On the big day of Vern Enciso and Ben Lim, we are brought back to the very first of the many yeses that the newly-wedded bride gave to her beau.
While the pandemic has undoubtedly forced us to slow down, love still finds its way to prevail over anything. And the most recent proof of this is style and beauty influencer Vern Enciso and Ben Lim, who officially tied the knot on January 30 at the luxurious Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Cebu.
Now, it’s no secret that Vern Enciso is a Carrie Bradshaw fan. So as much as how her longtime lover Ben proposed to her like how Big proposed to Carrie, her wedding day was also how the couple proclaimed their love in style (minus the last-minute cold feet, of course).
And indeed, in true Carrie fashion, she narrated how all of the important elements of her wedding came together in her Instagram post. “When we booked Shangri-La, called Gideon Hermosa, and added Jason Magbanua, I knew I was missing something,” the influencer admits. “Then I realized that I had the famous Carrie shoes that I serendipitously found. But [what] was missing [was] my dream Carrie dress.”
“I knew I didn’t want a big wedding dress and even thought that I didn’t want a big ball gown cut,” she adds. “I want like Carrie Bradshaw’s dress sa civil wedding niya.’ That’s it.”
“It was just perfect. Exactly how I wanted it. No frills, No beading, elegant, understated, and unpretentious,” she happily declares. But what truly makes her gown better than the unbranded gown we’ve seen in Sex and the City is that Vern tailored jacket and clover skirt was made by world-class Filipino designer Mark Bumgarner.
The First Yes
Just like in any wedding, one of the most sought-after highlights will be the maid of honor’s speech. And in Vern’s case, there wasn’t any better person to do it than her forever style twin and the “couple’s favorite third wheel,” Verniece Enciso.
“Vernica and I are very close to each other, and I feel we share a stronger bond than your average sisters,” Verniece humbly claims. “Because aside from sharing the same bedroom and clothes when we were kids, now that we are adults, we are lucky enough to grow our brands.”
So, in her maid of honor’s speech, she recalls the three times Vern said yes to Ben. Of course, the two yeses will be the most recent ones: the big yes in her wedding vows and the yes when her beau popped the question.
But what many people didn’t know is about the first-ever yes she gave. “At a Sinulog Party Vern and I were attending for work in 2014, Vern came to Cebu for Sinulog—fresh from a heartbreak and determined to swear off boys,” she recalls.
Despite her sister being tired, hung over, and cranky, because Ben was a very persistent guy wanting to have a conversation with Vern, she eventually said yes. They chatted a while, gave her number, and eventually left the party.
“Ben would keep texting Vern that trip, and on our last night in Cebu, Ben asked, and Vern said “yes” a second time to a conversation,” Verniece details. “She agreed to meet Ben one more time at the lobby of our hotel.”
But while they had an early flight out the following day, she was surprised that what should have been a short “hello-goodbye” chat with this guy she met at a party turned into a whole night of long talks.
“Two hours to flight time, Vern comes back up our room, panicked by not yet having packed and sleepless, yet flushed in her cheeks, and having a dazzled look in her eyes,” Verniece explicitly describes. “When I asked her what the matter was, she looked at me and with a determination and certainty that is distinctly my sister’s, she told me, ‘He’s the guy I am going to marry.’”
Lo and behold, little did we know that a simple yet sweet yes she gave to Ben will lead to a wedding in the midst of quarantine proving that no matter what obstacles any couple may need to face, it’s their love that will conquer all.
