Cory & Ninoy: Wedding Trivia and Old Photographs

 

• October 11, 1954 – Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino married Corazon ‘Cory” Cojuangco at our Lady of Sorrow Church along F.B. Harrison st. in Pasay City.

• Cory’s wedding gown was made by National Artist for Fashion Design, the late, great Ramon Valera. [source]

• Having come from political families, then President Ramon Magsaysay (leftmost) stood as a principal sponsor (ninong) in the wedding [source]

 

• During the reception, a dove from the wedding bell landed on Cory’s head. The old folks believed it was an omen of a higher position, power and peace. But due to the bride’s quiet and simple demeanor, the good sign was taken to mean it’s the groom who would be president someday. Cory would later confide that no one knew then the dove landing on her head would mean she, not Ninoy, would be president someday. [source]

 

• 1973 – their 19 wedding anniversary. Ninoy wrote a 19-stanza poem for his wife entitled “I have fallen in Love with the Same Woman Thrice“ from his prison cell in Fort Bonifacio.  This was later set to music by singer/songwriter Jose Mari Chan.

• 1979 – their 25th wedding anniversary. Ninoy begged Marcos to allow him to leave prison for the renewal of their marriage vows. Marcos, perhaps calculating that Ninoy was already a spent political force, granted the prisoner a thirty-six-hour furlough to celebrate his silver anniversary. [source]

•  Ninoy also used the vow renewal occasion to slip a letter to Jaime Cardinal Sin, who led the ceremony. It is said that it was Cory who passed on the letter to the His Eminence. Ninoy said: “Your eminence, only you can lead our exodus through the desert.”  [source]