EXCLUSIVE: Christian Bautista And His Fiancée Kat Ramnani In A Pre-Nuptial Shoot For Metro Weddings' Digital Cover
“We met in 2016. We were both invited by church friends to Breakout Manila,” Kat said.
“I walked in a few hours before, and when she arrived, I was just mesmerized. I thought I saw this girl before, I just can’t remember. And then it hit me, I saw this girl featured in a news article a few weeks before. I didn’t know she would be invited in there too,” Christian said. “It’s an article posted by Cesca Litton, and later on I found out they’re best friends. It said there’s a young executive who just got back to the Philippines from the States, and her industry is amazing because she used to work for Facebook, Google and Apple. I’ve always had a thing for beauty and brains. So I’m happy we became friends after that night.”
Kat had no idea Christian is a showbiz personality. “I had been living in California, so I had no idea who he was. When we were introduced, I was told he was a singer. So I thought, he’s an up-and-coming singer, I had no idea who he was. It was my first time to hear about him, because when Christian’s career was starting, I was in California. I was living there since 2002. And I just came back to the Philippines in 2012. So those were the years when his career was built,” she said.
“When we were dating, he would take me to these really obscure restaurants. I thought, he’s really an up-and-coming singer, because he is taking me to these places. 'Yun pala sini-secret n'ya."
Kat then told her friends she started seeing a singer. “So I told my friends, I am dating this guy, and he is a singer. And they would ask, what’s the name. And I would say, you won’t know him, he is up and coming. But he is cute, in fairness. And I showed them a picture and they were like, 'Girl, ano ba! That’s Christian Bautista!’ So I Googled him for an hour, and then I texted him, 'Hey… I Googled you.' And then he replied with just a smiley face and I was like, 'Why didn’t you tell me?'"
On Christian's part, it felt a bit awkward for him to introduce himself to Kat and mention his being a public figure. "Of course, I couldn't introduce myself naman na, 'Hi, I'm this guy...,'" Christian said.
On Christian: Shawl lapel tuxedo by Bessie Besana / On Kat: Fully beaded bridal dress with a subtle train by Elizabeth Hallie, accessories by Jacatel
Getting closer
Christian was instantly attracted to Kat, who was then rocking a fringed hairstyle. “She was beautiful, she had bangs before and I said ‘bagay talaga.' But most of all, what I really liked was, when she was solving the mysteries in Breakout Manila, she was solving everything. And that’s when I thought, wow, this girl is amazing. She would lead her group and solve everything. This girl is intense,” Christian thought.
Christian and Kat eventually started hanging out, sharing a common love for food trips. “Her taste is really impeccable because I’d discover new restaurants from her. She just knows where to eat and what to eat,” he said.
Kat, on the other hand, said, “I think that he is underestimating himself. He taught me about wine and pairing wine with food. He learned a lot from ‘Kitchen Musical,' this show he did when he was in Singapore. He really had a lot of insights on food, and he was always open to taste everything."
Kat, who’s a runner, also loved that Christian told her he loved running, too. “What we loved doing when we were just starting out was running. I am a runner, I love to run. So he used to tell me, 'Oh, I’m a runner too.' So I thought, ‘This is great, I’d have a running buddy.' Two years later, I found out he was not a runner, he just said that for me. And I really appreciated that,” she shared.
To which, Christian said, “Yes, because I was trying to chase you!"
Although he really isn't into running, being a fitness enthusiast is another thing he has in common with her.
“We do fitness together. When she was doing Pilates, sometimes I’d join. When I’m in Gold’s, she would join me run there. I realized that I like her drive, I like her brain. She really knows how to take care of people. I just admire her life and how she built herself to who she is now,” he said.
Kat was easily drawn to Christian, too. “For me, I like his kindness. I remember falling in love with him when I saw his kindness and compassion. That thing really, really sticks out especially in a world where kindness is missing. He is such a compassionate, kind person,” she said.
After having known her on a deeper level, Christian realized Kat had a lot of great qualities that it was easy for him to think of her as The One.
“After spending a lot of time with her, after experiencing a lot of days and weeks and even challenges with her, I discovered na this is someone I could spend the rest of my life with. For example, if we would solve a problem together, when I was weak, she was strong. We help each other a lot. We don’t give up on each other. I think when you find someone like that, who is willing to go through any kind of day with you, that is the time you would say to yourself, 'This is The One,'” Christian said.
[photos]
Photos from @xtianbautista @katramnani
The proposal
Christian, just like any other man who found the woman worth spending his life with, wanted his proposal to be grand and romantic.
“I got the ring a few months before na. I was just looking for the right plan, the right place. It just so happened that I had a European tour. It was a five-city tour, so I invited her to have a little break. After my tour, I planned that we would go to Greece. We would go to Italy and spend a vacation there,” he shared. “It’s a whole new different story though when we were there already.”
Kat, who was dropped off by an “entire barangay” of Christian’s family members and friends at the airport, had a clue that something major might happen in Europe.
“I had an inkling that he was gonna propose because his family was extra sweet to me. His brother said, ‘I feel like Europe is gonna change your life.' His mom kept hugging me and kissing me. So I figured, something’s up,” she said.
Of course, having had a feeling that she was going to be proposed to, Kat, just like any other woman would, kept on waiting for that major moment the minute she arrived in Greece to meet Christian.
“We were in Santorini, and first day, it was super raining. Then we went to a series of areas where there was a boat, there was a vineyard, and I kept thinking he was gonna propose, but he didn’t,” she narrated.
“After five days, we ended up flying to Italy. When we got to Venice, our luggage was lost,” she recalled. “He was furious. Normally, I’m the one who gets mad right away in situations like that, and he is just calm. That time, he was the one who’s furious. And I said, ‘Babe, why are you mad? It is just clothes,' and as soon as I said that, I realized that, 'Oh my god, the ring is in the suitcase!'”
True enough, Christian did put the ring in the suitcase which was wrongfully sent to Brussels, Belgium.
“Just a disclaimer, because every friend asked me, ‘Why did you leave the ring in the suitcase?’ Kasi I didn’t want her to see it sa x-ray, that’s why I put it in the suitcase. Lesson learned though, don’t put the ring in the suitcase! Always have it with you, kasi sobrang hassle,” Christian shared.
“The luggage ended up arriving the next day. I knew the ring had arrived because I was dealing with a different person the next day. He was back to being loving. He had shaved. He took a shower. The day before, he looked like Tom Hanks from Cast Away. It was so awkward because I had to dance around to cheer him up, right? I couldn’t say though that I knew the ring was in the maleta, 'di ba? It was really this awkward day, but we got through it. The luggage arrived. We finally had a good time in Venice. It was our last day and we already met with our friends," Kat narrated.
Christian went on to talk about the events leading to the proposal, “When the luggage arrived, I knew I had to do it that day already. I cannot lose the ring again ever. I just gotta find the spot, wherever it is. From Venice, we took a train to Florence. We went back to Venice but the train was late. We missed our waterbus and we missed our dinner reservation. We only ate cold pizza and the day was not romantic anymore.”
“By the time we were in our hotel room, I literally stopped trying. I wore my Winnie the Pooh daster with holes. I gave up trying,” Kat said. She thought he was never going to propose anymore.
“I was praying to God, ‘Dear Lord, give me the compassion to understand why this man doesn’t want to marry me?,'" she said. “And then suddenly Christian came over, and went up to me, and I sat up and I was like, ‘What? Is that a chocolate?' I grabbed the bag from him, it was a big white bag. So I pulled away all the Japanese paper and I saw the red box. And I looked at him and I was like, 'Is this the moment already?'"
“So he proposed, and he started explaining how he was trying to look for a good spot in Europe. But at the end of the day, he realized that it was better served for us in private,” she said.
The two realized that, at the end of the day, what matters is that they are together, and not the grand gestures.
“At the end of the day, everything is gonna fade, and if you cannot be with your partner in your worst and best days, and enjoy that time, then maybe you’re not a couple that is gonna stand the test of time,” she said.
Christian recalled, “During that moment, I thought I was gonna propose in the hills of Santorini, or in Florence, or in Venice. But like she said, this should be the moment of our realest selves. Just the two of us, with no one around. And this is what marriage is gonna be all about. The two of you experiencing life together, at your plainest and humblest selves. It’s not the dress, not the makeup, it’s not where you are going to propose. It is not even Europe that matters—it’s just the two of you. So if she could still accept me as plain as I am, and love me for who I am, then I’m good,” he said.
Unlike everyone who would probably post about their engagement on social media right away, the two kept it to themselves first.
“It was so nice to travel Europe with the love of your life, with a secret like that. It’s just yours. And it was really special,” she said.
On Christian: Shawl lapel tuxedo in Marsala by Bessie Besana / On Kat: Sheer bridal dress with cascading floral details by Mak Tumang, accessories by Jacatel
Preparing for the big day
The couple is going to have an intimate wedding abroad, in a location they prefer to keep as a secret from the public for now. But they have a ceremony in Manila as well, to celebrate with their friends at work, and another intimate reception with their families in Tagaytay.
“The Manila one is going to be in the last quarter of this year. We have an amazing team that handles the thing in making it romantic. We started picking out the flowers. Our guest list is our main priority, to make sure that everyone we love who’s been part of our story is there. There’s been a lot of people who have shown us kindness and we wanna celebrate with them,” she said.
“Christian has been very involved with the music. Of course, the music has to be great. It’s coming together very nicely. He’s been such a great person to plan with. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories, and with us, it’s not all roses all the way, but it's so nice to have a partner who is as involved. Some days, I’m so on it, some days he is so on it. And it has worked for us. It’s been really great to have him by my side,” she said. “I really appreciate having a second set of eyes. I trust his taste plus I love the way he sends the messages to our suppliers because he is very diplomatic.”
Another thing they can reveal for now is that they will wear Francis Libiran creations for their Manila wedding. “I told Francis that I love dressing up, so I am not afraid of different fabrics. We decided to go with the mix of two very different fabrics,” she hints.
As happy as she is in her relationship with Christian and as excited as she may be for all the wedding preparations, Kat revealed that she actually "never really wanted to get married." But that changed after Christian entered her life.
She said, “Growing up as a little girl, I grew up like a feminist. I believed that I could be by myself for the rest of my life. If a guy came along, good, but if not, it’s okay. I never really wanted to get married. And then I met Christian. And that really changed. Everything they say, that cliché icky, gross love stuff is true. When you’re with the right person, you’d know. And any fears that I had before were there because I was never with the right person. Being with Christian, who is accomplished, and seeing who he is as a person, I’d be so lucky to spend the rest of my life with someone like this. So I knew very early on that I am gonna marry this guy."
Produced by Kate Paras and Grace Libero-Cruz
Photography by Seven Barretto
Styling by Gian Laxamana
Makeup by Angie Cruz of Make Up Forever
Hairstyling by Francis Guintu of Revlon Professional
Special thanks to Carlo Orosa and CK Cruz of Traliccio restaurant located in 7 Guerilla, Sto. Nino, Marikina City
Shoot assistant: Cheska Santiago
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