From a single rose to an engagement ring. Read about this month’s MEGA Entertainment cover star Dennis Trillo’s proposal to Jennylyn Mercado.
Related: The Reason Behind Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo’s First Break Up
It is no less a more fitting end to the fairytale that began with a single rose from Dennis on Jen’s 18th birthday, to an engagment ring to begin the next chapters of their life together. And with everything they went through, from connection to disconnection to reconnection to conception, fate knows that marriage is the beautiful bond to tie their love perfectly together.
“Well, ‘yung plano kasi du’n sa original na plan na du’n sa surrogate pa lang, dapat diyan, kung lalabas ‘yung baby, mga 2022. So, ‘yung marriage, parang plano namin is pagkuha namin nu’ng baby, magpapakasal na kami du’n sa Vegas para pagkuha namin ng baby, legal na lahat. And then pagbalik dito, dito na ‘yung parang celebration. So, since hindi nangyari ‘yung sa surrogate at mas maaga nangyari ‘yung mga hindi-inaasahang bagay, napabilis lahat ‘yung planning stage; wala nang masyadong oras para magplano. So, ayun, nagdecide ako. Meron kaming kaibigan na magaling sa Vedic astrology so tinanong namin kung ano’ng magandang date. So, may sinabi siya na day ta’s sabi ko, ‘Sige, parang okay ‘tong day na ‘to para mag-propose.’ Parang ito rin daw ‘yung perfect na araw para magbigay ng diamond so pinili ko na lang ‘yung araw na ‘yun,” Dennis explains.
“Tapos ‘yung original na plano, dapat gagawin ko ‘yung proposal sa isang bahay na pinapatayuan namin sa Tanay. Kaso lang since nahirapan siya bumiyahe, mukhang malabo na magawa ‘tong plano du’n sa Tanay kasi mahihirapan siya, so nag-decide na lang ako na dito na lang siya gawin sa bahay. So, pinaayusan ko na lang ‘yung isang area du’n na hindi na masyadong nakikita. Parang may louver kasi ‘yun so hindi niya alam kung ano’ng nangyayari du’n sa loob na ‘yun—ito ‘yung gym area du’n sa baba, so pinaayusan ko na lang siya kay Gideon,” he adds.
“Tapos, ‘yun, dito na lang nagawa ‘yung proposal. Nag-setup ako ng tatlong camera—isa du’n sa loob nu’ng area tapos meron isang frontal ta’s merong isang camera du’n sa mas malayong perspective, ta’s kinuntsaba ko lahat nu’ng mga tao dito sa bahay na ganito ‘yung mangyayari. Tapos, sinabi ko na kay Jen na meron kaming iso-shoot na something para du’n sa baby at para du’n sa future selves namin na papanoorin naming someday kunwari, ganyan. So, pinaupo ko na siya du’n, ganyan, tapos nagsasabi na ako ng mga ano…” Dennis gets cut off.
“Nu’ng una, ayoko pang bumaba, ‘di ba? Nag-nap pa ako! [laughs] 4 o’clock yata ‘yung plan nila ta’s 4 o’clock nag-nap pa ako,” Jen recalls. “May video pa ako nu’n! Naka-ganyan ako kasi natutulog pa siya ta’s 4 o’clock na. Eh, ‘yung plano kong mag-propose, mga 4:30! Paano ko ba gigisingin ‘to? Paano ko siya pabababain? Parang pahihirapan ko pa siyang pagbihisan at mag-ayos para du’n,” Dennis remembers.
“Tapos naiinis pa ako; ‘yung, ‘Kailangan ba talaga ngayon na ‘yan?’ Gumagan’on pa ako. [chuckles] Wala akong idea, eh. Sabi ko, ‘Ano ba ‘yan, two days na akong ‘di naliligo! Maliligo muna ako. Sandali lang. Hintayin mo ako,’” Jen narrates.
“So, ‘yun, naligo naman siya ta’s nag-ayos siya. Tapos, ayun, nagawa ko na ‘yung mga kailangang gawin du’n. Ta’s pagkatapos nu’ng proposal, nagpasukan din ‘yung family ko kasi inin-invite ko sila na kunwari lalabas sila pagkatapos,” Dennis shares.
“Nakakatawa nu’ng nagpo-propose na siya! Siyempre ang dami niyang sinasabi ta’s biglang siya rin ‘yung nagpe-play nu’ng music; ‘yung on-cue rin ‘yung playlist. Ta’s saka siya lumuhod! Kasi siya lang gumawa lahat, eh; wala naman siyang katulong du’n. So, pagluhod niya, nilagay niya lang ‘yung singsing! Hindi man lang ako tinanong na, ‘Will you marry me?’” But Jen laughs. “Sabi niya, ‘Pasensya na, hindi ko alam gagawin ko!’ Dennis then laughs too.
Jennylyn Mercado is going to marry her first love Dennis Trillo. And more than that, she is carrying his baby, their first together to add to their beautiful blended family of two sons. They remember their favorite song together, “After All” by Cher and Peter Cetera. And as the lyric of the song goes, “After all the stops and starts, we keep coming back to theses two hearts…” the two knew that they would finally come to where they are now in their life together, the moment they got back together. Their life together has been filled with promises to each other, and to those they each add one more.
From the proposal to their first baby, read more about Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo’s love story on MEGA Entertainment’s November 2021 issue now available available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photography SEVEN BARRETTO of STUDIO 7 MNL
Creative direction NICOLE ALMERO
Beauty direction MIA CASTRO
Makeup ANTHEA BUENO
Hair BIANCA VERGARA
Styling IAN CHRISTOPHER VINARAO
Photography Assistants ERWIN BOTIN and DARIEL MIRAFLOR
Shoot coordination MAE TALAID and MJ ALMERO
Shot location SHUTTERSPACE STUDIO
Special thanks to DR SWAB MANILA