12 FEB 2012

{bridetastic couple} Rashi + Abu

by cathylao 3753 views 1

Last Wednesday, we shared with you a fun engagement session that took place in Fully Booked. That was just a small peek into the world of Rashi and Abu, a doctor and a nurse, who fell in love when they worked in the same hospital. Their 7-year courtship and 3-year engagement finally ended last December 18, 2011 when they tied the knot in the Light of Love Events Place. Read about their love story in Rashi’s words here.

Rashi and Abu’s wedding have all the elements of a beautiful and stylish wedding. There’s the beautiful bouquet by Vatel Manila and the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” inspired boutonniere by {Etc} Handmade Goodness. There’s also the classy and stylish setup done by K. by Cunanan for the wedding reception. Purple made an appearance throughout the whole wedding from invitations to the shoes and from the flowers to the cake. All of these elements served as a wonderful backdrop to the glowing couple. You will be amazed to know that Rashi, who was responsible for most of the wedding preparation, pulled this off even while her work required 24/7 attendance at the hospital. She relied heavily on online communities and the internet to search for vendors while she turned to DIY projects to relieve herself of work-related stress.

There are many things that caught my attention about this wedding. However, I want to steer clear of the usual practice of enumerating them to highlight something more relevant. Every wedding possesses an element that makes it uniquely beautiful. Since I haven't personally withness a Muslim wedding, I asked Rashi which parts of a Muslim wedding she found most beautiful, so as to inform myself and the readers of this blog.

Kakawing (Wedding Rites)

Kakawing requires the father of the bride and the groom to stand in front of the Imam. The Imam then holds their right hands together, covers them with a white handkerchief, and recites a prayer from the Holy Quran.

In Rashi’s words: “The father of the bride is not usually an active participant in the wedding after he walks his daughter down the aisle. However, in our tradition, it's touching to see how my dad formally offered/presented me for marriage to my then fiancé and how my husband accepted his responsibility to take care of me as his wife. It is the part where my dad ends his Dad responsibility for me and accepts a new man to take care of me.”

Lantong & Leka sa Gibon (Gate Pass)

After the Kakawing, the groom and his male escorts leave the ceremonial area to search for his bride who is hidden somewhere in the vicinity. The bride is in another room guarded by her female escorts. To be able to get through the door, the groom is required to give monetary gifts to the female escorts. Upon seeing his bride, the groom touches her or kisses her forehead to mark the beginning of their marital life.

In Rashi’s words: “The sweetest part when I looked at the pictures were the parts where my groom looked so nervous before opening the door, how slowly he entered the room, and how he looked so happy when he saw me behind my female escorts :). This part is like the part where the groom waits for his bride at the altar in traditional church weddings."

Do watch their SDE by Ian Cruz so you can fully appreciate Kakawing and Lantong & Leka sa Gibon!

Before I let you go, here’s Rashi’s advice to all brides out there:

Relax and get your hubby as involved as possible. Your wedding is not just about you (the bride). It is also about the groom. Just ask – and sometimes you'll be surprised :)

On the day of the wedding, just let go. Believe me, we had the worst coordinators during our wedding, but on the day itself, just enjoy the moment and just think that what's important is not the details of the wedding. Marrying the only person that you would want to spend the rest of your life with is what matters :)

I couldn’t agree with her more! Without further ado, here are Jaja Samaniego's photos of the lovely wedding: