Finally, she said go.
Defying the age-old template of romance, Blake Go and Divine Lee’s love story takes place way back in college where they were classmates. But unlike the typical tale, theirs wasn’t love at first sight. It would take years before their lives intertwined again, this time perhaps in the island of Boracay. “Hindi niya matiis yung beauty ko kaya hindi niya ako tinantanan,” chides Divine in her signature humor.
While it may seem a little too soon, with the couple dating for a good year, Divine reasons, “Why wait for a long time?” Blake seemed to have the same thing in mind as they were whisked on a romantic getaway in Bali, where he set up a lovely dinner at a cabana. Nothing out of the ordinary? Divine thought so too. But sometime a little after, musicians started to file out, putting a soundtrack to what was about to take place. As he got down on one knee, everything started to become a blur for Divine who being caught in the moment was consumed by a fit of giggles. “Renewable ba ‘to?” she replied in jest. Kidding aside, she said yes as fireworks exploded in the night sky.
But their story doesn’t end there. Because surprise, they are now officially husband and wife.
Quietly tucked away from the usual fanfare, Divine tied the knot to businessman Blake in an intimate ceremony in Cebu surrounded by friends, family, and yes, smartphones. Popping up on social media timelines with snaps and slices of the civil ceremony, their declaration of love was pure, brimming with so much joy and after a quick dissection, a matter of things falling to place at the right time.
***
Libraries of literature, searing scenes in film and several hours on Thought Catalog have taught us that despite the mile-long prayers and measures of preparedness, we meet the person we are meant to spend the rest of our life with at a singularly most unexpected time.
But for Maxene Magalona and Robby Mananquil, it wasn’t quite like the way the great artists would have painted it to be. A slow burn more than anything, their paths would cross, especially at band gigs where Maxene would figure into in support of her sister, Saab and Robby, naturally would be a mainstay of the scene as a guitarist for local band, Pulso. “First time ko siya makita mag-perform sabi ko, Oh my gosh. Naging crush ko siya instantly.” From the innocence of the infatuation, Robby was just as enamoured, prompting him to strike a connection: “He randomly messaged me online and there, I mean things started. We really connected.”
Remember that story of serendipity? Suddenly, everything just makes sense—even the usually overwhelming concept of forever. “Nung one year pa lang kami, I already decided about it, and I wanted to do it,” Robby says, breaking the detailed account of their engagement in an interview with Rappler.
Finding themselves at the Tokyo Dome (on Valentine’s Day, no less), Robby worked his proposal around something they love to do, take OOTDs. “She likes surprises, so I wanted to surprise her,” he affirms. With the tripod firmly in place, he worked up the courage in three takes.
Take 1: They look at each other.
Take 2: They kiss.
Take 3: A surprise, he gets down on one knee and asks, “Will you ride this rollercoaster of life with me?”
Text by Angelo Ramirez de Cartagena
