It’s our 6th Wedding Anniversary. I thought I’d share my wedding memories. To be honest, the events of our wedding is mostly a blur to me. It’s like it happened so fast, and I was just going with the flow. It’s like I had tunnel vision, and I was only reacting because I was just so overwhelmed. If not for the photos, videos and my especially-made wedding rites, I would not be able to remember some of the bits and pieces of it.

We didn’t go traditional on the wedding, because I didn’t want it so long. Also, I was limited with what we can really do, keeping it simple was the best option. It has a mixture of Catholic-Filipino-American ceremonies. I am so happy that  Father Blais, the officiator, didn’t insist on doing the Traditional Catholic Matrimonial Mass, and he was open to do the Filipino-and-American Symbolic Ceremonies.

And although, I am so grateful to my friends who helped us with taking the photos and videos, nothing beats wedding ‘photo and video’ professionals, that we didn’t hire. We concentrated on the ring, the cake, the flowers, and our wedding attires; and of course the food for the small gathering after the wedding ceremony, which by the way were prepared as favors by friends. We ordered the flowers from the nearest flower shop and my mother and I made the corsages, while hubby prepared the candles and ordered the wedding cake from Yokota. And our wedding attires are bought and custom made in the Philippines.

It was a cold and snowy in Nagano that day, I don’t know how I’ve survived in that dress.

Read about the days leading to the wedding:

• Our Love Story, In His Words (Part 1)
• Our Love Story, In His Words (Part 2)

Our Wedding

Michael and Charlotte
March 7, 2004
Okaya Catholic Church
Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan

Pre-Ceremony Wedding Song

I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You

Wise men say “Only fools rush in”
But I can’t help falling in love with you.
Shall I stay, would it be a sin
If I, I can’t help falling in love with you.

Like a river flows, surely to the sea,
Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I, I can’t help falling in love with you.

Like a river flows, surely to the sea,
Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be

Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I, I can’t help falling in love with you.
No I, I can’t help falling in love with you …

The Walk Down the Aisle

It was a short walk down the aisle. I was looking at everyone but not really seeing. But when I saw hubby’s smiling face as he was looking at me, I just kept smiling myself.

Exchange of Vows

We made our own vows. I remember I was so touched and teary-eyed after hearing hubby’s wedding vows that I grabbed his face to kiss him, but he stopped me and told me – it’s not time. Everyone was laughing.

You will always be my angel… -Michael

I will always love you no matter what … - Charlotte

We did the traditional vows as well.

I take you to be my lifetime partner
to be none other than yourself,
to have and to hold; for better or for worse;
in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish
both freed and bound by our love
for as long as we both shall live.

Blessing and Exchange of Rings

The wedding ring is the outward and the visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond, which unites two hearts in endless love. The circle, the emblem of eternity, and gold, the type of what is least tarnished and most enduring, are to show how lasting and imperishable is the faith now pledged. Let the rings, a fit token of that which is unending, be a symbol of the value, the purity, and the constancy of true wedded love; and the seal of the vows in which is pledged in the most solemn and sacred honor.

For we will laugh and cry,
Support and be supported,
Grow and then move forward into a greater world and
Through our love bring more love onto others,
I give you this ring in solemn token and pledge
Of my constant faith and abiding love
And as a seal of my vows to you,
Whom I will love and cherish above all others, forever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit.

Candle Ceremony

Two candles that represents the bride and groom are lighted. The candles symbolize the Light of Christ, the same light they received at Baptism and now receive again to lead them in their new life as a couple. Our candles were lighted by the Best Man, Phil and my mother.

The Best Man, Phil

Mother of the Bride

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
(John 1:1-4)

Lighting of the Unity Candle

From the American Wedding Tradition, using each candles that represents the bride and groom, the center unity candle is lighted. This ceremony symbolizes the union of two individuals, becoming one in commitment.

Then Jesus spoke and said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
(John 8:12)

Veil Ceremony

The veil ceremony is one of the symbolic ceremonies of a Traditional Filipino Wedding. A white veil is placed over the shoulder of the kneeling couple. The veil symbolizes living under God’s protection and being clothed as one.

Veil Ceremony with Friends, Patrick and Lucelle

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
(Gen 2:23,24)

Cord Ceremony

The cord ceremony is another symbolic ceremony in a Traditional Filipino Wedding. The cord is looped in a figure 8, the symbol of infinity, and placed over the couple. It represents the ties that bind the couple together who will now walk through life as equals.

Cord Ceremony with Friends, Arvin and Grace

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures forever. Love never fails.
(1 Cor 13:4-7)

Marriage Prayer

O God our Father, we honor You in thanksgiving
for the joy, the beauty, and the sacredness of this hour
and for the gifts of life and love;
in life and love, for the gift of Matrimony.
We thank You for our lives, which we now pledged
to live for You, and for each other.
Lord, use our married life according to Your will
and make our love strong yet gentle and true.
In all that we are, let us glorify You.
O Lord Jesus Christ, You are the True Light.
We come before You as unique individuals,
but now clothed as one and bound together in unity.
Together we ask You, to bless us and our marriage.
and with Your light, enlighten our path and warm our hearts.
Strengthen us in the trials of life.
O Holy Spirit, be in our midst.
In the joining of our lives, grant us Your gifts.
When selfishness shows itself, grant us generosity;
when mistrust is a temptation, give us moral strength;
when there is misunderstanding,
clear our minds; give us patience and gentleness;
in pain and in sorrow,
grant us compassion to comfort each other,
strong faith and an abiding love.
Grant that we see long and happy days
and be united forever in the kingdom of Your glory.
Amen.

Nuptial Blessing

The Officiator – Father M. Blais

We call upon You, Almighty God.

Let each of us now ask God, in silence, to bless Michael and Charlotte, His children as they begin their married life.

(From the book of Common Catholic Prayers)

Father, by Your power You have made everything out of nothing. In the beginning You created the universe and made mankind in your own likeness. You gave man the constant help of woman so that man and woman should no longer be two, but one flesh, and You teach us that what You have united may never be divided.

Father, by your plan, man and woman are united, and married life has been established as the one blessing that was no forfeited by original sin or washed away in the flood. Look with love upon this woman, Your daughter, now joined to her husband in marriage. She asks Your blessing. Give her the grace of love and peace. May she always follow the example of the holy women whose praises are sung in the scriptures.
May her husband put his trust in her and recognize that she is his equal and the heir with him to the life of grace. May he always honor her and love her as Christ loves his bride, the Church.

Father, keep them always true to Your commandments. Keep them faithful in marriage and let them be living examples of Christian life. Give them the strength, which comes from the gospel so that they may be witnesses of Christ to others. Bless them with children and help them to be good parents. May they live to see their children’s children. And, after a happy old age, grant them fullness of life with the saints in the kingdom of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Declaration of Marriage

For as much as you, Michael and Charlotte have consented together in Holy Matrimony before friends and loved ones, and have pledged your faith and declared your unity. I now pronounce you, husband and wife.

- The Officiator

The Commentator, Susette

After-Ceremony Wedding Song

Looking Through the Eyes of Love

Please, don’t let this feeling end,
It’s everything I am, It’s everything I want to be
I can see what’s mine now, finding now what’s true
Since I found you – looking through the eyes of love.

And now, I can take the time,
I can see my life as it comes up shining now;
Reaching out to touch you, I can feel so much
Since I found you – looking through the eyes of love.

And now, I do believe
That even in the storm we’ll find some light;
Knowing you’re beside me, I’m all right!

Please, don’t let this feeling end,
It might not come again, and I want to remember
How it feels to touch you, How I feel so much
Since I found you – looking through the eyes of love.

The Wedding Entourage	The Wedding Entourage
With Friends of the Groom	With Friends of the Bride

Click photos to enlarge photos.