Ruffa fit to march down the aisle

First, a correction (thanks to Funfare readers Danilo Tuazon, Alexander Tan, Shana Jackson, Napoleon de Asis, Noel Seno, Anton Lopez, Prima Eva and others who pointed it out to "beauty experts" Joey Cezare, Gery Yumping, Francis Calubaquib and Felix Manuel): It wasn’t Ruffa Gutierrez who came closest to winning the Miss World title but Evangeline Pascual who placed second to USA’s Marjorie Wallace in 1973; Ruffa placed third to Miss South Africa in 1993.

But Ruffa will feel like Miss World, Miss International, Miss Globe and Miss Universe combined Tuesday next week (March 25) when she marches down the aisle with her Turkish boyfriend Yilmaz Bektas during the first of their two weddings at The Fort (second will be on May 11 in Istanbul).

"Yes," Ruffa told Funfare, "I’m all set; I’m fit (physically)."

And so is Yilmaz who is flying in either tonight or tomorrow night from Istanbul with dozens of his relatives (totalling, hold your breath, 300,000-plus!).

After a two-day hospitalization in Frankfurt due to exhaustion, excitement and hunger (sorry, she has been "fasting" so she won’t gain even half a pound for D-Day), Ruffa bravely took the 12-hour flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok and then the three-hour connecting flight from Bangkok to Manila against the doctors’ advice, arriving at 7 o’clock Sunday night (March 16) and rushing straight from the airport to the Dasmariñas Village residence of Mrs. Speaker Jose (Gina) de Venecia who, along with sisters Marichu Maceda, Lillibeth Nakpil and Chona Ampil (with their mom, Mommy Nene Vera-Perez behind them), hosted a shower for Ruffa. Present were some of the Congressmen’s wives (Gina being the head of the Congressional Wives Organization).

Yesterday, before reporting to the taping of GMA’s Daboy en da Girl as the week’s guest, Ruffa checked out Inno Sotto who’s doing her gown. "That’s why she collapsed," sighed mom Annabelle Rama. "She keeps on moving around – walang pahinga!"

At The Fort event, Ciara Sotto will sing during the Offertory, Gary Valenciano during the Communion, Carla Martinez during the pictorial and Ogie Alcasid the Our Father. At the reception, Pilita Corrales, Lani Misalucha, Jamie Rivera and Janno Gibbs will sing love songs which will surely turn the elite guests misty-eyed.

The program at the shower party was hosted by Eric Quizon and Assunta de Rossi who was there as Mrs. Jules Ledesma (Negros Congressman). There were parlor games, singing and fun activities.

On March 21, it will be Ruffa’s bosom friend Donita Rose’s (a secondary sponsor) turn to host another shower at the Discovery Suites, this time with a bagets guest list.

After the wedding, Ruffa and Yilmaz might go to Maldives for their honeymoon.

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