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PARIS–On the eve of their wedding in the world’s most romantic city, celebrated couple Dr. Hayden Kho and Dr. Vicki Belo chose to have fun first–indeed fun and hilarious laughter in a lovers’ paradise that is Paris.

With more than 200 guests, almost all of whom flew into Paris for the much-awaited wedding, Kho and Belo sailed on the famous Seine at sundown with the historied architecture of Paris as a rich backdrop that was moving in a languorous pace.

It was the couple’s welcome dinner for their guests Friday evening September 1 on a two-level cruiser on the river Seine in balmy Paris weather with intermittent drizzle.

The erratic early fall weather, however, proved irrelevant to the celebratory nuptial mood that the couple waited 12 years to have–a roller coaster 12 years. So–when hyperkinetic publicist Jojie Dingcong, after a funny but elaborate spiel, segued into a romantic standard,  “You’ll never know…just how much I miss you…you’ll never know just how much I care…” he cajoled the couple to step onto the dance floor. Kho led Belo–actually they really didn’t dance; they just moved in tight embrace–a sight that melted everyone’s heart, including that of the most cynical. Belo, ever the more gregarious of the pair, was moving her lips in a visible nervous whisper. Kho, visibly the more emotional, was hardly talking. He just gazed intensely at her, his face a portrait of loving emotion that words need not preempt.

The scene could have turned a tad mushy but it didn’t simply because many of the guests were tearing up, knowing as they did the ups and downs of the relationship that played in the public eye through the years–she the country’s foremost beauty guru, a doctor who pioneered in beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery and who set up the biggest beauty clinic chain in the country, he a young handsome doctor who dabbled in show biz (even controversy) and turned into a celebrity. (In fact, Kho was a dean’s lister in the University of Sto. Tomas College of Medicine where he graduated.)

 

They are the country’s “teleserye couple” whose love/unlove story many a Filipino here and abroad have gotten fixated on.

And that was probably why Dingcong, who sang over his pre-recorded minus one, would say later on that he changed the lyrics of Michael Buble’s song into “You’ll always know…”

“Buwis buhay” (life-threatening), Dingcong called his singing feat.

Then the couple turned their chairs around to face the monitor that ran the de riguer video–Kho and Belo on their respective lives, from childhood, teen and young adulthood, professional life to their romance and–the highlight that drew the most reaction from the guests–the coming of the Scarlet Snow, the world’s most celebrated baby, with 1.3 million followers in social media–and finally, the marriage proposal of Kho to Belo, with hugely multi-carat (guess, we’re not saying), flawless (yes) diamond.

It was after this surprise video, as he watched it end, that we caught Kho wiping away his tears; he had to use the table napkin hurriedly before anyone could really take note. That simply didn’t glam-synch with his Gucci plaid suit and Belo’s vintage-look ‘in chic dress’, with a very bold décolletage and hugging silhouette that displayed her ample curves (she is Belo, the brand, after all).

 

What followed was another surprise — Belo’s son, Quark Henares, a well-known director himself, singing “Here Comes The Guy” with his girlfriend Bianca Yuson singing with him and playing the guitar. The young couple rocked–along with Scarlet Snow who “played” the drums. That was one of the night’s “Instagramable” moments.

The cruise would run for about two hours and the guests, as they helped themselves to pass-around dinner (yes, there’s such a thing), danced now and then on the floor, usually with some cajoling.

Belo’s newly married daughter Cristalle Pitt, led the dancing, along with the famous “It” girls Isabelle Daza (now Semblat), Georgina Wilson (now Burnand), who were recently married themselves.

There were the couple’s families, friends and longtime associates. Kho’s entire family was there, led by Dr. Hayden Kho Sr., who told us that this was the first time in a while that his family was complete at a party, down to five grandchildren–he and wife Irene have five children, all professionals, one of whom lives in the US.

Belo’s siblings were all here, except for one: Karen, who will be her matron of honor, Charo, Jackie, brothers Tony, Mark, Jerry, and their spouses. Her aunt Babette Aquino, who lives in Paris, was, of course, there, busy playing host to some house guests.

 

The celebrity list was long and is expected to get longer on the wedding day itself, led by show biz’s Dingdong Dantes and wife Marian Rivera with their baby in tow, no yaya apparently–Marian lugged a huge tote complete with baby bottles, Dingdong himself was busy putting the cap on their daughter as they prepared to leave the ship for the drizzle outside. There were Derek Ramsay, Richard and Lucy Gomez with daughter Juliana, Jinkee Pacquiao who came with her sisters, businesswoman Alice Eduardo with sisters Small and Melba, Margie Moran-Floirendo, Pops Fernandez, Anton San Diego, Tessa Valdes who emceed with Tim Yap, Ben Chan, Miguel Pastor, Mario Katigbak, Budji Layug (Belo’s cousin), Carolyn Garcia, SM’s Steven Tan and Mitch So, Bulgari and Hermes’ Mario Katigbak, Marissa Concepcion (wife of business leader Joey), and many more.

Michael Cinco, the designer who made the bridal gown Belo will wear, was there, discussing the awesome wedding gown with us. It will have a three-meter-long train–that’s all we can reveal.

That and that Belo might wear a Monique Lhuillier after the nuptial rites.

The reception venue remains a top secret.

But it seems Paris knows of this forthcoming Filipino wedding. In the landmark Gucci store, a sale staff asked a Filipino customer who walked in: “Are you in town for the Belo wedding?”