Tan, Beslin wed at Immaculate Conception Church

NEW ORLEANS - Dr. Maria Charina Tan and Luke Anthony Beslin were united in holy matrimony with a Nuptial Mass held at The Church of the Immaculate Conception in New Orleans on Saturday, August 17. Father Kendal Faulk officiated the ceremony.

The bride, “Chary,” is the daughter of Dr. Erlinda Cacho-Tan and the late Dr. Pedro Villa Abrille Tan Jr., both from the Philippines. Her maternal grandparents are the late Mr. and Mrs. Odilon Cacho. Her paternal grandparents are the late Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Tan Sr.

Chary graduated from high school at the Philippine Women’s College of Davao, Philippines. She finished her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines, and obtained her medical degree at the same university. She completed her pediatric residency at the Icahn School of Medicine–Mount Sinai in Elmhurst, N.Y., and her pediatric infectious disease fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine–Mount Sinai in New York City, N.Y. She was most recently employed at the Louisiana State University Huey P. Long hospital as a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist.

The groom is the youngest son of Judge and Mrs. Denald Beslin from Rayne. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Walter Beslin and the late Mr. and Mrs. Ulysse Arceneaux.

Luke is a graduate of Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish. He went to Louisiana State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He then pursued a Juris Doctorate degree at Loyola University in New Orleans. He is currently a partner at the law firm Beslin and Cunningham, LLC, in Rayne.

Guests were ushered to their seats by Andre Trahan and Daniel Walk, nephews of the groom; Travis Beslin, godchild of the groom; and Alec Arceneaux, great nephew of the groom. Prelude music was played by Eric McRary, cantor; Paul Wattigny, organist; Harry Hardin, violinist; Vance Woolf, trumpeter; and Tyler Holt, french hornist.

Scripture readings were proclaimed by Adrienne Trahan, niece of the groom, and Dr. Jose Quitain III, a close friend of the bride.

The Prayers of the Faithful were read by Cynthia Hardy, aunt of the bride.

A veil and cord ceremony was held as a Philippine wedding tradition symbolizing unity of the couple through Christ. Veil sponsors were Dr. Jennifer Liquido and Dr. Ian Mark Gampon, while cord sponsors were Dr. Marion Tamesis and Dr. Jose Quitain, all close friends of the bride.

Offertory gifts were presented by Margaret Beslin, niece of the groom, and Mary Frances Beslin, godchild of the groom. Caroline Beslin, also a niece of the groom, presented the Holy Bible for blessing and was escorted by Dr. Ian Mark Gampon.

Serving as Eucharistic minister was Judge M’elise Trahan, sister of the groom.

The mothers of the couple were escorted to their seats while “Arioso” by Bach was playing.

The bride’s mother, the former Dr. Erlinda Cacho, chose a sea green floor-length chiffon gown that was paired with a lace bolero with mint and sea green flower appliqués.

The groom’s mother, the former Claire Arceneaux, wore a rose formal featuring a sheer overlay covering the beaded V-neck gown which was accented with jewel appliques at the shoulder. The skirt flowed in three-tiered layers of soft chiffon to the floor.

Bridal attendants made their entrance to “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. The bride’s cousin, Dr. Annabelle Tan, served as the matron of honor. Chary’s bridesmaids included Dr. Jennifer Liquido, Dr. Marion Tamesis, Dr. Yvonne Mundy, all close friends of the bride, and Dr. Katrina Llamas, a cousin of the bride.

The attendants were attired in floor-length chiffon gowns in different styles and shades of emerald green. They all carried bouquets of pastel pink garden roses, lisianthus, nerine lilies and accents of hanging amaranthus finished with blush satin ribbons. The bride’s godchild, Danielle Abella, served as junior bridesmaid.

Kaelyn Danielle Tan, godchild of the bride, and Ainsley Marie Trahan, godchild of the groom, were the flower girls. They were dressed in blush ballerina gowns with fitted bodices and full tulle skirts finished with blush bows at the backs. Each flower girls carried a pomander of blush spray roses tied with ivory and blush satin ribbons.

The bride’s entrance was announced by trumpets playing the jubilant “Prince of Denmark’s March” by Clarke. She was escorted from the middle of the aisle to the altar by her brother, Dr. Jeffrey Tan.

The bridal gown, a romantic Vera Wang creation, was an ivory tossed tulle ball gown with a veiled bodice and sheer straps accented with an antique jeweled corsage at the hip and a chapel train of flowing tulle.

The bride’s headpiece was a cathedral-length veil of ivory tulle with intricate lace edging and metallic silver accents. She wore a diamond necklace on a heart-shaped setting that was a gift from her mother.

The bride carried a bouquet of blush, ivory garden roses, beige roses, ivory lisianthus, dark green foliage and hints of green berries hand tied with a blush satin ribbon. An ivory rosary that belonged to her father was incorporated into the bouquet.

In keeping with tradition, her wedding dress and veil were her “something new.” The ivory rosary from her father was “something old.” The diamond earrings from her mother were her “something borrowed.” A Tiffany blue Spanish fan was the bride’s “something blue.”

Serving as best man to the groom was his close friend, Charles Bier Jr. Groomsmen included John Jude Beslin, Matthew Gerard Beslin and Mark Frederick Beslin, all brothers of the groom, and John William Trahan Jr., nephew of the groom. Dallas Aidan Beslin, the groom’s great-nephew, was the ring bearer. All were clad in formal black tuxedos pinned with blush garden rose boutonnieres, while the groom had a white gardenia boutonniere.

The couple departed the church to “Hornpipe from Water Music” by Handel. Guests continued to the reception hosted by the bride’s mother at the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom of The Roosevelt Hotel New Orleans. The first part of the reception was a cocktail hour welcoming the guests. Dinner was then served after the announcement of the newly married couple. The ballroom was decorated with gold mercury votives and vases of manzanita branches, blush pink roses and dahlias, green hydrangeas and accents of green berries. Pictures of the couple in Philippine capiz frames were displayed throughout the venue.

Guests, who traveled from across the state, across the country and internationally, enjoyed a sumptuous sit-down dinner and danced to the music of Groovy7.

The bride’s cake was a four-tier creation of smooth fondant with different flavors – almond cake with caramel and cheese filling and devil’s food cake with chocolate and praline buttercream filling. The ruffle cake featured a bouquet of roses and green berries on the top layer.

The bride placed charms of luck and good fortune into the bottom layer of the cake in keeping with the New Orleans tradition of the “cake pull.” The bridesmaids pulled satin ribbons attached to the charms just before the cake was cut.

The groom’s cake was a red velvet and cream cheese realistic representation of a red fish. A custom-made cake topper molded as the bride and groom on a blue kayak, a surprise from the bride, was placed on the upper corner of the cake.

After the reception, the couple led the party to a second line parading the French Quarter with a New Orleans brass band, The Storyville Stompers.

A rehearsal dinner was hosted by the groom’s parents on Friday evening at the Renaissance New Orleans Pere Marquette Hotel in New Orleans.

For the couple’s honeymoon, they will fly to the Philippine Islands for a second wedding reception in Davao City and visit the beaches of Boracay and El Nido, Palawan.