJ and Emcee (1 week?)
Dress (1 week before first fitting, a day before final fitting, KT was in the states)
Shoes(2 weeks before)
Souvenirs (A day before)
Cake (2 weeks before)
My speech( I forgot about it)
Guest list(3 weeks before)
Invitation(2 weeks before)
Dance(2 weeks before)
Despite that, I was still very "maarte" No flowers(but sadly, the 18 dance had), no black,white,silver, gold and so on(dead or wedding colors),nothing shinny nor glittery, no paper invitations,no ballons, no tower centerpiece, no candles(well, lets not consider the food area), no tarpaulin,no chairs with cloth...and alot more. I didn't want a traditional debut, because just like what my friend said when she attended a debut, she got bored with all the 18 stuff. What I did to have the "debut spirit" in my so called debut I just divided the girls to 18 shots, and the boys to dance. (which wasn't actually my original plan).
All I wanted was for it to be colorful, bright,fun, and not so loud(sorry to my neighbors who complained btw!)
Ofcourse, with the pressure, the planning wasn't only filled with excitement,there were also down sides. One would be Saab Magalona's presence, she was suppose to be my DJ, since we only asked her weeks before, she had scheduled tapings (Shameless plug: Watch My Beloved :)) )
This wouldn't be the same without Paulo(the overall man of the debut), Hernan(choreographer), Weng(overall women of the debut), Rommel(program coordinator), Marella + her family(event coordinator/secretary/stylist for predebut shoot) and the rest of the events team who weren't properly introduced to me. You all had really awesome ideas that were turned down and liked, but nonetheless, they gave me a debut that I never imagined would happen despite their tight schedule. I also want to thank Carlo and his team for the media related stuff ! (lotsa photos which made my laptop overheat), Rommel #2 for the videos. The people at the registration. Ria Aquino yet again ! and twinkle for my hair, and make up for the pre debut. Dj Ian whom I never got to talk with nor gave a playlist. Since it's his profession and he's been spinning everywhere, I trusted him. Beatbox for the very awesome glassed stage. Elena Andaya for all my fittings + moms get up and ofcourse KT for the dress planned through the cellphone. And all my relatives from the states who flew in my souvenirs, some decorations, and my docs. Ofcourse, my family.
All I ever wanted was just to go out of the country, and celebrate it with a friend since I can travel and im legal.
"But why not do both?"= Cristina confused.
So that concludes my part one of my happy, and colorfu debut 18th birthday celebration.