MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte led the list of principal sponsors in the wedding of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Maria Anna Kathryna de Guzman Yu Thursday at the Coconut Palace in the CCP Complex in Pasay City.

Hence, guests were requested to arrive an hour early at the venue, before a 5 p.m. lockdown was enforced prior to the arrival of the President.

The Coconut Palace, the erstwhile office of former Vice President Jejomar Binay, was transformed into a cozy reception area. The huge air-conditioned tent was styled by Robert Blancaflor, who adorned the venue with fresh hanging plants, real trees and white roses on the dining tables. The 500 guests were requested to come in Filipiniana attire, the motif for the wedding.

Yu was radiant in her bridal gown done by Paul Cabral, while Pimentel donned a barong Tagalog by the same designer.

From the attire of the entourage to the décor of the venue and the choice of food for the reception, everything was done with taste.

While waiting for the ceremony to start, guests were treated to an assortment of hor d’oeuvres prepared by noted chef Florabel Co-Yatco, who catered all the dishes served at the reception. The food was painstakingly lined up by Yatco with Yu, the bride herself a chef by profession.

An ice cream cart outside the Coconut Palace offered ube and quezo flavors to guests immediately upon arrival. Inside the venue, cold dalandan mint juice was served with the yummy, pass around hor d’ouevres.

Everything that was steadily served – from the drinks to the appetizers to the main course and desserts – was printed on the menu neatly placed on the dinner table.

There were kare-kare on prawn crackers, adobong kesong puti profiteroles, barquillos cylinder with chive mousse, a duetto of toppings (salmon roe and parma ham crisp), squid balls on shot glass, pandesal at mantekilya.

The double K logo of the couple (for Koko and Katrina) was visibly etched on nearly everything at the reception – the menu, place cards, the table number given upon entrance, the cake by Penk Ching, the souvenirs and the photos. Even the butter was personalized.

After the ceremony solemnized by Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, starters of inihaw na sugpo at ensaladang suha na may kasoy for salad and binakol na manok na may dahon ng malunggay for the soup were served.

For the entrees, fish and steak (pagkain-dagat at karne) were laid out -- inihaw na hiwa ng salmon sa sarsa ng Bottarga (salted fish roe) na may langis ng oliba at bawang and sinugbang karne ng baka sa sarsa ng toyo at kalamansi na may kasamang matamis na kamas ng patatas at sitaw.

Dessert was the sinful Valrhona cake with Choc-nut and caramelized popcorn on top, as well as a station for puto-bumbong and bibingka.

For drinks, guests had a choice of red wine (pinot noir) or white wine (Bordeaux), nikka from the barrel (Japanese blended whisky), kape ng Cordillera, mainit na tsokolate ng Malagos and salabat.

Yu earlier said she wanted to promote “Filipino food, products and culture,” that’s why the Filipiniana motif was adopted for the wedding. The couple gave guests coffee from Ifugao and organic tablea from Tagum as wedding souvenirs.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers rendered love songs throughout the ceremony, with “The First Time I Loved Forever,” the theme from the TV version of “Beauty and the Beast” substituting as the bridal march.

There were very few showbiz personalities in the event. Senator Tito Sotto and his wife Helen Gamboa were in the list of principal sponsors. Heart Evangelista arrived by her lonesome, minus husband Senator Chiz Escudero, but didn’t stay long. Actress-turned-Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado went solo, too.

Jojo Alejar took the microphone and hosted the post-wedding program. Third Avenue Band performed in the reception.