White Lace & Promises

For more, more, more amazing photos, check out the blog post of Toto Villaruel.

Beauty unfolded that day. 

I woke up earlier than I planned to. For some reason, the hotel's alarm was pre-set and it rang at 5 a.m. Annoyed, I tried to go back to sleep but couldn't anymore. I saw it as a chance for some quiet time, the only chance I'll have that day to myself. I looked outside my window and saw the sun shining on the Nuvali lake. 'Thank You for answering my prayer,' I whispered. Thank You for giving me this day. Thank You for all my loved ones, family and friends. Thank You for Raffy. Thank You, thank You, thank You. I talked to Him in depth, praying, begging for good things that day and the rest of my days to come. I asked Him to walk with me, hold my hand, especially on that day my life was about to alter its course. Then silence, the good kind, happened. That was the only moment time slowed down.

And then the rest of the day was surreal, like a dream. Ask me to describe a specific moment for you and I could possibly go blank, if not take some time to recollect the memory. As one hour slipped into the next, I was still floating in my head, unable to believe that it was all happening. It did happen though. I got married to the love of my life. The photos, videos, and marriage contract prove it.

But the real evidence of that day lies in each and every person who was present. Because they were all there to celebrate our love. One moment stood out for me, from all the rest. After the mass, group shots at the altar were about to begin. I walked up the stairs at the front, turned to face the audience and then just couldn't fathom the number of people there. I took a mental snapshot and up to this day, I remember it vividly. I was nothing less than amazed, and moved. It's there I realized that this is the only day I'll have all my favorite people in the entire world in one place to celebrate the greatest achievement of my life, marrying Raffy. With a sight like that, I knew we did something right. It was a golden moment.  

I felt all the love around me, within me, in so many ways. When I saw Raffy at the end of the aisle. When the Madrigal Singers created the most solemn ambience with their music. When the flower petals were tossed. When the entourage danced perfectly. When my dad received a standing ovation. When I greeted each and every guest. When I heard the host say 'Mr. and Mrs. Dimacali'. When my high school friends welcomed Raffy into the family. When my husband knelt down once again to wash my feet instead of tossing the garter. When we danced into the wee hours. When I went through each minute, each hour with my husband by my side. So many precious, delicate moments, all strung together by the force that brought all of us there in the first place. 

Beauty unfolded that day. And Love reigned, in the truest, purest sense of the word. It felt like magic but it was much, much better because it was real.