Love in the time of Corona

DAVAO CITY – June is traditionally the most popular wedding month, and still very common, especially among Filipinos who believe that the month has the best weather to get married.

Art Jr. and Loraine Vinluan thought that tying the knot in June would be easy despite the restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

After three years of being together since April 2018, the couple decided to take their relationship to the next level. Loraine said she wanted to marry the man of her life because of the fear of losing him. 

“I knew that if we’ll break up, I may never get the chance to find another man like him. I felt that he can protect me from anything and that he’s willing to sacrifice everything for me,” she told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

When they both decided to pursue their marriage, Loraine said she somehow became doubtful because of the current crisis.

“I felt that it isn’t the right time yet. My mind speaks that it is the most important time of my life and yet my friends won’t be able to witness and celebrate it with us because of the limited number of guests,” she added.

Beating the deadline

On June 2, the city government announced that they requested the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to put the city under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting June 5.

Art and Loraine’s wedding was set for June 5, and upon hearing the announcement, Loraine immediately called up the church and the reception to take into consideration the changes to their wedding date.

One of the guidelines for MECQ is the prohibition of any event, including wedding ceremonies.

Art said despite the possibility of getting the wedding postponed or moved, he did not worry a lot because everything was well-prepared (venue of the reception and church).

“If we postpone it and move it next month, we fear that the MECQ might be extended or a stricter classification might be imposed. Many will be affected by the adjustments and it is so tiring on our part,” Loraine said.

What worried Loraine was her gown and those of the entire entourage were not yet done.

“Out of nervousness and pressure, I called the boutique and told them that I’ll be needing the gown ahead of the scheduled day. I also called the church asking if they would allow me to move the date of my wedding,” she said.

The big day

Mr. and Mrs. Vinluan’s wedding happened on June 4.

“I learned and realized that despite the challenges, there are still good things that we do in our lifetime because God made it happen. Starting from the overwhelming support I received from my boss, my officemates, my friends, and especially my family until the last minute of a sudden change of schedule,” she said.

She recalled that during their crucial time, God was really with them as they were beating the remaining hours of their wedding preparations.

“Thank you, Lord, that despite the very limited time, we finally receive the sacred sacrament of marriage. It may be sad in the sense that during the happiest day of my life, we were not able to invite some of our relatives and friends due to the restrictions, but we are still thankful that we successfully overcame the challenges and finally tied the knot,” she added.

Loraine said despite limited guests, the joy it brought to her and her husband was immeasurable.

“I thank everyone for their support. I want you all to know that I am in good hands,” she added.

Meanwhile, Art said despite what they’ve been through from preparation to the wedding day, he also thanked God for all the blessings and for making their special day possible.

“I will always support my wife and be the husband he expects me to be,” he added.