Why Charice wasn't at David-Yolanda 11-11-11 wedding

It was a family tragedy that prevented Charice from attending the wedding of her mentor David Foster and Ford model Yolanda Hadid last 11-11-11 at the Beverly Hills estate of business mogul Haim Saban and his wife Cheryl.

Charice, who was supposed to be among the performers at the reception, was here for the wake of her father Ricky Pempengco who was murdered on Oct. 30. She flew in from Singapore where she was scheduled to sing at Foster’s Hitman concert staged a week earlier in Manila. After the burial, Charice stayed for a few more days for an extended bonding with her family that included her father’s relatives with whom Charice and her mom Raquel made a belated peace. She went back to the US last weekend.

Those who performed at the reception were Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Donna Summer, Peter Cetera, Baby Face, Kenny G, The Canadian Tenors and Neil Sedaka. As he did during his Hitman concerts, later in the evening David sat behind the piano and pulled Avril Lavigne and Kate Hudson to do back-up vocals for Baby Face on Change The World.

The couple’s wedding date was revealed by Dr. Vicki Belo as early as last June during the opening of her beauty clinic in Glendale, California, where David and Yolanda were among the well-heeled guests.

Yolanda is resplendent in a gown designed by Monique Lhuillier. An emotional David told Yolanda, ‘You aren’t the first woman I’ve ever loved. That distinction goes to my mother, but you will for sure be the last woman I ever love.’

Vicki was asked when she and Hayden Kho were getting married (after he gave her an engagement ring in December last year) and Vicki said, “After David and Yolanda’s wedding,” without saying what the date was.

Good friends of Vicki, David and Yolanda are familiar to Filipinos since the couple has been traveling together. They were last here last week of October for the Hitman’s return concert at the Big Dome, featuring Charice, Michael Bolton, Ashanti, Russell Watson and Philip Bailey (formerly of Earth, Wind and Fire). The night before the concert, David and Yolanda were guests at a dinner hosted by Vicki in what David described as “her very beautiful house” in Forbes Park.

According to somebody who was at the couple’s wedding, Yolanda wore “a stunning blush-colored beaded gown” by Monique Lhuillier.

Here’s more eyewitness account:

While a 40-piece orchestra played, Foster walked down the aisle accompanied by two uniformed Royal Mounted Canadian police along with his five daughters Jordan, Erin, Sara, Amy and Allison Foster. 

The bride arrived on the arm of her 12-year-old son Anward Hadid in dramatic fashion as she strolled down a Cathedral length runway lined on both sides by thousands of candles. Yolanda’s daughters Gigi and Bella served as bridesmaids.  

 The ceremony officially opened with 11-year-old Jackie Evancho performing Pie Jesu. The bride and groom next received words of advice from Dr. Phil which was followed by personally written vows to one another. The ceremony concluded with Andrea Bocelli singing the Foster penned classic, The Prayer.

 “You aren’t the first woman I’ve ever loved,” said an emotional David after the ceremony. “That distinction goes to my mother, but you will for sure be the last woman I ever love.”

David and Michael Bolton at the dinner hosted by Dr. Vicki Belo before David’s Hitman repeat concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum late last month.

 One of the most touching moments was when Best Man Saban and Matron of Honor Danica Perez recited love letters written by David and Yolanda to each other during their courtship in 2006. 

Saban also shared the Jewish tradition of “the breaking of the glass” asking David to step on a glass wrapped in a napkin. “David could possibly be 1/60 Jewish but more important, Barbra Streisand is here,” joked Saban.

 Streisand was among the celebrities present, also including Oprah Winfrey, Mohammad Ali, Heidi Klum, Rob Lowe, Bo Derek, Suzanne Sommers, John Corbett, Former Canadian Prime Minister and Mrs. Brian Mulroney, Steve Wynn, Wolfgang Puck, James Brolin, Gayle King, Wayne Gretzky, Dianne Warren, Chris Botti, Eric Benet, Carol Bayer Sager, Brian Gayser, Sandy Gallin, Lara Fabian and Larry Ellison.

The report didn’t mention if Vicki and Hayden were there, although Vicki told Funfare Update that they were going before they went to Las Vegas to watch the Pacquiao-Marquez fight last Nov. 12 (US Time).

Here’s the rest of the eyewitness account:

A 50-piece gospel choir was sprinkled amongst the wedding guests following the ceremony and sang the Beatles song All You Need Is Love to the cue of “I pronounce you husband and wife.”

 The bride personally designed the reception tent that was draped in gun gray fabrics, gray suede covered couches and walls covered with 8-by-10 feet romantic black and white photos of the couple as well as wedding photos of both their parents on their wedding days. A five-course dinner created by Wolfgang Puck was served on custom-made mirrored tables dressed with hundreds of candles. The table centerpieces were large arrangements of melon colored peonies brought in from Australia by Eric Buterbaugh Design.

 The bride and groom danced their first dance to song The Last Time I Fall in Love which was performed by Eric Benét. 

 At exactly 11:11 p.m., the newly-weds cut into their five-foot pearl wedding cake wrapped in music notes.

Guest danced the night away till the early morning hours.  

Asked where the honeymoon was, the eyewitness only smiled.

Consummatum est!

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