Like a first-time groom, Tirso was quite anxious hours before the ceremony started. With wine glass in one hand, he kept walking in and out of the wedding venue. The night’s constant joke to him went: “Siputin ka kaya ni Lynn?”
The couple's middle child, Bodie, walked his blushing mom down the aisle. Lynn's obvious shyness prompted her friend Lorna Tolentino to quip: "Lynn, bakit parang hiyang-hiya ka sa ginagawa mo?" The couple's other close pal, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, followed suit: "Sigurado ka ba sa ginagawa mo?"
The bride's elegant gown was by her designer-friend Paul Carbal. Hair and make-up were done by Bambi and Joann of the Fanny Serrano Salon.
Pip’s silver wedding song for Lynn was “Write My Name (Across Your Heart)” by Kenny Rogers, which has the following lyrics:
To you my life is an open door,
Everything I have is yours,
I’ll try to give you everything you need,
But as far as love goes, there’s a lifetime guarantee.
Write your name across my heart,
I want the world to know that I am yours forever.
And I will wear it like a shining star,
Write your name across my heart.
The officiating pastor, the Rev. Dr. Cornelio Castillo, explained the cord and candle ceremonies: “This cord symbolizes exclusivity. It describes a relationship so deep that one cannot exist without the other. Kaya hindi ba, 'pag kayo’y itinali at ang isa sa inyo’y itinulak, sasama ’yong isa?… This candle is not the candle of unity. This is the candle of Christ. It’s here to remind you that you need Christ in your marriage.”
After a video presentation (made by Bodie) about their parents’ love story, the kids took center stage to give heartwarming messages that brought happy tears to Lynn’s eyes.
TJ: “I just want to tell everyone that we have the best parents in the world… We don’t know how to repay them… Maybe by just being good kids, so they’ll be proud of us.”
Djanin: “I thank God for giving us the two of you as parents, and I’m so thankful that I’ve been born into this family.”
Bodie: “I’m really so proud of you… In the future, 'pag nagkaroon na rin ako ng sariling family, gusto ko kagaya ng relationship n’yo—hindi perfect, pero nalalampasan lahat.”
After the ceremony, the pastor told Pip: “You may now kiss the bride. But before that, let me tell you that a kiss means ‘I want you,’ and an embrace means ‘I belong to you.’ Which would you prefer?” The guests answered for the couple: “Kiss and embrace!”
When asked to give her message to the silver couple, Gretchen Barretto joked: “Dapat yata kay Tony [Cojuangco, her partner] ako magbigay ng message… Sana umabot din kami ng 25 years and more. I just want to say that I’m blessed to be part of your family, Lynn and Kuya Pip.”
Senator Bong Revilla arrived ahead of his wife Lani Mercado and left earlier. Before going, he told Lani’s tablemates: “Ihahabilin ko muna sa inyo ang pinakamagandang babae sa balat ng lupa.” Lani, giggling, shot back: “Mambola pa ba?”
Bong and Lani celebrated their own 20th wedding anniversary in Hong Kong on May 28.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada—here with wife Precy—was as kenkoy as his dad, former President Joseph Estrada, when it was his turn to speak: “Ang isa, umiiyak [Lynn]. Isa, nakatawa. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung sino’ng nagsisisi… Pero si Pip ay wala namang dapat ipagsisi sapagkat si Lynn ay mas maganda naman kay Nora Aunor… ’Buti pa kayo, umabot na ng 25 years. Kami ng asawa ko, 17 years na, pero mga sampu lang siguro ang talagang pinagsama namin dahil lagi akong wala…”
The ever-pleasant Lorna “LT” Tolentino and her newly recovered husband Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez came early. At one point, Daboy went over to the table where the entertainment press was seated and pretended to sulk: “Kayo, hindi n’yo man lang ako dinalaw [sa ospital]. Muntik na akong kunin ni Lord, di n’yo man lang ako pinuntahan.”
Mayor Vilma Santos gave husband Ralph Recto a kiss on the lips when she arrived. The senator, who came to the venue earlier than his wife, later told the silver couple: “I’ve not known both of you as long as my wife has, but as I watch your entire family tonight, you serve as an inspiration. Now, as I also look forward to celebrating my 25 years with Vilma, I want our kids—Ryan and Luis—to do this same thing for us.”
Vilma added: “Pip, Lynn, I’m so happy na our families have remained friends through the years… and nakakatuwa na sa mundo nating ito sa showbiz, may mga relasyong kagaya ng sa inyo na matibay at nagsisilbing good example sa mga tao.”
Husband and wife Christopher de Leon and Sandy Andolong were among the three pairs of wedding witnesses. Before the wedding ceremony, Boyet joked about his formal garb: “Kaya ganito suot ko, ako magkakasal.”
The 25th-wedding ceremony came complete with all the trimmings of traditional weddings, such as wine toasting and the cake-slicing-and-eating ceremony.
The silver bride (middle, in lilac gown) with friends old and new, including badminton buddies, members of her weekly Bible study group, and friends who have been with her through thick and thin.
They are (back row, L-R): sisters Andrea Bautista-Ynares and Rowena Bautista-Mendiola, Precy Ejercito, Albert de la Fuentes, Isabel Rivas, Thelina Nuval, Paul Cabral, Rustom Padilla, and Elena Orosa; (front row, L-R) former actress Ana Abiera, Sandy de la Fuentes, April Cezar, Ming Tiniana, and LT.
Pop Lola Armida Siguion-Reyna told Lynn and Pip: “Naaabot n’yo ang 25 years. Ibig sabihin, aabot kayo ng 75 years—if you’re lucky to still be alive. Ako, I’m happy to say that to this day I’m still married to the same man.” With her were daughter-in-law Bibeth Orteza and son Carlitos.
Pip and Lynn—flanked by this writer and by the Bautista sisters Andeng and Weng—wanted a souvenir photo with members of the entertainment press, including (L-R) Nitz Miralles, Rowena Agilada, and Nora Calderon. The lady beside Nora is GMA-7’s multitasking executive, Redgie Acuña-Magno.
With Lynn are friends Jamie Rivera, who sang “Lord, I Offer My Life to You” during the wedding, and Gretchen, who went table-hopping after the wedding ceremony.
Actress-director Gina Alajar—here hugging Bibeth—was the night’s recipient of the bridal bouquet. Ordinarily, the bouquet is tossed off for all single women to catch. But Gina was declared the only “single” woman in the room that night by her friends and was therefore deserving of the flowers.
