Shortly afterwards, Marc chanced upon Danica at the gym. Enamored, Marc insisted on getting Danica’s number. "Sabi ko nga ‘wag ibigay," Danica recalls. However, the trainer had already acted without her approval, and Marc was persistent in asking Danica on dates, which she turned down.

"I hated him," Danica Sotto said, cheerfully recalling her first impression of the man she dearly loves. Regarding his untiring efforts, she remembers thinking "Anong problema nito? Pa-cute."

When she finally agreed, there was a catch. Danica and Marc could not go out alone. Whether it was the movies or dinner, she brought along several of her friends. On their second date, her mom, Dina Bonnevie—known for her frankness and who was very meticulous in inspecting her daughter’s suitor—even chaperoned them!

Danica is quick to say that it was not a case of love at first sight. In fact, she found Marc somewhat irritating, and remembers thinking that he was makulit at corny. Danica was also very concerned about his being a basketball player, as cagers have a bad reputation with women. On top of all that, she had just come out of a bad breakup. Danica was enjoying being single, living life with her parents, and with God.

Still, Marc was undaunted. He resolved to show the skeptical Danica that his intentions were true. The perfect opportunity to prove his love came when Danica’s family went to Boracay.

"Sabi niya he’d follow. I didn’t believe him…nagulat na lang ako," she fondly relates. It was peak season then, and unlike Danica’s family, who had booked accommodations months in advance, Marc had to plead with several airlines just to get a flight in. He also had to make do with a bed too small for his large frame. His sacrifices, however, paid off, as Danica began to see him in a different light.

Danica and Marc became a couple in February 2006. By that time, they had been friends for a year. She says she really admires Marc’s values; before they were together, he courted Danica the traditional way, asking permission from both her parents whenever he went to her house or visited her tapings. She even remembers her father, Vic Sotto, asking "May sakit ka ba? Bakit kailangan kang bisitahin?"

Marc didn’t slack off when she finally became his girlfriend; he never stopped surprising her. Once, Danica had a taping during her high school best friend’s birthday. Knowing how upset Danica was, Marc got together all of Danica’s friends and threw a party for Danica’s best friend. Everyone thought that Danica had arranged everything since Marc kept quiet, so it was Danica who proudly told them that it was all Marc’s idea.

Marc even went the extra mile when he started learning about Danica’s faith, even without her asking him to.

Danica says she came to appreciate life more because of Marc, and the struggles he went through. Born to an Ilocana-Pangasinense mother and a French father, Marc hails from Possurobia, Pangasinan. His father left him, his elder sister, and mother when he was still a baby. Even under those difficult circumstances, his mother brought him up well.

Coming from a broken family, Danica never imagined herself getting married. But Marc had other ideas. "I didn’t court you just because I wanted you to be my girlfriend. And I don’t want to be just your boyfriend. I want to marry you." This was how Marc proposed to Danica in July of 2006. Though she said yes, Danica still had wedding jitters, especially when problems arose. But, "Everything fell into place," she says. The problems were resolved one by one by God’s grace.

Thus it was that Danica Anna Bonnevie Sotto and Jean Marc Prado Pingris, Jr. tied the knot last March 3 at Palms Country Club in Alabang. The fairy-themed affair was kept very private. Attended by only the couple’s closest family members and friends, the public was allowed but a glance.

Two moments from their wedding day are immortalized in Danica’s memory and heart. "When you walk down the aisle, look at your groom," Madge Lejano, Danica’s make-up artist, reminded her. Nervous brides often miss seeing their grooms’ faces. When Danica’s turn came, she almost did the same. But when she remembered and fixed her eyes on Marc, she was deeply moved. Marc was in tears, holding several crumpled tissues. "Iyak ng iyak. Parang baby," Danica muses.

Looking back from the altar, Danica’s happiness doubled. "Sumilip ako then I saw that everyone who was supposed to be there was there: family, friends from high school…Oyo and Angel are no longer together but they were still there. Even my mom and dad—they have different lives, but they were there…My dream was to have a glorious wedding, not a grand wedding. Not for show. I wanted people to feel our love."

True enough, guests came to them saying that it was the best wedding they had ever attended. Danica also credits the celebration’s success to her talented suppliers. Veluz Reyes designed her gown and made adjustments up to the last minute. Make-up artist Madge Lejano made sure she always looked beautiful and fabulous with three hairstyle changes. Event stylist Henry Pascual, Jong Mateos Ong of Imagineation, Alex Franco (for the cake), Threelogy (Audio Visual Presntations) Tiffany Novelities, Palms Country Club, and wedding coordinator Camille Escobido made Danica’s wedding truly unforgettable. "All my suppliers treated my wedding as though it were their own," a pleased Danica beams.

After the reception, the couple flew to Boracay where they spent a couple of days. They will be having another honeymoon in the middle of the year, during the PBA’s off season.

No longer cynical, Danica is very grateful. "Ang galing talaga ni God mag-pair ng tao," she says, referring to her husband and herself.