a dose from the Corteses

just want to share...

the eighth of april two thousand six in the year of our lord....
the day we proclaimed our love for each other...
we are officially husband and wife.

THE WEDDING

Toni and I were married as the sun was setting on Saturday, April 8, 2006. Angelus was led by Mommy Day, bedecked in the summer dress Mimi gave, backless ha! Judge Soliver Peras, Papa's good friend, performed the short ceremony for us. The rings were exchanged. The judge had us prepare a vase, a pitcher of water, and a single red rose.

Something to this effect took place...

Alli: I, Allison, give you, Toni, this vase, as a sign of my promise to love and cherish you and our marriage. Every year, I will give you a vase to renew this vow.

Toni: I, Toni, give you, Allison, this rose, as a sign of my promise to love and cherish you and our marriage. Every year, I will give you a rose to renew this vow.

Judge: I, as the officiating judge of this ceremony, water the rose in the vase. May your marriage bloom and may you support and nourish one another for the rest of your lives.

And then... "You may kiss the bride" (my favorite part)

Toni's Tita Aurora (who also made Arroz Valenciana for the wedding feast) led the prayer before meals. Gi-duol ni Mama after the prayer, ingon si Mama "Self-serving kaayo toh imong prayer ha," coz apparently Tita Aurora said "...and bless the people who prepared the food..."

We all had dinner. Then Audrey as emcee called on Alexis and Ayden (a friend from work) to come up on the front and sing for everyone. Ayden on guitars, Alexis on the microphone... they were quite good, in my opinion.

Another friend from work, Rainier, brought minus-one cds to sing to... only he sang to them. A good friend from my volleyball days in high school, Monica, sang, too. Her boyfriend Justin was on the guitars. And my 2nd-degree cousin on the Arcenas-Gallardo side, Candy, sang around three songs, too... to make up for being extremely tardy.

In between songs, there were friends and family who spoke, congratulating us, giving advice and welcoming us into each other's family. Mama said something... short. Her last line was "Sakto na kay maka-hilak nya ko." My bestfriends Pnut and JL said something, too. Jonel, took Charlotte and Gil's videocam around and some people said their piece, too. I know Yaya for one did.

Toni's friends from high school and college were there, and they provided the beer for everyone. Mommy Day and Alexis drank a couple of bottles, as well as most of the males at the party. I had around 3 glasses of white wine.

The party ended at around 11pm already. There were a dozen gifts, which Toni and I opened at home. We went to bed past midnight on our wedding night.

this was a year and three months ago....
we're planning our church wedding a year from now...

in the meantime, listen to this song we both love ---