Kaitlin and Hans Cutiongco-Stark

Kaitlin Erin Stark and Johann “Hans” Frederick Cutiongco exchanged their wedding vows on Oct. 8, 2023 at a joyous mass at Holy Cross Church, 42nd Street, New York City. Catholic and Filipino traditions were celebrated as Father Michael Marigliano officiated the 2:30 p.m. ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Randolph and Patricia Stark of Alpena and West Bloomfield, Michigan. The groom is the son of Eric and Fides Cutiongco of West Hartford, Connecticut, and immigrated from the Philippines with his family when he was 3 years old.

Attending the bride as matrons of honor were her sisters Kara Sawarynski and Colleen Mestdagh of West Bloomfield and Emmalyn Helge of Lincoln, Nebraska. Bridesmaids were Maya Rosefsky, Alexis Medina, Lauren Bloom, and Molly Rushing of New York City, Olivia Castrejana and Mollie Reid of Oklahoma City, and Lauren Orabi of Alpena/Cleveland. Junior bridesmaids were nieces Lainey and Hadley Sawarynski. Flower girls were nieces Elise and Annie Mestdagh. Ring bearer was Oliver Flores of Oklahoma City. Attending the groom was best man and brother of the groom, Miguel Cutiongco of New York City. Groomspeople were Italia Almeida, Jie Zhou, Amit Lakhanpal, and Ariel Kleiner of New York City, Charles Pan and Andrew Choi of San Francisco, and Christina Adams of Dallas, Texas.

Friends of the bride and groom, hailing from throughout the U.S., joined together in a choir and string quartet to provide ceremony music, spanning the classical, musical theater, sacred choral, and traditional Filipino repertoires, with Mr. Thomas DeFrancesco as the director of music and liturgy.

Following the ceremony, a magical reception honoring the newlyweds was held at The View at The Battery, New York City where Hans and Kaitlin performed their first duet as husband and wife. Pre-nuptial parties included a bridal brunch at Alice’s Tea Cup, rehearsal dinner at Piggyback by Pig and Khao, hosted by the groom’s parents and a Friday night cocktail gathering at the Hyatt Grand Central. A second celebration with Hans’s extended family will be held in the Philippines next summer.

Kaitlin is a 2005 graduate of Alpena High School and a 2009 graduate of Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music Education. In 2012 she received her master’s degree in Musical Theatre Performance from Oklahoma City University. Kaitlin is employed by Third Street Music School, New York City, as Chair of the Voice Department, where she teaches musical theatre, choir, voice, and performances classes for both children and adults. She also cantors at Holy Cross Catholic Church, and regularly directs musicals for Oklahoma Children’s Theatre.

Hans is a 2002 graduate of William H. Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut, and a 2006 graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in Physics. He is currently employed as a software engineer for Ampla, a tech startup that provides small businesses with financial products and services. Hans is a gifted musician and plays in a chamber orchestra and string quartet in New York City.

The couple resides in Manhattan, New York City. They took a “mini-moon” at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, and plan to take an extended honeymoon at a later date.