Festive Kasalang Bayan 2012 – A true BAYANIHAN spirit

Weddings would always be like a distant fantasy that every woman dreamt of having. Being on a white elegant dress, walking on the aisle and waiting on the end of it for the man you would spend your whole life with. However, with us on the 21^st century, ceremony of this kind is often forgotten. Most couples are now living together, creating a family without the formality of a wedding.

Last October, a small community in Bawing, Paligue, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur held a mass wedding. It was called “Kasalang Mansibado”, but I’m not so sure about this. I’m guessing this is a chance given by the Catholic Church for their coupled members who are already living together for some time and with a child.

Mrs. Josephine Almocera, mother of a friend which also happens to be a kagawad asked me if I could help in designing their small chapel for the event. Excited as I am, I began researching for DIY wedding decorations. A lot of good stuff can be found in arts & crafts blogs. What I focused on was having a center piece on the ceiling just outside the chapel. I looked online for easy to do designs. I decided on a fake capiz shell chandelier which was originally made from wax paper.

More wax paper capiz shell chandelier online:

http://pinterest.com/dollyhawks/shell-chandeliers/

Since I can’t get my hands on the material, I looked for less expensive alternatives. For the circular patters, I used 6-7 crepe papers, a roll of white yarn, glue and a front piece of an unused electric fan frame.

I made the chandelier patterns days before the event. As we head home on the weekend, we assembled it with the help of friends and relatives. The night before the wedding, I was able to convince my 2 sisters and mom to help. Happily, they agreed to – well they kinda have a knack for decorations too. My mom works as a dressmaker, so it was an advantage. I asked her to bring some red and white clothing that we can use to accent the place.

Everyone was quite busy with their corresponding task. Most of the mothers are already in the chapel discussing what to do. To my surprise, my mom was leading the pack! They used curtains to decorate the edge of the seat. My sister Vanezza was busy putting up the big white clothing on the ceiling. They also started making flower arrangements. I, on the other hand was busy cutting out materials, printing and walking back and forth. JR was assigned to set-up the chandelier. We added long red and white cuttings of crepe paper extending outside. It was quite a sight.

The day of the wedding began with chaos. There was still a lot to prepare. My mom and sister helped with preparing the flower girls for their hair and make-up. We were assigned to take video and pictures during the ceremony.

As the morning draws to an end, we were able to make a festive wedding like no other. We were proud of what we had done. The 7 couples, who were wed that day, their families as well as the GKK members expressed their heart-felt thank you. Yet, it wouldn't be possible if not for every helping hands on the community. From kids running around getting things to elders sweeping the floors – truly a bayanihan spirit we should practice more often.

Tres Marias

As for the event, everyone was beyond happy – same goes for me.

Posted in: Personal