For the second time in a week, I not only attended a family event/reunion, I also acted as emcee. With my slight misstep during Mama's 90th birthday the week before (i.e. forgetting grace before meals), I was a bit more conscious about studying the program and not taking anything for granted. I realized that I couldn't just wing this hosting gig but I was so busy the week before so I didn't really have time to prepare. As such, I started thinking of and practicing my spiels while I driving to the National Shrine of our Lady of Lourdes, which was a perfect venue since this is where Tita Florence and Tito Mario got married fifty years ago.
The reception was held a short drive away at the Light of Love events place in Sta. Mesa. I had two spiels: first was the opening address and then the welcome toast. I think it all turned out quite well and my cousins told me I was getting pretty good feedback as a wholesome, decent, and intelligent host haha. I also made sure I didn't forget any part of the program. :)
There was a major speedbump along the way though. The projector that was supposed to show a few videos over dinner wasn't compatible with the laptops that my cousins brought with them. My cousins were naturally getting really frustrated and upset - so much work went into putting those videos together! - but thankfully someone managed to bring a laptop later that evening that worked with the projector. As such, they were able to show the slideshow of pictures of Tito Mario and Tita Florence through the years, followed by video greetings from Tito Mario's relatives in the US. The big surprise was the video from ABS-CBN stars like Anne Curtis, Robi Domingo, and Luis Manzano sharing their greetings and congratulations. This was immediately followed by a clip of Dr. Love from DZMM narrating the love story of Tita Florence and Tito Mario that got everyone laughing and reminiscing.
While the videos were a hit, the speeches from Tita Florence and Tito Mario's children, my cousins, were the true highlights of the evening. Everyone had something interesting and unique to say, and everything that was shared had heart and came from a place of truth. A few people were wiping tears from their eyes. It wasn't all tears of course. Before the program ended, all the children and their families went on stage to sing "Kahit maputi na ang buhok ko".
Of course, similar to Mama's 90th birthday, you can't have the family together like this and not have dancing. Once the program offiically ended, the music played and people hit the dance floor. My cousins also hired a few dance instructors to make it easier for some of the other guests to be fully immersed in the festivities.
It was another wonderful evening as the family came together to witness and celebrate a fantastic moment in the lives of my uncle and aunt. Congratulations to Tita Florence and Tito Mario, and (to paraphrase my own line during my welcome toast) we're now all looking forward to their diamond wedding anniversary. :)
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