Travel Gossip
Michael Taylor travels from his home in Hong Kong’s Northeastern New Territories to Macau to attend what has been billed as the Macanese equivalent of the Royal Wedding. He misses the boat – LITERALLY!!!
Arriving in Macau just 30 minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to begin, he makes a mad dash off the boat, through customs, and to the taxi rank. The taxi driver senses his urgency and does his best to get him there as quickly as he can.
Michael exits the taxi at the nearest drop-off point from the church. He tears across Leal Senado Square in the rain. He runs up to the front doors of the church AFTER the bride’s mother has already been seated.
The wedding party is already in formation, and all eyes are on the entrance of the church, as Michael tries to slip in – and find a seat – as inconspicuously as he can.
Wedding Vows
Debra Chow and Adrian Pinto-Marques – members of two of Macau’s most socially prominent families – were married on 18 December 2012 at the centuries-old St Dominic’s Church in the former Portuguese enclave of Macau, which is a one hour’s jetfoil ride from Hong Kong.
The Reverend Father Alejandro Salcedo performed the ceremony. He reminded the couple several times that it wasn’t “too late to back out”.
“You still have XX minutes to think it over!” he would say.
Each time the number of minutes got fewer. Nothing like comic relief to keep an assembled crowd engaged during a solemn ceremony.
Who’s Who
David Chow (right) escorts his daughter, Debra Chow, down the aisle at St Dominic’s Church in Macau.
The bride is the daughter of Mr and Mrs David Chow of Macau. The groom is the son of Mr and Mrs Adriano Pinto-Marques of Macau.
Presented in marriage by her father, the bride was attended by Joanne Chan, who was Maid of Honour. Bridesmaids were Joana Dillon de Jesus, Phyllis Hui, Tiffany Luk, Janice Town, Alice Hui, Carolena Ip, and Flora To.
Sergio Da Silva was Best Man. Groomsmen were Camilo Cheang, Jackie Kok, Teck Han Tan, Norman Wong, Angelo Fernandez, Anastacio Pinto-Marques, and Alvin Ung.
Annelise Pinto-Marques, Luna Macado Gomes, Akemi Mito Poon, and Savannah Easton were Flower Girls. Salvado Macedo Gomes, Cameron Easton, and Eugene Chan were Page Boys.
Readers were Adriano Pinto-Marques and Michael Pinto-Marques.
St Dominic’s Church 101
Known as Igreja de São Domingos in Portuguese, St Dominic’s Church is located in the Largo de São Domingos near the Leal Senado, which was Macau’s town hall before the tiny enclave was returned from Portuguese to Chinese administration in 1999.
A Catholic church, St Dominic’s was built in 1587 by three Spanish Dominican priests. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Centre of Macau.
St Dominic’s Church is one of many Catholic churches that dot the city of Macau.
In centuries past, Macau was an important centre of religious education and missionary activity.
With a pastel yellow exterior, white trim, and dark green wooden doors, window frames, and shudders, St Dominic’s Church is also one of the loveliest Catholic churches in Macau.
A lavish wedding banquet with well over 1,000 friends and relatives followed that night in the Convention and Exhibition Centre at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf (see: Macau: Wedding Banquet to End All Wedding Banquets).