"Did Gretchen pray for rain?" joked the woman seated beside us.
Gretchen Barretto, Claudine’s estranged sister, was the only member of the Barretto Family unaccounted for. According to reports, she wasn’t invited.
"It’s a good sign," said the officiating pastor, Robert Hern, one of four pastors from the Victory Christian Fellowship (of which the bride and the groom are members; the three others prayed over the couple). "It means a shower of blessings."
It was a strictly invitational affair, with the 300 or so guests dressed to the nines, the ladies in gowns and the gentlemen in black tie (as required), among them Richard Gomez, Kris Aquino and James Yap, Jaclyn Jose, Carmi Martin, Onemig Bondoc, Paolo Contis, Nikki Valdez, Rica Peralejo, Mons Romulo Tantoco and husband Sander, Bearwin Meiley, Sharon Cuneta with bosom buddy Philip Cuazon, Maricel Laxa and husband Anthony Pangilinan, Piolo Pascual with mom Amy Pascual (his co-star in the Selecta commercial), Dr. Vicki Belo and her beloved Joey Santos, direk Chito Roño and Luis Manzano (who came as proxy for his mom Vilma Santos, one of the principal sponsors, who was in Rome with husband Sen. Ralph Recto for the ordination of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales).
So exclusive was the affair that, before the guests could reach the site of the wedding ceremony at the top of a mountain with a panoramic view of the surrounding places below, they had to be cleared by two checkpoints and their cell phones and cameras deposited at the entrance.
Thankfully, the slight drizzle fizzled out. At 5 o’clock, the wedding march started, to the tune of Ikaw Lamang. From where we were seated, the place felt so heady-high that if you reached out far and hard enough, you could touch the sky; you felt as if you were on top of the world. That was for sure how the groom, anchored to his mom Cielito Legaspi’s arm, felt at that very moment as he walked toward the altar.
It was one rare day when the never-ending network war was set aside – a "ceasefire" in a manner of speaking – as the principal sponsors marched down the red carpet, a wide smile lighting up their faces. Could you imagine GMA executives arm-in-arm with executives of rival channel ABS-CBN: Gabby Lopez (ABS-CBN) and Wilma Galvante (GMA), Jimmy Duavit (GMA) and Charo Santos-Concio (ABS-CBN), and Felipe Gozon (GMA) and Malou N. Santos (ABS-CBN). Don’t you think the world would be better and happier if the temporary "reconciliation" was done for good?
The casting coup was made possible only because the bride and the groom belong to "warring" networks (shades of Romeo and Juliet?), Raymart with GMA and Claudine with ABS-CBN.
Other principal sponsors included Dr. Vicki Belo and Johnny "Mr. M" Manahan, Dolphy (whose partner would have been Vilma Santos), Susan Roces (and Dr. Perfecto Palafox), Virgie Ramos, Marichu "Manay Ichu" Maceda, Boots Anson-Roa, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito (as proxy for his dad, former President Joseph Estrada), and former Sen. Tito Sotto and wife Helen Gamboa.
Secondary sponsors from showbiz included Claudine’s sister Marjorie Barretto-Padilla (matron of honor); Assunta de Rossi, Ciara Sotto and Jenny Miller (bridesmaids); Raymart’s brother Rowell Santiago, Claudine’s brother-in-law Dennis Padilla and Bobby Andrews (groomsmen; Bobby’s wife Bienne was a bridesmaid); Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez (candle sponsors); Benjie Paras and Maricel Soriano (cord sponsors); and Edu Manzano (veil sponsor, with Yvette Oca, Claudine’s best friend).
Resplendent in an off-shoulder gown by Randy Ortiz, Claudine gingerly walked on the red carpet lined with flowers imported from Holland, blushing like all brides. He was given away by her father, Miguel Alvir Barretto.
As the ceremony started, a helicopter whirred overhead, carrying a cameraman from ABS-CBN which was doing an exclusive coverage (to be aired this Sunday, April 2; watch for it). The pilot himself showered petals on the site, turning the storybook fairy-tale wedding into something like a big scene from one of the couple’s movies.
When Raymart delivered his "pledge of love," his voice cracked when he mentioned his late father, director-producer Pablo Santiago, "watching over us from up there," while his mom was "crying down here." Raymart called Claudine "my joy, my love, my wife." In return, Claudine promised to be a good wife to Raymart and a good mother to their children (they have an adopted daughter, Sabina Natasha B. Santiago, a flower girl).
Halfway through the ceremony, Gary Valenciano (who came with wife Angeli Pangilinan) sang The Promise, choking with emotion at one point.
The ceremony was over in an hour and a half.
Then, the well-heeled guests retreated to the nearby banquet hall to partake of a dinner catered by Margarita Fores’ Cibo, consisting of such foreign-sounding (to this non-gourmet at least) entreés as Waterspinach Raviolo, Mushroom Trifolati; Pan-roasted Chilean Sea Bass; Green Apple Sgroppino; Roast Beef Tenderloin Tagliata; The Duetto (Crepe Millefoglio, Tiramisu Croccante) and, to accompany the big burp, Coffee or Tea?
The program was hosted by Raymart’s brother Randy Santiago and Agot Isidro.
Kuh Ledesma and Gary Valenciano sang a duet of Wedding Song, followed by Piolo Pascual solo with The Gift.
The affair was capped by a dazzling fireworks display that obliterated the myriad flickering lights of the surrounding places below.
It was an affair to remember.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)