Of Martyrs & Faith

Faith Quieng texted me last week asking if I was free on the 19th of this month. I found out weeks before that she was tying the knot on that date w/ Steven, her co-worker from Saint Jude Catholic School's IT Department (Faith works at the Guidance Councilors office), so I replied w/ Congratulations and teasing her about the office romance. Also weeks before I know Irene was invited but had no ride to either the wedding or the reception. I volunteered to act as escort and gatecrasher. Now it seemed I was promoted to car-pooler and guest.

I was surprised to learn (since I didn't really read the invitation thoroughly) that the wedding was going to be held in the high school building's chapel on the 2nd floor instead of St. Jude Church, but then again it's at the former where SJCS employees can get married for free. Great present from the bosses, if nothing else. No wonder they allowed me to park inside.

My second surprise came in finding out that the Uy Twins were in town. I missed seeing them last year, and with Marilyn and Marinette both based abroad in Colorado and Singapore, respectively, they only get to come home twice a year, usually at the end of the year. ('Lyn hasn't changed, but 'Nette's lost some weight.) This is also the first time in a long while I've seen the complete Uy Family ('Rents, Richard, Twins and Maricris) in attendance (Auntie Lily was a principal sponsor).

Third surprise: Adrian Ong was in town, on vacation but decided to help our batchmate and official wedding photographer Jervy Santiago get some shots of the ceremony.

As with all the weddings I've attended where the bride was Chinoy and the groom Pinoy (3, counting this one), the guests of the latter outnumbered the former 8:1. Irene and I arrived at Dragon Gate Restaurant an hour early, w/c was just as well since parking was going to prove difficult for the guests who decide to arrive on time. While emcees Frances and Jacob (probably getting their names wrong) left more to be desired (like a better emcee, singular), Jervy saved the video presentation w/ a last minute change on the projector screen from big to humongous.

Faith is the 2nd of 5 daughters but the first of them to get married. One down...