L’amour, toujours, l’amour!

Love was in the air and it was the mood that pervaded the evening’s celebration. The joyful occasion was the silver anniversary of my sister Loudette and her French husband Jean Pierre Corcellut.

Contemplating 25 years of marriage could be a dream for some romantics but a nightmare to cynics. However, on that bright summer night in Paris, nobody was a cynic. Even the most jaded of hearts were magically transformed into romantic, simpering fools. For the 50 close friends and family members that happily celebrated with the couple, nostalgic memories lingered as we recalled their wedding day that seemed like only yesterday. Those that were present in their wedding 25 years ago did not doubt that the marriage vows "for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part" were written for them. Loudette and JP (as we fondly call him) live their married life like two peas in a pod, dedicated to each other and their two lovely teenage daughters, Alexa and Stephanie.

The ceremony was meaningful because it was Filipino priest, Fr. Fabelando who officiated it and members of the family had various roles in the mass. Our Dad, Manolo Carmona was the lector; Stefan Chan, our nephew was the altar boy; the celebrators lovely daughters Alexa and Stephanie Corcellut did the first and second readings and our niece, talented soprano Teenee Chan Sola sang the sacred arias throughout the mass.

Long standing friends like Vicky and Joe Zubiri, Kathy and Bing de Guzman, artist Offie Galvezon Tequi and husband Marc, Cora and Gerard Mura, Jojo Banaag, Eduardo Lacson, Mona Konzelman and Mila Gelvezon who flew in from LA were with us to celebrate the 25th. These friends were also with us when the couple got married. It was touching that they went out of their way to be with us again, 25 years later.

The occasion was made more elegant by the fashion conscious guests who were dressed to the nines. The celebrant chose a Malou Veloso with that Filipiniana touch: a red piña beaded tiered gown with a panuelo that was pinned on one side by a beaded abaca gumamela; Marisa Carmona Chan was in a Lulu Tan Gan one shoulder lime green terno; Vicky Zubiri in a romantic silver lace Christian La Croix; Kathy de Guzman in an ecru Jill Sander; Annie Carmona in a striking one-shoulder black gown, hand-painted Christian LaCroix; Kitty Jacinto in an asymmetrical beaded turquoise by Rajo Laurel; Lucelle Lopez in a black Moschino cocktail dress; Melissa Pinay in a multi-tiered buttercup yellow organza by new designer Paule Ka; Stefanie Zubiri in a Diane von Furstenburg cocktail summer dress; Mandy de la Rama in a chic flapper dress by Marie Sitbon; Leila Duclos wearing a lime green summer cocktail by Rene Derhy and pretty jeune filles Thea Jacinto, Alexa and Steffie Corcellut in their vintage dresses.

The program set the mood for dancing. But before the stoke of midnight, our Dad proposed a toast to the lovely couple with a short but meaningful speech: "When the heart is true, there is no need for words because even in silence love can be heard. Destiny determines who comes into our lives, but it’s the heart that determines who stays. For Loudette and Jean Pierre, it was their destiny to share a wonderful life together. Here is to the next 25 years!"

To the tune of Two for the Road, we travelled through the years collecting precious memories rendered by Teeny Chan Sola, the guests raised their champagne glasses and toasted the couple but in the deep recesses of our hearts, we clinked our glasses to love and romance. May they always fill our lives with meaning and purpose!