Cover Sabina Yulo-Mathay and Enrique Mathay share a triumphant moment outside the parish (Photo: Weddings by Trasienne)
Sabina Yulo-Mathay and Enrique Mathay share a triumphant moment outside the parish (Photo: Weddings by Trasienne)
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For Sabina Yulo-Mathay and Enrique “Ikee” Mathay, their wedding was never just about the two of them
St Joseph the Worker Parish in Canlubang, Laguna, has stood long enough to witness the weddings of several generations of Yulos: Sabina Yulo’s great-grandfather, her grandfather and his siblings, her aunts and uncles, and her cousins. As such, when it was her turn to walk down the aisle and marry Enrique “Ikee” Mathay in January earlier this year, the choice of venue was a given. “I often lean on my community for a lot of things in life,” Sabina says. Family, both blood and chosen, has always been her foundation. Ikee understood that from the start, which is why, when he finally proposed after seven years together, he worked hard to ensure the family was present.
The couple had been together for seven years when he proposed, prompting Sabina to constantly tease him about no longer being able to surprise her with a proposal. “Good luck!” she said. But Ikee proved her wrong. He gathered friends and family at her house just before their red-eye to Hanoi, surprising Sabina, who was busy packing. “It set the tone of the whole wedding”, she recalls, “being surrounded by loved ones as we celebrate a major milestone.”
The bride, Sabina Kerenza Yulo- Mathay (Photo: Weddings by Trasienne)
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While some couples chase trends and polished aesthetics, Ikee and Sabina let sentimental value and community guide them through the planning process. The reception was held at the Yulos’s ancestral home, designed by Sabina’s father, the architect Jorge Yulo—just minutes away from the church. The ceremony was officiated by a relative. The processional was scored by friends Nash Cruz and Enrico Paglinawan, who created an edit of Spinning Away by Brian Eno and John Cale, one of Sabina’s father’s favourite songs.
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The couple share a kiss before joining everyone at the reception (Photo: Joseph Pascual)
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The wedding cord was hand-knitted by a friend, Monica Valdez of In Stitches PH. The bouquet was a gift from Amado and Carmela Forés, by her late aunt, Margarita Forés. The cake, by Dear Bonbon, was topped with figures of the couple's cats, as playful as the wedding invitations designed by Kara Silva. The photographers and videographers were a team of friends. “I thought the wedding process would be lonely”, Sabina says, “but it ended up being the opposite-it was very collaborative. The whole process reminded me of the saying, no man is an island. It was a beautiful reminder that I am never alone.”
The Araneta-Yulo family (Photo: Toto Villaruel)
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The same thread ran through every item she wore that day-each either chosen, designed, or previously owned by someone she considers family. Her first look, a Rosa Clara gown, was selected by a family friend. She would never have picked the silhouette and fabric herself, but when her aunt Sam Eduque encouraged her to try it on, it fit like a glove. Her after-party dress, an A-line halter with a low back and sequins by Sassa Jimenez; her shoes, espadrilles from Castañer gifted by her godmother Bledes Forés; her dangling earrings, reworked from her grandfather’s cufflinks, from her grandmother and remade into jewellery.
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Cocktails by the pool at the Yulo ancestral home (Photo: Joseph Pascual)
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Ikee shared the same reverence for the personal and the inherited. While both barongs were made by Ana Imelda Canillas from Lumban, Laguna, his second look carried personal weight-the design was created by his now father-in-law Jorge Yulo, patterned after one of his architectural works. He translated it into four schemes-one worn by the architect himself; one worn by each of his two sons; and the fourth, worn by Ikee, the newest member of the family. His accessories continued that story: a colourful beaded bracelet Sabina had brought back for him from a trip to Africa, and a vintage watch borrowed from his own father.
Ikee Mathay with Pele Mathay, Anton Caballero, Mark Fule, Markie Reyes, Jigs Akol, Monti Mathay, Rapho Luna, Migo Valdez (Photo: Joseph Pascual)
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In the midst of the festivities and celebrations they’d planned for their guests, the two made sure to steal moments that were entirely their own. Before rejoining guests for dinner service, they slipped away to eat together-just the two of them—while everyone else settled into cocktails. A beat as man and wife before the party resumed. Then, it was Sabina’s turn to surprise her husband. The couple had originally planned an upbeat first dance, but she had quietly arranged a switch: So Into You by Tamia, a song they both loved, and a slower love song, as Ikee had initially requested. “I loved that I was surprised at my own wedding”, he says, “and at the first dance.”
A wedding is a couple’s one free pass to make the day entirely about themselves—but not Sabina and Ikee. “Our day was not just celebrating us”, she says, “but about the people who made us who we are.”
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About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
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As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
