The National Shrine of Saint Joseph in Mandaue City was the scene of an elegant afternoon wedding when pretty Airish Castro became the bride of Dino Yapjoco. She is the daughter of Gilbert and Isidra Castro; he is the son of Ben and Zenaida Yapjoco.
Archbishop of Cebu José Palma was asked to say the nuptial Mass but he had to be out of town that day, so Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal gladly took his place. Concelebrating were Msgr. Romualdo Kintanar, Fr. Joseph de Aquino and Fr. Eduardo Ventic.
Principal sponsors were Honorary Consul of Belgium Enrique Benedicto and Lourdes Eulalia Castro, José Mari Chan and his wife Mary Ann, Robert Dino and Fe Roden, Ramon Durano III and his wife Elizabeth, Antonio Florendo and Sylvia de Guzman Shue, Earl Kokseng and Juliet Chan;
Ernesto Limkakeng and Pilar del Rosario Puno, Gen. Vicente Loot and Genara Caballes, Leonito and Virginia Lopue, Vicente Ongchanhoi and Dr. Grace Lumapas, Antonio Sy and Virginia Roldan, former Cebu City Mayor Antonio Veloso and his wife Edwina.
Rhena Lou Micolob was maid of honor while Thomas Jude Yapjoco stood as his father’s best man. In the bridal entourage were bridesmaids Ana Loreta Andrada, Jemmenie Sia, Kristin Salimbangon and Erica Tudtud. Complementing them were groomsmen Hon. Ramon Durano IV, Chovasco Nacar, Allan Noel and Antonio Luis Tormis III.
Little attendants were flower girls Anika Enriquez, Alexa Napitan, Sarina Suto, Mary Danielle and Mary Jhulia Monroid; and the pages, Allen and Arron Castro, and Cesar Kristofer Salimbangon bearing the rings, coins and bible, respectively.
Attending the bridal couple during the nuptial rites were the secondary sponsors: Ken and Rhoanne Salimbangon for candles; Roseller and Arcel Enriquez, veil; and Vicor Yunque and Aivie Castro, cord.
Guests motored back to Cebu City for the evening reception held at Cebu Country Club. The ballroom was transformed into a Winter Wonderland. To punctuate that, ballet dancers performed the Snow Scene from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.”
Among the guests was Del Ordonez who was requested to sing. He obliged with “Because You’re Mine” and “Love is a Many Splendored Thing.”
José Mari Chan, a close friend of the Yapjoco family, took the mic to congratulate the newlyweds and propose a toast in their honor. “I know Ben since I was eight years old,” José Mari said, recalling happy childhood days.
The wedding being in the midst of the Christmas season, José Mari Chan performed the famous song he composed 22 years ago. Looking for bridesmaid Erica Tudtud who had earlier dedicated a song to Dino and Airish, he asked if she could join him in a duet of “Please Be Careful with My Heart.” There was a collective swoon.
Spate of birthdays
January has seen quite a spate of parties to celebrate the birthdays of some of Cebu’s most prominent golden boys. “We’re more than that,” one of them has commented, saying “we’re diamonds!”
With Amparito Lhuillier, Michel Lhuillier marked his birthday with an intimate dinner for family and close friends at French restaurant La Maison Rose. The menu was fabulous, prepared by the two young French chefs expressly flown from Paris.
There was terrine of boar among the starters. For entrees, guests had a choice of either Fish Papillote, or Crispy Duck Confit which was superb. It is one of the favorites of La Maison’s patrons.
For Tony Veloso, wife Edwina with children and grandchildren whipped up quite a dinner party at Salon Granada of Casino Español de Cebu. The prime rib roast was supremely juicy.
We Care Foundation members were present, and that meant an evening of songs. Accompanying was Roland Suarez who can be as powerful as a one-man orchestra. There’s something about his tempo that makes people want to dance.
For their dad Dodong Alegrado, June Alegrado and Julie Alegrado Vergara held a private celebration at Jazz ‘n’ Blues, where two bands alternated catchy dance tunes.
“You don’t look it,” Anna Marie Llamas Dizon told Rodrigo Gandionco the night he and Julie asked kith and kin to celebrate his 85th birthday. That was at the ballroom of Casino Español de Cebu, complete with show, and dancing for the rest of the night.
