A lovestory by the sea

“I cannot love you with a love

That out compares the boundless sea,

For that were false, as no such love

And no such ocean can ever be.”

So goes Angela Gloria’s poem “To the man I married”; a poem read by a beautiful Negrense bride as she professed her feelings to the person whom she has freely given her heart.

Andy Philips and Rhoda Avanzado’s love story began on an isolated island off the coast of Negros Occidental, and like the rich seas of the island, flourished and strengthened in time in the land of Medieval royalty.

“You continue to amaze, inspire and delight me. As time goes by, we’ve grown close together and my love and respect for you has become stronger and deeper,” Andy professed.

Dumaguete City and the rest of the province have never seen a wedding so intimate and simple, yet so grand and royal. Only a select few witnessed the ceremony in an exclusive resort overlooking the serene Tañon Strait and the wondrous Apo Island marine reserve.

A 30-minute fireworks display romantically capped the ceremony, beating even the most lavish sky show displays in the province.

Despite the grandiosity of the celebration, the ceremony was a humbling one as Rhoda and Andy took their vows before two ministers who officiated the ceremony; and as Rhoda continued her love oath:

“But I can love you with a love

As finite as the wave that dies;

And dying holds from crest to crest

The blue of everlasting skies.”