The first and only Filipina to win two international beauty crowns and titles, Michelle Cueva Reyes, tied the knot with Dr. Darnel Viray Dabu last Feb. 8, 3 p.m. at the Our Lady of Remedies, Chapel 1, Clarkfield, Angeles City. The wedding was officiated by Fr. Larry Sarmiento and lector was Martha Vinzons.
Michelle, 26, a registered nurse, is the eldest of six children of the late Col. Miguel Reyes of Zamboanga City and Isabelita Reyes of Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. She won as Anatolia Miss Tourism International 2001 and Miss Tourism World 2002. Her mom and brother Michael escorted Michelle to the altar.
Darnel, 29, a physician, is the only son of the late Dr. Florencio Dabu and Dr. Adelina Dabu of Angeles City, Pampanga. He walked with his mother and grandmother Ester Canlas Viray during the procession.
Excerpts from the vows they exchanged ("baby" and "honey" are their terms of endearment):
Darnel: "Baby...I will take care of you and our kids for the rest of our lives…you’re not only my life but you are my heart, my soul…you are my refuge. I couldn’t ask for more. I love you very much..."
Michelle: "Honey...I promise to be a good and loving wife to you and mother to our future children...
I’m all yours and you’re all mine now and forever… I love you so much…thank you for loving me..."
Radiant and beautiful as ever, Michelle was every inch a beauty queen in her simple yet elegant piña bridal gown created by Angeles City’s top couturier, Manny Dizon Ocampo. Darnel was dashing in his black tuxedo, also by Ocampo. Except for the principal sponsors, Ocampo also did the gowns and dresses with matte gold as the motif and black suits of the entourage.
The entourage was composed of luminaries from the government, military, medical and business sectors.Others were beauty queens.
BPCI Chair Stella Marquez de Araneta and Jorge Araneta (represented by BPCI Execom Member Bobby Roca) were among the principal sponsors who also included Nueva Ecija Rep. Josefina Joson, Nueva Ecija Gov. Tomas Joson III, Camarines Norte Gov. Jesus Typoco, Jr., Sultan Kudarat Vice Gov. Miguel Jacalan, M.D., Laur Mayor Blas Canlas, Daet Mayor Tito Sarion, Angeles City Vice Mayor Ricardo Zalamea, M.D., former BIR Commissioner Liwayway Vinzons-Chato and Dr. Rosemarie Jean Jaucian-Poblete, among others.
Zorayda Ruth Andam, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2001 and Dr. Jose Duran, Jr.; Maricar Balagtas, Miss Globe International 2001 and Dr. Mauricio Acosta, Jr.; and Katherine Anne Manalo, Bb. Pilipinas-World 2002 and Dr. Michael Madarang were the candle, veil and cord sponsors, respectively. The men are all UST Hospital doctors and groom’s Tau Mu Sigma Phi brothers.
Kristine Alzar, Miss Tourism International Ukraine Black Sea 2002 did the second reading. She and Michael caught the bridal bouquet and garter at the reception.
Cocktails were served at the Foyer of Holiday Inn, Clark after the Mass. Slide presentations, prepared by Darnel himself and in collaboration with Michelle, were shown as guests awaited the arrival of the newlyweds. The slides featured a collage of memorable pictures from the couple’s childhood, their school days, the day Darnel proposed at McDonald’s Dau with 25 orphans, the day she expressed her unwavering love at the Elephant World, his various medical missions in far-flung and impoverished areas under the auspices of his fraternity, her glorious moments as international beauty queen and when they personally visited their godparents for the wedding.
After receiving the guests, the newlyweds had a grand entrance in the Grand Ballroom to the tune of Born Victory, the same music played when Michelle was crowned Anatolia Miss Tourism International 2001. Special effects were used like confetti blasters, jet sparks pyrotechnics, fog, bubbles, flickers and sparklers (the first to be allowed by the hotel’s management).
Holiday Inn Hotel chef Frank Aguilar prepared a mouth watering buffet dinner for the 400 guests who came all the way from US and different parts of the archipelago. The groom’s mom selected the menu and personally supervised each detail.
Jay Bondoc’s string quartet and Karla Bondoc regaled the invitees with soothing music. Future lawyer Zora Andam rendered two classic love songs, The Nearness of You and Ikaw. Bestman Reynaldo Manalo sang Devoted to You, the favorite song of Michelle’s father.
A program called Pink Smile Day was co-hosted by Karen Loren Agustin, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2002 and Darnel’s fraternity brother Dr. Peregrin Guillen. A short film on the love story of the newlyweds, The Look of Love, directed by award-winning musical arranger Jessie Lasaten, was also shown. Conceptualized by the duo, it recalls how their paths crossed and how their love blossomed in the UST Hospital’s Neonatal ICU. Darnel sang their theme song, I Will by Ben Taylor, just like a real MTV artist, in the video. UST Hospital Directress Alita Conde and East Avenue Medical Center Chief of Clinic & UST professor Dr. Florentino Doble gave the testimonials.
Darnel and Michelle gave away elephant figurines made of Mt. Pinatubo volcanic ash by Pinatubo Handicrafts. They hied off to Boracay for their honeymoon. After Darnel completes his Public Health Masters degree in UP, Diliman, the couple will leave for the US end of this year where they will eventually reside and practice their respective professions. She will work at the Maternal & Child Department of East Texas Medical Center and he aspires to work at United Nations’ World Health Organization.
Spotted among the guests were Queen of Tourism International 2003 Noela Mae Evangelista, Bb. Pilipinas-International 2003 Jhezarie Javier, ace director Jeff Jeturian (Michelle’s discover), Insider Journal columnist Ces Evangelista and UP Institute of Chemistry assistant professor Imee-Su Martinez (Michelle’s batchmate in Bb. 2001 pageant).
• Miss Universe 2000 Lara Dutta, who is now a much-sought after Bollywood actresss, recently opened her own modelling school called the Suede Modelling Academy. Run by her beau, Kelly Dorji, the academy will have a panel of experts who will train students in health and nutrition, hair, speech and diction, skin care, make-up, physical fitness, style, ramp and still modelling and beauty contest training.
• Amelia Vega, reigning Miss Universe from Dominican Republic, will appear in Telemundo’s soap opera, Amor Descarado (Shameless Love). It will be aired on primetime TV from Mondays to Fridays in the US and most Latin American countries starting mid-February.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)