now that i've mentioned weddings, yup, the mass wedding i've attended in Bago City. :)
the programme leaflet for the ceremony
May 26 is the birthday of the mayor, and he celebrated his "40-something-th" birthday with a bang! a mass wedding for 334 couples!
the mayor, giving a speech during the ceremony
that was my first time attending a mass ceremony, and i'm sure that it was also the first time for almost everybody who was present. seriously, how often do you get to witness a mass wedding? :)
the stage decoration
and i was invited to be seated on stage alongside with the mayor and the city councillers, witnessing the entire ceremony, as well as taking the group photos. it was an honour, but it was embarrassing too, because i'm just a nobody. and that was how i became the ma-ninay (sponsor/witness) of the 334 couples. oops.
empty chairs awaiting all the couples
334 couples, how much effort was put in to make the mass wedding possible? A LOT. i mean it. from the preparation, arrangements in the venue, all the co-ordination, crowd control, to the actual event itself, it involved a lot of work. Tricia's office was in charge of this event, and i say, you guys did a great job! hooray! :)
almost the entire city government workers were involved in this event
the mass wedding was a simple one. nothing was lavishing, probably except for the three-tiered wedding cake.
the wedding cake became the centrepiece of all the group photos we took
the couples came from all parts of Bago City. 24 barangays. many of them set off from their homes a few hours before the ceremony, dressed in simple white shirts and dresses, travelled to the city's coliseum in buses, tricycles, jeepneys. how did i know? because i saw a few of them when i visited Balgros Elementary School in Barangay Dulao in the morning. haha.
all the couples need not pay for the fees to process the legal documents and the charges for the ceremony. it was being paid for by the government. i was told by one of the city councillers, Ma'am Somcio, that many of them could not afford to get married, to have a wedding banquet, and they would just live together, forming families that are not recognised legally. which explained why some of the brides were pregnant, some couples looked like grandparents to me, and some towing their children along. i was also told that a few of the would-be brides just gave birth a couple of days before the wedding, so there were empty seats in the hall. hahah.
a couple with their child
which is also why the mayor is encouraging proper and legal marriage, because of the various health and educational benefits their children and they themselves would be able to receive.
there were quite a number of young couples as well. lack of education, and many other factors. i shall not elaborate any further. ha.
there were touching stories too. Ma'am Somcio was pointing a couple to me while we were on stage, waiting for the ceremony to begin. the lady was suffering from cancer, and she was being led to her seat, with her husband holding her hand all the time. she was too frail to stand, so she could not have her wedding march, and had to be seated while reciting the oath. but she had her husband by her side all the while.
the lady with cancer and her husband
there was another young lady who was in a wheelchair, and it was her husband who was with her all the while, wheeling her down the aisle.
in sickness and in health. true love is the love that is able to endure these obstacles. :)
the long wedding march
towards the end of the ceremony, everybody rose to take their oaths, and we the witnesses stood up as well. i could only understand a little of the oath (it was in Ilongo), but i could understand the last sentence very well. "you may now kiss the bride." and suddenly everybody started giggling. haha. nobody was kissing! the couples were shy! Ma'am Somcio and i were on stage, shouting "kiss! kiss!", while the mayor prompted the couples. it was only then i could see shy pecks on the lips, and i could see long passionate kisses too.
the 334 couples standing to take their oaths
it doesn't really matter if two persons were to get married or just living together, either way it requires a lot of courage and determination to make things work. but of course, there are pros and cons to be weighed, and the future to be considered. it's not just a simple "I do", but a lifelong promise and commitment.
i wish all the couples (and all around the world), to stay blissful together, and the best of luck. :)
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