These 2 Filipino couples postponed their weddings until temples reopened. Here’s what they learned while waiting to wed

The pandemic caused many couples to confront an issue: what to do with their upcoming wedding date. Some determined to hold civil ceremonies. Others decided to wait. Church Newsroom Philippines recently shared two stories of couples who postponed their weddings until temples reopened.

The Sorianos

Vaughn and Gertrud Soriano of Manila, Philippines, thought they would spend April together, happily counting down the days to their wedding. Instead, the couple watched their wedding date pass by from separate locations. A community lockdown prevented them from seeing each other for a month.

Gertrud toldChurch Newsroom Philippines,“ I remember[ed] the words from Elder Lynn G. Robbins, ‘Difficult situations are the test of one’s faith, to see if we will go forward with either a believing heart or a doubting heart.’ This quote strengthened my faith and trust in Him. His tender love, grace, and mercy are sufficient for us to overcome our fears and doubts. Through the love of God, we will feel peace in our hearts, most especially in the most difficult time of our lives.”

As restrictions eased, Vaughn and Gertrud were able to see each other once a week when Vaughn came to administer the sacrament to Gertrud’s family. When temples opened again for living ordinances, the couple rescheduled their wedding for July 10, 2020.

“Gertrud and I believe that this is the best time—perfect and beautiful, even amidst this pandemic. This has taught us to truly enjoy the simple things in life as we realize our dream of building an eternal family,” said Vaughn.

Read more about the Soriano’s experience at Church Newsroom Philippines.

The Domingos

Mark and Joyce Domingo, also from the Philippines, wanted a small wedding with no extra receptions or ceremonies, but there was one non-negotiable with their wedding: being married in the temple.

And even though the pandemic postponed their plans, it didn’t change the couple’s focus on the temple.

“To retain the spirit of the excitement of our temple marriage within us, we reminded each other to pray, study our scriptures, minister to those in need online, and participate in FamilySearch indexing,” Joyce shared with Church Newsroom Philippines. “My family is so engaged in doing family history indexing that I encouraged Mark to do the same. We both believe that indexing connects our hearts to people who have lived before us.”