The love story of Brian & Marge Llamanzares
Newlyweds Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares and his forever altar date Justice Undersecretary Marge Gutierrez were both in the right place, but in an initially wrong time, when they first met.
Marge was stood up by her date.
“Well, can you call it fate?” says Brian of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List and only son of former senator Grace Poe and businessman Neil Llamanzares.
“We first met through a mutual friend. It was supposed to be a double date, but Marge’s date didn’t show up, so I was asked to join their dinner,” Brian, who champions volunteerism through FPJ Panday Bayanihan, recalls. “Neither of us was really looking for a relationship at the time, but we instantly connected. We talked for hours, discovered our shared love for anime and other interests, and eventually started dating.”
“Sometimes it really is all about just showing up. You never know what might happen,” Brian adds.
Marge, a lawyer and a former professional model, recounts that date—with destiny, it seems.
“Brian and I met through mutual friends at a restaurant, in a way neither of us expected. My original blind date didn’t show up, and Brian ended up joining instead. What was supposed to be a quick dinner turned into hours of conversation, talking about everything from policy to anime. Neither of us expected that an ordinary evening would eventually lead us here,” says the only daughter of former Ombudsman and Justice secretary Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez and the late Jesus Lucido Gutierrez.
During their star-studded wedding—stars comprise their close friends, after all—at the Santuario de San Jose Church in Greenhills, San Juan, last Sept. 8, it was Marge’s brother Johnny who gave her away.
Brian’s mother Grace recalls of the moment her firstborn and only son walked down the aisle to claim his bride: “I felt both happy and sentimental, realizing that the boy we raised was now a man himself and would soon have a family of his own.”
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Brian is grateful that though Marge’s father Jesus was not physically present at the wedding, he (Brian) was able to ask him for Marge’s hand late last year—from his hospital bed at the Philippine General Hospital.
“I was able to ask for her hand at the hospital before he passed away,” says Brian, who is also an award-winning journalist and author. He has a regular column in The Philippine STAR and was once with CNN Philippines.
“Unfortunately, he was intubated already,” Brian says sadly. “So, he could only smile and hold my hand.”
Even Marge’s mother said in a TV interview that she is happy at her only daughter’s choice for a lifetime partner, and revealed that even on the day of his wedding, Brian still reported for work in Congress.
Marge is not surprised at her husband’s work ethic. She told me, “Brian and I share the same belief that our work should always be grounded in compassion, integrity and service to others. We both care deeply about family, justice, and making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people we serve.”
“What I admire most about Brian is his genuine love for people and the authenticity he brings to everything he does. I know that Brian admires my empathy, independence, and unwavering commitment to helping others,” Marge adds.
She also must have been won over by Brian’s determination, because she said in an interview with PeopleAsia magazine, “I think my height intimidated people first. Then when they found out I was a lawyer, it probably became more intimidating.”
Not to Brian.
“I admire Marge’s genuine heart for people, strength, and dedication to public service. I was especially moved by how she cared for her family and how deeply she cared about the people she served,” the congressman told me.
Even their age difference melts in the sunshine of their love for each other.
“From the start, age never really mattered to us. What mattered was how we got along. She was the perfect partner for me, age was always just a number,” says Brian.
“We share a strong heart for service, we are both advocates of justice and animal welfare. We share a foundation of faith, compassion and love for family and each other,” he said.
In fact, the couple plan to visit PGH and donate wheelchairs in appreciation of the care Marge’s father received in the premier government hospital.
As for his wife’s being a career woman, Brian, who has built an extensive portfolio spanning fine arts, retail, media, marketing, business development, investor relations, e-sports, property management, and blockchain technology, simply says, “We understand each other’s demanding careers and the importance of serving others.”
Their path together is paved not just with good intentions but with resolve.
“We’ve learned that being strong doesn’t mean doing everything alone, and that love means supporting each other, growing together, and continuing to choose one another through every season of life,” says Brian.
I give Marge the final word, as Brian also believes, “Happy wife, happy life.”
“Most of all, we value being partners in both life and purpose, always supporting, grounding, and inspiring each other along the way,” says the happy wife.
