As Empress Schuck and Vino Guingona exchanged vows at a dreamy wedding in Tagaytay, there was hardly a dry eye.
The wedding day came nearly five years after they had their daughter Athalia, who was born in September 2015. In their vows, both Guingona and Schuck reflected on going through such a challenge early on in their relationship, as seen in a wedding video by Nice Print Photography.
Athalia had a special place in the wedding as a little bride, wearing a gown that matched Schuck’s beaded dress.
“Our love story did not begin perfectly and we faced the big responsibility early in our lives due to our own miscalculated actions,” Guingona said in his vows.
He also mentioned that Schuck was by his side when he lost his father, and that the challenges made them stronger.
“I thank God because through these challenges, we both grew, we got to know each other better, we learned from each other and more importantly, we both found Christ and deepened our relationship with him,” he said.
Guingona also looked back at being stunned by her beauty when they were younger and how he thought he could never “end up with a celebrity.”
“Eleven years ago I was a stranger who gatecrashed your 18th birthday. And I remember standing behind the huge crowd staring at you while you were entertaining your guests. Your party was star-studded, filled with celebrities. As I looked at you, my world seemed to stop and I remember thinking how beautiful you are,” he said.
“At that very moment reality struck. I thought to myself I’m just a nobody from the province who is to swim in the lot pond of Martha drive. There’s no way I could end up with a celebrity.”
He recalled that they would “officially” meet four years later at a dinner in Makati. The couple has been together since 2014.
“I vow to spend the rest of my life with you through good times and in bad times. I vow to put God first in the center of our relationship, be patient, respect you and care for you as long as we both shall live,” Guingona told his bride.
The “Goyo” actress called Guingona “God’s gift” to her, and thanked him for caring for her and their daughter.
“Since Athalia came, I’ve been telling myself that you are God’s gift to me. I didn’t know what I wanted that time and you just came, rescuing me from the pain of the past,” she said.
“Finally, I found my place. My contentment. My peace,” she stated. “Through you, God showed me that I can be taken care of, that I can be loved, I can be heard and understood for all the struggles and sacrifices I went through in life.”
She also revealed that they had made a pact to stay “pure” until they were married.
“Hon thank you for all the big efforts you’ve done for me and Athalia. I’m so proud of the man that you have become, especially the day we agreed to stay away from the temptation of lust and keep our purity until our wedding day,” she said. “By God’s grace I promise to share my life with you, in all faith and gentleness, in joy and sorrow, in abundance and lack, in wellbeing and poor health, till death do us part.”
Even before getting into a relationship, the two had known each other for some time because they both come from Zamboanga, and Schuck’s father and Guingona’s parents were friends, Schuck said on “Magandang Buhay” in 2017.
Guingona is the grandson of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and nephew of former Senator Teofisto Guingona III. /ra
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LOOK: Empress Schuck ties knot with Vino Guingona in romantic Tagaytay wedding