We're getting married!

Her point of view: I met Roy on our first day of college. He was that guy—the came-from-the-US-feeling-cool kid. But he had a way of making everyone feel comfortable, casually throwing in the fact that he was originally from Malaybalay before moving to the U.S. It worked—he was the friendly, easygoing guy in class, and somehow, he ended up being part of my close group of friends. Among all of them, only Roy knew how to dance. That meant lots of dance practices together, spending more and more time hanging out. But our love story didn’t start there—not even close! Rumors started flying that Roy had a crush on me, and I was in complete denial. It made things so awkward between us! Back then, I was still this childish girl who believed that my close friends were just friends—they weren’t supposed to be anything more. It got to the point where my best friend and I actually made up a whole fake relationship story just to stop Roy from making a move. And guess what? People believed it! Well… at least for a little while. But fate clearly had other plans. The following semester, out of all my close friends, only Roy and I ended up in the same class. Talk about bad luck! At first, I avoided him—it was just too awkward. But Roy? He was persistent. Stubborn, even. And honestly? I’m so glad he was. Because before I knew it, 15 years later, I am marrying the very guy I tried so hard to resist back in college. His point of view: Our story began in college, back in March of 2009. We met in a PE dance class, and thanks to our mutual friends and shared passion for dancing, we quickly became close. From the very first moment, I was captivated. I remember thinking, "Wow! She’s incredibly charming and dances so well." I was completely smitten. I never stopped pursuing her, determined to catch her attention. At first, Sam found me quite annoying—she would roll her eyes, pretend to be indifferent, and even express her dismay at my persistence. But deep down, I could tell she was kilig (thrilled, though she’d never admit it then). My consistency, effort, and panliligaw (courtship) eventually won her over, and what started as a deep friendship slowly blossomed into something more. One of my favorite memories is our very first date. It was a rainy day, just outside the school entrance. We huddled under a single umbrella, then hopped onto a motorela together. I mustered up the courage and asked, “Would you like to go on a dinner date with me?” Of course, by “dinner,” I meant McDonald’s. We shared a love for french fries and Coke Float, laughing over our silly conversations while secretly glancing around to see if anyone we knew had spotted us “dating.” As our relationship deepened, life had other plans. Our love story became a long-distance one—stretching from the Philippines to Ireland, across Europe, and to the United States. We navigated countless airport goodbyes, embraced new adventures in foreign cities, and created unforgettable memories across the world. Through it all, one thing became clear: no matter where we were, no matter how far the distance, there was no one else we’d rather be with, no one else we’d rather share this beautiful journey with—than each other.