SANTA ROSA CITY, Philippines – As he waited for his bride, Valenzuela Councilor Shalani Soledad, at the altar of the St. Benedict Church at Ayala Westgrove Gate in this city, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo was a picture of calm and bliss.
“I don’t feel any jitters. I’m just so excited to call Shalani my wife. I’m very sure of what I want to do – marry her and love her forever,” Romulo told The STAR before yesterday’s much-awaited wedding.
At sundown, Roman, 44, and Shalani, 31, vowed to love each other forever before God, their families and 700 guests at the flower-bedecked altar of St. Benedict Church.
It was a simple and solemn celebration of love, and there were no tears shed, not even tears of joy.
Instead, smiles and applause permeated the church as Roman took Shalani for his bride.
Roman, in vows he wrote himself, later promised his bride at the altar: “It took me 44 years to find you. I have found you Shalani. I have found happiness. I will love you forever.”
And the shy, soft-spoken bride, a full-length veil covering her beautiful face, replied: “I knew when I met you that you were the one for me. And I promise to love you from now on until forever.”
Like a vision of grace, Shalani walked down the aisle in an Inno Sotto lace creation as the five-man band of Da Cappo sang “Just the Way You Are,” an original Bruno Mars song.
She was given away by her uncle and surrogate father, former Valenzuela councilor Ramon Soledad.
By the altar, a confident Roman, in his midnight blue Hugo Boss tuxedo and Louis Vuitton shoes, waited for his bride.
Inside the church, tall hedges with Casablancas and white roses adorned the aisle. Fashion designer Sotto was also hands-on in the wedding production, supervising floral arrangements styled by Zenas Pinedas.
The groom is the son of former Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto Romulo and wife Lovely. The bride, a game show host aside from being a councilor, is the daughter of banker Adolfo Aguirre and Evelyn Soledad-Yumol.
The matrimonial Mass was celebrated by retired Manila archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Nueva Ecija Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara, Monsignor Bartolome Santos and St. Benedict parish priest Isagani Avinante. Vergara delivered a homily based on the Gospel according to Mark (1:14-20).
The Liturgy was read by Therese Badoy (First Reading) and Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez (Second Reading). Karen Davila read the Prayers of the Faithful.
Eleven pairs of principal sponsors witnessed the exchange of vows between Shalani and Roman. They included Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Gretchen del Rosario; PLDT-Smart-TV 5 chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan and Dr. Norma Ona; Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Corazon Ong; Emilio Yap and former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar; Ambassador Antonio Cabangon-Chua and Betty Chua; San Miguel president Ramon Ang and Bettina Aboitiz; Roberto del Rosario and Elizabeth Gan-Go; James Sy Gaisano and Lily Lee; Felix Tuikinhoy Jr. and Maria Jessica Bautista; Manuel Dy and Natividad Cheng; and Bench founder Ben Chan and Janet Napoles.
At 6:50 p.m., the groom gave the bride a one-second peck on the lips as Da Cappo played “Just the Way You Are.”
Da Cappo also sang some of the couple’s favorite songs before the recessional: “Fields of Gold,” “Brighter than the Sun,” “Marry Me,” “Everything” and “Silly Love Songs.”
At the evening reception at the nearby Evoliving Center Dockside in Nuvali, the entrance of the couple was welcomed with fireworks. There was another fireworks display when it was time to celebrate the Chinese New Year. As believers of feng shui, the couple made sure their wedding coincided with Chinese New Year’s Eve.
The reception area was dotted with 15 white tents, each tent with five tables.
Shalani personally chose Florabel Co-Yatco, owner of famed restaurants Florabel, Felix and Crisostomo, to be the wedding caterer. Served at the wedding were juice of malunggay with dalandan as the welcome drink that went well with adobo profiteroles with kesong puti and bangus mousse on pan de sal chips with Pinoy caviar.
Guests also feasted on Pinoy Caesar salad with longaniza bits and smoked salmon, chicken binakol with pumpkin and spinach and US Angus ribeye with bistek Tagalog sauce. There was also a ready fish or vegetarian meal for those who do not eat meat. Dessert included queso de bola cheesecake, suman latik with Batangas chocolate and the couple’s favorite - homemade Pinoy sorbets.
Because the wedding reception extended into the Chinese New Year’s Eve celebration, Co-Yatco also prepared an after-dinner fare that consisted of arroz caldo, barbecue and pan de sal with homemade sardines and kesong puti.
The five-tiered banana walnut wedding cake was baked by Penk Ching. Wedding giveaways were St. Benedict medallions especially blessed by Pope Benedict XVI. Roman said he will take his bride to a beach honeymoon at the posh Amanpulo resort in Palawan. If it were not for the very cold weather now prevailing in Europe, they were also considering going to Rome and other European cities.
In an interview with this writer for the February 2012 issue of PeopleAsia magazine, Roman and Shalani admitted that their romance blossomed without a formal courtship. They first met on June 8, 2011 over a lunch set up by friends at Barcino’s restaurant in Rockwell, Makati. They got engaged early September.
“I just knew that with Roman, I can celebrate forever,” Shalani said.