OPET LOVES SANDY

 

 

Sounds cheesy, but I can’t think of a better title for this story. If I were to change it, I’d just simply have it as (hashtag) #opetlovessandy. Believe it or not, this made a little noise in the newsfeed, be it on Instagram or Twitter. Friends and relatives of the newlyweds hashtag-ged every post related to the big day: from pre-wedding happenings up to the unveiling of the “official” photos on the internet. Such efforts made the topic trend across social media, and I’d like to keep it at that respect by adding one more post about this happy occasion.

 

“Everyone was just so happy and excited for both of us,” gushed the newly pronounced Mrs. Christopher “Opet” Dicdiquin.

 

 

Formerly Alessandra “Sandy” San Pedro, baker and co-owner of Coffee at the Yellow Hauz, the bride is the type who perks up one’s morning not with coffee, but with a hearty and genuine laughter. Ever cool, fun-loving, quirky, and affable, Sandy can jolt up energy in any boring room with her animated stories on hot issues and showbiz updates. Such optimism is so evident with the way she shared her story with me, even adding humor into a couple of unhappy memories in her own book of love.

 

“Opet is older by 4 years. We’ve been together for 8 years, and half of that long stretch was spent long distance. You see, he works in Canada for Bell Mobility. Apart from that brief period when he was assigned in Manila to set up the company’s call center, I only saw him once a year when he flies home to visit me and his family. Distance was really a big challenge. It came to a point that I got so frustrated with our setup. Well, it was a good thing he proposed to me before things could get even more difficult. It was all about timing. By then, we were both ready to settle down.”

 

 

“I am, by nature, a love-aholic, and I was sort of expecting him to have a huge plan when he’d propose to me. I was thinking so far ahead and I even tried to check on his things, in search of an engagement ring.”

 

 

“The way he proposed was totally spontaneous and out of the blue. We were in the middle of a DVD marathon when he grabbed something from his laptop bag and out popped THE BOX. I was teary eyed for a moment there, until he was about to put the ring on my right finger and we realized that we really didn’t know which finger it should be slipped on. Right or left? We were laughing out loud as we searched for the right answer on Google.”

 

 

 

Sandy’s sister, April, was the first to know about the good news. “My sister is like my best friend. Given that she has great eye and talent for designing prints, it was just right that I sought her help in conceptualizing my wedding. The thought of me leaving and living with Opet in Canada made her sad, and yet she still gave all out support when it came to the preparations.”

 

 

 

 

“Opet and I had a civil wedding first just so he could start processing my Visa for Canada. It was a quiet ceremony with just a handful as witnesses. Coming from a religious family, the civil ceremony still didn’t serve excuse for us to stay together in one bed,” Sandy chuckles.

 

  

“We have always wanted an intimate church wedding. So, we kept the guest list and entourage with just our immediate family and close friends. We wanted everyone to feel comfortable mingling around and socializing with people they can relate to.”

 

“Aside from my sister, I got extra help from Florence Alejandre of Occasions. She helped style the event and put together all the important aspects of my wedding. She made arrangements with La Portoflora, who flew in imported flowers for my wedding. My invites and other printed décor were made by Artisan Paperie, my sister’s design studio. Those were personally made by April, and she even surprised us with a very touching audio-visual presentation. Orange Studio and The Green Tomato captured every magical moment that day, all of which I still smile and laugh to every time I review our album.”

 

 

“I also put my skills to good use. I made our wedding cake, plus the souvenir cookies and cheesecakes for guests and sponsors.”

 

 

 

“The wedding was just simple and cozy, and it turned out the way we dreamed it would be. What made it so special were the company and my husband. Everyone was so game with our ideas. We opted to have a fun and unconventional prosperity dance to entertain our guests. After the wedding, I received a lot of emails and text messages saying they had the best time at our wedding and that it was one of the best they’ve attended."

(Photos by Orange Studio) 

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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.

A1 and A4, INdulge section, Edge Davao, Vol 6. Issue 33, 01 May 2013.