HAVING prepared for a wedding date that is caught in the middle of a pandemic is never easy. We have heard stories of how love continued to prosper. The wedding date might have been put off but the love of the couple remains.
But what happens if the bride and the groom are frontliners? Not only are they caught in the middle of the quarantine but they are also caught in the middle of duty to the society.
For couples Glamour B. Luceño and Phremae Lalaine J. Monte, who had been together for more than six years now, getting married was one of the challenges they didn't expect they have to face as a couple. Luneño works for the Philippine military and is designated to watch out for unauthorized entry of vessels in Davao Region and that no one go to the beach for leisure bathing.
On the other hand, Monte works as a medical technologist at Metro Davao Medical and Research Center, Inc extracting blood samples and conducting urine and other specimen tests for patients for diagnosis.
The couple originally planned to be wed on March 28, 2020 with about 120 to 150 guests including their friends and family members. But fate might have another plan for them when Covid-19 came and the city government released the guideline prohibiting mass gathering. Their wedding suppliers understood that they needed to cancel, others were even generous enough to offer refund.
"We were really sad about the sudden cancellation of our wedding. Everything was already set. We were just waiting for the wedding date. But we need to follow the rules since we are currently facing a pandemic. As much as we would like to push through with our plans, we do not want to risk anyone. Everyone's safety and health is also our concern," shared Monte.
Because of the nature of their jobs, they had to endure being away from each other. But not seeing each other only made planning for alternative wedding preparations all the more challenging. The couple did not falter. They had been together for six years now and had been through many long distance moments in their relationship as well.
"Working both as frontliners, different area assignments, schedules that won't meet, being exposed to possible positive patients, those were just the test that we need to conquer. I think this is God's way of making us stronger," she said.
Full of hope, they decided to have a civil wedding instead but only realized that the transactions at the Hall of Justice were also difficult made by the strict ECQ implementation. Their marriage license expires on May 26 and they felt like they need to fast-track preparations already.
On May 20, they were told by the Hall of Justice that an available schedule the following day May 21, 3p.m. can be reserved for them if they're ready.
"I was really shocked of the fast turn-around of events. We were not even prepared. Our family and friends helped us. We did not have the chance to pick the date since that is the only available date but it doesn't matter anymore," she said.
They had an intimate wedding composed of five people (2 couples, 2 witnesses, and 1 guest).
"We still dream to have our church wedding soon but for now, we are just extremely happy that we are already bound as one," Monte said.