Arnold Geraneo and Cheryl Continente Say "I do" -- At the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church and MO2 Westown Hotel, Iloilo City, January 8, 2011

January 8, 2011, Saturday was a red-letter day for my second cousin Arnold Geraneo and his fiancee Cheryl Continente as they finally exchanged 'I do's' before God and man at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, San Isidro, Jaro, Iloilo City

Present at the ceremony were kins and friends of the groom and the bride. Tito Tonio, the groom's father was elegant in his pina barong. Tita Nita, the mother, looked younger in her lilac-colored gown. The bridesmaids and the sponsors also wore Victorian lilac, the motif of the wedding. 

The St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church was decorated with lilac and white flowers combined with sage greens. For me who loves colors, the combination of lilac and sage is an example of mixing a cool color with a more earthly, neutral tone creating a dainty and delicate feeling. Kudos to those who conceptualized everything!

Actually, I had no plan to attend the wedding because I had a class in UP Graduate School. You know in UP, once you miss a four-hour session, it's like missing four thick books already. On the other hand, my cousin Marie Geraneo, the groom's sister, had asked me months earlier to be the commentator during the wedding rites. Dilemma, indeed. I reflected, and I came up with a very good solution - attend the wedding in the morning ( which meant being absent absent from my morning class ) and go to UP in the afternoon before 1 PM. So I did attend the wedding.

After the wedding rites at the St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church, we proceeded to MO2 Westown Hotel in Smallville Complex for the reception. Yet again, I was asked to host the program for the newlyweds since the original man for the job was not around. It wasn't much of a task since I just welcomed the new couple to the presidential table along with their parents and principal sponsors. After a small introduction then came the usuals - cutting of the cake, champagne toast, tossing of the garter and bouquets, as well as speeches. There was also a live band which played familiar wedding songs throughout the reception as guests continued to celebrate the special occasion with Arnold and Cheryl.

True to plan, I left the hotel some 20 minutes before 1 PM, just in time for my afternoon class in UP with Prof. Donne Jonne Sodusta. To Arnold and Cheryl, may you spend each day with so much love for each other. Congratulations!

Guests partaking the bounty shared by the newlyweds, Arnold and Cheryl

Post Script:

Me at the wedding...

With Kat Cristales, JP Cristales, Henry Munieza, William Munieza, Antonette Geraneo, Marie Geraneo, Jong Geraneo, Gina Geraneo-Lagasca, Anj Dechilla, and Joevannie Ibanez