If you’ve been on the Internet for longer than six months, chances are you’ve already seen one of these – they’re all over the place.  I used to think that they were funny and cute but maybe just a tad bit on the hyperbolic side, because surely not all of your friends are getting married, right?  These were most likely made by millenials and we millenials have been known to over exaggerate a bit.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago when I was watching a friend of mine get married that I realized that no, it probably wasn’t an exaggeration at all.  I was living out an internet meme.  It was the fifth wedding I had been invited to attend since December and had things worked out, I would have gone to one wedding a month.

In December alone, two friends – one from high school and one from work – had scheduled their weddings on the same day.  Obviously I was only able to go to one but I heard that the ceremony in Pampanga was beautiful.

In January it was a former teammate of mine from the Reports group who tied the knot.  Unfortunately I got caught up in work and couldn’t make it.  Shame, I know, because I saw the pictures of how they decorated Intramuros and it looked magical.

In February the current office-mates and I all hauled our asses off to Baguio and spent the weekend celebrating love amidst the flowers.

In March it was a friend of mine from our village who got married to her first (and last!) boyfriend.

As I sat there on the pews watching these people in tears while exchanging vows and promising the rest of their lives to each other, I can’t help but feel a surge of respect for something that I probably won’t ever be able to do.  I can’t even muster up the energy to commit to an outfit, much less to a whole lifetime with another person.  And while I don’t feel pressured to follow this particular social norm, I do understand the apparent need to make a big hullabaloo because these couples are being brave.  They’re actually choosing to enter into an unknown new chapter of their lives so vastly different from whatever they’ve experienced so far, all because of love and I think that deserves to be recognized.

On another note, I think the wedding spree has stopped because I haven’t gotten an invite for April.

Yet.

*Photos not mine, except for the last 2.