From coffee to commitment

Whipping up an engagement party in one week is probably the only way to really celebrate the whirlwind engagement of entrepreneur Enrique Gonzales and writer Celine R. Lopez. Invitations from PaPillo were delivered the day they were ordered, wrapped in silk champagne ribbons to 150 of the couple’s closest friends.

The couple have known each other for close to a decade but only connected at a celestial wedding, where the bride and groom were fixed up by Celine herself. Talk about returning the favor! They have been inseparable ever since and they never looked back.

The Sky Lounge at the Export Bank building was decorated in black fabric and silk tassels by the team of Karl Ty — on the express wish of the bride for them to recreate the fundraising scene for Harvey Dent from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Working from this concept, the result was decidedly minimalist but nonetheless luxurious in gray-and-black — the space accentuated by cacti flowers in silver containers. Sparse but imaginative.

Nevertheless, the evening went perfectly with food from Cibo, cupcakes from Sonja’s, champagne and exotic spirits — think boutique-aged scotch and grass vodka from Booze On-line Incorporated flowing all night.

The entertainment was no less in keeping with the varied tastes of the couple. Setting the tone for the evening was violinist Jay Cayuca, who serenaded the couple for two hours. Then the bombast of the Powerhouse Band followed, playing an eclectic repertoire that included everything from The Beatles to Lady Gaga. Karl Ty then took to the turntables and spun old-school anthems.

If anything, the night was perhaps the only appropriate way to announce the engagement of this young, dynamic couple: intimate, a bit off-the-wall but nonetheless memorable.