MANILA—After years of waiting, Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera finally tied the knot on Tuesday.
Dubbed as the “Royal Wedding,” the ceremony took place at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, Quezon City and was witnessed by hundreds of guests led by President Benigno Aquino III.
Marian, who wore a custom-made Michael Cinco off-the-shoulder bridal gown and studded Christian Louboutin shoes, was led to the altar by her parents, Francisco Gracia and Amalia Rivera.
Gracia flew to Manila two days ago from Madrid, Spain to personally walk his daughter down the aisle and witness the afternoon wedding.
Dingdong, who donned a cream-colored Randy Ortiz tuxedo, waited at the altar along with parents Jose Sixto and Angeline Dantes.
His younger brother, Angelo, stood as the actor’s best man.
The wedding was officiated by Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco and also featured eight concelebrating bishops and seven priests.
Dingdong’s high school principal, Fr. Tito Caluag, read the Gospel, while Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. delivered the homily.
In a prior interview, Dingdong said they chose Immaculate Conception as their venue because he grew up attending masses at the Cubao Cathedral.
“We picked a place na may meaning sa amin pareho. Doon ako lumaki sa place na yun, doon ako bininyagan and yan din yung simbahan na madalas namin puntahan together. It’s very beautiful inside,” he said.
The wedding gathered the biggest and brightest names in local show business and politics.
The couple picked 20 pairs of bridesmaids and groomsmen, led by Marian’s close showbiz friends Roxanne Barcelo and Ana Feleo, and Dingdong’s cousins Arthur Solinap and Jose Carlo Gonzalez.
Aquino was the Witness of Honor. He was seated with principal sponsors, couple Ogie and Regine Alcasid, sister Kris Aquino, GMA-7 chairman Felipe Gozon, Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde, businessman Ben Chan, directors Mac Alejandre, Bb. Joyce Bernal and Mark Reyes.
Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto was also present at the wedding as principal sponsor, together with Lolit Solis, Megastar Sharon Cuneta, Gilberto Duavit, Dra. Vicky Belo, Helen Gamboa, Perry Lansigan, Lilybeth Rasonable, German Moreno, Randy Ortiz, Wilson Tieng, Celia Rodriguez and Antonia Tuviera, among others.
Child star Ryzza Mae Dizon, who personally requested Marian to include her in the wedding entourage, was one of the flower girls.
After the wedding, a bigger celebration took place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Dingdong and Marian reportedly invited close to a thousand guests from in and out of showbiz and prominent figures in politics for the reception.