These special people will be helping us celebrate next month, but they have also played special roles in our lives up til now. So, allow us to present to you…

The Groomsmen introduced by Jerome

Edward James Lacdao - Best Man

Edward is literally like the brother I never had; when we met working at a low-down sneaker store in West London, we just clicked. Being the youngest sibling in our own families, we would often talk about the woes of being the runt of the litter, but we would also unearth some amusing similarities between our older sisters and it became a running gag that they might, in fact, be the same person. And speaking of gags, Edward’s sense of humour is legendary - that is not to say it is good, but leave it to Ed to find something to laugh at in even the most plain or mundane of circumstances. But on the other side of the humour, Ed has always been ready and available with sage and sound counsel, and his beautiful family - Huyen, Caleb, Alana and Carter - are testament to the fact that he must be doing something right! After serving as his Best Man, it gives me great joy to know that Ed will be at my side, probably trying to make me laugh, when I marry Keso.

Fun fact: He used to customise his own footwear with a ball pen and had a budding acting career as an extra on the set of the movie “Brick Lane”.

Ron-Michael Laxamana - Best Man

I am fortunate to have both Eddie and Ron in my life, so some might have said it would be a hard decision to choose only one Best Man. Quite the contrary; I saw it as a blessing and an easy decision to have two.

Although I first met Ron in secondary school, he is basically family. As we got to know each other, we discovered there were so many parallels in our lives: our families both come from the same town in Philippines; we both lived there for a short time in our lives; both speak the local dialect; and both had a penchant for over-styling our hair. If anything, it was going to be difficult to NOT be friends. Bonus fun fact: our birthdays are on consecutive days. And since then, he has pretty much been ever-present in my life - we even lived together for a few years and, along with Keso, hosted some legendary New Year’s Eve gatherings. Those who know Ron know how much of a treasure he is (I mean, look at that face!), and it is my honour that he, too, is my Best Man.

Fun fact: At the age of 13, Ron toured Europe as he embarked on a moderately successful career as an opera singer… until his voice broke at 14.

Gary Field - Groomsman

With his courteous and disarming Irish charm, Gary is sincerely the kind of guy that you could bring home to your mum. And I know this from experience: my mum, like all Filipino mums. is judge-y of the company I keep. She once happened to be at Gary’s workplace, where Gary - not knowing who she was - helped her. He noticed that this little Filipino lady had a surname he recognised, and without hesitation asked, “Are you Jerome’s mum?”. In the conversation that followed, Gary must have left a positive and lasting impression; I am sure this is the only time my mum has ever met him, but she now without fail always asks me, “How is your Irish friend?” My mum has generally proven herself to be a good judge of character and the fact she continues to reference this fleeting encounter is testament to Gary as a person: he values one’s family, friends, looking after one’s own, honest work, ambition and plain old, good craic.

Fun fact: Gary’s middle names are John Paul as he was named after Pope John Paul II.

David Alexander - Groomsman

David is the proverbial “man of few words”. I guess this might be because in the business of film-making, he spends a lot of time either envisioning or observing what is happening. So I suppose this is why he is possibly more insightful than he knows or gives away. I could talk to David, affectionately known as “Big Dave”, about life and ideals and values and philosophies for hours. To this day, some of my most profound life epiphanies have come after musing over life with Dave and a cold beer. Mild mannered and with a dry wit, I’ve always appreciated Dave’s ability to derive meaning and extract humour from even the most turbulent or dramatic of life events. But what I enjoy the most about Dave, is hearing his sardonic commentary on his favoured football team, Arsenal.

Fun fact: David is actually an award winning film director. However, I once introduced him as working in “graphic romance”, which led our colleagues to believe he worked in the adult film industry. For clarity, he does not.

The Bridesmaids introduced by Keso

Martha May - Maid of Honour

Martha and I were brought together by the simplest of things – the alphabet. Our surnames placed us next to each other on our first day of school and the rest, as they say, is history. From the age of 11, Martha has spent summers in France with me and my family, having to cope with our extreme sarcasm and competitive natures. Some of her summer antics have become folklore in the Dordogne and have made her a much loved member of the Kendall family. From bar-tending at festivals to sneaking into pubs – Martha’s rebellious and adventurous spirit has always pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the new.

Fun fact: Martha once had dinner with the late Alan Rickman, gave a pear to Jude Law, and sold cheese to either Cagney or Lacey.

Chloe Kangalee-Donald - Bridesmaid

Chloe and I seemed destined to be friends. We first met in a hostel in Mexico when Mimi and I were travelling, and - after a night of far too many tequila shots - we all ended up spending the next month exploring Central America together. After falling out of touch, I literally bumped into Chloe in Maida Vale several years later, and to my surprise learned she lived around the corner from Jerome and I. Ever since then, Chloe has been a constant in my life – introducing me to her incredible family and friends, regularly visiting us for adventures in Hong Kong, letting me play a part in her wedding last summer and hosting us in her current hometown of Dubai. Her bubbly, playful and loving nature brings me endless joy and has made her the perfect partner in crime for everything from bridesmaid duties to major life events.

Fun fact: Cute things make her so giddy-happy that she wants to crush them, and she has an unhealthy obsession with Hello Kitty.

Mimi Edwards - BRIDEsmaid

Mimi and I have always been linked by our quirky sense of humour. Be it laughing at taxidermy goats, quirky hats, old drama teachers or my occasional sleepy rants, we have always been able to see the fun side together. This made Mimi the perfect partner with whom to set out on a three-month adventure across North and Central America - a truly joyful experience. And I will be forever grateful about how patient she was with me during this time when I was pining after this new guy I had met just as we were about to head off on our travels. And as it turned out, she had a front row seat to the very beginning of mine and Jerome’s relationship, and has spent many moments with us along the way since.

Fun fact: Despite having played the roles of “Robin Hood” in pantomime and “Bridget” in an episode of the BBC series “Doctors”, Mimi sees her role of bridesmaid at our wedding as the biggest of them all.

Candice Carty-Williams - bridesmaid

Film, music and popular culture have been some of the common bonds between Candice and I. We both used to rock out to the tracks of the fictional band ‘Dujour’ from the Josie and the Pussycats movie, as well as the amazing hits on the Goofy Movie soundtrack. She even sat patiently during one of my lengthy rants about how intelligent velociraptors are during one of many rewatches of Jurassic Park. Candice is also the queen of questions and has quizzed me on everything from relationship advice through to food safety – an exercise that I thoroughly enjoy.

Fun Fact: If you are familiar with astrology, you may find it interesting that Candice is a triple water sign. She says this means she is overwhelmingly emotional and pretty much spends all of her time trying not to weep noisily in a corner. She has, however, put these emotions to good use as a best-selling author.

The Parents

Rogelio & Adela Canlas - The Groom’s Parents

Rogelio and Adela are high school sweethearts, having first met at Jose Abad Santos High School in the Philippines. They moved to London in the 70s, opening up a cafe in London Bridge and a grocery store in Kensal Rise. They have been married for forty five years and have two children - Jessamine and Jerome.

Fun fact: To express his feelings for Adela, in High School, Rogelio drew Adela’s portrait on a white t-shirt and wore it to class - much to Adela’s horror.

Anthony & Joan Kendall - The Bride’s Parents

Anthony first met Joan as her lecturer at South Bank University, where she was studying as a mature student. Joan famously prophesied to her friend Suzanne, “one day I’m going to marry that man”. Years later, this came to pass and they have since been married for thirty one years.

Fun fact: Long before they even fatefully met at South Bank, Joan and Anthony may have unknowingly crossed paths regularly on a road in South East London where she used to live and he used to work.

And that’s the wedding party! Look out for them over the wedding weekend and say hello.

J&Kx

Meet the Wedding Party