My Brother’s Wedding

My brother got married earlier today.

I was a bridesmaid or secondary sponsor in charge of the cord, so it meant I had to be up at 6 am so I could wait in line to get my hair and makeup done. The bride was first priority, of course. Then my mom and I got our hair and makeup done.

I was pulled into a few photos with the bride and her entourage.

Then we went to the house next door where the official photographers took our family photos.

The organisers then completely forgot about us so the groom was late to his own wedding. The bride confessed later that there was a moment when she wondered if he had changed his mind. 😅

They had a solemn church ceremony where they were pronounced husband and wife, followed by pictorials with the guests.

They exited the church doors to a shower of confetti and cheers.

Then we moved to another location for the lunch reception. It was small but beautifully decorated. The entire entourage was announced by name and we danced to our seats in front, right across the principal sponsors.

Then the bride and groom walked into the room while all the guests showered them with coins.

Welcome remarks were given by both sets of parents. I led the opening prayer and we were finally ready to eat. We had plates ready with food on our special table but there was a buffet table for everyone else.

Shortly afterwards, the bride and groom surprised us with a duet of the song “All of Me.”

Then there were speeches given by the maid of honor and best man before we all toasted the couple.

The newlyweds then took their first dance as a married couple and danced with both sets of parents. At this point I could not help but shed a tear. This always gets me!

There were also a few games related to the garter and bouquet, and of course the cutting of the cake ceremony.

Then finally the program was done and it was time to go. They distributed their cute souvenirs – stuffed toy camels from Dubai, because the couple lives in the middle east.

There was another souvenir – a photobooth outside. So I pulled my parents and the best man, who was a childhood friend, into a picture. The newlyweds joined us.

I will post the official photos once they’ve been released. I still can’t believe it only cost them 25,000 pesos for a package that includes pre nup pictures, tarpaulin, on site pictures, and photo booth! UPDATE: official photos in!

All in all, I’d say it went pretty well for a wedding that only took around 3 months to plan! And no, my sister-in-law is NOT pregnant. People always seem to think that rushed weddings are because of unplanned pregnancies!

P.S. It turns out this isn’t just a memorable day for my brother, but for me as well. I just got an overseas call from my SVP who told me I was getting an unexpected promotion. This day just got doubly happier for our family! 😊