Zobel-Knox wedding: ‘Ngiting tagumpay ang lahat’
One of the most liked and reposted posts on Threads about the wedding of Natasha Zobel de Ayala and investment banker Jamie Knox came from ladies who called the bride their “alaga.”
At its very heart, alaga is a Filipino word that refers to someone you take care of with affection and attention.
When Natasha, daughter of Fernando Zobel de Ayala and the former Catherine “Kit” Silverio, wed Jamie at the Santuario de San Antonio church in Makati, one of ladies who look after the Zobel children and household, captioned her post, “Ngiting tagumpay ang lahat sa wedding ng aming alaga na mabait.”
In the photo posted by “Marites,” she and other members of the household staff looked like proud titas of the bride, smiles of joy not only emanating from their lips but also from their eyes. They had their own special table at the reception at the Manila Polo Club.
In response to one of those who commented on their lovely gowns she said, “Binili po sa amin ni Ma’am at kinuhaan din po kami ng taga make-up po.”
One member of the beloved staff marched down the aisle as part of the entourage. A class act.
“Beautiful couple. Beautiful wedding,” was how “Concert Queen” Pops Fernandez, a classmate of the mother of the bride, described the nuptials.
Another guest, Marivic Rufino, described the wedding in a social media post as “exquisitely elegant.”
“Youthful, fresh, low-key, unique,” she added.
After the wedding the groom whisked his bride off in a colorful jeepney to the reception at the Manila Polo Club.
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Chef Rhea Castro SyCip of Flour Pot, who created the wedding cake, recalled to me, “Natasha and Kit were so nice to work with and they gave me their full trust in executing the cake.”
She said the 48-kilo, all-edible cake had Hummingbird as the base, Citrus Orange Blossom as the middle tier and Carrot Date for the top tier. She collaborated with Antonio Garcia of Mabolo Flowers for the “amazing edible florals.”
“Antonio was wonderful in using the right flowers,” she added.
“Grateful (the cake) didn’t fall and survived to be part of one of the most beautiful wedding receptions I have ever laid eyes on.”
“What a wonderful wedding it was!” she told me.
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After the wedding, Kit was seen sending off three of her children, including the newlyweds, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Like the rest of those sending off their loved ones, she stood on the curb, waving goodbye through the glass doors. She obviously did not have a VIP pass (I presume she could have requested one) that would have allowed her to hug her children goodbye in air-conditioned comfort.
In 2008, I interviewed Fernando just after his family was included by Forbes on the list of the Philippines’ wealthiest. How does it feel, I asked him then.
“I’ve never been asked that question before. (It) is really not an issue that I or other members of the family think about. What I consider far more important is the happiness and fulfillment that I get from so many other parts of my life—my wonderful family, friends and the fulfillment that comes from being able to work with a great team in the company and the ability to contribute in some way to the progress of the country.”
The apple, indeed, doesn’t fall far from the tree. Ngiting tagumpay from all of us as well, Natasha and Jamie!
