diff --git a/booking.regn_node.inc b/booking.regn_node.inc
index 21155ba..efa42da 100644
--- a/booking.regn_node.inc
+++ b/booking.regn_node.inc
@@ -382,12 +382,40 @@ function booking_insert($node) {
  */
 function booking_update($node) {
 	global $event;
+	$data = array();
+
+	$boolean_keys = array('booking_baptised', 'booking_married', 'booking_help_praying', 'booking_help_meditations', 'booking_help_reading', 
+		'booking_help_chairing', 'booking_help_readgroup_lead', 'booking_help_discussgroup_lead', 'booking_lifesaver', 
+		'booking_firstaid', 'booking_nurse', 'booking_doctor', 'booking_has_mission_experience', 'booking_skills_builder', 
+		'booking_skills_cooking', 'booking_skills_childminding', 'booking_skills_language', 'booking_skills_other', 
+		'booking_welfare_required', 'booking_payment_complete', 'booking_refund_processed', 'booking_committee_member'
+	);
+	$default_zero_keys = array('booking_luckynum', 'booking_bf_gf_nid', 'booking_keepseparate_id', 'booking_refund_due');
 	
 	//before we update this user, check what their previous registration status was
 	$previous_status = db_query("SELECT booking_status, booking_payment_id, booking_total_pay_reqd, booking_amount_paid FROM {booking_person} where nid = :nid", array(
 					':nid' => $node->nid))
 			->fetchObject();
-	
+
+	// process the input data before updating database
+	foreach ($node as $key => $value) {
+		//check if the key is a field that belongs in the database
+		if ((strpos($key, "booking_") === 0) || $key === "nid") {
+			//do we need to treat this field carefully?
+			if (in_array($key, $boolean_keys, FALSE)) {
+				$data[$key] = $value == 1 ? 'Y' : 'N';
+			} 
+			elseif (in_array($key, $default_zero_keys, FALSE)) {
+				$data[$key] = $value == '' ? 0 : $value;
+			}
+			else {
+				$data[$key] = _booking_remove_emoji($value);
+			}
+			
+		}
+	}		
+	db_update('booking_person')->fields($data)->condition('nid', $node->nid)->execute();	
+	/*
 	//watchdog('booking', 'Updating node: @info', array('@info' => var_export($node, TRUE)));	
 	db_update('booking_person')
 	->fields(array (
@@ -460,10 +488,11 @@ function booking_update($node) {
 		'booking_status' => $node->booking_status,
 		'booking_comment_field' => $node->booking_comment_field,
 		'booking_song_choice' => $node->booking_song_choice,
+		'booking_freestyle_text' => $node->booking_freestyle_text,
 		))
 	->condition('nid', $node->nid)
 	->execute();	
-	
+	*/
 	//***now process some post-update triggers***
 	
 	//if booking_partner_id is set, make sure the nid it refers to has this node as its booking_partner_id