Glitz and glam and a whole lot of Christmas cheer
“Life is long, but it’s fragile. Things change and there’s always hope.” —Stephanie Zubiri
September started with so much glitz and glam and a whole lot of Christmas cheer! The most wonderful time of the year always starts this month when the magic of Christmas brightens each house with festive lights and holiday vibes. I found the most beautiful Christmas trees and table settings at Rustan’s Christmas Shop, the one-stop-shop for all things festive.
To explore different Christmas color schemes, Rustan’s invited creative icons to curate trees and table settings. Be enchanted by the stunning displays at the fifth floor of Rustan’s Makati. Secretary Katrina Ponce Enrile presents an Autumn Moroccan-themed tree, while business magnate Alice Eduardo dazzles with striking crimson tones and shimmering gold accents. Businesswoman Pinky Tobiano offers a timeless red-and-gold tree, and mom and society figure Odette Pumaren showcases a whimsical winter wonderland tree inspired by her grandchild, Mateo.
Pastel butterflies
For my personal spread, I brought my signature whimsy with a Christmas tree and a dazzling dining setup with pastel butterflies and dainty candle holders.
Model and entrepreneur Bea Soriano-Dee, alongside her mother-in-law Beng Dee, curated a chic Asian Christmas breakfast tablescape with French flair. Designer Chris Nick Delos Reyes added his modern, sophisticated touch to another stunning tablescape that seamlessly blends minimalism with festive glamor. Completing the lineup are interior designer Bambi Mañosa-Tanjutco and architect Gelo Mañosa, who present a creatively designed holiday vignette.
From the Rustan’s Christmas affair, I went straight to the 60th birthday party of Furnitalia grand dame Florence Ko. For her denim theme celebration at White Space, I wore an elaborate denim long jacket by Pamela Gotangco of Pampinay. Pam creates amazing designs from old materials and upcycles them. Her unique design aesthetics are so aligned with mine.
Having rediscovered my passion for promoting local fashion, I am so excited to mount the 12th Red Charity Gala featuring Lulu Tan Gan. Apart from her love of local weaves, Lulu is a master in tailoring and fabric manipulation. During our meeting with cochair Kaye Tiñga, Lulu and I shared life and love stories since we both have had challenging but fulfilling life experiences.
Personal insights
I recently shared very personal insights on the podcast of Stephanie Zubiri called “Soulful Feasts.” Life really has an incredible way of surprising us, and sometimes the most beautiful transformations come after the toughest heartbreaks. In the special episode, I had the chance to share my journey of healing and self-love after the end of my marriage. We talked about the process of rediscovering joy and learning how to fall in love with yourself again.
Stephanie’s thoughtful questions made it easy to open up about the pain, but also the overwhelming beauty of starting over. This episode is a reminder that no matter what you’ve gone through, there is always room to live, love and laugh again. It’s all about embracing the wild, beautiful colors of life.
Stephanie is not just an amazing podcast host—she’s a true force of nature. As a Reiki healer and wellness advocate, she doesn’t just talk about self-care, she lives it, and she’s been sharing that wisdom with the world through her work. Her “Soulful Feasts” podcast is a space where she brings deep, soulful conversations to life, and it was such an honor to be part of that. She’s also been running these incredible workshops that mix healing, spirituality and personal empowerment, helping people truly reconnect with themselves.
Catch Stephanie’s “Soulful Feasts” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and follow @stephaniezubiri and @soulfulfeasts for more information on her workshops and healing sessions.
Wedding
My constant support group is my Assumption high school batch 1981 classmates. One of them is Ona Lopez-Chung, and she invited me the wedding of her daughter Stefanie Lopez Chung to Samy Brian Beydoun. The London-based couple tied the knot in an exquisite wedding at Santuario de San Antonio church, followed by a stylish reception at the Forbes ballroom of Conrad Manila. The bride was stunning in her French lace gown by top British designer for the royals Phillipa Lepley, while the groom was dashing in his white suit.
The wedding sponsors were Tata Lopez Pineda, Olly Lopez Campos, Meg Roque, Anne Gonzalez, Monica Sy, Ricky Ng, Dr. Cesar Quiambao, Eric Puno, Tennyson Chen and Philippe Ha Yeung.
The Vocalismo Choir and flowers by Flowerlovers made the Mass so special, along with the long list of entourage members that included the maid of honor Patricia Lopez Chung and best man Per Enell.
The guests were hosted by the couple’s parents Arthur and Ona Chung and Ghassan and Miraine Beydoun. Many guests flew in from all over the world.
In charge of the event was top wedding coordinator COTE while videographer Jason Magbanua, photographer Pat Dy, and ProudRad covered it. The cocktail bar with drinks curated for the couple was by Manila Craft. Guest performer was tenor and crossover artist Jonathan Badon.
Among the VIP guests were SM vice chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson, Yuchengco Group’s Vivian and Yvonne Yuchengco, SMC deputy CFO Joseph Pineda, former China Bank president Peter Dee, Chung family matriarch Josie Dee Chung, EAC president Jose Paulo Campos and many more.
I ended my week at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Silang, Cavite, to celebrate the 178th Apparition Anniversary of the Beautiful Lady who appeared to two children, Maximin and Melanie, in La Salette, France. The concelebrated Mass was presided over by his Most Rev. Reynaldo G. Evangelista, D.D., bishop of the Diocese of Imus.
The good bishop made mention that the celebration was timely as the Church is preparing for the Jubilee of 2025—Pilgrims of Hope. The rector of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, Very Rev. Fr. Joel F. dela Cruz, MS, was grateful and offered prayers for everyone, encouraging us all to live with hope, peace and a Christ-centered journey.
