WYD’s (held every three years in different host countries) usually bring together millions of people with various cultures, race and backgrounds. Imagine the diversity and think of the possibility where a person finds ‘the one’ among the millions of people they encounter. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack! Lucky for Jonathan, he found her needle – Apple.

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Jonathan  and Kristine (Apple) have been together for 1 year and 10 months before Jonathan finally decided that Apple is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

So, in the blur of activities during the World Youth Day, one of the major events to testify the Catholic Faith, these two hearts merged and entered a new chapter in their life of faith. Below is a video of the awesome proposal!

But wait, there’s more…

Here are 3 facts that make their WYD love story one of a kind:

1. They met during World Youth Day 2013!

“We met through JMJ Rio. She was my group leader for the Dubai delegation. We were total strangers and it was not the kind of love at first sight,” Jonathan narrated.

He also said that they were lucky enough to experience the gift of friendship for more than a year before the roller coaster stage of courting her and asking her parent’s blessing began.

He courted her for 7 months, most of it spent in getting to know each other. They became a couple on September 8 which is a big deal to the two devoted Catholics because it was also Mama Mary’s birthday.

And now, they got engaged at the very event where they met! WYD will truly leave a mark on these love bird’s story…

“I proposed in WYD because it was my prayer to do so all along. The reason first and foremost is that I met her through this life changing event” The 2 year old letter that was never sent.

2. The 2-year-old letter that was never sent.

The letter Apple is reading in the video was the letter Jonathan wrote on 8 June 2014, but he never sent it to her. It was addressed to her and it said that in Kosciol Mariacki, a very special place for the two of them, a new chapter will begin.

“I wrote a letter 2 years ago when I was still courting her and within it the Kosciol Mariacki was mentioned to be the place where I would lead her to the next chapter of our story,” Jonathan said.

“I didn’t expect that I would propose that day. I’ve always planned for it to be in Kosciol Mariacki but I only knew that it would happen on the 26th after our leader’s meeting on the night before. It was such a perfect timing since I was surprised that we would have our Adoration service there. We were in charge of singing a tagalog hymn. I felt overflowing gratitude that finally we were there,” he added.

And thus, the proposal!

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3. A shoe for a proposal

The shoes symbolized the couple’s dream of traveling around the world for a mission. It’s also a symbol of their “affirmation to one another.”

“We are one another’s “solemate,” meaning that we would always walk together in life with Christ as our center – A love not based on feelings, but on sacrifice,” Jonathan reiterated.

Apple always wanted to have a Cinderella kind of proposal since she grew up watching it, and she got it!

“I did give her a ring as well, which is a simple knot ring. But the real proposal thing would be the hiking shoe. So after the adoration, we went in front of it, our delegation made a circle and I called her and gave the letter,” Jonathan recalled.

“After she finished reading [the 2-year-old letter], I got the shoe, [got] on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage,” he said.

“It was just a moment, an eternal instant that I would cherish for the rest of my life,” Jonathan added.

Tips from Jonathan

We asked Jonathan to share some tips for those people who are thinking of popping the question, and here’s what he shared with us:

1) Prepare your heart more for the marriage than the wedding.
2) Never wait for the perfect moment to propose.
3) You should always leave a room for God in your journey. At the end, it is only through loving Him that you can love the other more.

So how about you? Do you have a proposal story to share? We’d love to hear them. 

The post World Youth Day Proposal: Jonathan & Apple appeared first on The Top Knotters.

Or that moment when you’re just checking out his works and you blurt out something you thought was a compliment? Well, think again. To avoid those kinds of situations, we asked Filipino wedding photographers to share their real experiences of awkward things clients/people tell them.

Here’s a list of things you should never say to a photographer:

#1

Uhm. Thanks? Wait, was that really a compliment? Are you really saying that the camera was the main reason why the shot came out wonderful?  Why not compliment the talent on taking the photo? REMEMBER: It’s the photographer you are paying for, not the camera.

#2

Okay wait — this might make your photographer think, “Does this mean I’m a second option? Uhhm, thanks a lot for the vote of confidence?”. You hired them for a reason; you saw something in their work. Trust them and work with them to come up with captured memories of a lifetime! No need to let them know they aren’t your first choice.

#3

Imagine this: While the couple is having their portrait shoot after the ceremony, a man on a motorbike rushes in and shouts at your group. It turns out, it’s the father-of-the-bride. And he says,

That’s a really great way to compromise the photos of the wedding. You did pay them, so photographers would want to give it their best – give them the time. Don’t worry, the photographers are trained to keep time in check. Remember: Art takes time!

#4

That’s a very good question!…Not! I didn’t know that photographers should be trained to answer Miss Universe questions just to get a client. They have their portfolio and previous work as proof of their talents. It shows their skill – that should be proof enough of why you should hire them. Rather than asking them, just ask the people you know who have worked with them.

#5

I’m sorry; Photography and Cosmetic Surgery are 2 very different things. A photographer can only do as much as finding your best angle under the right lighting against a perfect background. It would also be much better if you proudly show who you are and embrace your own personal beauty! You don’t need edits and surgeries to be beautiful! You already are.

#6

Ouch! This is one of the worst comments you could say. Not all beautiful shots are because of edits. Professional Photographers have the ability to freeze a moment and present the unseen beauty of things without the need for an editing software – most photos are raw shots taken in the perfect time, perfect place.

#7

Well, okay, good for you then! Would you want to take your own photo?

#8

Whoa there, ‘just wedding photography’? JUST? Nope. Nu-uh. You do not say this is just wedding photography and you should not imply that it’s easy. It’s a different level of photography skills to capture a once in a lifetime event as it happens. It takes precision, talent, patience and quick-thinking to succeed as a professional wedding photographer!

Upon interviewing renowned professionals from 12 Masters Photography, Marked Lab, Law Tapalla Photography, Fine and Dainty, Hedgehog Studios, Ricky+Jean Photography, I’ve learned a little more about the world of wedding photography.

I was told about the ups and downs of the job, the thrill and unforgettable moments – even the struggles, awkward and epic moments! It really is fun to talk and converse with people about their daily grind at work, it helps us see in a better light: that what they do when they love doing it is simply spectacular. I hope this list helps everyone get to know a little more of ‘their wedding photographers’.

Cheers to awkward-free photo shoots and conversations!

(Stay tuned for the part 2: What not to say to your wedding photographer: Untold Awkward Scenes Revealed!)

The post Things You Should Never Say To Your Wedding Photographer appeared first on The Top Knotters.

We’ve seen how weddings change people; especially the two people proclaiming their love for each other through tying the knot and sealing their two bodies into one.

We’ve seen the magic, the miracle of how the ceremony, the vows, the intimacy, and the covenant transform the couple standing in front of everyone…

But this specific wedding took my breath away for it transformed not just the lives of the bride and groom but the lives of every single person who attended their big day.

Other couples choose to make their special day unique through innovative ideas for pre-nuptials, SDEs or sizing up the preparation, the venues, the dresses, bouquets and catering service. But these two lovebirds had a different idea of a ‘special day,’ it wasn’t just their special day, they decided to share it with so many people.

They dedicated three days inviting bar girls to their nuptials because they wanted them to experience God’s love through their wedding, their plan was to take these ‘yet to be saved girls’ to meet the girls in the process of healing and has already been saved.

“If [we] are gonna be married in the Philippines, [we] should invite bar girls, girls who have not been rescued, to the wedding and let them meet girls that have been rescued and in a journey of healing,” Randall explained in the video.

“God will do a great thing and Jesus will be around, we are gonna serve the girls today and we are gonna do our best to represent to them what Jesus would be today,” he explained.

Their venue was not your usual spectacular, shining and glamorous church, it was an old Church in Angeles City that has been wrecked and not yet restored. For them, this church that displays the wide array of the heavens above because it had no roof was like “God showing [them] things about open heavens and that we can experience heaven on this earth.”

In the most important day of Randall’s and Melissa’s life as a couple, together they chose to serve their guests, carried out the significant washing of the feet, praying and singing and worshiping. This day was a monumental day indeed, a day that marked their new life as husband and wife – a day also, that marked the renewed lives of their guests… how is this for an unforgettable wedding?

Here’s the Video of their love-filled wedding day:

RANDALL & MELISSA WEDDING from filterpan on Vimeo.

Because they were first loved by God, they chose to give love back to the people who never had it. This is the message of the cross. This is God’s love through Jesus portrayed. Love that takes all the sins of the world, Love that restores, Love that chose to die on the cross so we may live…

To all those soon-to-be wedded couples, how do you want your wedding to be remembered?

The post Selfless Wedding: Why Watching This Video Will Bring You To Tears appeared first on The Top Knotters.