March 16, 2012, Friday.
75th Araw ng Dabaw Celebration.
At the height of city-wide festivities, yet another feast was happening in the lives of Michelle Ann Cuestas and her groom, Francis Ray Hernandez. For this very same day when the citizens of Davao celebrate the birth of the city, was also the very same day when these two hearts start a new life, united in one in the Sacrament of Matrimony.
The wedding ceremony was set at 3pm but the preparation started at 7am. We all coursed through detour roads in order to arrive at the hotel, Regency Inn Davao for the preparation for the wedding. Everything went on according to the timeline. All wedding suppliers came as told and all wedding participants came as instructed.
The make-up session started at 11am with the most punctual make-up artist Roy Nemis and his assistant. The photographers also came in just in time for the wedding preparation shoot.
We all went to church at 2pm. Me and my team arrived there 30mins before the set time of the wedding ceremony. I was shocked to see the church so bare. I thought maybe the church staff forgot about the wedding that day that they did not prepare the church. In frantic realization, I hurried to the back of the church to ask the staff of the church decorations. To my horror, I found a note on the office door "NO Office Today, March 16, 2012". Then of course I sought other church staff from the vicinity hoping for the confirmation of the wedding.
I thought at that instant, what if the couple forgot to book the church and all have been set for that day. I was only hired to coordinate for that day and I didn't have the hands-on booking for the wedding details. Then to my relief, I went to the back of the church and found the in-charge, I hurriedly asked him if he was going to decorate the church. Then he said in a calm voice, "yes, ma'am, i will be the one."
I wanted to tell him to please hurry up the preparations as the wedding entourage is ready and everyone is all set, but then i held myself trusting in his capacity to deliver what he just told me. I went back to the entrance of the church to welcome the guests and placing the corsage on designated people. 
Then a swift transition transpired, suddenly the choir announced for the start of the ceremony, everyone lined up. My two assistants froze, and did not know what to do. The good thing about this experience is that, God sent someone to assist me. He sent someone who was not part of the wedding but knows how to organize wedding line up. It so happened that she was just there waiting at the entrance of the church for their seminar to start at the other hall in the parish. Oh thank God for his providence indeed!
The bride went out of the car assisted by the make-up artist! Another mistake! That should have been one of my team and since my team froze in action, they didn't know it was their job to assist the bride. Then of course, things happened so quickly, upon realizing that we should assist the bride, me and my other assistant Norma, immediately ran towards her and placed her trail accordingly.
Then the bridal march, wedding ceremony and then after one hour, voilah! The wedding ceremony is done! It was the fastest transpiring special wedding I have ever attended. In less than one hour, everything was done.
Of course the pictorials took place. I had Lorenz, one of my assistant do the calling of entourage for picture taking, I must say, my assistants really need more experience in handling the details of the events. They cannot rely merely on what the head planner must tell them. That's one of the many goals I should attain this year - developing initiative in my team members.
At the reception, everything went on smoothly as Lorenz was a good co-host. But the pitfall was that somewhere along the reception, the time of money dance, Norma was staring blankly into space while I was desperate from the other end of the hall to call her attention. Another realization, invest in two-way radio communication. This way, I can instruct my assistants without having me look like i was a fool making hand and face signals to the other end of the room.
Generally, the event went smoothly. Two important lessons to remember about this wedding is the initiative of members and investment in radio communication.
All is well that ends well! The celebration was a blast and so was the Araw ng Dabaw celebration in the streets of my beloved city!
All for the glory of God!
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