On January 14, 2011, the sun was gloriously up over Southern California, in contrast to the news that heavy downpour buffeted the other parts of the country. By divine intervention, it was the perfect day for the wedding of a firstborn.
On this day, Corina de la Cruz, the eldest of 2 children of Prosy and Enrique de la Cruz was the picture of a beaming bride to Sergio Flores, son of Ms. Nancy Chavez. On January 14th, they exchanged marriage vows before a gathering of family and friends, at a wedding ceremony that was meticulously personalized and officiated by Reverend Marsha Mendizza.
As most would agree, the wedding coordinator’s job is to execute the desires of the couple; in particular, the bride. The tone of the wedding was set by Corina in the early part of August 2010. Corina knew what she wanted for her wedding, and went about decisively in ensuring that her wishes were carried out without hitches.
There are many elements that are critical to a successful wedding. Such elements can only be fulfilled with precise attention to details, but most importantly, cooperation from those who play an important role in the execution of these elements. Planning a wedding is similar to a painter’s blank canvas. The right colors and brushes have to blend in order to create a work of art. Planning a wedding is like a jumbled puzzle, all the pieces have to fit, and one missing piece will render the puzzle useless. Thus, to the naked eye the precise attention to details would seem obsessive, but truly, think about it, when the guest is seated correctly without confusion, or when the guest is served the right choice of food, or when the rings are secure in the best man’s pocket, or when music is played at the right moment without delay, or when the bride and groom are poised and relaxed, and the flow of the event is seamless, in the end of it all, these precise attention to details, do in fact, make sense.
Corina was resolute, and Sergio was very supportive. One could tell that all the wedding decisions that they concretely made sprang from a love that was nurtured through many years of growing together. One could tell that aside from being lovers, and now husband and wife, they are first and foremost each other’s best friends.
On the morning of January 14th, the frenzy began. As it turned out, the timing was perfectly carried out. The personal and ceremony flowers were delivered on target by Bob Alhanati of Flowers by Tomlinson, Ja Tecson of Ja Tecson Photography arrived on schedule with his wife, Beverly so did DJ Randy de Rama. The pieces of the puzzle were now set in motion and without doubt Corina and Sergio were about to paint the canvas of their wedding day.
Meanwhile, in the background was the tall order of assembling the centerpieces at my hotel room, and delivering them to the Cicada Restaurant where the ceremony and reception were to take place. With the amazing help of Elaine Quadra of White Flowers, I was able to oversee the rest of the wedding. With help of my assistant, Camille Nuyda was the advance party to ensure that all the pieces that were to go on each guest table were prepped for my final execution during the tight 1 hour set up at the end of the ceremony, between the cocktail hour and the reception that was to ensue right after. Any delay would have been chaos.
It was time to check out the photography that was taking place in the bridal suite. I walked in to a wispy vision of a bride who was resplendent and exquisitely beautiful in her bridal gown that was designed to suit her wedding theme of the 1930’s. She wore a veil that was depictive of the era, a skull cap with a bejeweled band across the top of her forehead. She wore an untraditional sheer black gloves and a matching black belt that was trimmed with a vintage silver brooch. She was quoted to say, ”my bridal gown exceeded all my expectations”. The bridal gown was designed and stitched with haute couture care by Carlyn Nuyda Calloway of Thumbelina.
It felt like I was looking at a mirage, a bride so delicate and yet sensuous, a bride whose facial expression was one of ultimate happiness, a bride slight in figure, and yet determined to join her groom in marriage. The parents of the bride were called in; and as soon as the father of the bride, Enrique de la Cruz saw his first born, tears flowed. The mother of the bride was equally touched. It was an emotional moment.
I silently observed Ja Tecson in action while clicking on his camera as Corina posed playfully. I decided right there and then that this photographer knew what he was doing. As cliché as it sounds, Ja was awesome!
It was time to make a brisk walk from the hotel to the Cicada Restaurant to get ready for the bridal party’s arrival and the start of the processional. Guest seating at the ceremony was circular, with the couple standing on a riser facing Reverend Marsha, under the twinkling lights of a huge chandelier. Exchange of vows was touching. The bride’s voice cracked a little, and the groom cried. The couple observed common traditions between their cultures; lighting of the unity candle and the exchange of arras or gold coins. The ceremony was solemn and meaningful because it was intended to be so by Corina and Sergio. Then the moment came when Sergio and Corina were announced as Mr. and Mrs. Sergio Flores. A thunderous applause of approval followed.
It was time to party. The Cicada Restaurant went over and above in their contracted service to ensure that the highest standards were carried out, from the ambience of the settings to the delicious food that was served. Kudos to La Maison du Pan, the dessert table looked very inviting in its architecture of presentation that it was difficult to stay away from helping yourself with one bite.
A huge widescreen stood by the dance floor to show movie clips of Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman depictive of the era that Sergio and Corina chose as a theme for their wedding. The master of ceremonies brought the house down with his jokes. The bride threw a bouquet that looked traditional and that only one female guest would catch it; instead the one bouquet broke into four parts and it caught the female guests on the floor off guard. As 4 women tried to elbow each other in pursuit of one of the 4 bouquets, the guests were delighted. Who caught it? The mother of the groom, Nancy Chavez. The groom tried his best to inch up to the garter belt but this task proved to be difficult because his groomsmen pulled him away each time. I was told that Corina’s 94-year-old grandmother, Felisa Buado Delacruz danced the night away and refused to get off the dance floor.
Just before the party began, Corina hugged me and whispered in my ear, “thank you so much, this exceeded my expectations, I love you”. This meant more to me than anything else. This made all the hard work and pre-wedding anxieties all worthwhile. I love you back Corina and Sergio.
All these vignettes at a wedding are without meaning if it were not for the devotion and love that went into it most especially from the families of Corina and Sergio. Corina’s parents were genuinely poised to help their child in a wedding that is second to none. Corina’s mother woke up early to select the calla lilies for the tables, tying ribbons on the napkins till midnight and numerous tasks needed before the wedding. Sergio’s mother extended her talent in the many ways that she did, the bridesmaids attires were her creations.
Someday too, Corina will be a mother of the bride, and Sergio a father of the bride. They will remember this moment, and they too would do the same.
At the end of the day, after all the accolades have been bestowed, after all the euphoria has waned, after the last dish is washed and put away, and after the dust settles, one thing remains; there was an overdose of love to make this wedding a reality. The love between the couple, the love between the parents and child, the love between brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, are paramount to a wedding. After all, when all else fails, it is reassuring and comforting to know that at the end of the day, when all else fails, there is family to turn to. Have a very happy life, Mr. and Mrs. Sergio Flores!
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