Here comes the bride . Imagine just a few hours ago, we had just met face to face for the first time and now the wedding ceremony was about to begin.

Everyone (including myself!) still couldn’t believe that I would actually be getting married to a man that I had personally met just a few hours ago. Many people would prefer to call it insanity. I didn’t care, I just followed my heart.

My father performed the wedding ceremony. My younger sisters were my bridesmaids. I didn’t want to cry but it was hard to hold back the tears. They were tears of joy and besides I think it runs in the family because at that time both my grandma and my mother were also crying. On top of that, we were being carried away with the songs that were sung as I walked down the isle. One of the most memorable was the Power of Your Love. It seemed like I was walking on air. I felt like a ball of cotton that was being blown with the flow of the wind. It was all like a dream and then I woke up in front of the altar.

After the long awaited formal wedding proposal was completed,  my groom and I went to my aunt’s house (where I lived) for a few last minute errands that needed to be completed.  I had to get my wedding dress, giveaways and my friend who would apply my make-up.  Then we went back to the resort.  The cameramen were already there waiting for us and about to start the filming.  My family and relatives from the village were on their way to the city.  As soon as we got back to our bungalow, I started getting dressed.

Throughout all the last minute preparations and busyness I didn’t really get a chance to think about what I was doing.  The day I had dreamed of since I was a little girl was finally happening, but all I seemed to be able to feel was an enormous pressure being lifted from my shoulders after the last few weeks of final preparations,  worry about his arrival and the last minute near disasters which had been mercifully avoided.

I had no time to think or worry about the obvious craziness or what many people would consider to be insanity that I was about to engaged in.  Most women in my position would have been, and maybe I should have been, terrified by the thought of committing myself to a man who I had met online only a few months before and met face to face only a couple of hours ago.  That kind of fear and worry were the furthest things from my mind.  It could only have been God that gave me the unwavering confidence and calm to go ahead without the slightest of worries.  There was no doubt in my mind, I was doing the right thing.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the resort.  It was one of those tropical paradise type places complete with palm trees and an open air restaurant overlooking a beautiful outdoor swimming pool with built-in water fall.  Our cozy little wedding night bungalow was tucked just behind the trees at the back of the water fall.  Our wedding was to take place in the outdoor area adjacent to the swimming pool.  It was my perfect wedding day fantasy come true.

As soon as we checked-in I sent text messages to my family in the village that my groom had finally arrived. It was only four hours until the ceremony was scheduled to begin as we entered the bungalow to spend our first few minutes alone together.  He had never actually proposed to me yet because he wanted to do it face to face.  He had only promised that he would when he first arrived.  Well, anyway this was the moment that I had been waiting for…hehehe…He opened his carry-on bag while I was still busy texting. I saw him coming towards me with a single red rose and a jewelry box in his hand.  Then he bended his knee and popped the question, “(my name),  my sweet angel, Will you marry me? Suddenly I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders, my dream had come true, it was really going to happen, I was actually going to be married this very day.  My response was of course,  “yes, I will marry you”.

After just more than three months of exchanging e-mails back and forth and talking on the phone for hours ($600 worth one month), I finally met him face to face for the first time. He looked the same as the picture that he sent me, 6′4 tall, 280 lbs and good looking .  Before he came closer, my sister who was with me at the time was screaming and couldn’t believe that he had finally arrived. It seemed like we had known each from long before.  Just like any other couple who had been away from each other for quite awhile, we hugged and kissed before we got into the car.

While in the car, I still couldn’t believe that I was finally sitting right next to him. I had to pinch myself to make sure that it wasn’t just a dream, ouch, this was finally for real.

The day before the big day was stressful for me.  I couldn’t eat and couldn’t sleep. It was crazy combination of excited anticipation and worried apprehension.  I had a lot of things on  my mind when I woke up that morning but the main thing was that he would be able to get there on our wedding day.  I was nervous and kept on praying that I wouldn’t embarrass my family.  I was also hoping that he would still love me after he saw me for the first time in person.  What if he changed his mind at the last minute?  The wedding details in particular had already been made and paid for.  As I stood there outside the airport there were just four hours left before the wedding ceremony was about to start.  My family in the village were already on their way to the city and even my aunt & her husband from Guam had made the long flight to be there for my big day.  Was he really going to be there?  Had he made the flight from Manila?  Was I really going to see him for the first time, or was this all just a crazy dream?

It was midday of 22nd of April, 2005 and it was somewhat of a shock when he stepped off the plane into the ninety degree and humid weather of my native southern Philippines.  It was a big shock just having left his northern Minnesota home where the ice had just melted from the lakes and traces of snow drifts could still be found.  I was relieve when I finally saw him coming out of the aircraft.  He was easy to spot at 6′4 and 280 lbs.  He stood head and shoulders above most of the rest of the passengers.  Suddenly it felt like the weight of the world had just lifted from me.  A big sigh of relief came gushing out.