Our Marriage Among The 5 Good Things
Previously published on multiply.com
Dec 29, ’08 1:16 PM
Finally, I am now updating my blog after months of busy preparations for our long awaited wedding. Yup, last December 8, 2008, I and my wife Celeste, exchanged vows at the Chapel of the Evangel, Divinity College, Silliman University, Hibbard Avenue in Dumaguete City.
Okay, this blog entry is somewhat sharing to all of you; especially to those who are yet to be married, what I felt prior and after the wedding day.
Wedding preparation is not that easy, I tell you, though ours is not that super grand (how much more if we had the ala Zubiri kind of wedding? Heheh). What makes me say it’s not easy is because we are working in Dubai and the wedding would be in the Philippines. We are given only one month “annual leave”, which turned out to have been spent solely for that upcoming special day of ours.
Without any particular order, first good thing is, we have Celeste’s friend who acted as our wedding coordinator/director. She was there already doing most of the errands before our arrival in the Philippines last November 15th.
After the long hour flight from Dubai via Hong Kong to Cebu, with no rest and enough sleep, early in the morning we went directly to the local Civil Registrar’s office for the pre-requisite marriage seminar (which happens only once a week) in order for us to be granted a marriage license, which will be released only after 10 working days. We were lucky to have been admitted despite coming a bit late. Otherwise, there would have been no marriage at all on the set date. Second good thing is, Celeste’s bestest cousin was also there helping us with the requirements since they had their wedding also months earlier.
Despite how busy and hectic their schedule was, Reverends Pablo Rodriguez & Dennis Solon heed our request. They ministered and solemnized our wedding with all the
support and assistance they could offer, and that is the Third good thing.
By the way, we also had our share of merriment. Days after we arrived home, we had several meetings, gatherings and drinking spree with family, old friends and new, best friends, classmates, cousins and the wedding entourage and even the neighbours! Going home late and sleeping late happened successively just to make the most out of our limited time.
Both I and Celeste were much involved in the making. We were the ones who made the invites (personalized), up to its distribution and the programmes as well. Even the give-aways were personalized too! Friends and cousins were there to help us and share some of their expertise. We wanted to have a personal touch on everything that even on the very night before the big day, I, Celeste and her best friend who is also the MOH, were still busy for the final printing of the programmes and the guest book (which is not actually a book). We went to bed at past 4 in the morning knowing we have to be up at 8 am for the wedding itself, so we barely slept for 4 hours. Well, that was our version of “beauty rest”.
December is a rainy season in the Philippines. We were in dilemma seeing the dark and
gloomy clouds in the morning. Should we stick to the original plan? What if rain would finally fall, how could we drive that pretty vintage HONDA econo motorcycle with a “JUST MARRIED” plate on the way to the reception (Ang Tay Golf Club)? What will happen to the outdoor set-up? Some concerned friends were already calling for Plan B. But because of the Fourth good thing, the God-given sunlight appeared in the skies at noon and all the worries were gone in an instant. Amazing that for consecutive days it was raining, on that day rain never touched the earth. It was truly a special day.
At 3:30 in the afternoon, the ceremony started and the reception followed. After the speech of my wife, I was supposed to talk a little longer, but because of the overwhelming joy brought about by the occasion and seeing that everything turned out well, I was teary eyed and suddenly unable to speak. I felt so grateful aside from the fact that it was also my 28th birthday… he he. The best of the best birthday gifts I ever received? My WIFE! 🙂 That is finally the Fifth good thing.
What I’ve learned was, never to worry in everything. Just let it flow and let it happen. If you trust enough, everything will just fall into place. But I can’t deny being nervous at first, he he.
The few remaining days of our vacation were spent mostly with family and close friends; people who were involved in making our wedding a blast, personally thanking them for their contribution big or small.
We wanted to go to Palawan for our honeymoon but time didn’t permit us. We arrived back in Dubai at 4 in the morning on Dec.15th. Despite the jetlag, I still managed to report back to work.
Another update later…
God bless.
You can also go to this link: http://filsanl.multiply.com/journal/item/5/FIVE_GOOD_THINGS
