A Love Story That Began in the Sky, Grounded in Chance

JUNE 30, 2025 WAS A magical day for Stefano "Stef" Teodoro Marcelo and Bridget Monteverde Teo, who exchanged vows at a vineyard in the picturesque town of Setúbal, Portugal.

- WITH PAT-P

Surrounded by their closest family and friends, the couple celebrated their union in a setting as timeless as their love. Nestled on the edge of the Iberian Peninsula, Setúbal is known for its rich Portuguese heritage, breathtaking landscapes and world-class cuisine — an idyllic backdrop for a destination wedding and a love story that seems destined by fate.

Listening to their love story reinforces one's belief in serendipity. In the realm of love, serendipity means meeting someone special under the most unexpected, even accidental circumstances — a chance encounter on a train or a random meeting that unfolds into a deep and intimate connection.

In Stef and Bridget's case, they actually grew up in the same neighborhood in California — yet didn't meet until years later, on a flight back to Manila. Both in their early 20s at the time, they were seated next to each other on the plane and struck up a conversation.

They decided to watch something together — an episode of "The Angry Beavers" — sharing a pair of wired Apple earphones (not AirPods, which are the norm now). Eventually, they dozed off, and when Stef awoke, he saw that Bridget had rolled the plane divider. That was it. No exchange of contact details, no social media follow-up — just a fleeting, sweet moment with a stranger.