A MATCH MADE IN MANILA

By: Mylene Campos

Brian and Yuriz met in Mapua Institute of Technology when they were just in high school. But it was only during college, after randomly seeing one another at National Bookstore in SM Manila, that they finally sparked up a conversation. She didn’t know what to say, and just uttered, “Hi Brian! Uy, hanapan mo naman ako ng boyfriend. Wala na akong boyfriend.”  Then he responded, “Ako na lang.” Yuriz didn’t take it seriously knowing that he was his usual prankster self. But little did she know that he already liked her and was serious about what he said. They may have parted ways without exchanging numbers. But he soon got her digits through a high school classmate, and the rest is history.

LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDS | The bride thinks of Brian as the perfect man – the man who has everything. But one thing that she truly admires him for is his selflessness. He would do anything for the people he loved despite his struggles. The groom, on the other hand, thinks of his bride as an ‘Iron Lady’ – independent and intelligent. Her intense desire and enthusiasm to protect and care for her loved ones, especially for him, has been immeasurable.

 A LOVE LIKE NO OTHER | While total opposites (Brian being the extrovert and Yuriz an introvert), their love for food binds them together. In spite of, their differences still made their love stronger. Their 13 years as a couple had its up and downs. But they’ve managed to conquer all the odds because they couldn’t bear the thought of not being with each other. “When I am weak, he is there to lift me up, and I with him.”

BRIAN’S PERFECT PROPOSAL | Brian proposed to Yuriz on December 5, 2017. It hasn't been a year since the proposal, yet they've already had everything arranged for the wedding. It wasn't hard for them to lay down their plans because they liked the same things, and that was to have a royal fairytale feel to their wedding. They were both hands-on and were very meticulous with the details of their nuptials. The couple also made sure that they picked the best suppliers from the lot.

 THE WEDDING PROCESS | Brian and Yuriz are both perfectionists. Being leaders in their own right, they could never tolerate any mediocrity or poor performance on their parts, and would often clash on things. But at the end of the day, all they aspired was to have the best wedding, and they think they have achieved that.

 GREAT EXPECTATIONS | The couple had set very high standards when it came to finding the right wedding suppliers. They made sure to ask potential vendors their offerings and their expected outputs before sealing the deal (8 candidates were interviewed before making their cut). In the end, the couple felt highly satisfied on how their suppliers delivered.

 THE WEDDING ENTOURAGE | The bride and groom only wanted their closest friends and family members to be a part of the entourage. So it wasn’t hard for them to choose who to include because they already knew who was closest to their hearts, and these were the people who would be immensely happy to see them finally tie the knot.

 THE GROOM’S MOST CHERISHED MOMENTS | Brian shared, “I think the bride’s walk was the most memorable for me. I was trying to hold back my tears but I couldn’t, so I just looked up to the Church’s ceiling to not ruin my look.” Picture taking on stage during the reception was also unforgettable for the groom because it was the time when they finally “got the chance to hug, to kiss or to shake hands with the guests who attended the wedding.” He also loved the moment when Abby Assistio serenaded him and his wife. He felt so in love as if things weren’t real. It felt like a fairytale.

ADVICE FROM THE NEWLYWEDS | “Expect the worst and hope for the best! Kidding aside, enjoy the journey. You will only get married once. So try not to get too stressed by all the preparations. At the end of the day, if things don’t go the way you imagined it to be, you'll still get to marry the one you’ve been dreaming of spending your life with. True love conquers all.”

 A GROOM’S VOW TO HIS BRIDE | Brian said this to his bride, “in our relationship, I realized that love isn’t about finding someone to live with, but rather finding someone you can’t live without. In this life, I have found the one whom my soul loves, and that is you. You are the only one.

 I want you to know that sometimes you annoy me more than I could ever think possible. But deep in my heart, I truly know that I want to spend every irritating minute with you. I want you to know that I love you even when I hate you.

 On this day my hand is yours to hold, and my heart forever yours to keep. Today, I take you to be my wife, my partner in everything and my one true love. I promise to encourage you, to motivate you, to inspire you, and to love you through the good times and bad. I will forever be there for you to laugh with, to lift you up when you are down, and to love you unconditionally through all of our adventures in life together.

 I’m so excited to see what the future holds for us. And I love you more each day. I vow to always make you happy. Always and forever, this I promise you.”

A BRIDE’S VOW TO HER GROOM | Yuriz shared her vows by lovingly addressing her groom. “Brian Salamat Balagtas, this is it! It’s been a long and happy journey for us. And now, we've finally made it! I always thank God for answering my prayers. This day and this moment feel so surreal. God has given me more than what I deserve. Thank you for your unconditional love. You are so selfless. I’m so blessed to have a partner who always cares for everyone. I know you’ll be a good husband, and a father to our future kids. Brian, I admire you. I will always believe in you and the person you’ll grow to be, and to the couple, we'll become. I accept all your weaknesses and strengths as you do mine. I’ll be here to support you, and I will always make our family’s happiness my priority. We will dream together, and we will celebrate all of our triumphs and hardships. I promise that I’ll always walk by your side whatever life brings us. You are the man of my dreams, my best friend and my soul mate. I will love you for the rest of my life.”