LEDESMA-DE ROSSI NUPTIALS
Jules cried more
than Assunta
Posted: 11:30 PM | Dec. 14, 2002

Mom, sis absent

About 100 people attended the wedding but noticeably absent were Assunta's mother, Nenita, and sister, Alessandra, who Assunta had hoped would come. The two have publicly expressed their dislike for Ledesma.

Ledesma said he wanted his mother-in-law to know that "Assunta is in good hands."

"My intentions are noble and true. Don't worry I will take good care of your daughter."

Assunta asked her mother and sister to "give him (Ledesma) another chance."

Ledesma's mother, Connie Arenas Ledesma, could not attend the wedding because she is in Vancouver, Canada, for a breast cancer checkup. But she gave the couple her blessings and gifts before she left.

Mayors of the first district of Negros Occidental, which Ledesma represents in Congress, acted as witnesses.

They were Cynthia dela Cruz of Don Salvador Benedicto, Samuel Fabroz of Calatrava, Victor Bedonia Jr. of Toboso and Santiago Barcelona Jr. of San Carlos City.

Ledesma said his relatives provided for the flowers, the food and the cake.

Marisan Cometa Aguilar, a niece, made the four-layered cake composed of 16 smaller cakes in eight flavors-strawberry, mocca, lemon, orange, pandan, ube, mango and pineapple.

Tima Lacson, a cousin in-law, did the flower decorations along with Kilayko.

Ledesma said their white gold wedding bands came from Tifanny's: "She paid for mine and I paid for hers."

Reporters and cameramen jostled around the bride and groom during the wedding rites, prompting some of those present to complain that they could not see what was going on.

At noon, thousands of people gathered at a football field to watch ABS-CBN's Magandang Tanghali Bayan, which Assunta and Ledesma later joined.

Ledesma said their church wedding will be in December 2003 or January 2004 in Manila.

He said Assunta would wear a gown, which will be a replica of his mother's wedding gown made by Ramoning Valera. The Filipiniana gown will be done by Frederick Peralta.

"Everything will be locally sourced except for the veil that will be imported," he said.

Assunta said she hopes to have children with Ledesma in two years - preferably a girl and a boy.