newlywed [noo-lee-wed]
a person who has recently married
Synonyms include: honeymooners...jk, I made that one up. haha!

On the night before Iya and Chris' wedding, some members of the wedding party hung out to make sure that the bride and groom-to-be didn't see each other past midnight. Great chaperoning skills, guys! hahaha!

Then it was September 8, 2007 - a perfect day to have a wedding! Iya walked into the living room of our hotel suite that morning with a smile on her face, calmer than I'd ever seen her in the weeks prior to that day. She sat and ate her bagel and cream cheese, sipped on her cafe mocha from Coffee Bean and just watched the rest of us girls getting our hair and make-up done. I didn't think I'd be so emotional so early in the day, but as she was getting her hair done, I had to leave the room to cry just a little.

Not to sound so dramatic, but one of my best friends, with whom I'd shared 17 years of life with, was getting married and I would be there to watch her. Who gets such a privilege? Iya looked sooooo beautiful! Every time I looked at her that day my eyes welled up. I don't even think SHE cried as much as some of us did and IYA LOVES TO CRY! hahaha!

We arrived at the church literally 10 minutes before we had to walk up the aisle. (By the way, Chris in his barong? As handsome and as calm as any groom could be.) There was scarcely any time to let anything sink in. Before we all knew it, Iya and Chris were saying their vows, exchanging rings and suddenly, right before God and everyone they love, they were married! Tears of nothing but pure joy came very easily that day.

The outside of the church after a wedding is always so chaotic. The newlyweds were greeting everyone, guests were greeting each other and cameras were clicking everywhere you turned. After some posing sessions for Ja and Bev in front of Holy Family Church, it was into the limo for a boisterous ride back to the hotel.

The Hummer was basically a party bus which carried the bride, groom and some slightly inebriated and very excited bridesmaids and groomsmen to the place of further celebration - the Westin in Pasadena. We toasted, danced and milked every bit of that 20-30 minute ride. There was just too much to be happy about!

One of my highlights was meeting Iya's cousin, Toni. When we were in the 7th grade, Iya caught early on that I liked writing so she suggested I meet her cousin (via snail mail), who also loved to write. We became penpals and 17 years worth of letters, greeting cards and emails later, we finally met! When we saw each other for the first time last week, we couldn't help but scream! The other highlight for a lot of us was having Jhoette back. Dr. Dumlao is home from the Philippines for good (we hope). I saw him when we were up on the altar waiting for Iya to finish walking up the aisle, and something lit up inside of me; a warmth, like coming home to what's familiar. It's too bad Jhoette didn't make it past the SALAD! No more long island iced tea for you, buddy.
We knew the evening was going to be fun, not to mention memorable. Just the introduction of the wedding party and the bride and groom proved to cause ruckus. Dancing in to "Get it Shorty" and "SexyBack" doesn't necessarily sooth and calm. Soon after, however, Iya and Chris danced their first as husband and wife. They began with their song, "All My Life" by Gary V. and then to Michael Buble's "Save the Last Dance for Me" (original choreography by Miss Riann Reyes). What a great way to start the night!

The Dancing Machine awards went to 4 individuals that evening: Riann-feelin-my-tootsie-roll-Reyes, Joe-I'll-request-"Lady-in-Red"-so-my-money-dance-with-Iya-is-special-Delos-Reyes, Randy-I'm-so-faded-and-it's-so-hot-in-here-Mendoza and Jay-allow-me-to-lead-the-line-dancing-Bermudez. The dancefloor was BARELY ever unoccupied that night. Iya and Chris are related to and are friends with a lot of party people. Hooray!

This picture just cracks me up. Towards the end of the night, we were all so delirious and tired, and when Rochelle gets tired, she laughs uncontrollably. So Cile asked her to be quiet. Hahahaha!!! Watch! http://vimeo.com/309752

And so the day ended eventually; but not before new families were formed and new friendships were made, all due to the new life that Iya & Chris had begun together. So far as husband and wife, I think they've done splendidly. =)

CONGRATULATIONS,

IYA & CHRIS!!!

We love you both!!!

P.S...I'm chatting with Iya right now, and earlier I was chatting with Chris. Iya has emailed pretty consistently every other day to ask me and Cile for Italy tips and to let us know how they're doing. I've never been in contact so much with a couple who was on their honeymoon. hahaha! I love it!