Wedding Marathon

Three weddings in one week, is that insane or what? December really is the new June. I’ve travelled from Alabang to Quezon City and then  flew to Davao, putting on three hats: a wedding emcee, a secondary sponsor and then a bride’s maid. It has been a frantic ride for me, as you can imagine.

Albeit stressful, the three celebrations were such a thrill to be a part of. It was like an emotional journey into three love stories that would inspire all the hopeless romantics out there (*coughs). Every ceremony was unique— beautiful and special in its own way, warmed by the love of friends and family.

It was so surreal to see my cousin, who I used played with while growing up, come out of her room as a woman in a flowing white gown, about to be given to marriage. All three brides were absolutely stunning, breath-taking even. They were effortlessly lovely and radiated the entire day, smiling and greeting everyone with glimmer in their eyes and happiness painted all over their faces. The gradual and graceful march down the aisle is like that of a movie scene you’d play a hundred times over. It was simply captivating.

But what fascinated me the most, what really moved me, quite surprisingly, were the men that waited for them at the altar—sobbing inconsolably like a little girl. So much for the Bro Code, huh? Maybe it was because two of my closest guy friends, Aldrin and DJ, became so vulnerable on their wedding day that I could not help but cry when I saw the side of them they never dared to show before. The vows they made for Micah and Mitchie just melted my heart, and I started tearing up like an idiot. The vows they wrote and struggled to say to their brides were a public display of their undying devotion and a solemn promise enclosed in mushy words and poetic language that only real men can pull off.  Kudos to you two! *Slow clap.

The three weddings got me absolutely kilig. I felt gushy all over, teary-eyed most of the time, and happy for my friends and cousin. And after all the romantic music has faded into the background, the flowers dry up, the reception venue swept clean, and my feelings of euphoria subsided, the joy remained with me. 

I got to see first hand what true love looks like, thanks to this wedding marathon. I witnessed three couples who have been through so much in their relationships before arriving at the altar. I saw two imperfect people come together in holy matrimony, embracing this imperfection and willing to forgive perpetually, in love. I have the privilege of knowing their love stories and see it consummate into a "happily ever after". I got to see three girls close to my heart mature into womanhood and three gentlemen who are willing to give of their lives for them. The fleeting passion of romance and infatuation can never come close to the wonders of being tied to a beloved forever. It's the commitment that makes love all the sweeter and a wedding seals the deal. Oh marriage is difficult and messy alright, but it is also beautiful, everlasting, and magical, and worth fighting for. The single girl in me is resolved to not settle for anything less.