perfect time

Finally, our colleague and friend Dorothy marries her prince.

Time indeed was fast. Gone are the days when she could only joke that everything is ready for her wedding – everything but a groom. As well as the many times she had been the subject of ridicule of some officemates for being left behind in the race to finding a partner. Now, she could be proud she’d made it.

What I know about their love story is certainly just a tad of the whole thing nonetheless I feel privileged to have been entrusted with such fragments which Doth would usually share over breakfast. She used to be very private with her affairs so when she started sharing things about Pete when their relationship was in its early stage, I can tell it is love actually.

I just can’t refuse to be part of the action when Jing told me they were arranging a bridal shower. I was the emcee/facilitator of the rather wholesome (the groom was there to attest) shower which was mainly dinner with games and well-wishes attended by close friends.

The wedding was held in the bride’s hometown situated about 2 hours away from our city so we had to travel and spend the night there before the big day.

The bride started her day early and happy; truly she was most beautiful. It was wish-come-true that her bridal bouquet was made of yellow tulips – something she had fancied long before she even met Pete.

Here are some funny facts I recall on the wedding day:

• The priest did the ceremonies quite differently and forgot to prompt the couple to kiss. The couple only kissed when the photographer had to capture the moment. By that time, the wedding proper was over and the priest was out of the chapel.

• During the ceremonies, the priest ordered the couple to bow their heads for a prayer. But to translate word for word in Filipino, the order ‘bow your heads’ would come first before to whom it was addressed (‘the couple’). As a result, the assembly bowed upon ordered and undid the action when ‘the couple’ was mentioned. Wide grins followed.

• In the reception, the bride’s mom had mentioned in her privilege message that “should you (the groom) only hurt our daughter, you better return her to us.” When it was the turn of the groom’s clan, Pete’s uncle in behalf of his father used the same words about returning the groom.

Finally, Doth has someone to start her day with by having breakfast together. She’ll now be celebrating her birthdays with a family of her own and somebody else shall give her yellow flowers. Indeed, her dance to the beat of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” has been replaced with her wedding march – “Perfect Time”, finally.