A celebration of love, family, friendship & music
Weddings are always happy occasions, but they become even more special when it is family who is celebrating. On Aug. 22, my nephew, Joseph Daza-Puyat, son of Louie Puyat and my cousin Nina Daza, married Kaye Holmes, daughter of Ronnie Holmes, president of Pulse Asia and a professor of political science at De La
Salle University.
Ronnie is now married to Ayame Suzuki, a political science professor in Tokyo. Kaye’s mother, Jane Abiog, was present at the couple’s intimate civil wedding on Aug. 17.
The religious wedding celebration was officiated by Fr. Fernando Urbano, SDB, at Don Bosco Church in Makati City, followed by a reception at the Makati Diamond Hotel, where some 200 guests gathered to celebrate the newlyweds.
Joe and Kaye have a charming love story, as shared by Gio, Joseph’s older brother and best man. Apparently, Joseph took a chance and signed up for a dating app — and that is where he met Kaye.
Joe is a sound engineer in the advertising industry and a member of The Cohens, a band he formed in 2011 with his high school friends from Ateneo de Manila. The group recently signed with Tarsier Records. Kaye, meanwhile, has been a flight attendant with Philippine Airlines since 2016.
According to Ronnie, Kaye has always been helpful, responsible, outgoing and, of course, very pretty. As he reminisced about his daughter’s younger years, he became teary-eyed and emotional. He also shared that he knew Joe truly loved Kaye because of the effort he made to see her — driving all the way from Ayala Heights in Quezon City, where he lived, to Bacoor, Cavite, where Kaye lived.
The reception was filled with thoughtful and fun touches that reflected the personalities of the newlyweds and their families.
As guests arrived at the ballroom foyer of the Makati Diamond Hotel, waiters were on hand with canapés and drinks. There were figs, jam and herbed-cheese crostini, seared tuna with wasabi mayonnaise, and garlic-and-bacon tartlets to start.
Guests also trooped to a flower cart, where assorted blooms were arranged into colorful bouquets for them to take home. Beside it was a vegetable stand featuring fresh mushrooms, carrots, garlic, lemons, Baguio beans, lime and sayote — all sourced from King Louie’s Farm in Baguio City, the Puyat family business. A photo booth, meanwhile, gave guests another excuse to let loose and pose for wacky shots.
When I saw my cousin Nina, I could not help but compliment her beautiful blue gown. She proudly told me that the kimono had been bought at a Tokyo flea market during their trip to Japan for the pamamanhikan. She paid ¥3,500, or about P1,350, and later had designer Zia Wycoco upcycle it as an ode to Kaye’s Japanese family.
Adding to the evening’s fun was host Victor Anastasio, who announced the arrival of the newlyweds with his usual humor. He pointed out that Joe and Kaye came from opposing universities — Joe from Ateneo and Kaye from De La Salle University. Even their wedding rings carried playful references to their alma maters. Kaye’s ring reads, “Live Joe in my heart forever,” a clever take on La Salle’s prayer, “Live Jesus in my heart forever.” Joe’s ring, meanwhile, carries the equally playful line, “Win or Lose, it’s Kaye I choose.”
Then came dinner — and there was certainly no shortage of food.
The meal began with a skirt steak salad tossed tableside in a Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel, followed by a trio of mushroom soup with freshly baked bread and butter. For the main course, guests had a choice of US beef belly with red wine sauce or sherry-wood-smoked whole chicken with hickory barbecue sauce, accompanied by vegetables and saffron or white rice.
The carving station was another crowd-pleaser, offering baked salmon with Mediterranean crust, porchetta with local mostarda and liver sauce, haricot verts and marble potatoes.
And for those with a sweet tooth, dessert was hard to resist: warm apple crumble pie and an ice cream station serving chocolate and vanilla with homemade cones and a tempting assortment of toppings — from crumble cookies and white chocolate to sprinkles and fresh fruits.
The drinks flowed freely as well, with assorted cocktails, red and white wine, iced tea and soda.
One of the evening’s most delightful surprises was Nina’s revival of an old wedding tradition. Victor called all the single ladies to the wedding cake and invited them to pull ribbons tucked neatly beneath it. Each ribbon was attached to a charm, and Nina had bought 40 pieces of jewelry — rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets — for the ladies to discover. Each came with an inspiring message. Needless to say, the single ladies gamely joined in and happily claimed their prizes.
But the most fun part of the evening was when The Cohens took the stage.
Paolo Lim and Aaron Parlade shared lead vocals, with Aaron also on rhythm guitar. Karl Valdez was on bass, Milo Heraldo on lead guitar, and Joe on drums.
Kaye eventually joined the band and sang along to Sugar, We’re Goin Down. Before long, guests were on their feet, singing and dancing with the newlyweds and their friends.
After The Cohens’ set, the party continued, with guests dancing alongside instructors who kept everyone moving late into the evening.
It was a wonderful celebration of love, family, friendship and music, made even more memorable by the many personal touches that made Joe and Kaye’s wedding uniquely theirs.
To Joe and Kaye, wishing you both a lifetime of marital bliss, filled with love, laughter, and beautiful, happy and healthy children!
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