ROAD TO FOREVER: FOCIM couples successfully wed during first half of 2023

NOTHING quite creates a buzz and excitement than a wedding. In FOCIM’s case, weddings. For the first half of 2023, FOCIM’s two couples, Aaron and Louver Serafica, and Jhon Paul and Danika Bagasan tied the knot on January 29 and April 23, 2023 respectively. Amidst all the thrill and busyness of beginning married life, The Menorah had a chance to sit with both sets of couples to get a glimpse of their thoughts on wedding planning, tips for future couples who want to get married soon, how God moved in and through their wedding, and some of their insights as newlyweds on marital life:

1. What made you feel like 2023 was the right time to get married?

Aaron and Gellie: To be honest, ang tagal namin pinag-pray yung pagpapakasal but everytime it just doesn’t feel like its time pa talaga. Laging may situation (good or bad) that kept holding us back, such as family or health issues. What we realized is that if we leave it all up to God’s perfect time, everything falls into place. After we got engaged, we both decided not to wait too long before getting married. We were affirmed as both of our families were both supportive and were ready to help us throughout the whole process of wedding planning.

Jhon and Danika: We felt that 2023 was the right year to get married, as there was an overflow of blessings from the Lord—the approval of family, the money we saved was over and above our set budget, we were able to get reliable and affordable suppliers, and most importantly, there were several people who initiated to help. As a result, everything was smooth, from our planning until our wedding.

2. Best and most challenging part of wedding preparations?

 Aaron and Gellie: For the best part, we got to enjoy each other’s company, while getting to decide what we wanted for the wedding. We truly felt that we were going to the next stage of our lives!

Aaron: As a person who does not get stressed easily, the most challenging aspect of wedding preparation was seeing Gellie get too stressed out to the point of tears. When that happens, I find myself standing as the mediator and making final decisions for the both of us, especially when she wants something done by our suppliers or by any specific person.

Gellie: Being an introvert, I found it challenging to handle conflicts when there were misunderstandings between the families. This was because I wanted everyone to get excited and to feel good about the wedding—after all, that day was not only about Aaron and I—it was the coming together of two families, which was why I valued everyone’s input.

Jhon and Danika: Best part of wedding preparations po ay 'yung mga sleepless nights namin para mag-DIY (do-it-yourself) ng gifts para sa mga sponsors at family, hindi po namin hinayaan na 'yung isa lang ang gagawa, dapat may tulungan. Most challenging part po siguro ay 'yung kailangan mong hanapin 'yung mga suppliers na affordable yet quality.

3. Favorite moment of the wedding day?

Aaron: Yung nakita ko na yung bride ko sa aisle. Mixed feelings na yung nararamdaman ko at that time. Happy that finally I get to spend the rest of my life with her, and at the same time, nervous na hopefully everything will be okay sa wedding namin.

Gellie: Same! Seeing Aaron at the end of the aisle. Seeing his handsome face staring back at me with pure love and happiness, which reflects how I felt that very moment, made me feel excited to spend the rest of my life with him.

Jhon and Danika: Favorite moment of our wedding day was our vow exhange. We truly felt that we could freely express our love and it was amazing to say that to each other, especially the promises that we hope to fulfill, with God and our loved ones as our witness.

4. Best marriage advice you got?

Aaron and Gellie: First, put God in the center of your married life. Second, enjoy each other’s company kahit pinaka-basic lang na nagkakape kayo magkasama, and third, always talk everything out. Huwag niyong kakatulugan na may misunderstanding kayo. You can give each other time and space pero kailangan niyo rin pagusapan agad before your day ends.

Jhon and Danika: There must be no room for pride or jealousy, kasi kami na yung pinili ng Diyos para sa isa't isa. Kung hindi namin pagkakatiwalaan ang isa't isa, para na din naming hindi pinagkatiwalaan ang Panginoon.

5. How was God evident in all your wedding planning until the wedding day itself?

Aaron and Gellie: Sobrang blessed, in awe, and still hindi parin makapaniwala that we get to experience a wedding that we never thought we would and could get. Our wedding was supposed to be small and simple because we did not want to spend a lot because of our current situation. However, God had different plans-- if ikaw ay talagang naglilingkod sa Panginoon in whatever season you are in, the Lord never forgets—and that is what happened to us. We got our dream miracle wedding without spending so much! Lahat ng gusto namin for our wedding nakuha namin. From the perfect venue to the perfect suppliers to the guestlist and we even got to have a one-week vacation with just the two of us. Binigay lahat ni Lord ito through people who loves us and wants the best for us. Grabe din ang presence ni Lord on the wedding itself. Ang daming lumapit samin telling us how blessed they were with our testimony. All glory to God!

6. Any advice or tips that you can give for future couples who are thinking of getting married soon?

Aaron and Gellie: with all the stress and chaos of wedding planning, do not forget the main purpose of why you are getting married, and that is you want to celebrate your love with people dearest to both of you. Try and enjoy the process!

Jhon and Danika: Una, huwag kalimutan ang marriage counseling, para makalikom sila ng iba't ibang experiences or godly advices na makakatulong sa marriage nila. Pangalawa, palaging magtulungan, kasi yung mga maliliit na moments niyo together, yun pa yung mas magiging matimbang sa pagpapatibay ng inyong pagsasama.

7. You are now almost 3 months married. Any reflections so far on how different married life is from singlehood?

Aaron and Gellie: - (1) Lahat ng bagay kailangang pinaguusapan. Dati kung anong gusto mong gawin, usually yun na ang nasusunod, without thinking of others. Now, you have to think of the other person, as it will be the both of you who will be facing the implications of all your decisions. You also need to value each other’s opinions and feelings on certain things. (2) Verbal affection and affirmation is just as important as physical affection. It makes your spouse know that you appreciate the effort they put in to make the relationship work. Huwag mapagod magsabi ng “I love you” araw-araw. (3) Always pray “with” and “for” each other. Meron na agad kaming routine ni Aaron in the morning na pagsakay niya ng kotse eh magprapray muna kami bago siya umalis. Always start and end your day with a prayer.

Jhon and Danika: For almost a month of being married, we felt more secure; we had a chance to grow in God together, as we would prayer day and night. Whenever we have conflicts, we always choose to pray together and to aim to have a humble and forgiving heart.