the bestie got married. and honestly, that day still feels like a blur... a beautiful, messy, funny, overwhelming blur. the kind that settles quietly in your heart long after it’s done.
the night before the wedding, our little friend group attempted a surprise bridal dinner for her at coffee project. “attempted” because, let’s be real, we’re 98% sure she already had a hunch. to make it even funnier, when she arrived, we weren’t even fully set up yet. we literally had to ask her to wait outside for a second so we could scramble around and fix the table.
and then (this part still makes me laugh), we had to re-film her entrance because the first one was a fail. she even ended up helping us set things up. that’s how chaotic and hilarious it all was. but it also felt so us… imperfect, last-minute, full of love, and somehow still magical once everything settled.
the dinner itself was simple, intimate, and warm. lots of talking, catching up, quick bursts of laughter. it was a last-minute plan because the girls (lyka and april) flew in only a day before. they’re in manila and we’re here in the province. but i’m honestly glad we pushed through. it felt like a tiny pocket of time carved out just for us before everything became big and formal and emotional.
even though i live in town, i checked in at a budget hotel with lyka (w/ her little one) and april (w/ her boyfie). partly because our call time the next morning was 6am, but also because i wanted to savor that little pre-wedding bubble with friends. meanwhile, the bride stayed at the venue hotel (beautiful, but way too pricey for our wallets lol).
then came the wedding day.
we arrived 30 minutes past the call time but, we still had to wait almost an hour before the makeup room and artists were ready. it was one of those “we woke up too early for this, but okay” moments.
the photoshoot took up most of the morning… and most of our energy, too. i swear, wedding photoshoots are a whole workout.
almost all of us bridesmaids are introverts, so it was always a mix of awkwardness and nervous laughter every time the photographers told us to “make some noise!” or “dance for the video!” or “act lively!” meanwhile, the guys were bursting with energy like it was the easiest thing ever. even the coordinators noticed. they told us straight up. and we just laughed because… they were right.
then it was time for the ceremony.
the wedding was held at Sta. Monica Parish Church in Panay, a historic and breathtaking place, and it was my first time hearing mass inside that church. and the bestie… she was stunning. there’s a certain kind of glow brides have that goes beyond the makeup or the dress. it’s the glow of someone stepping into a chapter she never imagined would unfold this beautifully.
after the church ceremony, we went back for the reception. it rained a little. we waited outside, eating pika-pika, while the newly weds were having another photoshoot sesh. then came our entourage entrance and, of course, the dance. yes, we were informed ahead of time, but i guess i chose to ignore that detail because i genuinely thought it was “only for bridesmaids.” but nope, i had to go first as the maid of honor (and i don't dance lol).
and as if the universe wanted comedic timing, my sandals broke right after the dance. thankfully, after. i would have disappeared into the floor if it happened mid-dance. huge thanks to marilyn for lending me her sandals so i could stand beside the bride later and give my maid-of-honor speech.
i didn’t take a lot of photos. i wanted to be in the moment. to feel the laughter, the chaos, the emotions, the warmth. i took short clips here and there, just enough to stitch the memories together later. most of the beautiful photos i’m sharing here are from the official photographers (thank God for them).
my mom was also there. she's one of the ninangs. and seeing her smile through everything was its own quiet joy.
and somewhere between the ceremony and the reception… between the laughter, the running around, the soft moments… something hit me.
i looked around the room, looked at my best friend glowing with a happiness she’s always deserved, looked at our friends entering new chapters, looked at everyone slowly becoming their older, more settled selves…
and something inside me softened.
we’re not getting any younger. everyone is moving, growing, building. and for a moment, i felt that quiet pressure in my chest. the one that whispers, “am i supposed to be catching up?”
but deep down, i know i don’t want to move just because life is nudging me forward. i don’t want to force myself into timelines that don’t feel right yet. i’m still learning, still growing, still building a version of life that feels like home to me. and maybe that’s okay. maybe that’s enough for now.
and then there’s Alaine… the heart of this whole big day. i kept looking at my bestie, and each time, the same thought echoed in me: “this is the happiness she truly deserves.”
twelve years of friendship… from late-night study sessions, old-school texting, endless chikahan, her moodswings, our awkward beginnings. i’ve seen so many versions of her. the funny one, the silent one, the strong one, the heartbroken one, the one who doubted if real love would ever choose her.
and seeing her now… soft, steady, glowing, loved… felt like watching a part of her finally breathe.
i’m so grateful for her.
for our friendship that grew without forcing it.
for the loyalty that never needed words.
for every season of her life she let me witness.
she’s one of those people who shaped who i am now, even in ways she’ll never fully know.
and watching her step into this new chapter… it felt like a victory for both of us.
i hope she remembers this version of herself... the one who found love, chose hope, and walked bravely toward a future she once feared. she deserves every good thing coming her way.
that day was chaotic and beautiful and exhausting and full. and i think a part of me will hold it close for a long time. not just because my best friend got married, but because it felt like a snapshot of this season we’re all living through.
that strange in–between of being young, but not quite as young anymore. of watching our friends step into their new chapters one by one. building homes, building careers, building families, building lives that once felt so far away.
and somewhere in all that movement, we’re learning that there’s no single timeline, no perfect order, no race we’re meant to win.
we’re all just growing at different speeds, in different directions, with different dreams.
some of us are getting married, some are starting over, some are finding themselves, and some are still figuring out what they want to do next... and all of it is real, valid, and enough.
maybe that’s the quiet comfort of moments like this: they remind us that life unfolds in its own timing, that love arrives when it’s meant to, and that there is beauty in every chapter... even the ones that feel uncertain, even the ones still being written.
so here’s to this season of our lives. to growing up, growing apart, growing together, to friendships that stay, to futures we once whispered about slowly, finally becoming real.
and here’s to all of us, finding our way, in our own pace, in our own time, in the gentle, messy, beautiful ways life allows.
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