THE UNEXPECTED

By: Mylene Campos

The unexpected things in life are usually the ones that give meaning to one’s existence. For John and Katrina, finding a great love in the ‘greatest city in the world’ was a complete surprise worth cherishing forever.

 SWEET BEGINNINGS | Traveling to New York has always been on Katrina’s bucket list. And when she finally ticked off this destination, she didn’t know that she would also mark another exciting chapter in her life and that was finding love. Katrina met John in the summer of 2016 after being introduced by a mutual friend. “Who would have thought that I would meet my future husband there,” she shared. Talk about finding the apple of your eye at the Big Apple, right?

 At the beginning of John’s courtship, he asked Katrina not to say yes to him right away. She just laughed at the idea, thinking how confident this man was. But it wasn’t long until he couldn’t stop himself from asking her to be his girlfriend already, to which they both referred to as the ‘Katrina effect’.

The bride shared, “I will never forget the first day we met. He was so nervous. He even warned me that he had extremely sweaty palms, which can be described as pasmado. I thought he was just exaggerating, but he wasn’t, as his hands were dripping with sweat. Nonetheless, it was funny and cute to see him in that state, nervous and all.”

LOVE KNOWS NO DISTANCE | John lived in New York while Katrina resided in the Philippines. But neither time nor distance stopped the couple from traveling to one another’s cities. Their relationship worked because they both made a lot of sacrifices and efforts. “Whether I was in Los Angeles, the Philippines, or San Francisco, he would always show up wherever I was just to surprise me. I would also travel to New York despite the long distance. Also, two months wouldn’t pass without us seeing each other. Our families would even jokingly say that we would travel to each other as if it was only a short commute like it was Manila to Tarlac,” she shared.

THE COUPLE | Katrina’s the obsessive-compulsive, joyful, and spontaneous type. She's also the kind who believes in living life to the fullest. John, on the other hand, tends to be more serious and quiet. He likes making plans for the future and is quite the workaholic. The bride shared, “I teach him to buy whatever he wants, as I would always remind him that we only live once. He needs to enjoy these things and not wait until he's finally old and disabled.  Except when it comes to me, he would usually control my spending habits because he knows that I keep buying stuff that I never get to use. But don’t get us wrong. We have a lot in common. We love to travel and eat out. We also try to stay fit in the gym.” While both may have character differences, they still very much complement each other.

THE PROPOSAL | John proposed to his bride-to-be in Baguio just six months into the relationship. He flew in from New York to the Philippines and secretly teamed up with Katrina's parents at the Manor in Baguio Country Club. He proposed in front of the whole crowd, with only his secret cameraman and videographer alongside him.

WEDDING PREPS AND CHALLENGES | The bride shared, “we knew we wanted a peach motif for the wedding because it looked very classy. We knew that it would also look good in our photos.” However, during wedding planning, the couple tried to do everything on their own, including sourcing for suppliers. “We were already getting worried and frustrated due to the wedding date drawing near, especially since we were in a long distance relationship. Thankfully, we had a lot of help from our wedding coordinator Dhon Conwi and our stylist Erlyn Conwi, as we didn’t know much about weddings. They were the best and were very professional. They did such a great and wonderful job with everything. Our dream wedding wouldn’t have been made possible or designed so beautifully if it weren’t for them. And we’re not saying this just for the sake of. But if you ever need a stylist or a coordinator, Dhon and Erlyn Conwi are the perfect people to make your dream wedding happen.”

 THE ENTOURAGE | It wasn’t hard for the couple to choose those who would grace their wedding entourage. The decision was easy for them because they only wanted some family and close friends to take part in, especially those who have played significant roles in their lives.

 MEMORABLE MOMENTS | John and Katrina’s wedding felt exceptional to them in more ways than one. The experience was sensational for the couple, “being the stars of the day, with all eyes on us,” as the bride would put it. “We felt ecstatic to be surrounded by the people we love on our special day. But the most memorable part was the speech from our parents and from the people closest to us. It was such a good feeling, hearing our loved ones say such dear words and advice for us. All of those meant the world to us. But of course, the party was also a great highlight,” she shared.

WORDS OF WISDOM | If there’s one thing that John and Katrina wish to impart to soon-to-wed couples, that’s to refrain from putting a tight hold on the money they intend to use for their wedding. “It only happens once, so trust us on this one. Also, don’t plan it by yourself or you will surely get stressed. We highly recommend getting a wedding planner and a stylist because they will make your wedding stress-free and beautiful. However, the most important advice is to have God as the center of your relationship. Getting married may look easy, but your marriage will face some challenges along the way. You will need to surpass these obstacles with God on your side.”

GROOM’S VOW | “I feel like everything in my life has led me to you, even my choices, my heartbreaks, my regrets, and everything else. When we’re together, my past looks worthy because if I had done one thing differently, I might not have met you. I love you, unconditionally. I promise to prioritize you over anything and be your biggest fan and partner in crime. I will be by your side no matter what life throws at us. Thank you for loving me when I least deserve it because that is when I need you the most. You and Victoria are the source of my strength and happiness. With the blessings of our Lord God, I know that everything is possible. Thank you for always choosing love. I fall more and more in love with you every day, which is what I vow to do for the rest of my life. I promise not to give up on us. Mahal na mahal kita.”

 BRIDE’S VOW | “I have always prayed to God, and have patiently waited for the right man to come at the right time, and now here you are. We have literally been through so much. If only people knew, hindi madali ang LDR. Yet, here we are, side by side with each other. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges. I get to laugh and cry with you, care for you, share with you, be by your side through thick and thin, build with you, and live with you. I want to let you know that no matter what we go through, I will always believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple that we’ll be together, all with God as the center and foundation of our relationship. Siya yung reason why we are here today. So with my whole heart, I take you as my husband, acknowledging and accepting your faults and strengths as you do mine. I promise to be faithful, to always make our family’s love and happiness my priority. I will be yours in need and in want, in sickness and in health, and in failure and in our trials. I will dream with you, celebrate with you and walk beside you through whatever our lives will bring. You are my other half, my love and my life, today and always.”