Wedding on Friday: What the groom fears

KARYLLE and Yael photo by jude bautista

Yael Yuzon is caught up, not in the chaos of a rock concert but in the whirl of wedding preparations.

“Ultrablessed” is the title of his band Sponge Cola’s new studio album. Yael has every reason to feel that way; on Friday, he ties the knot with his girlfriend of over three years, singer-actress-TV host Karylle.

In a recent interview, Yael told the Inquirer he was more excited than nervous about the wedding. “My friends are more anxious, actually. I’m just a relaxed, low-maintenance guy,” said Yael, who dreads only one thing—wearing a necktie. “Nakakasakal!” he said, laughing.

He regards the wedding as just a formality, he said. “In my head, we’ve been married for quite a while. I’ve always known this is where we are headed. I don’t get into a relationship … just because.”

The rocker said he proposed to Karylle last August, and that they have since been planning to settle down. The rumors surfaced last December. In fact, the couple never directly confirmed the relationship until Karylle announced on the noontime program “It’s Showtime” recently that she was, indeed, marrying Yael.

Very private

“We have always been very private about our personal lives,” he said. “We kept everything between the two of us, our families and close friends, who will also be bridesmaids and groomsmen.”

The rites will be just as “private and chill,” Yael said without disclosing details except to say it would be “a gathering of those who care about us.”

No secret, though, is their wedding theme song, “Singapore Sling (Dahil Kilala Na Kita),” a track from “Ultrablessed” that the couple wrote during a visit to the city-state. “The song is about getting to know your loved one being a never-ending process,” he said. “There’s no period, just a lot of commas.”

Fittingly, it was music that brought Yael and Karylle together. They met during the second part of the Eraserheads’ reunion concert in 2009. To relive that special moment, Yael said, they plan to catch the band’s London gig in April, during their planned European honeymoon.

Why stop?

Yael said fans had expressed concern that he might slow down in the music scene once he’s married. Quite the contrary, the Sponge Cola vocalist assured them, he’s going to be busier than ever.

“I’ll shoot a music video and tour the country after the honeymoon. Why would I stop playing? That’s crazy; this is what I do,” he said. “I’m more productive when inspired—I write faster and the material is more sincere. Everything flows.”

Yael recently released the music video of Sponge Cola’s second single from “Ultrablessed,” “Anting-Anting,” with Gloc-9 and Denise Barbacena.

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