Dream come true… The wedding of Richella Castro and Oliver Nuñez

(This content originally appeared in my column at the Cebu Goldstar Daily Newspaper)

Richella recalls being very nervous until the time she began walking down the aisle. “When I saw my gorgeous groom, I knew I was good to go,” she says. “He brings calm to my life. My only fear was I would rush too fast down the aisle to him!”

It started as a fleeting teenage romance for Richella and Oliver who met at a common friend’s house. Richella was immediately intrigued by Oliver who she thought was “handsome and shy but welcoming and warm.” It took Lee few encouragements of a mutual friend to finally start the courtship plan as that was his first time. But once they went out on their first date, he realized he had found his soul-mate. “I knew she was perfect for me and we were meant to be together,” he says. “I feel so complete with Che and I love everything about her. She is very smart and even though we are two different personalities, me being a rock star and Che is a social city girl, we just get along so well, we balance each other nicely.”

They weren’t interested in a big glamorous showcase; they simply wanted to follow what they want - and that is a modern-day minimalist wedding celebration. “We wanted a wedding that was more modern-day-like and less extravagant, and it was great to have the whole experience. However the couple had also considered some of the traditional way of celebration at an intimate church of the Alliance of Two Hearts. “The way our parents and our grandparents got married and it was great to be able to keep that tradition going.”

The ceremony was important, and the couple describe the moment it was over as “surreal.” “All of a sudden in the blink of the eye, my life was completely changed,” Lee says. “It was a wonderful feeling, a feeling of elation and relief that it’s finally happened, and all this hard work has paid off.” Che adds.

Che and Lee were both on hand to greet their guests at an open-air reception at the Chateau de Busay gardens. At the reception, they relaxed over a buffet chosen for its casual appeal. A saxophone player and wedding singers set the mood. The couple danced for the first time as husband and wife to the tune of “The way you look tonight”.

The bride’s best wedding moment was during the toasts. “The speech he wrote for our wedding…the toast he offered to me” Che’s voice wavers for just the slightest of moments. “I have never felt so honoured in my life.”

Yes, there were a few hiccups along the way, - during the dress-up, when her designer was late in delivering her dress and when the coin bearer accidentally splattered all the 13 coins inside the church aisles. “But it just added to the charm of the moment,” says Che.
“What stood out was the commitment and effort everyone made to come and share the day with us,” she continues. “It was so heart warming to see everyone from different parts of our lives, all coming together in celebration of us.”