OUR BEST DAY EVER

By: Mylene Campos

You never really know what you’ve got until it’s gone. But for this couple’s love story, nothing was entirely at a loss.

Chito and Nina met in 2013 at a mutual friend’s house. She didn’t fancy him when they first met and swore never to date him. He was, however, determined to win her over, so he continued to send her messages. But in one of their conversations, Nina expressed that she really didn’t like him. This eventually led Chito to stop talking to her. That's when she realized that she missed him and that maybe, she did like him too. Since then, she was the one who kept on messaging him, and the rest was history. They’ve been together since October 2013.

A COUPLE’S ADORATION | One of the traits that Nina loves about Chito is that he prioritizes her over anything. He’s a complete gentleman who works hard but is also the type who knows how to have a good time. “He makes me laugh with his not-so-funny jokes, which makes it more funnier because he thinks it’s hilarious,” she shared. Chito, on the other hand, can’t get enough of his new bride. “I don’t just like her. I love everything about her,” he said.

A THRIVING LOVE | While they were still boyfriend and girlfriend, the pair didn’t think much of their future. But they always made sure to savor every moment that they were together. Nina shared, “we’ve never failed to celebrate our monthsaries and anniversaries. We love surprising each other with gifts. Also, our favorite part of the day, up until now, is allotting 30 minutes to 1 hour every day just to talk about anything we could think of. We do this without the presence of our phones, laptops, or TV. It's always just the two of us. And we think that really helps, especially now that everyone is glued to his or her phone screens.” One thing is for sure. The couple survives and thrives by talking about random stuff, even their misunderstandings. They never sleep angry at each other.

THE PROPOSAL | Chito proposed to Nina last October 29, 2017, at Lago Del Pino in Tyler Texas. They came to the winery and restaurant to celebrate their 4th anniversary. The bride shared, “after our dinner, he asked if I wanted to take OOTD photos outside because we were all dressed up. He wanted to capture some pictures at the gazebo, but I was too lazy to walk in my heels. Plus, it was too cold at the time. So we just took some snapshots at the outdoor lounge instead. Now, he was trying to frame things in a worm’s eye view using my Sony A6000 and was on one bended knee. He was already getting irritated while saying that he couldn’t figure out what button to push, so I came rushing towards him. I was about to get mad because we had that camera for more than a year, yet he still hasn't mastered it. And when I got about a foot away from him, he pulled out a ring. I was caught off guard. I accidentally punched him, ran to the sofa lounge, and covered my face. He came towards me shaking because he thought I didn’t like the ring. But I told him that I loved it, and said yes to him. I just didn’t know how to react.”

WEDDING PLANNING | Nina already envisioned her wedding way before she got engaged. When it was time to plan the actual thing, Chito let her decide what she wanted to have for their special day. She just wrote everything, and they refined their list together. They also recognized their non-negotiable and negotiable suppliers with the help of their wedding coordinator, Dhon Conwi. The groom shared, “he really gave us a lot of suggestions and recommendations for our wedding. At first, we didn’t think about the budget. But Nina’s sisters assured us that they would support us with everything. So we’re truly thankful to them!”

 When it came to their entourage, they chose those who were close to them. These were their uncles and aunts, godparents (from when they got baptized), best friends, cousins, nephews and nieces.

 CHERISHED MOMENTS | It was quite memorable for the groom when he saw his bride for the first time. “When I saw the doors open and saw Nina walking towards me, the first few words that I was able to utter were ‘ang ganda, ganda mo. Magiging asawa na kita’,” he shared. As for Nina, what she cherished the most was the moment she saw Chito crying. “I felt it. It was pure joy,” she shared. She also loved it when her siblings surprised them with a song during the reception. They sang ‘count on me’ by Bruno Mars.

 WORDS OF WISDOM | If there’s one thing that the couple would advice soon-to-be brides and grooms, it would be to go with what they want, no matter what other people say. “It’s your day. You’re free to make the rules. The least that anyone can do is to attend and be happy for you,” the couple shared.