All that matters

Last night, hubby and I went to the wedding of our best man, JB. JB and his now wife, LZ were so excited like most couples, about this wedding. It was, after all, the culmination of their boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and the beginning of their life as husband and wife.

Since both are Christians, they decided to hold it late in the afternoon at the gardens of the Church of the Risen Lord in UP Campus, Diliman. The ceremony was supposed to start at 5pm but when we got there, all the tables and chairs and food stations were moved up to a cramped room beside the garden. We got word that the set-up was beautifully done by Batis Asul (good food by the way) by 4pm but then it started to rain. Since there were no provisions made for tents, everything had to be moved indoors and there was an hour or so delay to the ceremony.




By the time the ceremony started, it was already dark. I kept on thinking, what a waste of natural light -- the garden could've been perfect -- there were wild white lillies and hanging flowers perfect for the backdrop of the ceremony but they were not seen due to lack of lights. Since the main sound system was moved upstairs for the reception, we only had to settle for a karaoke machine that didn't give justice to the wonderful intro for the entourage and the live guitar music.

Would people consider the wedding a disaster? I personally think not.

It was because this intimate gathering was focused on the ceremony, the real reason for the event, not the frills of the celebration. I didn't see an agitated coordinator, a complaining or whining parent or flowergirl -- everyone was so composed, even the bride and groom. Everything and everyone that mattered most was there. All the guests were saying that the rainshowers should be thought of as a blessing, not a party pooper.

One of the reasons I enjoy going to weddings nowadays is because it reminds me of the reasons why my hubby Rahyan and I got married, why we should stay married, why we should continuously work on being married. Weddings remind me again of the symbols and the responsibilities of husband and wife, as God planned it to be.

The pastor also recounted one of the most celebrated unions in the 1980's -- that of Prince Charles and Lady Diana -- where millions all over the world watched as the royal couple pledged their love for each other. Who could forget the beautiful dress, the horse-drawn carriage, the hundreds of potted flowers, the smiles and waves on the balcony of the newlyweds. Well, we all know what happened to that pledge.

Seeing JB and LZ get married reminds all of us that even with all the preparations, sometimes , we still don't get the wedding of our dreams -- but I guess what is more important is to get the MARRIAGE of our dreams. After all, at the end of the day, that's what really matters.