MANILA, Philippines—The rites began an hour and a half behind the printed schedule. There was no empty space at the cavernous Santo Domingo Church that could seat as many as 5,000.

The afternoon temperature inside the church was threatening to go from warm to hot. Yet all these conditions seemed to have been ignored the moment the bride, a few seconds after taking her place before the altar, raised her hand, and with a dainty hankie, dabbed the sweat off the forehead of her groom.

Now that was the shot—not only for the sardined crowd in the church, but more so, for the possibly millions of viewers watching the live wedding on television.

The wedding Tuesday afternoon of Sen. Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas II and TV broadcaster Korina Maria B. Sanchez at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City was undoubtedly a made-for-TV wedding. And it’s not incidental that Roxas is the Liberal Party’s (LP) vice presidential candidate.

Roxas, at the sight of his bride, became teary-eyed. Sanchez cried a little before she reached the altar. Roxas gently took her hand and kissed it.

The wedding capped the five-year relationship of the power couple. As early as 2:30 p.m., the groom arrived in church which by then, was bordered with fans and rubber-neckers on all sides.

The groom was greeted by some of the principal sponsors at the church door, then he walked to a room on one side of the courtyard where all the sponsors were ushered to.

The waiting had begun. Three o’clock, still no bride. From Hotel InterContinental in Makati where she dressed up, Sanchez, in her bridal finery, first went to Heritage Memorial Park all the way in Taguig City to pay respects to her departed parents Ramon and Celia Sanchez.

Finally shortly after 4 p.m., the best man, 16-year-old Paolo Zaldarriaga, the lanky curly-haired son of Roxas, walked in, a wide smile on his face. The crowd broke into a polite applause.

Loudest applause for Noy

Then the groom walked in with his mother, Judy Araneta Roxas, widow of Sen. Gerardo “Gerry” Roxas, and long acknowledged as “the grand lady of the LP.” She belongs to the wealthy Araneta family that owns the Araneta Coliseum, Farmer’s Market and Gateway Mall all in Cubao, Quezon City.

The principal sponsors followed—Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Cheche Lazaro, presidential candidate Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who was greeted with the loudest applause, with Maria Fores, Jorge Araneta, Eugenio Lopez III, Ruby Roxas, Rosa Rosal, Helen Costales.

About love

“This is about love and a wedding, with political undertones,” Aquino III told the Inquirer minutes before the ceremony started.

“It’s more love than politics,” said South Cotabato Rep. Darlene Custodio of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), as she prepared her daughter Anika, one of the flower girls, for the bridal march.

Most heartwarming was the sight of former Sen. Jovito Salonga, who, in his 90s, looked so able as he walked the aisle.

The secondary sponsors followed—the groom’s sister Maria Roxas-Ojeda and husband Augusto Ojeda, cousin Victoria Fores and Manuel Roxas, Juliana Valencia and Jorge Fores.

Then the tykes followed—Mathew Garcia, Miguel Sanchez and James Yap Jr. It was interesting how the smallest of them, “baby James” had to walk with his celebrity parents Kris Aquino, who was in black terno, and her husband, basketball star James Yap.

The flower girls were from both the groom’s and bride’s sides—Anika Custodio, Saila Sanchez, Ana Conchita Khouri and Louise Tan.

Bridesmaids

They were followed by Sanchez’s 12 bridesmaids, each of them representing a defining stage in her life—from her grade and high school at St. Theresa’s, college at Maryknoll, to her broadcast career.

They were media colleagues Ging Reyes, Pinky Webb, society friend Divine Lee, bosom friends Rica Sto. Domingo, Dindin Velasco, Jane Pajarillaga, Mylene Pura Arroyo, Celine Hanett, Sony Ruiz, Erica Mañosa, Pia Ojeda, Ana Ojeda. The women were in an ecru and dove grey Maria Clara designed by Patrice Ramos Diaz. The groom and his best man were in barong by Randy Ortiz.

After the entourage had filed in, the door closed. After a few minutes, it opened and as the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra played “Kay Gandang Umaga,” in strode the bride on the arm of her brother Emmanuel. She wore no veil—her radiant face so visible, set off by diamond earrings. Her serpentina-style Pepito Albert gown was an ecru piña, its sleeves barely framing the shoulders and its five-meter train dotted with glitter and embroidery.

Her once-beleaguered colleague Ted Failon was a reader seated on the side of the altar, along with Eliza Antonino, the chief of staff of Roxas, the groom’s cousin Margarita Fores, a leading restaurateur and home stylist who took care of the reception food.

Only white blooms

Production designer Gino Gonzalez decorated the church with simple ecru organza cords along the aisle accented with sampaguita arrangements. Only white blooms were used in the church and in the courtyard for the meet-and-greet reception—from budding roses to liliums.

As if in anticipation of the humid afternoon, small wooden fans were arrayed on the pews along with missalettes.

Concelebrating the Mass were San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, Sorsogon Bishop Emeritus Jesus Varela, San Jose de Antique Bishop-Emeritus Raul Martirez, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, Fr. Antonio Labiao Jr. and Fr. Carmelo Caluag.

It was Fr. Caluag, whom Sanchez worked with in ABS-CBN, who delivered the homily on the purity of the heart and integrity of one’s name.

Again, friends past and present and relatives did the Offertory—June Keithley Castro and husband Angelo Castro, Lourdes Fores and Mercedes Legarda, Rosanna Fores and Joe Fores, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Cancio.

Who’s who

The country’s Who’s Who attended, from former president Joseph Estrada, Manila Mayor Fred Lim, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney to top businessmen, high society. The list was extensive so that it would be easier to say who wasn’t there—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for instance.

LP members occupied most of pews on the left side of the church. They included former Education Secretary and LP campaign manager, Florencio “Butch” Abad, LP spokesperson Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, former Senate President Franklin Drilon, and movie actor Cesar Montano, who is being groomed as the LP’s gubernatorial bet in Bohol next year.

As soon as the groom had kissed the bride and the couple had a long hug, the crowd filtered out of their seats and mingled as the wedding pictorial went on.

Many went to the courtyard for snacks—pan de sal and drinks. Interestingly, the pan de sal and their fillings were sourced by Margarita Fores from bakers and food artisans from all over, from Tondo to Laguna.

Show biz colleagues

The wedding was not short of show biz personalities, most of whom wished the couple a lot of children. Sanchez and Roxas are set to leave any day now for their honeymoon in Japan.

Kris Aquino, whose youngest son James Jr. was the ring bearer, said: “I really wish for them to be blessed with a child. I wish them victory in 2010 and many happy years together.”

Actor Richard Gomez, who has declared his plans to run as representative of Ormoc in 2010, said: “I get sentimental whenever I attend weddings. They remind me of my wedding with Lucy [Torres] 12 years ago. I know how Mar feels. I’m happy that he has found Korina.”

Wyngard Tracy, talent manager, observed: “This wedding is closest to being an authentic Filipino celebration. It’s nice to hear Mass in Filipino. The ceremony is very organized.”

‘Magical’

Jon Santos, comedian and impersonator, turned serious: “I hope the couple will have a lot of ‘alone’ time while in the middle of a very intense political season... This wedding can only be described in one word—magical.”

Actress Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan said: “I’m excited to see how Mar and Korina will touch the lives of many people now that they’re together. They are both highly influential and it would be interesting. I’m sure Korina really thought hard about her wedding vow. It was really heartfelt.”

Wilson Tieng, film producer, said in English and Filipino: “I’ve known the couple only four or five years. Mar helped us pass the bills for the industry. I hope Mar would be able to help with the anti-camcording bill.”