MANILA, Philippines – TV host and singer Nikki Gil is enjoying all the planning in preparation for her big wedding to BJ Albert this year. (READ: Nikki Gil engaged)

But how did she and BJ meet? Nikki and BJ got together after her much-publicized breakup with then-longtime boyfriend Billy Crawford. 

“At that point I was already going out, nagdi-date na ako, going out on group dates, being introduced to people…Nandoon ako sa point na ‘yon (I was at that point),” she told reporters at the launch of her album Wednesday, March 18.

“Just when I was close to ‘ayaw ko na, hindi naman ako nagmamadali,‘ (‘I don’t want to anymore, I’m not in a hurry anyway), I was set up on a blind date. 

Hindi siya talaga blind date kasi we went to same school together, ayaw lang sabihin ng friend ko sa akin dahil baka i-Google ko siya dahil may ganoon akong ugali – gino-Google ko ang tao, ‘ano background nito,'” Nikki said.

(It wasn’t really a blind date because we went to the same school, but my friend just didn’t want to tell me about him because I might Google him – I’m like that, I Google people to learn about their background.)

“So we went out on a date only to find out that we’ve been in so many places, in so many of our friends’ weddings, and at a restaurant. ‘You were there? Nandoon ka din?’ It’s just weird all of my friends were like how you can not know each other? Ang liit-liit ng circle na ginagalawan niyong dalawa (The circle of friends you move in is very small) – as in like his closest friends are some of my closest friends,’ Nikki said.

“But you know I guess it’s God’s timing that we should know each other now at this point in our lives because, who knows, had we met earlier it might not have worked out…it’s closer to home, he’s not a complete stranger, I guess which was made it easier for us to gel,” she added. 

Wedding planning 

“It’s quite enjoyable. I am grateful for my friends who have gone through the wedding ahead of me. Ang dami kong napagtatanungan (I have so many people to ask) like Cesca Litton, there’s Iya (Villania-Arellano), ang daming kong nahihingian (I have so many to ask) ng advice for the wedding preparations,” Nikki said about planning her nuptials. 

On the feeling of being engaged, Nikki said: “I guess I can’t really put my finger on it but it’s like a feeling of kumbaga there is light. If there is a tunnel, there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

“You know that meron goal, may patutunguhan (it’s going somewhere). You are both working towards the wedding and eventually a happy marriage.”

Nikki wouldn’t say the date, but confirmed it with be at the last quarter of the year. She did say that her sister Dani and best friend Iya will be her matrons of honor. 

As for the wedding theme, Nikki said: “We want to look back at our photos 20 years from now and not cringe and say ‘Ano iniisip natin at sumabay tayo sa uso?‘ (What were we thinking, going with the trends?) So [we’re going with] very classic, very traditional, nothing too out of the box.

New album

On her new album Love Revisited, Nikki said that she liked the tracks, but singled out “Loving You” by Ric Segreto as her favorite song on the album.

“My personal favorite is ‘Loving You’ by Ric Segreto. I first heard that song in my house. I fell in love with the song because of the combination of complicated chords and simple lyrics just about loving a person,” Nikki shared.

She performed one of the songs “You’ve Made Me Stronger” during the album launch. 

The album includes 12 songs such as  “When I Met You” by The Apo Hiking Society, “Farewell,” originally performed by  Raymond Lauchengco and “You Won’t See Me Crying,” by Passage. 

Nikki, who marks 10 years in showbiz also said that she found it weird that she stayed so long in the business.  

“Ang bilis! (Very fast) I guess it goes to show that I never really got used to the life of a TV personality and although may mga realizations ako, I made a home in this industry. I made my friends most of my closest friends from the industry,” Nikki said. – Rappler.com