Here Comes The Bride!

Ows! What a catching title! Hehehe! Well, I suppose you’re all familiar with the month of June being often associated with weddings, thus the so-called June Bride. Wedding bells are here and so I might as well talk about it. Ooops! Not my wedding, huh! Not as of this time, hahaha! Just a short recollection of those previous and recent weddings I’ve been to.

“You really never got tired of attending weddings, Von!” was what my college friend told me. Hearing that remark, I couldn’t help but just shrug and smile from ear to ear knowing that I’ve always been present in almost all wedding engagements of my friends, classmates and colleagues. From the time I’ve graduated in college until now that I’m with the corporate world for almost seven years, there was never a single year that I didn’t get to witness a sacrament of matrimony (ows!?). Yeh! There even came a time when gracing my presence in such a special occasion has become a weekly event for me, whew! And I’m not talking here like I’m just a mere spectator of that event. I’m talking of those different tasks I got into. From a handful of weddings I’ve been to, it seemed that I’ve already portrayed almost every role a friend could throw at me – bridesmaid, commentator, psalmist, first reader, second reader, prayers of the faithful, offerer, usherette, co-planner, the list goes on. And.. ooops! Wedding singer!?! Toinks! You heard it right, anyway, haha! I can recall how my colleague Cherry pleaded me to sing on her wedding day. I dunno but I guess she has that irresistible charm ‘coz despite my refusal, I found myself saying “yes” at the very last hour. And I guess that started my singing career then, hahaha!

Two of the very touching weddings I’ve attended were that of my high school friends Cristine (2001) and Lucille (May 2006, a very recent one). I rarely saw an exchange of vows spoken spontaneously, with the bride uttering each word to the groom with intense fervor, her cracking voice could break into tears any minute. They had a similar sentimental scenario during the exchange of vows then. Call it coincidence, but their birthdays fall on the same date! Whew!

Talk about the most dreaded part during wedding receptions -- it’s the throwing and catching of the bouquet, hahaha! Depending on my mood, but I’m a real party-pooper on that stuff most of the time. When the single ladies are called, people would always see me sneaking at the end of the queue, murag allergy kaayo sa bouquet, hehe!.. While most of the single ladies are dying to grab the bouquet, there was me darting away from it. At times, I would experience the irony of it all – the more I avoided the bouquet, the more it follows after me, hahaha! Then came the million dollar question “Kanus-a man pud ka kaslon?”.. Tsk.. tsk! I dunno! “In His own perfect time” was the best answer I could give.

Just to mention a few of my newly wed friends this year (Meriden, Marie, Shirley, and Lucille), my warm congratulations and best wishes to all of you guys! And to my friends and colleagues who had tied the knot on the previous years and are now happily building a family of their own (Menchu, Kaye, Erliza, Beverly, Pammy, Cristine, Malou, Sharon, Matet, Alele, Venessa, Jennifer, Wyeth, Mayet, Cherry, and Racee), cheers to a happy married life!

Now, I wonder who among my (remaining) single friends is going to march in the aisle next month? Or next year perhaps? Cristina, Colyn, Pinky, Joy, Berna, Lourdes, Ritchie Mae, Fe, Judith, Arbie and Grethel -- what a roll call, hahaha! Ooops, I've just received an email this morning from Teresa saying she's going to tie the knot with Mark next year. Let's just wait and see who's goin' to follow Teresa soon, hehehe!