As is often the case with viral content, the video of Surya Manurung’s wedding — his bride crying unabashedly during the ceremony — was stripped of context by many who saw it. It was easy to misinterpret Shasa Puspita’s tears as those of sorrow, perhaps even regret in finding herself at the center of a forced marriage.

For the uninformed, the language barrier (they’re from Indonesia) left viewers filling in the blanks. Some assumed she was mourning the fact that she was marrying someone who — to be politically correct — looks very different. But as with most things in life, the truth is far more nuanced than what the Disney fairy tale Beauty and the Beast belabored to teach.

Born in 1992 in Asahan, North Sumatra, Surya Manurung is no stranger to the spotlight. A prominent TikTok and YouTube content creator, he built a following not by conforming to society’s standards of beauty but by embracing his uniqueness.

Surya has lived with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting facial bone and tissue development. Rather than letting this condition define him in a limiting way, he has turned it into a platform for advocacy, inspiration, and, yes, love.

The viral wedding video has become something of a Rorschach test — some saw tragedy, others a love story set to the tune of My Funny Valentine. Remember the lyrics?

My funny valentine

Sweet comic valentine

You make me smile with my heart

Your looks are laughable

Unphotographable

Yet you’re my favorite work of art

Is your figure less than Greek?

Is your mouth a little weak?

When you open it to speak

Are you smart?

But don’t change a hair for me

Not if you care for me

Stay, little valentine, stay

Each day is Valentine’s Day.

Shasa’s tears were not of despair; they were liquid pearls from a woman who, in that moment, saw her partner’s inner beauty outshine any societal expectation of physical perfection.

Surya cried too, wiping his nose many times, perhaps overwhelmed by how far life had taken him — from growing up in a family where multiple members share his condition to sitting at the altar with the woman he loves.

When Surya began sharing dance videos with his sister on TikTok, they didn’t just amass millions of views; they sparked conversations about diversity, acceptance, and the power of embracing one’s individuality.

His online presence — spanning TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube — is a testament to his mission: to inspire others to look beyond appearances and celebrate the beauty of the human spirit.

And then there’s Shasa, the woman who saw Surya not for his differences but for the person he is. Their relationship reminds us that love isn’t about fitting into a mold; it’s about finding someone who truly sees the real you.

What some may have mistaken for a funeral, with all the crying, turned out to be the start of a life well-lived for Surya and Shasa. No dramatic interruptions, no one rising from the pews to shout, “Itigil ang kasal!”

Advanced Happy Valentine’s, lovers around the world.