Wedding day is one of the most important days in a person’s life. That’s the reason why every couple to be wed plans every intricate detail of their wedding—from the wedding invitations, to the gowns of the entourage, to the gazebo.  They want everything to work out as perfectly as possible. They are so full of love for each other and a positive outlook to face the future together.

September 28, 2004 marked an important date for Charles Macaraeg and Isis Cabahug.  Their most awaited day to be one in the eyes of their Creator and their love-ones had arrived.  Just like most of the couples to be married, they planned their wedding ahead of time.  They worked months before their wedding to make it the best wedding possible.  They prepared a beautiful garden wedding at GSP Camp Alano, Davao City.  The bride and the groom worked hard to make the place look good.  Their labors were not in vain, as the plain garden view at the GSP Camp turned out to be a romantic garden full of torches and small bulbs that will serve as lights for the night.  The aisle where the bride was to walk was full of sweet-smelling flowers and white laces.  There was a full moon above and dazzling stars in the open sky.  The cold breeze added to the fairy-tale ambiance of the wedding place.  Everything seemed to be perfect!

An hour before the wedding, something unexpected happened.  Large drops of rain started to fall on the prepared wedding venue.  The flowers were drenched with rainwater, the torches were destroyed, and everything they prepared was soaked in water.  Everybody waited for about an hour and a half, but the rain continued to fall... and pour.

The couple decided to have their wedding in a covered hall near the garden.  The hall was bare—no flowers, no decorations, no red carpet, no gazebo. When the wedding music started to play, the crowd was in a big silence.  After the entourage, the bride started to take the steps of her most awaited walk towards her groom.  The teary-eyed crowd stood up to give honor to the bride and give applause to show their support to the couple.  On the other hand, Charles and Isis were still wearing a sweet smile; they gaze at each other as she approaches him.  The cold and bare room suddenly turned into a warm hall filled with love and happiness.  No flower, decorations, nor red carpet could ever replace the beauty of that wedding in which everybody in that hall had witnessed.  It was a plain and simple wedding, but because of the love of the couple, together with their ever-supportive friends and relatives, and most of all, the blessing of their Heavenly Father, the wedding became a very meaningful and valuable event that no money can buy and no weather can destroy.  It symbolized a start of a strong family together with the Almighty God.  It just proves that everything in this life is temporary—no matter how beautiful and precious a certain earthly thing is, it will fade and be destroyed tomorrow.  But everything one builds with God will stay forever and will be more beautiful as the years go by.

Everybody was filled with inner happiness that night.  Happiness that comes from the things that money can never buy—the things that will remain forever.

In spite of all the hurdles they faced, Charles and Isis stood tall in showing their love for each other.  Their goal for that night to be one in the eyes of their Creator and their loved-ones happened better than expected.