Kiyo Nakano & Jamie Dames union
Jamie Ngan Dames met Kiyo Nakano in Tokyo. He was working as a manager of a couple of retail stores, while she was studying for her second degree at Tokyo Animation College. Both had shared interests.
“He cares!” was Jamie’s answer when asked why she chose Kiyo among her suitors.
The pandemic hit in 2020, as Jamie was on her last year in school. She was stuck in Japan, and Kiyo was a source of strength and support for her.
As she started to log very long hours in the animation studio where she was employed, working past the hours after the trains stopped running, Kiyo would often book a taxi for her just to make sure she went home safe. Many times, he would order food for her so she would have dinner when she reached home.
Gestures like these were what convinced Jamie that Kiyo was a keeper.
After the travel restrictions eased, Kiyo accompanied Jamie home to the Philippines for visits.
When we first met Kiyo, he was quite nervous, and we were also curious about him. His calm, very respectful and thoughtful demeanor, and his mindfulness around the house and during family trips were traits that won us over.
When Jamie shared with us the news that Kiyo had proposed to her, Ed was naturally cautious, and uttered, “She is going to be physically and culturally away from us.”
I had to gently remind him that she had actually been away from us for more than six years.
Fast forward to the wedding planning that took almost two years. One primary consideration for the wedding venue was that Jamie wanted her grandparents to be there, and she wanted a beach ceremony but a very intimate one.
Grace Sycip-Romano, of Creative Concepts was the only events planner we had in mind to design and execute the wedding. Our families were connected from her grandfather, Don Danel Sycip, to her parents Moises & Joannie Sycip, so it was a perfect fit. And we made the right decision since we did not encounter any problem from our first meeting to the wedding day itself.
May 23 at Wuthering Heights Bed & Breakfast was the chosen day and venue. The theme was “Amalfi Coast with lots of sunflowers (Jamie’s favorite flower) and blue hydrangeas”.
Maripaz Montaño and her team at Wuthering Heights were a joy to work with.
Family and close friends of the couple who attended made the wedding truly special. The groom’s mother Yukiko Nakano and brother, Masahiro, and the latter’s family flew in from Osaka, the groom’s hometown.
Wedding sponsors were family and close friends: Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Remollo, Stanley Earl Gilbaugh, Lenovo Country Manager Michael Ngan, Bangkok-based three time WBC ‘Promoter of the Year’ Brico Santig, Christophia Locsin-Bollos, Josielyn Ngan- Gilbaugh, Jennifer Ngan- Tamayo, and Chisa Asakusa, Tokyo-WBC Muay Thai executive.
The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Callum Tabada, senior pastor of the UP Church of the Risen Lord, and hosted by Glynda T. Descuatan.
Liturgist was the bride’s sister, Eireen Dames; bridesmaid and ringbearer were LK Dames and Micah Dames, respectively.
The couple was serenaded with musical tributes from Ed Dames, Mayor Remollo, Chisa Yamane, and Andy Bais, with brilliant violin renditions from John Lester Barot, and acoustic pieces from the acoustic duo of Abby Abz.
Ed welcomed Kiyo into the family as his son, and honored his Mom, Yukiko, for raising such a fine man.
Photo & Video Coverage were provided by Luigi Borromeo and Ivan Guico.
Sumptuous cocktails and dinner from Christine Luage of McNeloy’s were spread against the beautiful beachfront sunset.
The love story of Kiyo and Jamie is best summed up by their unconventional choice for the wedding march, Here Comes the Sun, a George Harrison-penned track from Abbey Road.
The story behind the song was George’s expressed relief from “a very long winter, a well-deserved spring had finally come for me.”
For Kiyo and Jamie, our prayer and wish is that they will always be the sun to each other as they face life together as a married couple. (Marissa Ngan-Dames)
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Photo Caption: Kiyo & Jamie with her grandfather, poet and writer Mariano Ngan
