Ysa's Boracay Wedding + the One

Second month into the year: instead of being a snob about it, this blog is jumping on the February bandwagon by celebrating l-o-v-e (but the kind that's not limited to the romantic one + I do have good reason to celebrate this word, i.e. love being one of my two words for 2012).   

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Wedding Setup (photo by Jay-jay Lucas)

Last June 2011, I was in Boracay for the wedding of one of my bestfriends, Ysabel. It was kind of a big deal to me for a number of reasons: Ysa and I grew up together, it was my first time to be a bridesmaid, and it was something we had planned for about 3 years. Countless YMs and emails have been exchanged in the name of this occasion. (Another minor reason for the excitement was the fact that few of my friends ever get married, so, though I love that my overlapping circles are not in any rush, hey, it may take some more time before an occasion like this one comes along again.)

Deezezit! (photo by Jay-jay Lucas)

Two days prior to the actual date, it had been raining non-stop in Manila and Boracay. So, after 2 years of not seeing each other because they're based in Canada, I would hug an Ysa for the first time at the airport crying like she was my 11-year-old buddy because the weather was threatening to be a downer. What did I do? After the hugging and the reassuring, I cried like an 11-year-old girl with her, too. There we were at the waiting area of NAIA 3 sniffling like two crazy, PMS-ing women. That was also how my first real-life meeting with Tim, the hubby-to-be, went.

As you can see in these photos, contrary to predictions the weather turned out perfectly. Ysa and Tim's big day beat the odds, parang tunay na pagibig lang (naks). The sun came out and the skies were clear and everything else about that day (the preparations, the ceremony, the food, the entertainment, etc.) flowed smoothly.

Bungisngis kisses (photo by Jay-Jay Lucas)

Fast forward to today: this beautiful wedding has turned into a happy marriage of 7 months. One insight that I would often glean from our frequent chatting is how serious marriage really is. It doesn't compare to dating, even a long-term engagement would probably not hold a candle to how real a marriage is (a possible exception could be your good ol' domestic partnership). That cliche about the wedding being just one day and marriage being something you work on for a lifetime? Totally true.

Why do people get into it despite the legal hassles and the statistics? For a number of reasons, I guess, like hormones that lead to cute little, uh, accidents, peer pressure, filial duties, fulfillment of a responsibility as a partner, security, etc. when in truth, the one reason many of us would like to have is just plain old love. Finding, meeting, marrying the one. I have always been somewhat suspicious of this concept, but recently Ysa and I have stumbled upon another reason why Tim is perfect for her and, together with this, arrived at an epiphany about what being the one could potentially mean. I must admit this made me just a little bit more hopeful. Ready?

Tim and Ysa (photo by Jay-Jay Lucas)

Ysabel is gorgeous. She's a mix of Spanish, Chinese, Filipino and descends from a lola who was once a 1st runner-up in the Ms. Philippines pageant. She's funny and classy and smart. Something about Ysa though: she has always been passionate about dancing and tennis.

So, the other day while we were talking about life, we segued to discussing the recent Australian Open. She was telling me about Nadal, the different kinds of tennis courts, tennis rules, etc. and then she tells me how good a tennis player Tim is, that when he was in high school someone actually suggested that he go pro. Lightbulb moment.

For someone like Ysabel, it's not really a big surprise that she would find someone kind and attractive (it helps that she has wonderful taste, too :p). But kind + attractive + loves to dance (Ysa's family is a dancing family, any guy with two left feet would stick out sorely, awkwardly. Tim outdanced everyone, except for the bride's father, at the reception) + good tennis player: now, what are the odds of landing this particular permutation?

Maybe this is what the one or that gift from above could mean: that this person will fit perfectly into the tiny details of your life and will not look awkward relative to your quirks. As my friend Turtle would say when talking about the concept of katuwang: walang sobra, walang kulang.