CEBU, Philippines – The country’s Wedding of the Year – in a year marked by showbiz engagements and tying of the knots – finally happened yesterday at the Immaculate Conception Church in Cubao, Quezon City, with a thousand guests in attendance, including the Philippine president himself. Church ceremonies began at 3 p.m. and ended at around 5 p.m. A reception at the SM Mall of Asia Arena (which could seat 18,000) followed at 6 p.m.
After a five-year relationship, Dingdong proposed to Marian last August during a live airing of her self-titled dance show, where he gave the actress a Harry Winston engagement ring. The first proposal was done in 2012 in Macau at the Butterfly Pavillion, during the “Kubot: The Aswang Chronicles” star 32nd birthday.
According to previous reports, Dingdong chose the wedding venue due to sentimental reasons. The church, he said, was where he was baptized. “There’s a sense of going back to where you started,” the actor said in a previous interview.
Roads near the Immaculate Conception Church were closed to give way to wedding guests.
The star-studded entourage included President Benigno Aquino III, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, directors Mac Alejandre and Joyce Bernal, Sharon Cuneta, former GMA-7 executive Wilma Galvante, Ben Chan, Felipe Gozon and Lily Monteverde, among others, as principal sponsors.
Wedding invitations noted that their guests could opt to donate cash for Dingdong’s Yes Pinoy Foundation, which helps provide for children’s education.
Hours before the anticipated wedding, spectators started lining up the streets going to the venue, hoping to catch a glimpse of the couple and their guests.
Dingdong arrived in the venue wearing his Randy Ortiz suit and riding his black Ducati motorcycle, which reports said was sentimental to him since his first date with Marian had them riding a motorcycle.
Meanwhile, Marian – who had to be baptized again since her baptism in Spain was not honored here in our country – arrived in the venue wearing her Michael Cinco gown, riding a vintage car which was overhauled by Dingdong himself for their big day.
Marian’s Spanish father flew all the way from Spain to walk her down the aisle.
According to news program “Unang Hirit,” the wedding was officiated by eight bishops, and the mass was celebrated by seven priests (“comparable to an ordination,” Immaculate Conception Cathedral rector Fr. Ariston Sison Jr. told GMA News).
Twenty sets of principal sponsors were listed including Kris Aquino, Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid and Gov. Vilma Santos are among the female sponsors; GMA Chairman Felipe Gozon, TAPE, Inc. Chairman Antonio Tuviera, BENCH owner Ben Chan, and Ogie Alcasid for the male sponsors.
The 18 groomsmen and 18 bridesmaids included GMA-7 talents Paolo Contis, Arthur Solinap, Rochelle Pangilinan and Bettina Carlos.
Among the 25 secondary sponsors were Richard Gomez and wife Rep. Lucy Torres (candle), Gabby Eigenmann and Ai-Ai delas Alas (veil), KC Concepcion and Sen. Bam Aquino IV (cord), and Ryzza Mae Dizon (flowers). — PhilStar News Service