Korean-Pinay couple to wed on nat’l TV

“If we don’t get eliminated tonight, we will win,” said Jimmy Kim to her girlfriend Kring Elenzano during the first ceremony on ABS-CBN’s realiserye I Do when they were put on the chopping block along with another couple.

To Kring, what Jimmy said seemed prophetic. They were not kicked out of the I Do village that night, performed well in the program’s succeeding challenges, and capped off their once-in-a-lifetime journey on Saturday night (Nov. 8), when viewers chose to give them their happy ending when the Korean-Pinay couple was declared I Do’s first-ever Grand Couple.

The “Krimmy” couple, who have been together for four years, received 56.8 percent of the public votes, beating their rival Power Couple Chad Fontanilla and Sheela Beterbo.

“Always believe in true love, because true love waits. And we should always pray for our future husband or wife. Always remember the importance of family in every relationship,” said Kring.

Kring hadn’t had a boyfriend since birth until she met Jimmy at a K-pop event when she was already 25.

For the couple, their triumph seemed like a big plan that was sewn together by God so they could share a great story with the viewers. In the realiserye, they learned how their childhood and family backgrounds affect the strength of a relationship. The two have repeatedly expressed how I Do changed their lives, especially after Jimmy patched things up with his mother, whom he hadn’t seen and talked to in over a decade.

“We want to share our love story with the world. I’m so happy that the viewers are all invited to our wedding. I believe that if I didn’t meet Kring, nothing would have happened. Because of Kring, everything happened, ” shared Jimmy.

Jimmy notably announced in the realiserye’s second episode that the best gift he could ever give to Kring was to have their wedding shown on national TV. He got his wish.

On Saturday (Nov. 15), their Grand Wedding will be aired on ABS-CBN. They are also off to a great start as the show’s Grand Couple because they won P1M, a house and lot, a honeymoon package, a negosyo package worth P1.5M and home appliances.

The couple also considers their wedding “a special gift” because Jimmy’s dad and mom are going to see each other for the first time in 11 years after a tumultuous separation and divorce.

Asked why they think viewers voted for them, Kring said that they are a great testament to how the show can change lives, calling themselves “a product” that has improved emotionally, physically and spiritually as individuals and as a couple.

“For years, I had been praying that Jimmy would learn to forgive (his mom), and I believe that if it were not for I Do, he wouldn’t be able to do it,” Kring revealed.

Jimmy and Kring also opened up about going through a rollercoaster of emotions just before the finale. Kring’s best friend Hazel, who was supposed to be her bride’s maid, died two weeks ago due to cardiac arrest.

“Her name was already printed on our wedding invitations. Before she died, she would tell us, ‘I know you’re going to win.’ I’m offering this victory to her because I know she’s watching over us from heaven,” said Kring.

Chad and Sheela, meanwhile, received P500,000 as the runner-up couple.

Viewers nationwide tuned in to the announcement of the winner and posted their comments online as the official hashtag #IdoFinalCeremony, Jimmy and Kring, and Chad and Sheela trended worldwide on Twitter.

The Final Ceremony also served as a reunion for host Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio and Jolina Magdangal-Escueta who opened the program with a production number. Juris also performed the realiserye’s theme song Baby, I Do.

Earlier this week, Juday announced that I Do will have a second season after it received lots of positive reviews. I Do is an original concept by ABS-CBN featuring couples with exceptional love stories who compete in a series of challenges to test and strengthen their relationship.

Don’t miss Jimmy and Kring exhange their “I do’s” in their Grand Wedding that will be aired on Saturday, Nov. 15, after The Voice of the Philippines on ABS-CBN.