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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Magsaysay: A grand wedding to babble about
By Jo Magsaysay
Whatever
Grand, of course! The grandest of grand weddings Cebu has not seen in a long time.
Awesome! Much gratified and elated over the turn-out of principal sponsors who all honored the event with their personal appearance: Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Francisco L. Benedicto expressed his deepest sentiments quite simply on, “the happiness and beauty” of the wedding of his daughter, Haidee to Rene Carl Cayetano, son of a most revered statesman, the late Senator Renato Cayetano.
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Dignitaries and personages, tycoons and nabobs, a veritable powerhouse in government and finance created an awesome impression. Shedding off my image of the so-called “blaze and sophisticated” chronicler of social events, and reverting to my real self as the goggle-eyed pedestrian gawking at our country’s galaxy of power and money, I was rendered blustering and blithering to babble about the wedding.
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The bride and groom looked so alike: smooth and fair complexions, angel faces, wholesome personalities...mutual friends in AIM where both were taking a Masteral course five years ago urged their meeting… “They were meant for each other.”
Ren-Ren is presently serving as councilor in Muntinglupa City, a first step in what may become a brilliant career in politics like his father. Haidee, a picture bride in Rajo Laurel’s strapless gown with fine beadwork and a cathedral train, is a “go-getter, an achiever, always there when you needed her” bubbled Maybelline Te, a dear, close friend from high school days.
*****
An artist’s palette of colors and textures swirled around the entourage, from the correctly neutral shade of ecru of the madrinas’ gowns to the stunning color combinations of indigo blue and chartreuse green of the little attendants (Emilio Chioson, Giles Nathan Benedicto, Watson Baron Benedicto, bearers of ring, coin and Bible; Katrina Chioson, Nadine Sandra Sebastian, Alicia Reine Dy, flower girls). Royal blue, with a splash of magenta, for the secondary sponsors (Maybelline Te, Jorge Daniel Bocobo, Lali Ticzon, Ali Bernard Go, Cristina Lim and Edward Onglatco for the candle, veil and cord). Marine blue and forest green for the bridesmaids, Eurilen Joy Benedicto, Sarah Jane Florido, Jennifer Grace Go and Lilian Benedicto, her sister’s maid-of-honor who, in a bantering manner, threatened her new brother-in-law “to take good care of my sister or we will get her back!” Alan Peter Cayetano, a congressman from Pateros, bids fair to be another politico in the family and quite endearingly Senator Pia Cayetano Sebastian, tall, slender and witty, captured everyone’s affection when in perfect Cebuano, informed all and sundry “kulatahon gyud tika Ren-Ren kung imong awayon si Haidee.” Although the Cayetanos seem to run into the political field, the groom’s uncle Oscar, who escorted his sister-in-law Sandra down the aisle, is in business; while Lino, the celebrated son who gave up one of his kidneys for his ailing father and who is tisoy after his American mother, is a TV film director and is in showbiz.
*****
Never known to be a flashy dresser, President GMA favored a piña gown with fine callado and fringed hemline. Fully accustomed to what is becoming a tiresome greeting, she had a ready cheek to offer although she reserved a hearty beso-beso for Margot Osmeña who was gleefully showering her with rose petals accompanied by throaty laughter. VP Noli de Castro egged Margot on to empty the flower basket on him. Governor Gwen Garcia also favored piña sprinkled with beadwork to encase her whistle-bait figure. The Benedicto ladies, always keeping a low profile, nonetheless looked elegant: Leontina (mother of the bride and Honorary Consul of Turkey and mother-in-law of Ed Chioson, Consul of Portugal) was in dainty creamy lemon while regal Helena, wife of Belgian Consul Enrique and mother to another consul, Grand, of Romania, stood out in a smart Philip Rodriguez suit of metallic brocade.
*****
Diplomacy seems to run in the Benedicto family. A solicitous host, Frank escorted every guest to the porte cochere with utmost courtesy, a kindly phrase or two to each one departing the church. The ebullient Eking took over at the Waterfront reception, greeting each guest with a glad hand, a genial smile and genuine warmth. Taking off on a French leave as in vamoose immediately after the church rites, Senator Mar Roxas, who belied the rumor about a split between him and his lady love Korina Sanchez, who was very much present at the wedding, not on a presidential coverage, but to be by the side of Mr. Palengke himself.
*****
The only sour note in the perfectly orchestrated affair, complete with ice-sculptured cupids and a connubial couple etched inside paper glass weights for wedding souvenirs, was that wedding guests, fretting with impatience and hunger pangs, waited almost two hours for dinner to be served; while, no doubt, protocol had to be observed in escorting President Arroyo all the way back to the airport!
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 23, 2006 issue)
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