ACTRESS Iza Calzado and her long-time partner, British entrepreneur Ben Wintle, got married on Wednesday in an island ceremony witnessed by close friends and family members.
The couple tied the knot at a Palawan resort, over a year after they got engaged in October 2017. They have been together for more than six years.
Calzado, whose parents have passed away, walked down the aisle with a bouquet pinned with a locket containing photos of them both.
The love story of Calzado and Wintle was a case of attraction at first sight, they’ve said in past interviews. Calzado was hosting an event when Wintle noticed the actress and asked a mutual friend, actress Isabelle Daza, about his would-be wife. Unknown to Wintle at the time, Calzado was instantly attracted to him, too.
Daza introduced them to each other, in a way that directly set up a potential for romance.
“Sabi niya, ‘Iza, Ben. Ben, Iza. Single, single,’” Calzado recalled her friend saying. “Ako talaga, ‘Oh my god, nakita yata ako ng lalaki, nakatingin ako, kaya siguro lumapit. Iyon pala, hindi. Before pa, he was asking about me na, kaya lumapit.”
Describing Wintle’s presence that night as “semi-bakod,” or having accompanied her for the remainder of the event, Calzado remembered her future husband saying he’d just try to find her on Facebook, before they parted ways.
It was Wintle’s way of “playing it cool,” he recounted.
“He was acting na parang not so interested in me kunyari,” Calzado said. “Sabi ko sa kanya no’n, ‘Really? Why don’t I just give you my number now?’ Ayoko ng paligoy-ligoy pa! Ito na, e! Bakit mo pa papahirapan?”
Two months later, they became officially together.
Over six years since, Calzado and Wintle have been open to followers and fans about their relationship. The public has also seen their respective career growth, with Calzado reaping international recognition for acting, and Wintle launching the popular restaurant finder app Booky.
Wednesday marked their latest shared milestone, with Calzado #BecomingMrsWintle – as succinctly put by their wedding’s official hashtag. (ABS-CBN News)
