Honeymoon isn’t over for Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera

RIVERA AND DANTES. She’s feisty and ebullient; he’s a laid-back pragmatist.

It has been four months since Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera tied the knot at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao—but, when we recently met show biz’s most photogenic newlyweds, it didn’t look like their honeymoon had ended after their two-week sojourn to Rome and Madrid.

In our previous individual interviews with them, they’ve always struck us as polar opposites: While Yan is straightforward, feisty and ebullient, Dong is a laid-back pragmatist—proving that, in this particular stellar union, opposites truly attract.

Yes, Marian is happily infanticipating. Even before the big news broke out, the couple disclosed to us that they want a big family. Do we expect to see five little Dingdongs and mini-Marians running around the Dantes household in the coming years? Marian beams, “Mag-dilang anghel ka sana!”

What do they want for their firstborn—boy or girl? Marian answers, “Your perspective changes when you get married. We just want a healthy baby.”

Will they encourage their kids to pursue acting? The actress is quick to answer, “That is for them to decide—but, if it’s up to me, they should finish school first.” Dong adds, “They can do whatever they want—hindi dapat pinipigilan ang hilig ng mga bata. In school, they can do theater, if they choose to go in that direction.”

What have they learned about each other after the wedding? Dong replies, “She’s OC with her things—I’m a little makalat. ‘Pag hindi ako nagigising ng alarm clock, she wakes me up, because she’s a light-sleeper.

“The adjustments are mostly technical—now, we talk about finances, which is something we never discussed in the past. More importantly, my wife has taught me not to take everything too seriously.

Helpful tip

“It would be refreshing for Marian and me to work together in a sitcom—because most teleseryes wrap up after just three or four months. We allot one day every week to spend time with each other—a helpful tip we got from Ogie (Alcasid) and Regine (Velasquez).”

And Marian? “Dong has taught me to relax and not overthink things. I don’t snore; he does, especially when he’s tired. I keep asking him to fix his clutter—but, when I get tired of nagging him about it, I do it myself, just to get it over with (laughs).

“We hardly fight, because whoever makes a mistake apologizes quickly. We don’t allow the day to end without patching up our differences. More importantly, Dong constantly reminds me of how blessed I am.”

Now that he’s playing a priest on GMA 7’s “Pari ‘Koy,” has Dong become more spiritual? The actor shares, “I have friends who are priests, and they’re just like us. I was more concerned with the themes and details concerning priestly rituals, because if I don’t do them correctly, I won’t hear the end of it! Truth is, I became more spiritual after the wedding—portraying a priest just strengthened it!”

Given their popularity, should actors pursue a career in politics? The actor, who has recently been shortlisted among possible senatorial candidates, replies: “Why not? But, what’s more important for me right now is a career—in fatherhood!”