CHINA, Gino, and Lucia Gonzalez Photos by Red Juan Photography
After seven years together, actress China Cojuangco and chef Gino Gonzalez got hitched last Dec. 10 at the Our Lady of Lourdes church in Tagaytay.
The groom cried more than the bride did. “I was so emotional,” Gino said. “When I saw China walk down the aisle, it just melted my heart.”
China’s sisters Mikee and Maimai were the matrons of honor; her best friend, Kakai Bautista, was bridesmaid. The engagement ring that Gino gave China has a touching story behind it.
“The diamond came from my great-grandmother; my dad inherited it as [part of] a set of earrings,” Gino related. “When he was 30 years old and was going to open Café Ysabel, he sold the earrings to bankroll the business. But my grandma bought it back and when she died, my sister and I got an earring each. I made it into a stud earring, and, eventually into China’s engagement ring.”
That’s probably why his dad, chef Gene Gonzalez, couldn’t help crying when he saw it on China’s finger. That family heirloom started his legacy in the resto industry.
CHEFS Gene and Gino Gonzalez
The wizardry of the Gonzalezes in the food biz was very much evident in the wedding reception held at Hacienda Isabela. It was quite a gastronomic feast, as students and graduates of their Center for Asian Culinary Studies (CACS) and the Café Ysabel staff came in full force.
Center of attention
Aside from the sumptuous dinner buffet, the center of attention was the newlyweds’ adorable four-month-old baby girl, Lucia. China enjoys being a full-time, breast-feeding mom. The couple will put their honeymoon on hold until Lucia is old enough to be left with her grandparents.
The cute couple’s black-and-white video presentation was devoid of mushiness, and had just the right amount of tenderness. In the vid, China revealed that initially, she thought Gino was gay because he had too many hand movements while teaching in culinary class. They met when China enrolled in CACS. In time, they found the missing ingredient in each other.
Mikee (Cojuangco-Jaworski) advised her sister and brother-in-law to treat their struggles as adventures. Maimai said she was looking forward to more interesting family lunches.
“China is a new leaf on an old tree,” noted chef Gene. “She has become a permanent fixture in our life.”
The bride’s dad (Peping Cojuangco) waxed sentimental: “I used to be asked how I managed having five daughters. Now that they’re all married, I ask myself how I will manage without my daughters at home.”
BABY Lucia with grandma Tingting
China’s ever-fab mom, Tingting, was the picture of a doting lola to Lucia. When I asked how she stayed fit, she said, simply, “I eat only when I’m hungry.”
For the after-party, we moved to the poolside, which felt a lot like Boracay, fave local destination of China and Gino. Seeing how blissfully happy they were made me want to believe in marriage all over again.
Congrats, Mr. and Mrs. G! May your love keep simmering with all flavors of happiness and may your marriage stay spicy and sweet in equal parts. Stick together for better, for worse and for good!