Charlie Carmona - Leana Farrales: A formula for a successful wedding

Most weddings are downright boring.  The guests are obliged to sit through hours of watching lengthy videos of the bride and groom’s baby years, early childhood, teenage years, and adult-hood, when the truth is the guests couldn’t care less. In fact, these videos should be confined to family affairs. Then they have to listen to long speeches prepared by family members and friends, saying the same things over and over again — like how the couple met, fell in love, the pamanhikan, and their wishes for the newlyweds. Did I see you yawning by this time?

The long list of sponsors (usually strangers to each other) are nailed to their seats in a long presidential table in full view of everyone, together with the bride and groom who are so conscious and uncomfortable because the spotlight is on them.  By this time, the guests are getting antsy and just raring to leave unless something exciting happens.  What about giving them entertainment by an excellent singer or a good band playing good music to dance the night away? Or maybe both!  Sadly, there is usually none of these. Or if there is any, they start so late (because of the lengthy dinner, speeches, and videos) that most guests have already left.

Our baby brother Charlie and his sweetheart of four years, Leana Farrales, tied the knot recently. On a scale of one to 10, I would rate this wedding an 11. It was absolutely one of the most fun weddings I have attended in my life.

For starters, they decided to invite only people that have touched their lives in one way or another. The guest list was made up of mostly their friends and some very close relatives. Neither my parents nor us, his siblings, gave our guest list. We did not meddle with the couple’s guest list and their preparations, unless we were asked to.  I was formally asked to be one of the ninangs and I readily accepted. The principal and secondary sponsors were only family and close friends.  The couple did not hire a wedding planner. The bride’s close friends — Malu Gamboa, Tessa P. Valdes, Carmella Gana, Lia Regala, Kitty Jacinto, my two sisters Marisa Chan and Annie Carmona — helped in all the preparations and organization.  The bride’s uncle, noted couturier Ben Farrales, made the gowns of the bride and her entourage, (maid of honor Malu Gamboa and bridesmaid Tessa Valdes, flower girl Rocio Zobel) while Rajo Laurel, a close friend, created the gowns of the secondary sponsors (Kitty Jacinto, Carmella Gana and Elena Verlee).

The groom asked his best friend, Inigo Zobel, to be his best man and his brother, Joselito, and a few close friends to be his groomsmen.  Some of the couple’s close friends who live abroad flew in especially for the wedding. Edouardo Lacson, one of the ninongs, flew in from Monte Carlo, and said he wouldn’t miss this wedding for the world. The ceremony started at 3 p.m. at the San Antonio Church and by 5 p.m., the reception area at the Polo Club was already filled with guests enjoying the bubbly and tasty appetizers. Guests were free to choose their tables and sit with people of their choice during the sumptuous buffet dinner.  Everyone was moving around, socializing with each other even during dinnertime.  When everyone had finished eating, Inigo went to the microphone and offered a toast to Charlie and Leana. He went to daddy Manolo Carmona and asked him to say a few words for the newlyweds. Daddy Manolo told the couple to give him grandchildren, soon! Brother Bing and sister Marisa each gave one-liners and passed the microphone to Tessa Valdes, who introduced father of the bride Charlie Farrales, who gave a short but witty speech. Leana’s running mate, Fred Uytengsu, offered a toast to Leana and said that her fervor in running is one to be admired. Soon the Eight Track band played and Leana and Charlie hit the dance floor. Everyone else followed and the dancing never stopped.

Pinky Amador rendered a few songs and so did Johnny Velasquez of Spirit of ‘69 fame. During intermission, the talented Chan brothers Michael and Joe (children of Joe Mari Chan), and Stefan Chan (our nephew) gave a few numbers.

The Eight Track band continued to play, while the guests danced non-stop. When their stint was over, DJ Boyet Almazan played hit dance songs to the enjoyment of the guests, who partied like there was no tomorrow. After the party, the couple’s friends asked them to get married again as “this was the most fun wedding party we’ve attended in a long while!”