In the original telling, the wedding of Amado Araneta Forés and Carmela Fortuna was to be a grand affair—an elegant celebration with 700 guests set at the Araneta family’s Bahay na Puti estate in Cubao, complete with culinary flair, unconventional floral arrangements, and a sentimental menu crafted with Amado’s mother, Margarita Araneta Forés, Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2016.
But life has its own narrative arc.
When Margarita, popularly known as Gaita, passed away suddenly of cardiac arrest in February, the plans had to be redrawn—tenderly. In quiet deference to her memory, the couple exchanged vows in an intimate civil ceremony last May, with only 120 guests—family and close friends—in the ancestral home where Margarita began her storied pioneering efforts in a stellar culinary career.
The scaled-down affair was no less personal or meaningful. Wedding planner Rachel Martelino of Bride’s Maids & Co. helped orchestrate the transition from resplendence to intimacy, reworking what was intended to be a sweeping celebration in the garden and poolside pavilions into something centered within the main house.
Instead of grandeur, there was gratitude. A thanksgiving Mass preceded a dinner buffet that reflected Margarita’s flair and warmth. One dish had special meaning: pasta with nduja, a spicy Calabrian sausage paste. In a previous interview, Margarita shared how she would make the dish when trying to comfort friends or family—and that one day, her son should serve it at his wedding.
Amado, the only son of Margarita and the founder/CEO of AF Hospitality and the new chairman, president and CEO of Cibo, wore a European brand suit which he had purchased himself. Carmela wore an off-shoulder, empire-cut gown by Inno Sotto which highlighted her delicate beauty. Sotto had famously dressed both Amado’s grandmother, Maria Araneta, and his mother. Her afternoon look, for a pre-wedding lunch at Lusso at Rockwell, was a custom-made white embroidered dress by Josie Natori. True to the very private nature of the Araneta clan, the couple savored the lunch quietly together.
Carmela, who left a career at Philip Morris International to become managing director of AF Hospitality, stepped in to complete the event preparations her future mother-in-law had lovingly begun. “Carmela had taste, and they were very much in sync,” said Martelino. “The transition felt natural, and the result was beautiful.”
Sampaguita swags by florist Serge Igonia deck the winding stairway. (Photo courtesy of Gino Gonzales)
In lieu of theatrical floral installations, the arrangements were elegant and textured—designed by scenographer Gino Gonzales and executed by Margarita Florals and event stylist Jose Francisco “Joji” Duque. Serge Igonia decked the house with dramatic sampaguita swags.
A guest book from Smythson, the British brand favored by royalty and pre-ordered by Margarita, was placed near the entrance. “It was likewise passed around, OG style,” said Martelino
Since it was a civil wedding, the procession was limited to the children of close family and friends. Leading the way were flower girl Aurora, daughter of Raul and Audrey Forés, and ring bearer Augusto León, son of Ana and Joey Osmeña. During the offertory, Pepe and Pilar Roxas—children of Mar and Korina Roxas—brought symbolic offerings to the altar
There was no dress code; the women came in effortlessly elegant cocktail attire and the men in easy, well-cut jackets—typical of the understated elegance of society old guard.
Earlier, during the wedding’s food tasting, Amado was exacting and meticulous—traits that so far have defined his culinary career and helped earn accolades for his restaurants.
Bridal cake by Sonja surrounded by family mementos
Table setting of blooms by Margarita Florals on custom-woven Cordillera table runner (Photo courtesy of Gino Gonzales)
The dinner tables were set in a casually refined mix of modern china from the Cibo’s catering service and heirloom family silver. The tiered wedding cake by Sonja Ocampo, made with rich Bordier butter, featured swags and a sugar topper of the bride and groom dressed similarly like the newlyweds. The premium French butter added a smooth texture and a rich flavor that balanced the sweetness. Photos of the couple including some with Margarita were framed in elegant silver, a signature touch of the OG, surrounded the cake—a personal, tender touch.
The post-ceremony mood was relaxed—an afterparty led by the groom’s cousins, with music by the AMP band. It was, by all accounts, a family night more than a formal fête.
The couple plans to hold a church wedding next year. Details remain closely held — fitting for a family that, though rooted in public legacy, has always cherished the private moments behind the curtain.
The Araneta home set for the civil wedding
This was not the wedding they had originally planned. But in many ways, it may have been the one that mattered more. Grief rearranged the original script—but love, presence, and grace rewrote it.
Tiffany Chiavari chair reserved for Margarita (Photo courtesy of Gino Gonzales)
The union of Amado and Carmela felt less like a scaled-back event and more like a fully realized on —made more intimate by an absence that nonetheless hovered gently, in fact a presence that was felt in every thoughtful detail like in Margarita’s Tiffany Chiavari chair.
