Bride shocked to see mum at her wedding

Dubai: A bride had the surprise of her life when her mum whom she hadn't seen for two years turned up on her wedding day in Dubai on Tuesday.

Cathlyn Cruz, 35, a Jebel Ali logistics executive, saw her unexpected guest as she walked down the aisle at St Mary's Church.

Cruz and her husband were part of the 34 blissful couples who traded “I dos” at a mass wedding ceremony on Tuesday, the UAE's 43rd National Day.

The event, officiated by several Catholic priests, culminated months of preparation.

Most of the couples were Filipinos, while a few were Indians. St Mary's Dubai is one of the world's largest parishes, with tens of thousands of parishioners turning up on special occassions.

Couples who join the mass wedding are not charged any fee -- photography and video services are free, as is the reception if the couple opts to join in too, say organisers.

But many mass wedding couples go to great lengths to make it a day to remember.

The groom who went out of his way to delight his bride is Jesus San Diego, 29, a Karama interiors company staff. San Diego had married Cruz in a civil ceremony in 2011, and with whom he already has two children.

On Tuesday, Cathlyn was surprised to see her mother, Macarie Cruz, a 63-year-old seamstress in a Manila suburb, join her Dubai wedding entourage.

"I haven't seen her for two years. I knew my mother didn't have a passport. She's never flown outside (the Philippines). I was surprised to see her hold my hand on my wedding day in Dubai," Cathlyn told Gulf News.

Unknown to Cathlyn, her beau had arranged the trip for months, flew his mother-in-law to the UAE on Saturday (November 29) and billetted her with relatives to keep her presence under wraps.

After the ceremony, San Diego capped it with another surprise -- a chauffer-driven stretch limo was waiting for the entire family outside the gates to take them to a hotel reception.

"I wanted it to be special and memorable for me, my wife, and the entire family," said an overjoyed San Diego, now a father of two toddlers who were also part of their wedding entourage. "We only walk this way once."

Indian Banker Jyoti Singh, 36, from Mumbai, met his wife Victoria Monteiro, 31, and hit it off in Kuwait five years back. They were engaged for two years and had been civilly married for nearly a year now.

“It (wedding) is a decision we really feel happy about,” said Singh, who lives with his wife near the Dubai International Financial Centre on Shaikh Zayed Road. “It’s been a tiring day, with all the preparations and the reception, but it’s all worth it,” he added.

Filipino Mark Tirol, 29, and Johanna Barrinuevo, 27, who both hail from Laguna province south of Manila, met each other at a cooking class.

Tirol works in Abu Ahabi while Barrinuevo works in Dubai Healthcare City. "It's been our long-held wish to have each other and cook for each other for life," said Tirol.

Alex Carlos, a member of St Mary's wedding team, said 37 couples originally signed up for the ceremony, but only 34 made it by Tuesday due to unforeseen circumstances.

“Marriage as an institution,” said Carlos, adding volunteers help couples complete the requirements and curb expenses. "We don't want it (cost of wedding) to be a financial burden on them, but they are free to come up with their own special arrangements to make it memorable."