Tara and Jose's Wedding in Lakehall, Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate, Laguna

Some of you guys know me as Jose. Some of you guys know me as John. But tonight, you can call me the star of the show. Actually, that title belongs to my beautiful wife here, Tara. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for coming over here to celebrate with us. It's kind of cool to see all of you guys here, coming to celebrate our wedding. They say, when you know, you know. And it didn't take me long before I knew you were the one. Maybe not quite as long, quickly, as you did. But two or three Zoom calls in, I knew. The distance gave us a unique chance to truly get to know each other just by talking. And I fell in love with you even before we ever held hands. It took a pandemic and the world stopping for me to realize that the person I'd been looking for was there all along. One, two, three. I became aware of John's interest in Tara when we were in high school. Since we were underclassmen, it was almost unfathomable for us to think that we could get with an upperclassman. But John always knew that she was his number one crush. Since high school, John would reconnect with Tara when they were both back in Manila. Tara exhibits all the qualities of a woman I would have loved John to end up with. And when I see them together, it's like they've been a couple for so much longer than they have. And I couldn't be happier for the both of you. Tara, it had been almost a year since I lost my dad. And because of that, I was in the middle of a downward spiral I thought I'd never get out of. And then I met you. I wish I could remember what we talked about when we reconnected. But what I do remember is for the first time in a long time, I felt a feeling inside that I thought I'd never feel again. I never wanted to let that feeling go. So much so that I ended up chasing it for six years. The more I heard his name, the more I wondered. Jose? As in the same Jose you ignored and blatantly rejected for the last six years? In those six years, I experienced dozens of scene-zoned DMs, a handful of rejected dates. And when you finally agreed to see me, you converted what should have been two romantic dinner dates into casual lunch dates. In one of those dates, you even wanted to take a taxi home rather than me drop you home. Dinners from Nobu, fresh flowers weekly, countless bottles of wine. You name it, she got it. They would talk for up to 12 hours at a time on Zoom and even went on dates in Animal Crossing, a life simulation video game. Their virtual characters were going fishing, catching bugs, and gardening together. He made her a better version of herself, which was enough to convince me that he was the one. There is such a beautiful love between you two, and I hope you know that every single person here can see it as well. When the world went through lockdowns, I realized that nobody would be trying to court you. It was the guy that took me to eat fried chicken because he knew it was my favorite. The guy that stayed persistent despite me giving no signs of interest. The guy that would randomly text me nonsense. He was you. I didn't know love could be like this until you. It was so new to me, it honestly felt too good to be true. To me, that meant I had the chance to be the last man on earth. And I told myself, if you reject me now, I would have really packed it up and called it quits. Flash forward to today, and I'm happy to say that I was successful. Some people might say that John and Tara moved pretty quick. But I can tell you, John has been in a relationship with Tara in his dreams way longer than she's been in one with him. From the first night he saw her, he licked to the bones, man. The first is that John is diligent. He never takes the easy way out. He started at the bottom as a mechanic, sleeping on cardboard, zero entitlement. He moved to Japan and worked his butt off for 12 hours a day, working. Continues to climb his way up. He never takes shortcuts. He does this for work, and so what more the girl of his dreams. His way up to where he is now. He gives it his all, and I don't doubt that he will do the same for Tara. He was a man who always put his family first. And whenever you're feeling down, he's always there for you. And that's one of the reasons why I really love this guy. You guys have been with me from the beginning of this whole crazy freaking journey. Not just with Tara, but with my life, you know. And I'm so happy that you, of all people, get the experience. Honestly, like one of your biggest fantasies in your life. And I can speak for everyone here, genuinely to say that we're so happy to be here for you. And that you chose us to be part of this beautiful day, man. We love you. To have you guys here, standing next to me, would be pretty awesome. So, yeah, cheers guys. Thank you for so much. Cheers! Jesus said to his disciples, You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket. It is to set on a lampstand where it gives light to all in the house. Just so your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father. I think the first point that I invite you to reflect on, these two very useful elements have one common characteristic. For them to be useful, they do not call attention to themselves. I think that is the first grace that I ask of the Lord for your marriage. That you be salt and light, yes to one another, to your future family and to your friends. Be loyal to your wife, huh? Okay, I will. I will. I will. Thanks, Ma. Love you. Love you too. You have lipstick on your face now. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world every single day. Loving you feels so simple, in the best way possible. Everything is easy and I am the most like myself when I am with you. Tita Mary Chris, Tita Jim up there, and Tita Chris, raised the most kind, thoughtful, loving, understanding, driven man. I don't know how they did it, but I am so thankful. I feel so lucky to be with someone I truly admire in every single way. Someone that inspires me and pushes me to be my best self. I still can't believe I found someone that couldn't be more perfect for me. Let alone that person choosing me too. Thank you, Tara, for sharing in my happiest moments. For listening to my saddest stories and for holding my hand through loss. For making the world a little less chaotic and a whole lot more meaningful. For knowing what to say at the right time and sending me flowers, books, and snacks to brighten my day when you don't. In the last few months, I've realized that love isn't always relationships and heartbreaks. Sometimes love is a friend, and when all else is lost, sometimes a friend is all you need. So just like I wrote in my high school yearbook dedication to you, we will always be the coolest, funniest, and weirdest people in town. Vow number one, I vow that I will always love and cherish you. While we've only been together for three years, I can honestly say I've loved you for the better part of a decade. And each year that passes by, that love only grows stronger. Vow number two, I vow that date night will never die. I believe that our relationship was built on a foundation of love, trust, and honesty. And while I firmly believe that will never change, I think it's also important for us to keep things exciting. And I promise that just like our Zoom dates during our eight months apart, I vow that I'll never stop coming up with creative ways to swoop you off your feet, slash get me out of the doghouse. Vow number three, I vow to put food on the table every day, not just because this is my responsibility as a man, but because everyone always says, happy wife, happy life. And I know that the best way to keep you quiet, I mean happy, is to keep you full. So as your wife, I promise to love you for the person you are and never try and change that. I promise to go camping with you. I promise not to pick a fight when you're hungry or sleepy. I promise not to always hide the snacks. I promise to take care of you when you're sick, even if it's just man flu. And I promise to support your dreams, however big or small, and to stand by you through life's many ups and downs. Most importantly, I promise to love you unconditionally and make you feel as loved as you make me feel every single day. You are the best gift I never thought I deserved. I love you so much. I didn't think it was possible to love like this, but it gets even better every day. It's you and me, my partner and my best friend, till we're old and gray. There's no one else I'd rather marry twice. I love you. Vow number four. I vow that we will never go to sleep angry at each other. This advice was first given to me by my Tito Kenneth in high school, and then again by my mom at our civil wedding. I'm happy to say that this advice has served us well so far, as it allows us to end and start each day happy. What you don't know is, I usually continue our fights in my dreams. And in those dreams, I usually win, which is why I wake up happy. And I vow that those dream wins will always be good enough for me. Finally, vow number five. Our marriage will always be a work in progress, and I vow to make sure I never stop doing my part in trying to make it work. Although things between us are good right now, we still have so much of our life to experience. No matter how hard things get, I vow that I will do whatever it takes for our marriage to stand the test of time. I love you Tara, and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. I can tell you, that I lived as he was paid. Not every mountain we look the same, and so I'll never look the same. Farewell to you, and for something new. Worth its weight in the gold we'll spend in all of our tomorrows.