When the crowd finally set their eyes on the bride, her gaze was only directed at one person. It was her longtime beau, Ben Wintle, on the other end of the aisle. As they fixed her veil to fall flat on the white sand, Iza Calzado silently mouthed the words and teased: Wait lang. Wait.

The exact moment these two lovers finally stand side by side on that shoreline must’ve been a scene they’ve pictured hundreds of times. Now they were just seconds from having it become a reality. On that very day, Dec. 19, they both knew they had a lifetime before them, so what was a few seconds to spare?

Iza kept her cool. She tucked her loose hair behind her ear, smiled, and took her first steps. We’ve seen her gravitating smile countless of times on our screens and roadside billboards, but  on that day, even just the glimpse of the bride’s grin on our favorite celebrities’ social media posts made us experience the undeniable warmth and joy of this day in Palawan.

She was a beauty in motion, clad in the perfect beach wedding gown as she followed the small turns that the towering rustic and romantic flowers have paved for her.

The bouquet in her hands was more than just an elegant bundle of roses, calla lilies, bell-shaped florets, succulents, and gypsophilas. Wrapped around it was a locket of those who couldn’t be with her during this life-changing milestone. It was of her parents whom she both lost to cancer.

Later in that day during the wedding reception, Sunshine Dizon, one of Iza’s closest friends, shared that she brought with her a very special gift: A diamond necklace.

“This diamond necklace was your mom’s. And I was made to hold on to it and keep it safe. I am giving it back to you, because I can feel your mom’s presence—and I know this is something that she would want me to do,” the bridesmaid said.

“I want a piece of her to belong to you on this very special day,” Sunshine said.

Now excuse us as we wipe this well of tears from our eyes.