'Love comes in the
most unexpected places'

It all began with a children's party. Angela Hilado, a pretty PAL flight attendant who was vacationing with relatives in Orange County CA, USA, was invited by her Tita Grace Labayen, to a kiddie's party. After a slight hesitation, Angela decided to accept the invitation. She now thinks it was the best decision of her life because this is where she met her future husband, Alfred Benedicto, a longtime resident of the USA. Alfred was immediately attracted to the lovely young lady with the quiet demeanor. The attraction must have been mutual because the two got stuck

sitting and talking on the sofa for hours, oblivious of the pandemonium of kids enjoying the fun, games and noise around them.

Theirs was a whirlwind romance. The first meeting was followed by a first date, flowers, telephone calls, etc. until, before they realized it, love blossomed. Alfred was firm in his belief that "long distance love will never work" and amazingly, Angela found herself agreeing. She faxed her resignation to PAL and on June 10, 2002, in the presence of Alfred's parents and Angela's aunt and cousin, they were married in the States. After an unforgettable honeymoon in Las Vegas, they settled down to enjoy married life. It had always been Angela's dream to be married in church here in Bacolod among her family and friends and Alfred promised her it would happen one day soon.

And so, on January 27, 2006, their dream became a reality. As she marched down the aisle of the Queen of Peace Church, Angela looked radiant in her pink and white princess-cut gown designed by Johnjohn Ditching. Alfred, looking dashing in his jusi barong, waited nervously at the altar while their son, 2 and ½ year-old Alfredangelo, was so cute and well-behaved as the smiling Bible bearer.

All looked so glamorous in their red, orange and fuchsia pink colored gowns which was the motif of the wedding.

The reception was held at the Ballroom of L' Fisher Hotel which was filled with their 250 guests (both the Benedicto and Hilado families came in full force). Their friends from grade school to high school were there as well as Angela's former colleagues in ABS-CBN Bacolod, where she used to be a TV newscaster. Their good friends Anthony and Jonali Visitacion acted as the emcees. When the bride and groom danced their Wedding Dance, their son joined them, to the delight of the guests.

Although they are living in the States at present, their longtime dream is to settle down here in their hometown Bacolod, to finally enjoy the fruits of their labor. According to them, there's "no place like home".
To the happy couple, BEST WISHES AND CONGRATULATIONS!*