From Olympic medal to wedding ring: The dreamy details at Hidilyn Diaz and Julius Naranjo's City of Pines nuptials
A year after Hidilyn Diaz made history as the first Filipino to win a gold medal in the Olympics, the weightlifter marked another milestone: exchanging "I do's" with Julius Naranjo.
The couple tied the knot at the St. Ignatius Chruch in Philippine Military Academy Baguio and held their reception at the Baguio Country Club on July 26.
Their dreamy wedding saw the biggest names in sports and showbusiness showering support for their love. Not to mention, little details of the affair—from the bridal bouquet to Naranjo's cufflinks—made nods to the newlyweds' weightlifting background.
Diaz's exquisite gown and 'one-of-a-kind' bouquet
The bride walked down the aisle wearing a Francis Libiran creation while holding a unique bouquet. The gorgeous gown featured tiny delicate beads that formed a beautiful swirly pattern.
"For her gown, I made sure that it's her personality that comes out while she's wearing and walking down that aisle. I got that inspiration from her," Libiran said.
Floral designer Gideon Hermosa said that her flowers are reminiscent of the weights Diaz is famed for.
"One that is reminiscent of the weights she is known to lift with all her strength on the Olympic stage. Today, she walks down the aisle with a double cascading brocade of orchids, the gentlest and lightest she would hold on the day she will say 'I do,'" he wrote on Instagram.
Libiran's dashing barong and weights cufflinks
For his part, Naranjo donned a structurally winsome art deco barong by Libiran, which complemented his bride's gown. "He wanted to mesh in the patterns of Guam and the Philippines," the designer said.
One cute detail from his outfit was his cufflinks which were shaped like weights, a nod to his and Diaz's weightlifting background. They did, after all, meet at a weightlifting event in 2017.
The little details
The weightlifting motifs don't end there as even their wedding invitations, done by Print Divas, looked like barbell disks.
Gift shop Grae Manila also provided golden bottles of sparkling wine and champagne flutes as souvenirs for wedding guests.
A 'bigaten' entourage
Two weeks before the wedding, Diaz's manager Noel Ferrer shared their star-studded wedding entourage, which includes former vice president Leni Robredo, former senator Manny Pacquiao, business moguls Manuel Pangilinan, Ramon Ang, Teresita Tan Sy-Coson, celebrity dermatologist Vicki Belo, Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino, and actress Judy Ann Santos.
Angel Locsin was listed as one of the bride's matrons of honor, while Atom Araullo and Iza Calzado were among the groomsmen and bridesmaids.
Fellow Olympians Nesthy Petecio and Margielyn Didal also attended the wedding.
Diaz and Naranjo first met in 2017 in Turkmenistan and got engaged in October 2021. During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where Diaz won the Philippines' first gold, he served as his bride's coach.
