Thailandhas been our home for three-four years. It is a beautiful country rich in culture and tradition, and its lovely people are friendly and gentle. We think the Buddhist religion have to do with most of these. Since Brian (who is from Washington state) belongs to the United Methodist Church and Tonette (who is from the Philippines) was raised a Catholic, we agreed that getting married in Buddhist ceremonies in Phuket, Thailand is a good idea for religious, practical, and romantic reasons. As one Thai said, "Jesus and Buddha don't fight." Most of the people who know us as a couple are from TCIS. Our country's embassies are close by in Bangkok. Phuket is a world-class destination with a wide price range and type of accommodation. What could be more romantic than a wedding by the beach with monks and an elephant?

We got the idea from our friends Nathan and Stacie who were married in Thai Buddhist ceremony the year before in Samui island. By an interesting case of coincidence, another couple from TCIS - Drew and Kim - had the same ideas. We got engaged at the same time (them in Phuket), we picked the same hotel, and they scheduled their ceremony two days earlier during the Chinese New Year holiday. Naturally the school threw joint engagement party and boys/girls night out parties for us. We even picked the same shop and identical wedding outfits, going together for fittings.

Brian's parents, sister and her family, flew to Thailand a week earlier. It was the first time for Deena, husband Keith, and their children Andrew and Brooke, to travel outside the United States. From Tonette's side of the family came her parents, and recently married youngest brother Miguel and his wife Florence. Her cousin Rhodora from Davao also came. An uncle and aunt came with 10 other friends from her hometown of Surigao on a package tour to Thailand. Tonette's friends from San Miguel Corporation also came as matrons of honor, including Indah who has moved to California. A German couple and a friend from Green Earth Mountaineers club completed the guests from the bride's side. The other half of guests are our former colleagues, other teachers, and two students from TCIS. It was definitely an international gathering of Americans, Filipinos, Canadians, Thais, Taiwanese, one Australian, and one Korean. We received prayers, blessings, and best wishes in different languages, most had to do with having babies as soon as possible. All in all we had 60 guests at the wedding and reception in Laguna Beach Resort, and 20 guests and 15 suitcases for our honeymoon in Phi Phi island.

A week later we had another reception, a dinner cruise down Chao Phraya River for 100 teachers and staff from school. Most of the guests pitched in so didn't have to spend any more.

The wedding was not officially registered until the Thai New Year Songkran holiday in April. That summer we visited Roland and Holly in Germany for yet another honeymoon; and then proceeded to Chelan where Brian's parents threw another reception. It was the first time Brian came home in three years, and a very long time since all relatives from all sides of his family to have a reunion. Tonette even got to meet his former teachers.