My Almost-No-Cost Christian Wedding

Yes, you have read the title just right.  We had a momentous wedding at almost no cost.  I am sure you are here, reading this blog because you are planning about your dream wedding or simply curious how a "free" wedding is possible.  Let's apply the golden rule:  "Do not do unto others what you don't want others do unto you" or shall we say Karma or the saying "You reap what you sow".  My good friend once told me "You must be a good person to experience good things you have now."  Hmmm I love you friend! :)

Okay, let's continue my blog journey as it started with me finding a Christian boyfriend. Obviously we are now married.  The day was on the 15th day of August 2015, a time the church celebrates a feast, a holy day of obligation for the Assumption of Mary.  That was the day we sealed our commitment to God, to the witnesses and to ourselves.

During the pre-cana seminar, the catechist told us to have the simplest wedding.  To instill in our minds that it is the blessing of receiving the holy sacrament  of matrimony that is important.  To inform us ahead that life after marriage is the real life and the marriage celebration is just a gate to enter it.  Imagine Jesus Christ in his triumphant entry to Jerusalem, welcomed by palms where people were waving, welcoming him, showing respect and paying homage. But suffering awaits and same people were denying him, persecuting him to his death.  

The catechesis was not to scare us to back-out from marriage but it was actually a wisdom shared.  To be realistic and practical because we will never know the circumstances after the celebration.  He told us, if possible, do not spend a penny.   

So we announced our wedding date.  We did not made invitation cards for everyone.  I only made a Facebook event where friends and families are invited there.  We invited our sponsors or we termed them "witnesses" with a personalized invitation letter printed in a stationery, enclosed in a brown letter envelope.  We handed them personally.  One sponsor called me crying after reading the invitation.  She said she was very touched of how I recognized the impact she and her husband made into my life.  The other sponsor also called me that her wife was very happy and at the same time crying while reading the letter for she did not expect how I valued her being a supportive and understanding wife to his executive husband.

Just like the wedding of Cana, there was muliptlication of bread and wine.  Imagine for a 15 trays of lechon coming in!  I have not ordered those? The wines, the food, the merry people attending.  Everything was just simply grand and perfect!  All were happy to see us and wished for a happy marriage. 

Why I said I had a wedding at almost no cost? Here's why:

1. Catering.  Sponsored by my husband's Aunt's and Uncle.  Thank you so much :X
2. Lechons. Sponsored by witnesses, families and friends.
3. Wines.  Sponsored by the executive boss :)
4. Wedding Cake.  Yes, a four-layered white fondant cake draped with fresh grapes.  Sponsored from my Ate cousin in Texas :) 
5. Wedding inivation. Only the sponsors were given, personalized letter, so none of them have the same message. 
6. Giveaways.  Rosary giveaways from Spain! Isn't that amazing? Thanks BFF :x
7. Pre-nup Photoshoot & Venue Decoration.  My officemates "Team Forever" which I am truly and forever grateful!
8. Photography - My classmate at a masteral class. Hi Joy, I miss you :)  God bless you!
9. Gowns for the whole entourage. My BFF in Canada, she paid it all! I love you Mama :x
10. Wedding Rings. My lovely sister in Bahrain, I love you day!
11. Church decorations. My Neo-catechumenal community brothers.  I am lucky to be with you :x
12. Hand-painted Wedding Candles from the son of one of our Sponsors.  A brother in the community. 
13. Priests.  You got it right, 2 priests and for free! Thanks Pads :)
14. Wedding Singers & Choir.  The brothers from the Community.  With guitars, tambourines, bonngo & violins. 
15. Dress-up Hotel for the whole entourage.  My second Mama.  Thank RGC :x
16. Honeymoon Hotel.  Thank you my second Dad, RRK :))

Now, you might wonder which part we paid for?  Its the venue at P6,000.00!  Mahal ba? Or we are just too mahal by the people around us?  Writing this blog made me teary-eyed counting the blessings God has showered us.  

Few glitches? Yes of course! I had no flower bouquette.  But my brothers from the community gave me a bunch of daisies and there I walked down the isle.  Not the one I expected? Who cares? It was my day and nothing can bug me down to receive the grace of the Lord.  We were there to take the vow and not to impress people.  

Indeed, God works in the most mysterious and miraculous ways!  

And oh, by the way, again let me add this as my constant closing remarks.  You may think.. What religion these guys into?  Roman Catholic.  Proud to be one! 😍

Choose a Christian Boyfriend

Youngsters and some singles may not find my story appealing but it gave and constantly giving me real happiness until now.

I met my boyfriend through an MBA classmate.  We started exchanging messages.  At the start, I did not have a single hint that we could be in a relationship because he was not the type of person I was looking for.  He is kind of serious.  My definition of relationship back then was that I don't like being asked of corny questions such as:

• Are you up?
• Are you in the office?
• Have you gotten your meals already?
• What are you doing?
• Are you home?
• How was your day?
• etc...

It totally pissed me off!  I asked my classmate why she introduced me to someone like an alarm clock.  She just laughed at me.  We dated - YES - just plain talk.  Our topics were all events of our past relationships and some i termed it "pogi points para ibigin".  Case in point, it irritated me most about his constant referring to the Bible and his experiences in the church community.  On how the church saved him despite growing up without parents while having a terrible childhood.  On how the church has inspired him to hear mass regularly and how he's constantly inspired by the life experiences of the parishioners attending the mass. How the hell he got to know and inspired by the experiences of the church-goers?  What religion is he in?  My 101% bet, he is not a Roman Catholic person.  He may be in another Christian denomination.  His name is Christian by the way.

I find my self always rolling my eyes off.  I wanted to cover my ears but I did not want to insult him too.  So I endured a suffering of a grandfather-granddaughter story-telling sessions every time we met.  Yes, endured and suffering were the terms.  Can you imagine how I was annoyed and disinterested?  Quite a strategy it was for me.

But his consistency made me realize how true this person is. He possessed wisdom far better than the knowledge my 13 years profession gave me.  I realized how limited is my life. His stands were far better than my reasons and rationales.  I later find myself listening to him and asked myself a question - Is it time to change my views of life?

After series of meet-ups, one day, we met at a mall for a concert date.   He handed me a jewelry box with a royal blue colored rosary bracelet in it.  I was surprised!  His consistency did not show any trace of "for-the-show" anymore.  He's a fine, genuine man.

From then on, we enjoyed our company together.  It brought me back to the days when my parents were still alive and I was very active in church activities.  It gave me back a portion of my life.  He's religious than I am.  He cared for me a lot than I am to him.  In this case, I will be treated like a baby and a lady as well.  

Wait, are you asking me if we are on? My answer is Yes, after a mass at Palm Sunday of 2014.  

Few months later, he asked my hands for marriage.  He did not gave me an engagement ring but courageous enough to face my family with his 15-man entourage for the "pamanhikan" - an old and respectful way of asking hands for marriage.  That was two days.  My family of course cannot say no.  As it was revealed that the relationship is centered by God. And all they wished for me is happiness.  The marriage date was set and everyone got very excited to the fulfillment of the sacrament.

To all singles and teenagers out there, choose a Christian boy.  Or if you are already, invite your girlfriend or boyfriend to become one.  Because a relationship could hardly go wrong if its founded by the love of Christ.  Choose a man who will love you first than you being so in love yet ignored and hurt.  Choose a man who will open a bible and sings church songs. Choose to be happy.    

  

photo credits to Joy Real of www.joyrealphotography.com for our fun-filled pre-nupt photoshoot and Team Forever for the classic concepts and coordination.

This blog is a journey.  I am not expecting a fairy tale life.  But I know that every step of the way, we are assured of a life inspired by the love of Christ.