NYC friend a witness to Cy Seguerra-Liza Diño rustic theme wedding

Melissa with newlyweds Cy and Liza

Melissa with newlyweds Cy and Liza

The couple with close friends in the indie community. Melissa in an LBD

The couple with close friends in the indie community. Melissa in an LBD

By Cristina DC Pastor

A cabin in a forest provided the romantic setting for the intimate wedding of TV and stage actress Liza Diño and singer-songwriter Cy Seguerra.

Manhattan resident Melissa Alviar was one of two New Yorkers among the 60-plus guests invited to the celebrity wedding, one of the most beautiful she has ever witnessed.

“I was overwhelmed,” Melissa, an avid supporter of indie films, told The FilAm. “You can feel the love and struggles they had to come to this point!”

Liza, 32, and Cy, 31, are a same-sex couple whose romance did not sit well among conservative members of the predominantly Catholic Philippine society. The two met more than 12 years ago when they were both students at the UP. Cy, formerly known as the phenomenal child star Aiza Seguerra, decided to finish schooling when she went into semi-retirement in showbiz, and became a musician. Liza was a campus beauty queen. She has a daughter, Amara, from a previous relationship who acknowledges Cy as her “step parent.”

The December 8 wedding was held at Stones and Flowers Retreat House in the city of Santa Cruz outside of San Francisco. It was an intimate affair of mostly family and close friends. Among the showbiz folks in attendance were producer Greg Macareg and director Will Fredo of the award-winning “In Nomine Matris” (In the Name of the Mother), where Liza won Best Actress at the International Film Festival Manhattan.

Melissa, a friend of Liza’s in New York’s indie film community, said a male officiant witnessed as the couple professed their love amid a sage and crimson themed motif. Liza wore a low-cut gown of vintage lace and Cy a gray suit over a light brown vest.

Wedding giveaways consisted of wood blocks with love quotations written in pentel pen. Liza shared on Facebook how daughter Amara wrote “Love knows no gender” on some of them.

“…She smiled at me and hugged me, ‘Mom, I’ve never seen you so happy,’” wrote Liza. “And I’m so proud that at such a young age, she sees the world without judgment!”

The swags and décor were made by the couple and their family, said Melissa. “Pinagpuyatan nila…so you can really feel how much they want this day to be special for everyone, and it’s out of this world special,” she said.

Food was delicious, and served buffet-style outdoors, she said. There was barn dancing during the reception. Melissa did the ‘money dance’ with Cy, later posting on her Facebook wall: “Lucky Liza Diño…sarap talaga ni Cy! Happy to be a part of your dream.”

“I wished I wore slouch boots,” she later told The FilAm.

It was a happy occasion and love was clearly in the air. Asked what present she gave the couple, Melissa replied, “My unconditional love and acceptance of their union as shown by my presence.”

Bride hikes to the altar in woodsy wedding

Bride hikes to the altar in woodsy wedding


The ‘money dance’ with Cy

The ‘money dance’ with Cy

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