Mandarin lessons before wedding

Photo courtesy of cornerstone talent management

Actress Maricar Reyes took basic Mandarin language lessons before tying the knot on Sunday at The Bellevue Hotel in Alabang with singer Richard Poon, whose family is Chinese.

Last year, Maricar studied at Ateneo de Manila University’s Confucius Institute. A source said she was “a smart student, very low profile.”

Photo courtesy of cornerstone talent management

Asked why she wanted to learn the language, Reyes, who’s also a doctor, explained that it was “for possible business ventures in the future.”

Reyes “embraced Chinese culture,” said the source.

And Poon’s family embraced “this incredible woman” back, according to a recent post on Facebook by the singer’s sister, Eva Marie. Bayani San Diego Jr.