Our Ceremony, Part Two

Take a formal ceremony in a beautiful church . . .

Add family & friends,
like our Sister of Honor, Best Man & Reader shown here

Add a dash of decoration,
like our flowers in memory of lost loved ones . . .

Stick with tradition, yet add a few personal touches . . .

And you will be happily married, like us!
(All Photos by Friends)

Read Our Ceremony, Part One HERE

Our church ceremony was the most beautiful, moving experience I've ever had. I didn't always have confidence I would feel this way. I was at odds with our church ceremony throughout much of the planning process.

I'm a casual, relaxed girl at heart. I'm most comfortable in a t-shirt, jeans & flip flops. Sunshine is my goddess. Think San Diego. Think beach.

I didn't mesh well with the grand church & its traditional ways. RZ's top priority was a ceremony held in the Catholic church so I tried my best to embrace our reality. But I worried. Would our church ceremony be too formal, too stuffy & too much for me? For us?

Thankfully, as we infused more & more of ourselves into the ceremony, it became more & more ours. Perfectly us.

A few tips/perks to a church ceremony that I wish I had known in advance:

1. Our gorgeous church is breathtaking. It required little or no decoration which equals savings on the floral budget. We ordered one altar arrangement in memory of our departed loved ones. Otherwise, we let the beautiful venue shine.

2. Our soloist, my godmother, helped me choose meaningful songs. No, I couldn't walk down the aisle to a Beatles song but I was pleasantly surprised by the options like Con Te Partiro, Ave Maria, etc. & she sang them like an angel!

3. We chose traditional vows & I took much comfort & hope from starting our marriage just as others have before us.

4. RZ is Filipino & we incorporated these three Filipino customs: veil, cord & coins. It was a respectful nod to his heritage & it personalized our ceremony.

5. I can't stress enough how honored we were by our family & friends who participated in our ceremony. Our parents, grandparents & bridal party who supported us & stood by our side at the altar. Our friends & family who recited readings & assisted with the Filipino customs. My godmother who sang. Our guests who witnessed our positive new beginning. Everyone warmed our hearts with their very presence & made the ceremony ours.

In the end, our church ceremony was perfect for us. I learned that if something doesn't feel right, there's hope. With a little thought & a lot of heart, you can make anything yours!