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By JESSICA BARTOLOME
Photos by Romar Briones and RB Photographia
December 30, 2019
On a beautiful December day, Rossellyn Domingo walked down the aisle of the Manila Cathedral.
A traditional white veil covered her face, but she could see with a passing glance the flowers at the altar "Sabi ko sa sarili ko, wow, ang suwerte namin," she tells GMA News Online. “Hindi pa nila naalis ang decorations ng Feast of the Immaculate Conception.”
The surprise decoration was only the cherry on top of a perfect Filipino wedding.
It was exactly nine years to the day she met Alvin Campomanes. She made sure to keep her gaze on him as she approached him at the altar, where he stood regal, wearing a general's uniform in the Philippine Revolutionary Army circa 1899 — complete with leather gloves, an espada, and a pistol.
Rossellyn herself wore a traditionally-styled white gown that even had a hoop skirt underneath. She clutched a bouquet of pink roses and her dress trailed behind her as she walked.
The ceremony was officiated in pure Filipino, something they insisted on even as those who would perform the wedding initially balked.
"Paulit-ulit kaming tinatanong ng simbahan kung sigurado kami dahil mas mahaba raw ang seremonya kumpara sa Ingles," Alvin says. "Hiniling namin sa Manila Cathedral na idaos ang misa sa wikang Filipino dahil naniniwala kami na higit itong maiintindihan at mararamdaman ng mga kamag-anak at kaibigan."
The pomp and circumstance surrounding the wedding comes as no surprise to those who know the couple.
A public historian and professor, Alvin has a deep love for the Philippines’ history and traditions. He gives guided tours and lectures in the most historic spots in Metro Manila: Intramuros, National Museum, Escolta, and Binondo.
This is, in fact, how he won over Rossellyn. They had met at a leadership seminar nine years ago. Intramuros was a witness to how exactly they fell in love.
“Ang mga una naming date ay museums at historical sites, para makapagpasikat ako sa nalalaman ko. Mukhang effective naman,” he says. “Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang field trip at group tours na ba ang ginawa namin nang magkasama sa Intramuros sa mga nakalipas na taon.”
In 2013, they co-founded a company that organizes tours and events related to Philippine history and culture, along with two other friends. Rossellyn took charge of the marketing side of things.
Their love story isn’t particularly grand or dramatic. In fact, they didn’t even have a formal engagement.
“We have been together for almost 9 years. We had known that we will end up marrying four, five years ago,” he said. “I only got to buy her an engagement ring around a year before the wedding. That was also when we reserved our wedding date at the Cathedral.”
Rossellyn doesn’t remember much about the kind of wedding she dreamed up as a young girl.
She was sure of one thing thought: she wanted to get married in a church.
“Ang naimagine ko lang, maganda ako, nandoon ang pamilya ko, may mga bulaklak sa paligid at masaya kaming lahat,” she says.
She had all that and more.
The wedding kicked off at the Rizal Park Hotel which, according to Alvin, was the American’s Army and Navy Club built in 1911. The bridal car was a 1950 Mercedes-Benz. The ceremony was held at the Manila Cathedral, a place they chose not because of its prestige but because it’s special to them.
“It’s a part of our love story,” Rossellyn says. “We have been touring people around Intramuros for many years. Most of the time, our last stop is the Manila Cathedral. Even when there’s no Mass, it’s a church that we regularly visit to just pray. Kapag nasa area kami, palagi kaming bumibisita doon para lang umupo at magdasal.”
A wedding of such success took months and months of planning and preparation.
“When you are old enough, that is the only time that you will consider the nitty-gritty of the wedding that you had envisioned,” she says.
She and Alvin personally handpicked all their suppliers, choosing the ones that offered the best value for their money. They put a lot of effort in making sure her gown had traditional accents, if she couldn’t wear a 19th century traje de boda.
But unlike most weddings, her gorgeous gown did not overshadow the outfit that her groom wore.
Eagle-eyed fans of the “Heneral Luna” (2015) and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” (2018) by Jerrold Tarog might have heard of the name Alvin Campomanes.
He authored the official study guides of both films, and was part of the pool of young historians who promoted them in lectures all over the country. Sucesos even helped in organizing educators' screenings of both movies.
"Alam kong ipinaparenta ng TBA Studios ang costumes ng Luna at Goyo. At dahil ayaw ko ngang magbarong lang sa kasal, naisip kong mag-renta na lang. At confident akong isuot ito. Hindi dahil nagbayad ako ng rental fee kundi dahil pakiramdam ko, I earned the right to wear it," Alvin says.
He ended up wearing the uniform and boots of the character of General Jose Alejandrino, played by actor Alvin Anson. He also rented all of Goyo's accessories and his leather bag that once housed the young general's love letters.
By the time the big day came, Alvin was relaxed and confident as he waited for Rosselyn at the altar.
“He was smiling but I knew he was laughing inside. Alam niya kasing mas iyakin ako,” Rosselyn says.
But she was already out of tears, because she already cried in her husband’s arms the night before, when she read to him her vows.
It was a moment well worth waiting for — a culmination of nine years of choosing each other over and over again.
“Ang pag-ibig ay hindi lamang pakiramdam, hindi lamang emosyon. Dahil ang pakiramdam ay lumilipas. Ang pag-ibig para sa akin, higit sa lahat ito ay paninindigan. At sa loob ng siyam na taon, pinanindigan natin ang pagmamahal natin sa isa't isa,” Alvin says.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa Maykapal na dumating ang araw na ito, kung kailan pwede ko nang ipagsigawan na ikaw ang asawa ko.”
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