Love in Bloom: A Night of Romance 💘
Our days as a married couple are a never-ending whirlwind of rushing our son to school, handling the demands of work and daily tasks. Time seems to slip away; before we know it, it’s bedtime. Weekends are just as hectic, leaving us wondering if we’ve forgotten what it’s like to spend quality time together. Unfortunately, we don’t have a domestic helper or family members who can help take care of our son, making it challenging to find time for just the two of us. Date nights feel like a luxury with the high cost of babysitters. Sometimes we even must beg friends to come for a sleepover for our son. Then, something miraculous happened – the Church of St. Michael organised a special ‘Couples’ Night’. When I saw the announcement during Sunday EC, a glimmer of hope sparked within me. The event could only cater for ten couples, I prayed anyway to be able to participate. And you know what? The Lord works in mysterious ways; our friend enrolled us.
On the evening of the event, just 30 minutes before leaving our home, my husband and I were frantically responding to last-minute emails while our son protested going back to church. Little did he know that a fun night awaited him! As soon as we arrived, our son was whisked away by childminders to an Art Jamming session. I couldn’t help but exclaim with excitement, “Finally, we have respite care for our child!”
Socialising with other couples at the beginning of the night
The night kicked off with a selection of handcrafted canapés and curated beverages, giving us a chance to mingle with the other couples who had also joined the event. Father Terence, Father Sam, and Brother Andre also mingled with us.
To kick off the programme, Father Terence welcomed us and emphasised how the night was a specially set-apart night for us as couples to reconnect with each other.
As we made our way to our table, we were greeted by our personal waiters, altar servers aged 13 to 22 for the night, smartly dressed in black.
Each couple had their own personal waiter, who explained the menu.
They promptly led us to our beautifully decorated table, reminiscent of an al fresco Italian restaurant. Fairy lights twinkled in the night and created an intimate atmosphere for each couple. Our spot, situated in front of the Sacred Heart grotto at the Angels’ Courtyard, with the soothing sounds from the fountain, provided the perfect backdrop for love. It was truly a priceless setting.
Table décor. Priceless!
We were in awe of the table decor, which had been adorned with fairy lights and pink roses to set the mood for romance. A stand with our names and a Bible verse from Colossians 3:14 caught our attention.
“And over all these virtues put on love, that is the bound of perfection.” – Colossians 3:14
Throughout the meal, our attentive servers left us alone whilst ensuring that we were not in want, while Father Terence, Father Sam, Brother Andre, and other parishioners checked in on us to ensure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves.
The stunning dinner!
To conclude the night, we received personalised chocolates and a lovely stalk of pink rose, beautifully packaged. I quickly finished my dessert and wine before we left the table to pick up our son, who was covered in poster paint from the art jamming session. The kids had so much fun that some were reluctant to leave, and it was already 11pm.
Couple souvenirs and child minding services. They had fun during art jamming!
The experience was truly extraordinary and reminded us of the importance of deep conversations focused on our relationship. We talked about various topics, intentionally avoiding discussions about work, our son, and daily tasks.
As we rode our bikes home as a family, we ended the night on a loving note, grateful for the experience.
“Psalm 133:1 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”
We extend a heartfelt thank you to the different ministries that made this unforgettable night possible.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, and may you bless everyone involved and their families, in making this night special.
Ephesians 4:2-6 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Written by Kit Lee
Photo credits: Mervyn Wong
Couples’ Night was held on Saturday, 5th of August, 2023. Do look out for the next edition of Couples’ Night in the next few months!