The AlDub wedding has finally come, and the #ALDUBWedding hashtag has taken over Twitter as picture and video from Alden and Yaya Dub’s ceremony stream online.
But the viral popularity of the wedding also led many to wonder if Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards were actually getting married, as the ceremony itself was made to look legitimate and not necessarily just part of the show.
For those not familiar with the hashtag — or the international sensation known as AlDub — Saturday marked the long-awaited wedding ceremony for Alden and Yaya Dub, two star-crossed lovers on the hit Philippines noontime show Eat Bulaga!
Their romance started quietly in the summer of 2015 in the show’s Kalyeseyre segment and quickly became a global phenomena. Millions of fans tuned in each day to see Alden and Yaya Dub dodge all obstacles to be together.
But Saturday’s #ALDUBWedding also brought plenty of speculation that the wedding could be more than just a plot line for the characters. There have been rumors of a real romance budding between actors Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, and The Bitbag noted that there is thought that the wedding could actually be real.
“What makes people think that it could potentially be a ‘real’ wedding between the two is the fact that they are even using an actual priest for the ceremony. Surely, if the wedding was only for show they could have just used any actor to play the part of the priest.
“Also, the entourage of the wedding are not characters in the Kalyeserye segment of Eat Bulaga . They are actual people and not characters of the show!”
The question of whether the love between the two is “for reel or for real” has been tossed around for months. The line that separates Alden and Yaya Dub from Richards and Mendoza has become blurred, and some fans have a hard time telling if it’s the actors in love or just their characters.
Back in September, Random Republika noted that the love blossoming between the two appeared to be very real.
“Today is truly a memorable day for AlDub Nation. After more than a year of closely following the lives of Alden and Maine or formerly Yaya Dub, their much-awaited and highly anticipated moment has come. Fans rejoiced as Maine Mendoza finally said ‘YES’ to Alden Richards’ question if she loves him too.”
Ever since the show’s origin in the summer of 2015, it has been the very real chemistry between Richards and Mendoza that kept fans tuning in and helped AlDub become a hit well beyond the Philippines.
International news outlets have also taken notice of how well the two actors seem to fit together.
“Actors and actresses are often paired up so fans hope they end up together in real life. But what’s different about AlDub… is that it wasn’t just the creation of a TV network or movie production,” TV host and blogger Daphne Osena Paez told BBC News last year about the AlDub phenomenon.
And the actors also did their part to keep fans wondering if the #ALDUBWedding was for reel or for real, the Cebu Daily News noted. When he was asked earlier in the week if the wedding was legitimate, Richards teased, “abangan,” or “wait and see.”
Whatever the case may be, AlDub fans followed along breathlessly as the ceremony went on, sharing video and pictures from the #ALDUBWedding.
Final vow and blessing of the marriage. Gaaaahd!!! ????????? #ALDUBWedding pic.twitter.com/vp8CWz7GZP
— magicheart21 ? (@magicheart21) October 22, 2016
Their wedding vows.. I’m sooo crying right now. Huhuhuhu..????? @mainedcm | @aldenrichards02 #ALDUBWedding pic.twitter.com/yRbkLJNftV
— ALDUBNation (@ALDUBNation) October 22, 2016
Whether the #ALDUBWedding is for real or for reel, the attention surrounding it is certainly very real. The AlDub wedding was the biggest trending event on Twitter on Saturday, and the clips of Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards walking down the aisle quickly moved into the tens of thousands of views.
[Featured Image by Htennek Arraveug/ Facebook ]