“Golden weddings are possible.”
This was what the guests were saying, almost unanimously, at the golden wedding celebration of Luis and Amelia Ablaza at the end of last summer. A good enough gauge of how well loved Louie and Mellie—as they are called casually by friends—was how, on a muggy, sweat-inducing afternoon weather, hundreds and hundreds of their friends, from leading businessmen and diplomats to glam society, braved the drive to the Ablazas’ weekend estate in Tagaytay to witness the couple’s renewal of vows in the family’s private chapel and to enjoy a sit-down dinner afterwards in a tent pavilion.
The celebration ran into the night, as guests watched the after-dinner program highlighted by performances of the couple’s grandchildren—singing, playing the piano and the violin.
The Metro Manila Concert Orchestra conducted by Josefino “Chino” Toledo played classical pieces and provided accompaniment to the young Ablaza performers—Azia Syquia singing, Alfonso, Agu, Azi, Amanu and Azia on the violin, Xavi and Santi on the piano.
As emcee Johnny Litton said, the couple were really blessed to be celebrating their 50th year of togetherness, surrounded by their children Marc, Luis III or Jun-Jun and Czarina.
It was style arbiter/art collector Jun-Jun who designed the event, just as he did the Ablaza Tagaytay sprawl.
Friends of the couple devoted hours and hours of practice to dance the French quadrille, which capped the night’s celebration.
Among them were Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno and his Filipino wife Agnes, former Central Bank governor and now Philtrust chair Dr. Jaime Laya, Mario Katigbak, Lifestyle Asia editor Anna Sobrepeña, Nympha Valencia, Helen Ong, Cory Quirino, Annette Ablan.
The other ambassadors at the celebration were Ephraim Matityau of Israel, Neil Reeder of Canada, Bill Tweddell of Australia, Josef Muellner of Austria, L.D. Ralte of India, who all came with their spouses and madame Malai Halimah Yusof of Brunei Darrusalam.
Cultural Center of the Philippines president and concert pianist Raul Sunico also performed a few pieces.
But amid this elaborate celebration, what stood out and what rang true were the words of the groom Louie.
The University of Santo Tomas Management graduate talked about the many years it took him to build the Tagaytay estate that has become a weekend haven for him and his lawyer wife.
“It took me years to complete it to give to the only woman I adore,” he said, throwing a loving glance at Mellie.