We had the privilege of attending our friends' wedding yesterday.
We met them both at St. Paul's United College (SPUC) where we lived in residence during the beginning of our undergraduate years.
Their ceremony was beautiful! They incorporated a number of Filipino wedding traditions, listed below are a few I particularly liked:
Principal Sponsors:
"These Principal Sponsors act as Godparents to the newlywed couple and commit themselves to be a source of encouragement and guidance through married life."
Veil:
"The Veil Sponsors place a white veils over the bride's head and the groom's shoulders, a symbol of two people united as one."
Cord:
"The Cord Sponsors entwine loosely a decorative cord around the shoulders of both the bride and groom in a figure eight configuration. The cord symbolizes the infinity of the bond of marriage, a new life as a couple in a union to last a lifetime."
I love the idea that there are 4 people that will encourage the couple and help them throughout married life! This is a tradition that should be more widespread. We all need people who will intentionally ask us the hard questions about how life is going, where we need support, and also to be with us to celebrate "marital victories".
The Veil and the Cord are great visuals of the 'bonds' of marriage. They pledged themselves to each other in the "infinity of marriage", just as Andrew and I did almost 4 years ago. Weddings are always a reminder of the commitment we made to one another, how special it is, how important it is, how much work it can be, and how much we love each other.
Today I spent a lot of time reflecting on the wedding ceremony and reception (it was an 11 course meal!). I wish I could remember which Bible verses they had chosen, it's driving me crazy that I can't remember... but I can remember all the great conversation we had with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. Unfortunately you're never able to talk to the bride and groom as much as you'd like too! It would have been great to spend more time talking to both of them.
I'm so grateful that we were able to reconnect with a number of people though. I love the relationships that even though it's been a while, still feel the same. Each person is equally excited to see each other and catch up, they're genuinely interested in your life and vice versa. It seems that truly connecting with people can be easier when it's been a while. I'm more intentional about asking questions, listening and sharing. With people I see regularly, it can seem awkward to ask those same questions and to have those deeper conversations... maybe it's just me!
Please let me know what wedding traditions you used or have seen that really seemed to reinforce and support the intention of the bride and groom in creating a successful marriage.
Please also let me know what you think about this notion of connecting with people after a span of time has passed.
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