Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo, Married in a Secret Wedding

MANILA, Philippines – After a year of engagement, celebrity couple Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo finally exchanged their “I dos" early Tuesday morning in a private wedding rites in a town in Batangas.

Kapuso host Suzi Entrata-Abrera said in a radio dzBB interview that Judy Ann and her boyfriend of four years tied the knot in a ceremony that started 6:30 a.m. in San Juan town in Batangas some 115 kilometers south of Manila.

“Sobrang ganda [ni Judy Ann]. Nagpalakpakan kami lahat. Naghiyawan kaming lahat. Para siyang diwata [She was so beautiful. We all broke into applause. She was like a fairy]," said Suzi, who had to skip today’s hosting job at GMA’s early morning show Unang Hirit to stand as a godmother for the couple.

Megastar Sharon Cuneta graced the aisle as the celebrity couple’s maid of honor. Also walking down the aisle was Judy Ann and Ryan’s adopted daughter, Johanna Lois or Yohan.

“Ang luha ng lola, talagang… Iyak siya ng iyak. Sobra siyang happy. Tapos si Ryan ang laki-laki ng ngiti niya [Judy Ann was in tears. She kept on crying. She was so happy. Ryan, meanwhile, wore a wide, wide smile]," Suzi said.

Only members of the couple’s families and their closest friends were invited to the white-emblazoned event. The couple’s parents attended the event, where Ryan’s brother stood as best man.

“Ginawa akong ninang kasi hinahangaan daw nila ang magandang pagsasama naming asawa [I was chosen to become a godmother because the couple apparently admired my relationship with my husband]," Suzi said, referring to her best half, Paulo Abrera.

The newly wedded couple and their guests then proceeded to a local resort for a breakfast reception. A second reception was to be held, still in Batangas, for invited guests who would be coming from Manila.

Lending their voices to the event were another celebrity couple songbird Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid, as well as singer actress Agot Isidro, who performed a song for the wedding march.

A separate report said security was tight in the area, with local authorities placing a cordon from the plaza extending to the church. Local residents flocked near the site after the couple were spotted arriving in the town last night in preparation for the big event.

South home

Earlier reports quoted renowned designer Paul Cabral as saying that Judy Ann had approached him to weave his touch on creating the actress’ wedding gown.

The couple had been keeping details of their wedding secret for the last few months, but reports started circulating and initially reported that it would be held some time in early May.

After the ceremonies, the couple promised to release photos of the wedding.

The couple had not only thought of southern Luzon as the venue for the wedding. Ryan, a native of Batangas, proudly shared in earlier interviews that they were considering purchasing a four-bedroom house south of Manila.

Rift

It was not immediately clear if Judy Ann’s longtime manager Alfie Lorenzo attended the event, but the latter had indicated he might be flying to the United States.

Judy Ann and Alfie, her talent manager for 20 years, had just gone out of a rift triggered by accusations that a certain “Atty. Agoncillo" had been “meddling" in the way how the actress' career had been handle.

Alfie also took seriously Judy Ann’s decision to exclude him in the planning stage of her wedding. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV