WHEN John Albert Rana and Bennette Leeprawat Co decided
to get married--after a seven-year relationship that at one point
turned tumultuous--they wanted to make theirs a most unforgettable
wedding. And how!
They're very likely the first couple in the Philippines
to have established their own wedding website, at
http://come.to/1026Online.
It comes complete with the theme ''1026'' to signify October 26,
their anniversary date and wedding day. Here's where the twosome's
friends and relatives, or the curious, can log on to to find out
details about the special day--and more.
The website's home page lists a variety of topics
the viewer may wish to learn more about. Interested to see what
Bennette's gown looks like? Click on to ''
1026 Couture.''
If you're a guest and you want to know the sort of presents the couple
would appreciate, go to ''
1026 Gift Registry.'' You can leave comments at the
''1026 Mailbox''
or again, if you're invited to the event, signify your attendance via
''1026 RSVP.''
There's even an explanation of the
''1026 Logo''
which you can magnify
to enjoy its design, akin to the letras y figuras art style of old.
Not content with the website, John and Bennette also
conceptualized and developed a
compact disc
as their wedding invitation and giveaway. The CD contains compositions of
John, who writes songs as a hobby, including a paean named after his fiancee. The
background of each piece, and lyrics, are on the website.
Aside from the couple's spoken invitation, this disc
has two rare tracks: the advice of psychologist/columnist Margarita
Holmes, Bennette's e-mail pal; and ''The Wake Up Message,'' audio
clips in which hosts RX 93.1 deejays Chico and Delamar congratulate
them. The Company and Gino Padilla each recorded a song for the
so-called ''1026 Wedding Soundtrack.''
If all this sounds like a big fuss, that's just the
way John and Bennette want it to be. Aside from their shared belief
that a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime affair, they say both the
CD and the website reflect their character.
''We always want things to be unique. We're the type
who can spend hours preparing a card for a friend who just gave
birth because we want the message to be extra special,'' Bennette
enthuses.
''It's just the way we are,'' concurs John.
Ironically, this is one event that almost didn't
happen.
When the two met seven years ago, John already had
a girlfriend. Both were management students, he at San Beda College
and she at the neighboring College of the Holy Spirit. Their groups
would have joint projects and outings. That semestral break, their
combined barkada decided to go to Baguio.
Curiously, even if John was thinking he could pair
up Bennette with his best friend Richie, it was he who had a remarkable
rapport with her. On the trip going up, Richie and Bennette sat
together; on the group's return, it was already John and Bennette
chatting up a storm all the way to Manila.
They became very good friends, so close that John
could even confide in Bennette about his girlfriend and their
on-off relationship. John claims to have known even then there
was something going on between Bennette and him, but it remained
unspoken.
''You know that song, 'Friend of Mine'? That really
described how things were going between us then. At the risk of
sounding conceited, I knew she was falling for me,'' John says,
looking a bit apprehensively at Bennette.
Some time after, John broke up with his girlfriend.
It was then he realized he had also fallen for Bennette and wrote
her a heartfelt letter saying so. But even after they'd sorted
out their feelings, both say they still treated each other more
as friends than steadies. In fact, their first real ''date'' was
when they went to the tomb of Bennette's father at Manila Memorial
Park. ''It was the first time we had together that it was just
the two of us. And we had a really nice, long talk.''
That Bennette is Chinese didn't prove to be a problem
for them as they initially thought. She didn't keep it a secret
from her mom, but she didn't fill her in on the details either.
When her mom finally asked outright if they were ''on,'' Bennette
said yes; to her surprise, Ms Leeprawat wasn't angry although
she cautioned her daughter that cultural differences may crop
up.
As it turned out, a third party would prove to be
their relationship's undoing. Two years ago, they hit a snag when
Bennette learned John had a fling. But even when they broke up,
they realized they couldn't untangle the ties that easy. For one,
Bennette had already endeared herself to John's family. ''John's
sister was getting married and she was getting me as bridesmaid.
When they learned about the breakup, it became an even bigger
deal than the wedding,'' relates Bennette.
Being friends still won out and eventually, John
assumed they were back on track. But Bennette believed that before
she could take him back, he must start again from zero. Even without
a nod from Bennette, John kept telling everyone they would be
getting married in 1998; he worried only when he learned that
Bennette was already seeing another guy-- Chinese at that. He
honestly thought he had lost. In the end, however, Bennette says:
''The other guy had everything I wanted, but I'm still happier
with John.''
The route to the altar may have been circuitous,
but both say it has helped strengthened their bond. As they want
to show through their website--which will be there ''forever,''
says Bennette--true love will always win out. ''If you want to
make a relationship work, even if it takes so much effort, it
will work.''
Wednesday October 21, 1998, Philippines
