Assunta & Jules ready for altar date

So how did you spend Valentine’s Day?

While on homeground a thousand pairs of lovers were glued to each others’ lips in a kissing marathon fit for Guinness Book of Records, guess where Assunta de Rossi and her husband, Rep. Jules Ledesma, were – in biting-cold New York, celebrating the Day of Hearts in a posh Manhattan restaurant.

The couple also had themselves fitted with attires for their church wedding on March 14 at the Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park, Makati City, two years and three months after their civil garden wedding on Dec. 14, 2001 in San Carlos City (Negros). Assunta will wear a Vera Wang to her wedding and Jules, a suit by a famous designer he refuses to name.

What else has the couple been up to at The Big Apple?

Here’s Jules himself to keep Funfare readers posted:

Dear Ricky,

Greetings from New York! It’s the 18th of February and we’ve been here a little over a week. We arrived on the 9th and immediately did the round of fittings. Assunta at Vera Wang for her princess cut gown. I’m not supposed to send you pictures para suspense daw so I’m gonna edit it a bit and give your readers at The STAR a peek lang okay? Baka magalit sa akin si Assunta. I’m writing and sending this out as Assunta and our assistant Lizet are doing the final fitting.

We weren’t allowed to bring the gown on board the domestic flight, so we had to purchase a traveling trunk to pack the gown in. The gown is exquisite in its simplicity just like my Princess Bride. Galing ko pumapel sa asawa, ano? Take note, gentlemen, never ever stop the ligawan.

In my case, my tux is also finished. It’s your basic black tux with flannel and not peaked lapels. Please don’t ask how much it cost because, as usual, I won’t say where I had it made. You should know me by now. Basta Bespoke and Befitting. Naks!

I had my fitting just before our Valentine brunch (burp, burp!) at the Palm Court of the Plaza Hotel.

We’re billeted at the Carlyle on Madison and 76th. It’s not as frenetic as the Plaza and quite quaint actuallly, without giving up the niceties and such.

For everyone’s info, we have been having an ongoing thing with Assunta because quite a few have noticed her weight loss. Ako yung tumataba and she is getting more waif-like, a body of the type models would die for but not for me. I prefer the "bombshell" physique of FHM days (my apologies to the feminists – no offense intended).

So sabi ko, "Please, kain ka naman, baka ano na naman ang masulat." And on Valentines, hanep rin siya. She started off with a tomato basil soup with mint leaf and followed it off with canneloni in white sauce. I had onion soup and a fillet mignon sandwich. Lizet had the same soup as Assunta and the Plaza Burger.Gulat ako nung naubos ni Assunta yung platter niya. May pa-dessert pa... ayos! She (well, I helped her; in fact, I think I finished most of it!) had caramel cheesecake which was almost like a crème brulee with fruit compote. Sayang kulang na lang champagne. But, dahil sa panata ko, Pellegrino no mas.

On Sunday, the 15th, we were supposed to have lunch in Chinatown at a resto named Foo Kee (peksman... cross my heart and swear to... maski saan or ano pa... yun talaga ang pangalan!) on Mott St. in Chinatown. Yun na nga lang, dahil sa dami ng tao, di ko ma-sight ang resto. And since we had a 3 p.m. appointment with friends, we had to rush and decided to have a turista lunch at the South street Seaport, a.k.a. Pier 17.

I know this area quite a bit because it is very near the offices (9/11) of the Sugar Traders that we used to deal with when we were still actively exporting sugar. As it is, we just have enough for our country’s needs. Anyway, di rin kami tumagal kasi it’s freezing cold here like you wouldn’t believe. Grabe! Valentine’s Day, which was supposed to be mild, was like 28ºF at sunrise and 40ºF during the day, with wind chill bringing temperatures down to negative level.

Today is even nippier and we’re currently at 26ºF which is definitely negative and friggin’ cold.

I better end this and send it out now via the web before Assunta gets back.

Oh, yes, the invites are coming out now; you should be getting yours soon. Again, it’s also simple yet appropriate.

Thanks again for your text message at opo, confirmed po hindi pa po naglilihi si ‘Suntay.’ She is looking great! And with great anticipation just as I am, looking forward for you all to join us on our church nuptials.

God Bless. Regards to Boy, Kris, Jobert, Sweet at lahat-lahat na.

Au revoir,

Jules

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