About 800 of Manila's leading political and business families and thousands of ordinary people gathered in Pampanga to witness the gala wedding of the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's son Mikey Arroyo and Angela Montenegro yesterday.

Thousands of people from Lubao, Pampanga, central Luzon joined in the festivities as Manila's cognoscenti gathered at the historic 491-year-old Saint Augustine Church at 10:00 am yesterday.

The rustic beauty of the president's hometown provided the perfect setting decorated with thousands of white roses and other flowers that were strung across the pews and the altar inside the old world church.

The bride and groom are " a perfect match," many in the audience said. The bride, a graduate of the London School of Economics, wore an heirloom tiara, while her wedding gown, was made of Philippines' famed pineapple fibre interwoven with gold and silver thread, and embroidered with Swarovski stones. Lila Almario's handmade shoes matched the wedding gown created by couturier Joe Salazar, one of Manila's finest.

The groom, Vice Governor of Pampanga, was dressed in traditional barong tagalog (Filipino costume) also made from pineapple fibre, and embroidered with peace doves. It was designed by Pitoy Moreno, one of Manila's leading designers.

The younger Arroyo confessed before the wedding, that he was "very nervous." The couple have been engaged for a year.

Bishop Paciano Aniceto of the Archdiocese of Pampanga officiated the wedding. Four other priests assisted in the ceremonies.

The wedding brought "the essence of Camelot to the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo", said an observer.

Inside the church, heavy-duty air conditioning units had been installed for their comfort. The groom's grandfather, former president Diosdado Macapagal was baptised in the same church on October 12, 1910.

The Ateneo Glee Club Choir and String Minstrels (music) rendered classical and contemporary love songs.

The reception was held at the covered white canvass tent with wooden flooring, at the church courtyard. The celebration simulated a Filipino barrio fiesta. Filipino dishes were served such as seafood and noodles.

Many of the guests were the who's who in Filipino society. Former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos, Senator Loren Legarda Leviste, Georgina de Venecia, wife of Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., were present.

A dinner reception at Malcanang, Manila's presidential palace, was held in the evening. Lubao residents perched on their windows for a vantage view of the event.

Visitors had trekked to Lubao as early as dawn, which had been decorated by multi-coloured streamers with words of welcome for the first family, the groom and the bride.

The entire town residents celebrated the event and have prepared for it for months. Improvements in the place were simple, an official statement said, but the refurbishment of bridges, roads and drainage canals were rushed for the wedding. The half a hectare front yard of the church was landscaped with plants and flowers.

Cooling systems were installed at the reception hall, at the centuries-old brick house of the priests, and the nearby church-run Holy Rosary Academy. A mobile power generator was installed in case of power outage. "It was a wonderful event to handle," Betina Aboitiz, Presidential Social Secretary, said. He was also the overall supervisor of the ceremonies.

After the wedding, Mikey will take a short break from his duties as Pampanga's acting governor. He and Angela will fly to the United States for their honeymoon, after the birthday of his father Miquel, on June 27.