This week, we`re giving you readers a little variation from our usual wedding story angle sent in by recent brides. Hope you enjoy this week`s wedding stories written by grooms- ready your tissues girls!

No Matter What
by Eli Pablo

September 26, 2009. This was the day I was finally going to marry my best friend. It was going to be grand and I can clearly see it in my head – at exactly 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, KY, my wife-to-be, was going to walk down the aisle in her beautiful gown and meet me at the altar.

We wanted it grand and we went through the details like there was no tomorrow. For a year, we visited as many bridal fairs as possible, looking for new ideas and coordinating with possible suppliers ourselves. When we finally cleared the list, it was, to us, a winning list: lush venue, hearty food, fantabulous coats and gowns, elegantly planned event-styling with fresh flowers with classy vintage backdrop, a carriage, a limo, coordination from a well-known team, unlimited cocktails and drinks, to-die-for cake, a classy make-up artist, a photo-booth, and three (3) photo and video teams – each given instructions of how we wanted their pictures to look like.

The motif was that of a peacock – whose ornate plumage represented the symbols of beauty, pride, and rejuvenation. Working off this concept, my fiancée and I spent countless hours with our DIY projects: feather fans, head pieces, bubbles, misalette, souvenir items for guests, a 20-minute video, personally-mixed dance music, etc. The list went on and on.

It was going to be perfect – just perfect.

And then Ondoy happened.

On our wedding day, Severe Tropical Typhoon Ondoy (International Designation: Ketsana) brought the worst rainfall to Metro Manila in the last 40 years – it brought moderate winds but hours and hours of extremely heavy rain. There was going to be flood. And no one was going to escape it.

Perfect.

At 9:00 o’clock in the morning, I received my first bad news. One of the guests couldn’t make it because the compound where he lived was already flooded and he couldn’t leave the house. He so wanted to make it but just could not find a way out. Shoot. Here we go.

Several other text messages were received. A good friend was trying to find a way through C5. She was already drenched and wading through the dirty waters. She was determined to still go and said she packed her gown in her bag. Another was stuck in traffic. Others couldn’t leave the mall where they bought their gifts. This was going to be bad.

Finally, I got a call from our wedding coordinator. She was still stuck in C5 along with some members of the team.

“Eli, majority of the guests and some of the suppliers are stuck in traffic. The situation is worsening by the minute as flood waters are raising everywhere. If we can’t make it on time, let’s move the ceremonies to 5PM. That’ll give a bit more travel time for everyone.”

I agreed.

And so we waited. But the rains wouldn’t stop – in fact, it got even more violent. From my window, an entire village by the Laguna de Bay was now flooded – like a soup bowl.

“The test had to happen on our wedding day,” I silently whispered. “What is it the You want to tell me?”

After a couple of hours, I received several other calls. More bad news – the reception area was now flooded and the way to the wedding location was simply impassable. The car that was supposed to pick-up my father and uncle was still stuck and has not moved from his location for hours. My best man tried his best to wade through neck-deep waters but was too dangerous to continue – he wouldn’t be able to make it. Our priest was stuck somewhere in Manila and there was also no way he was going to make it.

“Are we calling for a postponement of the wedding?” – I was asked.

A tear fell.

“I need to talk to my best friend.”

And so KY and I broke tradition. We met outside of her room. With a teary look on her face, we embraced and Indian-sat on the floor.

“What are we going to do? I don’t know what to do anymore. We’ve prepared so hard for this. We followed all traditions and all other superstitions – and yet this happened. Why does He have to let this happen?”

As I gazed upon her teary eyes, I knew that she knew that we answered the very questions we were asking. Our God was a jealous God – and that marriage was supposed to be between us and Him. It didn’t say plus other traditions and especially superstitions. It was supposed to be just the three of us.

And so our foreheads touched, and we held hands in prayer. We were sorry but thankful that our eyes were opened. In the midst of all the preparations, we forgot what it was all about. Of course! It didn’t have to be grand – we just had to prepare our hearts – and then He’ll take care of the rest.

Let’s do this.

We stood up and went into her room together. Inside were her immediate family, a couple of friends and relatives, and several suppliers who were lucky enough to have made it.

“We have an announcement to make.”

Silence.

“We know that the condition outside is getting worse and the celebrations may not proceed as planned. But KY and I talked, and we have agreed that if this is the first real test of our new lives together, then we will not back down. We don’t care if we have to wade through chest-high waters or if we get married 5, 8, or 11PM in shorts… No matter what happens, we will get married today.”

It was a leap of faith for both of us.

At that moment, phone calls were made left and right. Our 2nd photographer, Atty. Raymond Fortun, made a call to his wife to help look for an available church and priest. There was only one other church nearby that was available but we had to wait until 8PM after the 7PM-8PM mass ended. So be it. Thank you, Lord!

A call from the hotel operator informed us that our main photographers – Randall and the Mango Red team had arrived! They had to walk for more than an hour under the rains to get there! They were soaking wet but got help from a friend photographer, Chuck, who lent them dry clothes and became an instant driver/photographer for us! Now we had several photographer teams to help build and capture our smiles for us! Here we go!

KY and I rode my uncle’s 1967 red Ford Mustang to the church. It was only supposed to be my ride but the limo KY was supposed to use didn’t make it so we had to make do. We were like sardines in the small car but it didn’t matter – we were on our way!

When I entered the church, I saw flowers. Flowers! We were informed that they were not going to make it because the supplier’s house was already submerged in floodwaters. But somehow, some way, a couple of baskets of flowers were lined-up the aisle. A red carpet was rolled out for us and I heard music being played.

At exactly 8PM of September 26th 2009, under the heavy rains of Typhoon Ondoy, beside the loving guide of my mom, I waited at the end of the aisle for my best friend. And as Rascal Flatts’ Bless the Broken Road played in the background, I saw the door open to reveal my bride. Amidst the darkest of nights, there was my shining star and she was as bright and beautiful as daylight. I couldn’t believe we were going to get married! When she finally stood beside me, we didn’t hold hands. Instead, we embraced as tightly and lovingly like we’ve never done before – I didn’t know if we were even allowed to do that in the church before we exchanged vows, but it didn’t matter – we were never going to let go.

We expected about 350 guests for our wedding but only about 45 people witnessed the event – a little over 20 of them, suppliers. Several people who didn’t have original roles in the mass had multiple roles – the proxy best man was also in-charge of the veil, cord and offertory candle. Out of the 12 pairs of sponsors, only 1 pair was there to sign our certificate. It was as basic as basic can get. It was memorable!

As I write this today, my best friend and I are happily married. God indeed works in mysterious ways. In the end, it was faith, hope, and love that made it all happen. It really isn’t about how expensive the venue is or how nice the clothes are. Not the food, flowers, or car. It’s really about two hearts hoping, the Lord Almighty, and a couple of kindred spirits who are willing to brave the rain, walk the talk, and push forth to the battle cry “No matter what…”

To our family, friends, and angels with lenses – Atty. Raymond Fortun, Jok, & team, Randall & the Mango Red team, Cherryblocks, Ray & Bing Montes of Scenta, Amonn Velasco & team, Mich Lim and team, Maybelle Focasan & team of Go4Flowers, and Henry and team of Fanny Serrano, Teena Barretto and Hitched – thank you. Your teamwork and dedication to your craft were amazing things to see.

And to my Woobiedoo, the love of my life, we made it. It wasn’t how we planned it to be, but it certainly was how He wanted it to be – simple, intimate, humbling. No matter what will truly be remembered by many. I love you.

Post-Script

A month after Ondoy, my wife was again in her colourful gown and me in my suit. We were preparing to meet our guests inside the Victorian II ballroom of Fernbrook Gardens. It was raining confetti and there was thundering music. We could all smell the hearty food prepared by Center Table Catering while Slick Rick, Tony Tony, and Sam YG of Boys Night Out have started entertaining the guests who have finally arrived all tidied up. I knew then, that finally, it was going to be perfect – just perfect.

And then it happened.

Nobody by the Wondergirls started to play – and it was going to be our first dance. With it came the realization that for a guy with two left feet, this was going to be an even bigger tragedy.

Perfect.

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