Iza Calzado in the thick of wedding preparations

Iza Calzado (right) will marry fiancé Ben Wintle this year.

I’m a bride-deadma,” declared actress Iza Calzado, who is set to marry British entrepreneur Ben Wintle this year.

“I’m never a bridezilla. Wala kasi akong paki,” she explained, referring to a woman whose behavior in planning her wedding is considered obsessive and demanding. “I’m a crammer, so is Ben. It’s actually becoming a liability for me.”

She admitted to feeling “slightly stressed” about the preparations. “I just realized that there are so many requirements that have to be submitted. I hate that! I kept saying it would be a lot better if we just eloped and simply surprised everyone with the news that we’re already married, but I can’t do that. This is really for my father.”

Iza’s dad is the late actor, director and choreographer Lito Calzado.

She did say that she has already managed to finish her list of bridesmaids, and that the dresses they will be wearing are now being made. Iza, however, refused to reveal the venue of the wedding. “Let’s just say it’s on planet Earth,” she quipped, adding that only a select few would be invited to attend the ceremony.

“We can’t accommodate [everybody]. We might do a Manila party because it’s really not possible. The place is very small. I don’t want guests to sleep in the middle of the sea. Unless, they all have yachts that they could make us borrow.”

The bride-to-be admitted: “It feels exciting because it’s not just a role anymore. It’s the real thing.”

Iza, 36, wants to have “one child, for now.” She added: “Yes, I’ve committed myself to getting pregnant once. I can’t commit to anything beyond that just yet. We can probably start trying to make one [baby], two or three months before the teleserye ends. The clock is ticking, guys! Tick! Tock!”

She was referring to the drama series “Ngayon at Kailanman,” which is now airing weekdays on ABS-CBN. The series also features Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Alice Dixson, Ina Raymundo and Jameson Blake.

“The project was pitched to me in November 2017. I thought it would be finished by this time,” Iza shared with reporters. She added that Ben does not mind that she is still working now. “His restrictions lie more in the working hours that I have versus the kind of projects I’m making. It’s more like he doesn’t want me to stay up late anymore.”

Iza was last seen on TV in the drama series “A Love to Last” with Bea Alonzo and Ian Veneracion. “It’s still good that I got a breather because this didn’t come right after ‘A Love to Last.’ I’m now excited to go back to work. Aside from Julia, I’ll be working with the rest of the cast for the first time,” she said.

Iza noted that Julia “is becoming a much better actress. I’m proud of her. I love that she gives me full trust. We work well together on- and off-cam. There’s always good banter between us.”