Last week I attended Kuya Mac’s wedding. The day itself is a bit inconvenient on my schedule. Now that I am nearing the April 15 tax deadline, it is hard to divide my time for the wedding. I gave my word to Kuya Mac that I will attend on his wedding. To my surprise he chose me as his best man. I have no reason not to attend the wedding. It would be awkward if there will be no best man for the wedding.
With all the courage in me, I took a leave form and ask for the permission of my big bosses for a vacation leave. I made an agreement that it would only be a one-day event and that I would be back the following day. Luckily I got their nods for my leave. On the evening of Wednesday, together with Kuya Julius, my former kuya in the dorm and Arlene, my former classmate in college, the three of us travelled to Pangasinan. We took the evening trip and endured a four-hour trip (wala pa akong tulog). (Note: kwentuhan and kumustahan is not included in this article. Masyado nang mahaba kung pati yun isusulat ko pa.)
After a couple of years of stay here in Manila it is nice to get a chance attending a wedding in the province. Iba pa rin ang kasalan sa barangay. With all the glamour of weddings in the city, sometimes it is refreshing to see a different kind of wedding set. It is not strange for me attending such kind of wedding. I have a lion’s share of experiences attending kasalan sa barangay as I grow-up in the province. Amid the huge crowd (as a result of the mentality that all relatives are invited and even the whole barangay is invited) still kasalan sa barangay has the traditional kick of Filipino culture.
But the advent of technology and living on the modern day, various changes are noticeable in kasalan sa barangay. First, the wedding dresses and even the groom’s attire is different. Mixture of foreign cultures inflicted the wedding attires of the leading casts of the wedding. This is the result of what we used to watch on big screens and televisions. I believe the couple wishes to concoct a mix of wedding traditions.
Even the usual cameraman and video-man together with his side kick holding a big flash light (yun ang tawag ko nung bata ako,until now) evolved. Gone were the days when pictures are simple and good enough for photo albums. Now, every move and every moment of the wedding is documented. Pictures of different angles and effects are gathered as if the whole wedding will be published in magazines. Me drama sa bawat pictures as people say.
Tarpaulins are also gamit na gamit as an advertisement for the wedding. Pictures printed on tarpaulins are taken from pre-nuptial pictorial. For Kuya Mac and his beloved wife Marivi, chose one of the best locations in Pangasinan for their pre-nuptial pictorial – Bolinao. Then there is a slide show of pictures from the preparation to the actual wedding ceremony in the church prior to the start of the reception.
Having a kasalan in barangay has many advantages and disadvantages. As an advantage, first this kind of wedding is very much economical. There is no cash outlay for the high cost of venues as well as the services of a wedding planner. Catering services and rent for chairs and tables will do for the reception. If someone comes from a huge clan, this kind of wedding is good. All relatives have the chance to attend the wedding and manpower is not a problem for the wedding preparation.
The only disadvantage for this kind of wedding is this: the wedding is quite stressful and tiresome. Being the groom and bride, it is on their hands and their say on what would be the flow of things needed for the wedding. Effort kung effort talaga ang ganitong klase ng kasalan. Much worries will pile-up on the day itself. With all the relatives and friends coming, and even the small details needed to check, I bet there will be a short moment for the groom and bride’s eyebrows to meet with a frown on their faces.
Nevertheless, the wedding of Kuya Mac went well. I end this piece with my wedding message, which I failed to give as best man of the wedding:
“Kuya Mac and Marivi I wish you all the best! Let the love between the two of you grow. On this day, you are the symbol of love for all of us. We no longer need to hear love songs and watch romantic movies anymore. Looking at both of you is good enough for us to believe that true love does still exist.”