Enzo and Julia found ‘God’s best’
Lorenzo Mari Bonoan and Ramona Julia Sucgang both studied at Ateneo de Manila University but never met on campus. Enzo was a batch higher and was already finished with school when he met Julia, who was in her final year in college, at a photoshoot in the University of the Philippines in September 2015. After the photoshoot, Enzo offered to give Julia a ride back to Ateneo where her car was parked. When it was time to get off, Julia said “God bless,” as she said goodbye and this struck a chord within Enzo. At that moment, he knew that she had a personal relationship with God which was something that he was looking for in a girl.
Months passed and eventually, Enzo decided to take his shot on Christmas, when he expressed his attraction toward Julia and wished to take her out on a date.
Five years later, they’ve grown and matured together and as individuals. Though the relationship was far from perfect, they worked on progressing, communicating, and growing closer to the Lord.
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They have discussed marriage and how it would look like but the pandemic really showed them that they just really wanted to be together. That is why Enzo proposed on December 30, 2020 with the help of a bunch of their closest friends at the exact same spot they met in 2015.
The couple tied the knot on June 19, 2021 at Nuestra Señora de Gracia and had their reception at Made Nice by Mamou.
Below, the couple talks about how they planned their intimate wedding.
Did you have a theme for your wedding?
Rustic minimalist. We wanted it as plain as possible yet elegant, in order to highlight more of the beauty of the sacrament.
Was this the wedding you had in mind?
Originally, my husband wanted a big wedding whereas I’ve always wanted a small and intimate one. Unfortunate as we all have been to be in the midst of a pandemic, there is beauty behind these unprecedented times. We are reminded of what truly matters: not the material things, but growing and building relationships. With this in mind, we wanted the wedding to highlight the beauty of the sacrament while still appreciating the simplicity of each aspect of the wedding.
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What were the challenges you encountered during the wedding preparation?
We had six months to prepare for the wedding. As I, Julia, am the type who plans ahead, I was able to tick off a lot of boxes before March 2021 from the marriage seminars, pencil-booking the venues, speaking with suppliers, and getting quotations for expenses. As we DIY-ed our decorations and gifts for sponsors and guests, we ordered the materials we needed at the start of 2021 to have them all sent out before our wedding. The two main challenges that we encountered was having to trim down our guest list from an initial 100 to only 15 people due to the ECQ that took place in April. Another would be moving into our new place the week before the wedding.
How did you handle the challenges?
Given the limit as to how many people were allowed in the church and reception, we immediately called for ZOOM meetings with our sponsors and guests to invite them to join the live stream viewing instead of having to be physically present in the wedding. Thankfully, they really appreciated how we looked after their safety while giving them access to what seemed like a cinematic view of our wedding.
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As we decided to move to our new home a week before the wedding, we made sure to have everything settled with all suppliers ahead of time. During these times of uncertainties, it’s really best to plan things ahead of time to give extra leeway for possible changes in plans.
How did you feel during the wedding?
The best way to describe how we felt was Spirit-filled. There was this unexplainable joy we felt knowing that whatever we had planned prior to the wedding didn’t matter anymore, as God had now taken over and made and curated this day for us. It was difficult holding back tears of joy as we both felt overwhelmed by God’s presence present in every person, every word spoken in the mass, every song that was sung, and every vow made.
What were your most memorable moments from your wedding?
The two most memorable moments would be how it started and how it ended. As the doors flung open, a strong breeze swept my (Julia’s) veil to the side, making my entrance seem more dramatic. Enzo and I sobbed as we drew closer to each other, knowing that this act of “coming together” is one that is blessed, intended and approved by God. Out of billions of people on earth, we found our “God’s Bests.” How it ended as nothing short of spectacular and magical. Of all times to cry in a wedding, Enzo cried right before we were about to kiss. He wanted to savor the moment as there would no other moment like it ever again. Him crying made me tear up as well and the kiss instantly became one of my favorite memories with Enzo.
What’s your advice for other couples planning their intimate wedding?
As we live in the world of social media, we can easily feel pressured by society’s expectations of what a wedding should be like. Despite living in what they call the “New Normal,” we also have the freedom to create our own definition of “New Normal” for our wedding. In our case, we went with what we felt was right and practical to do rather than what others expected us to do.
