It is said that in the Chinese horoscope calendar, the first day of this Year of the Red Monkey is on Feb. 4. But the actual Chinese New Year Day of the Red Monkey Year is on Feb. 8.
In any case, this is projected to be a year of “good fortune and romance.” No wonder there’s quite a number of couples from our town’s alta sociedad getting hitched this year.
Ana Roxas Ojeda, daughter of former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas’ sister Ria Roxas Ojeda, will marry Joey Lopez Osmeña, son of Sen. Serge Osmeña, in Bohol with a guest list of 150 friends and close famille. There will be a grand reception for 1,000 guests at the Aranetas’ Bahay na Puti compound in Cubao on Feb. 6.
Mariana Eder Zobel, daughter of Ayala Corp. chair and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel, will exchange marital vows with Danel Aboitiz, son of the Aboitiz Group’s Enrique “Endika” Aboitiz, this February in Cartagena, Colombia, where Mariana’s mom, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Eder Zobel, hails from. Mariana’s wedding gown will be made by Monique Lhuillier, no less.
Jesse Ho Maxwell, son of shipping heiress Doris Magsaysay-Ho, will wed Jessica Kienle, daughter of business magnate Max Kienle, in March.
Stage actress and producer Cris Villonco, daughter of Monique Siguion-Reyna Villonco, will say “I do” in April to businessman Paolo Valderrama, incidentally a brother of Cris’ theater colleague Sheila Valderrama-Martinez. Cris’ wedding gown will be designed by Elie Saab.
The way it should be
Cristalle Belo Henares, daughter of Belo Medical Group founder Vicki Belo, to hotel executive Justin Pitt, after they met seven months ago. Hey, that’s the way it should be, even if I always say it’s fine to get married after two years of togetherness.
Ilan Bacher, a talented chef from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, and Martina Diokno of Jewelmer Joaillerie will be proclaimed husband and wife on Aug. 27 in Cebu.
Isabelle Daza, daughter of 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz, will walk down the aisle with a Frenchman, Adidas Philippines country manager Adrien Semblat, sometime midyear.
Fashion designer Charina Sarte will likewise soon get married to a Frenchman, photographer Valentin Kretz.
Christian Concepcion, son of RFM CEO Joey Concepcion, will exchange marital vows with Olivia Jacinto of Sun Life Insurance in March.
Fashion plate Rocio Olbes, who had a few gentleman of European royalty pursuing her, has decided that her true prince charming is el simpatico and mi amigo Antonio Ressano Garcia. They will tie the knot soon.
Seasoned singer Zsa Zsa Padilla and renowned architect Conrad Onglao will finally formalize their relationship with a wedding in Europe later this year.
Recently married
Married recently in the United States were Jenny Tsai and Diego Cuenca, son of business magnate Bobby Cuenca and sultry beauty Chingbee Kalaw. The couple held a grand reception last Jan. 15 at the Manila Polo Club.
Stephanie Ong, director of Wynn Ward Howell Executive Search, and Luis del Rosario, marketing manager at Doosan Heavy Industries, on Jan. 9 in Hong Kong.
Angela Litton, marketing manager of Litton & Co., and Alexander Falcon, on Jan. 24. Together they run Google Foods Inc. and EJL Foundation.
Miguel Rodriguez, cofounder of Nighthawk Design Co. and Caravan Black Coffee, and Maria Katrina Suarez, marketing manager of The Net Group, last Jan. 28.
Popular TV personality Solenn Heussaff and Argentine businessman Nico Bolzicco had a small civil wedding in Argentina, to be followed with a big bash in Manille latter this year.
Georgina Wilson became the wife of a multimillionaire English businessman based in Singapore.
I could go on and on, but let’s chill for now.