The bride shed tears of joy

The bride shed tears of joy as she walked down the aisle, beautiful and resplendent in her off-shouldered Paul Cabral gown, while the magnificent voices of the San Miguel Chorale filled the cavernous Manila Cathedral with the hair-raising rendition of Elvis Costelo’s She.

Andrea Bautista, daughter of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. and younger sister of Sen. Bong Revilla Jr., exchanged marriage vows last Saturday afternoon with her long-time boyfriend, Jun-Jun Ynares, only son of Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares Sr. and former Rizal Gov. Rebecca Alcantara Ynares.

The groom, meanwhile, was visibly tense in his piña silk Barong Tagalog. Before his bride entered the church, he told Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, one of the principal sponsors, that he was "nervous and relieved."

Half-way through her bridal march, Andeng, as Andrea is fondly called, was met by her dad and older brother Bong, who gave her away at the altar. The wedding ceremony was celebrated by Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales.

The Bautista-Ynares nuptials had all the trappings of a grand wedding. All of the personal wishes of the bride for her dream altar date had been fulfilled. The bridal gown itself was a sight to behold. Made of Mikado silk, the Paul Cabral creation had a five-meter train with intricate piña embroidery.

Andeng alighted from a stretched white limousine before marching down the aisle in her Manolo Blahnik shoes. Hair and makeup were by Fanny Serrano. The diamond-studded white gold wedding bands were ordered from Tiffany and Co. Reception was held at Makati Shangri-La Hotel, with nearly a thousand guests invited. The six-tiered fondant wedding cake was by Penk Ching.