The things that just pass you by

We picked up our wedding photos yesterday.

Soft copies. That's the new way they go about it now in the digital age. The soft copies serve as our "contact prints" and are already the entire lot of clearly-taken photos by our photographers.

Unexpectedly, we actually had three for the day. Our lead photographer was Noel Salazar and with him were Gracielle Hernandez and Cherry Romero, all from Imagine Nation Photography (shameless plug but then again, this is my blog). Cherry doesn't have a blog/portfolio yet it seems as she is still an apprentice if memory serves but with the shots she took, I believe she'll get there pretty darn quickly. ^_^

My husband and I braced ourselves to experience what ever other couple said they experienced: just going through the motion of the whole ceremony feeling like it was all just happening to them instead of them participating.

I'll be honest: we had none of that. In fact, we felt like we were so aware of everything that was going on that I find myself shocked now by the things that I didn't realise happened.

Like this moment when my best friend/Maid of Honour lifted the secondary veil from my face during Holy Communion. It's not like I thought the veil had just magically lifted itself from my face as I took a sip of the wine. But being unable to look, I didn't and I didn't know at the time that it was her doing it for me.

Rewinding further back, a very light-hearted moment when my husband's little cousin (locally we just refer to them as nephews even though they are our cousin's kids but we'll be proper about it here) seems to have been trying to get a peek at my entrance.

I was so intent to telling myself not to cry--and my nervous smile all throughout my walk down the aisle shows it!--that I didn't even see that he'd run down the aisle in front of me. If I'd seen that, it certainly would have made me giggle and relax a bit more.

There are so many little things that happen during a wedding that makes me grateful that we now have the technology to record them all, whether it's through stills or through video. Or both, if you're like me and you like seeing everything that happened around you or even elsewhere while you were busy.

By local standards I think our wedding was a very simple one.

The chapel was tiny--it can only seat up to 150 to 200 people. We had two pairs of principal sponsors where typically you would see at least four pairs. No flower girls tossing petals on the carpet, but two bridesmaids (my own young cousins ages nine and twelve) carrying bouquets like the adults, one couple acting as both our veil and cord sponsors while the other couple lit our candles, and a bearer each for our Bible, coins and rings. My husband and I had two dear friends each keeping us sane the morning of the wedding: I hesitate to call them the "Best Men" but that's what they were, and my Maid- and Matron-of Honour.

The reception venue could seat 150 people flat. There was no on-site video replaying the things that happened before and during the ceremony, just photos, food, and singing. Yes, before Bridal Book came up with their article on alternate things to do at a wedding reception, we already did it. ^_~ Just kidding, Bridal Book and it's okay: Chanel was late with their "necklace as a headdress" trend too. I already did it last December.

Well, all the LOLs aside, looking at these images reminds me of how big a blessing our wedding was and, as I'd written in this entry, I don't think I'll ever stop thanking the Lord for blessing me with these two wonderful families that I proudly call my own.