IN TIME for the celebration of the feast day of the Immaculate Conception last Thursday in Murcia town, 57 couples exchanged their "I do's" as a testament that "life is more blessed when shared under the fulfillment of marriage."
The annual "Kasalang Bayan" is among the highlights of the town's fiesta season. It is organized by the Local Civil Registrar as supported by its legislative arm, the Municipal Council and being supervised by the reformed Philippine Statistics Authority, known in the past as the National Statistics Office.
So while I find the solemnity of traditional weddings as a great opportunity to meet family members and close friends, the excitement of a mass wedding lies in the idea that you share your special day with more than a dozen couples, filling up the air with so much love and happiness.
And so, the local gymnasium was transformed to a more romantic venue with crystal beads, orchids and lavenders well-positioned to adorn an isle of red carpet draped with wedding colors. The isle itself is blooming and budding with rose petals as a fitting symbolism of love and faith as brides walk the center with their long dresses trailing the carpet.
What a magical moment it was to witness most of them in teary eyes, especially couples who have been living under the same roof for decades and just recently decided to make it "official," so to speak.
One after the other, brides took hold of their bouquets which varied from homegrown orchids, white roses paired with local asthers and a bunch of ladies accented with white daisy or some, personally hand crafted paper flowers to suit their personal favors.
The short ceremony included traditional symbolisms like the releasing of white doves that means letting go of a bad past and flying high with dreams of a peaceful life. A toast was also made to give way for good relationships. Significantly, their was the money dance by two pairs who represented the rest of the couples as they seek for a life of abundance and financial freedom.
Highlighting the short ceremony were testimonies from some couples, sharing how their love stories before a cheering crowd. From being textmates to real life couples and another shared how they struggled with a low income job in Luzon and eventually decided to tie the knot in Negros to lead a "sweeter life in the land of sugar."
All these made the event more exciting to witness as most can't help but shed some tears of happiness proving once more that "true love is a force that can stand against trials, suffering and even the greatest of all ironies in life."
Indeed, it's Valentines in December. Once more, I am reminded with these words: "Love is an intelligent willingness to do what is best for another person. That there is more to it than just an emotion. Love is a commandment from the bible and is fully consumed in marriage."
For all the 57 couples who have "sealed the deal," may you live with love, abundance and peace, the same aspirations I have for all families this Christmas Season!