John Kevin Mejia Tud and Maria Beatriz Fojas were married in August 17, 2020 at the Manila Cathedral after three failed attempts at booking a reception venue and forfeited reservation fees. However through their year-long journey to the altar, Kevin and Bea realized what was truly essential for starting their married life. “We were reminded about the most important things. In your life, there are people who will love and support you always, no matter the situation.”
“We originally planned to have the wedding and reception with 150 to 200 guests at La Castella in Intramuros Manila. Along with our dream caterer and dream mobile bar, K by Cunanan and Rue Bourbon. Planning began on August 17 of last year, which was our engagement day. We were in the middle of a planning session with our previous coordinator last May 2020 when the Archdiocese of Manila announced that there would be no grand weddings for the entire year. At that time, instead of becoming upset, Kevin and I actually felt relief since we’ve been planning this for an entire year. With changes due to the pandemic, it was very stressful that we were not at peace anymore. We were so busy planning trivial stuff like what forks we should use, or what kind of chairs we should have for the venue. Although we knew how important the decors were, we forgot the true essence of why we started planning in the first place.”
“We thought our new wedding plan would be more practical. Bea’s staying in Cavite and we couldn’t find a hotel for her and her parents to stay at in Metro Manila. We couldn’t book an airbnb that time since the protocols were really strict. We didn’t have enough time to process it and we didn’t want to spend more money for the required rapid tests.”
“Since we didn’t need anything too extravagant for the wedding, we decided to cancel our original set of suppliers. We made sure that we got only what we thought was necessary; our rings, the white dress and the suit, the food for suppliers and wedding preps, and photographers to document the event.”
“The intimacy of our wedding made it special, because in a normal situation, the Manila Cathedral would usually be full of tourists and locals. Sometimes there are three to four weddings scheduled in a day. While your wedding is on-going, the guests of the next couple are already preparing at the back. So we really felt that our wedding was special since we were able to celebrate it with our immediate family and closest friends in a more serene setting.”
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Because Bea’s family is based in Cavite, the couple was able to hold their wedding preps by the sea. They took family photos before heading off to Manila for their ceremony sans most of their immediate family as only a limited number is allowed inside the church. Kevin and Bea walked around Intramuros for their potraits and though they had no reception planned anymore, their workmates surprised them with a simple celebration at the office. Kevin says, “My best man, our ninong and ninang, and my brothers really made us understand that it wasn’t about the guests or anything superficial, it was about celebrating our love in front of God.”
Scroll below to see more of Kevin and Bea’s wedding photos and what they have to say about their big day in their own words!
“Since it was impossible to celebrate with our families after the ceremony, we didn’t plan any reception. We just wanted to spend some time at our place of work, Runt Collective, afterwards. The office gave us a surprise by preparing a small celebration. They decorated the place and hung pictures and balloons, baked a cake and even did a short program for us.”
“It was raining heavily the night until early morning before the ceremony. We had to adjust at least 30 mins to an hour for our schedule. We were growing anxious because of the weather and it might take a turn for the worst. However, we were affirmed that this day is really for us because as soon as we started our preps, the rain stopped, and the sunlight was beautiful until the end of the ceremony. The following day, it rained hard again. We felt that God had really given that amazing day to us.”
“Given the situation, it was difficult for us to have a positive mindset at first. It was really stressful changing the reception venue thrice, and we ended up not having one. We spent a lot of reservation fees for nothing since we wouldn’t be able to use them anymore. But my Best Man, our ninong and ninang, and my brothers really made us understand that it wasn’t about the guests or anything superficial; it was about celebrating our love in front of God. I think that was the main factor that gave us a better perspective of our quarantine wedding.”
“It may not be the wedding that you planned or dreamt of, but what matters is that you’re marrying the love of your life. Always take time to remember what the real essence of your wedding is.”
“We were reminded about the most important things. In your life, there are people who will love and support you always, no matter the situation.”
Photos courtesy of Nikko Ureta and Bea Tud
