Whether you admit or not, celebrity weddings are the ones to watch for. With all the glitter, glamor, personalities and extravagance, our curiosities are easily picked when tinsel town’s celebrated couples head for the altar to exchange vows.
Most that we remember from celebrity weddings is the mob of fans waiting patiently at the church’s premises just to get a glimpse of their idols as they walk down the aisle. Such is the scenario we remember from Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion’s wedding at the Manila Cathedral. Avid fans jostled one another making it difficult for sponsors and guests like Mother Lily Monteverde to enter the church.
Other celebrity weddings are memorable because of the themes that made the ocassion uniquely their own.
Who could forget the unusual wedding ceremony that of superstar Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon? Some guests have to wade through cold, knee-deep water just to witness the exhange of I do’s of Guy and Boyet in casual attire at that. They did so right before sunrise at a beach in La Union.
Senator Bong Revilla and Lani Mercado’s wedding is most remembered for its Filipiniana theme that coincided with the centennial of Philippine independence in 1998. In keeping with the theme, Lani wore a Maria Clara-inspired gown and was ushered to church on a Spanish-era horse-drawn carriage. For the groom’s part, Bong rode a white horse while clad in a grand general’s uniform reminiscent of the garb worn by Emilio Aguinaldo.
Out of respect for his family lineage, Robin Padilla took his fiance Mariel Rodriquez to a tribal Igorot wedding in Baguio City. This figures because Robin’s mother, Eva Cariño, is an Igorot. The couple made public their marriage vows by following native customs and traditions while donning woven ethnic clothing. A native priest officiated the Ibaloi ceremony, the couple drank tapuy (rice wine) and performed the tayaw native dance all befitting the said occassion.
In contrast, Ruffa and Ylmaz Bekta’s wedding is nothing but lavish and world-class. Inside the premier event venue, the NBC Tent at Fort Bonifacio, was the towering 10 feet tall wedding cake baked with apple-walnut fondant and glittering Swarovski crystal trimmings. Her Inno Sotto wedding gown cost around 700,000 pesos. But all the trimmings and glitter pale in comparison to the surprise announcement of Ylmaz Bektas’ during the reception. While holding a baby bootie, the groom revealed the bride’s sensitive condition courtesy of an impending visit from the stork.
Judy Ann and Ryan’s wedding reflected the couple’s youthful exuberance while keeping it a simple and private affair. Days before the wedding, the couple sent out invite boxes with a slipper inside, the official footwear of their wedding ceremony. The wedding proper was held at the San Juan Nepomuceno Church in San Juan, Batangas after which wedding guests were whisked away in a private beach resort for the reception.
By far, the most striking wedding gown to date is Regine Velasquez’ red bridal gown. Created by Monique Lhuillier, the bride chose the color because, as reports says, red is the color for power and love, of course! The bride also wanted to make her reality wedding stand out from her “reel weddings” where she had worn several white wedding dresses.
Carla's Social Realism 