2011.  The year that was.  A year of a number of celebrity weddings.  But it’s not just Pinoy celebrities and Destination Weddings that takes all the space in our annual review of the best weddings of the past year.  Like always, our list includes ordinary couples who made extraordinary impact to their wedding suppliers to be chosen as their “Wedding of the Year” based on their personal criteria and standards.  Unassuming couples seem to be a popular choice for this year’s feature article. 

Without further ado, here’s the Best Weddings of 2011 from January to December! (note: clicking on the name of the contributing supplier will direct you to more wedding photos or onsite video of the couple)

Oyo Sotto + Kristine Hermosa
12 January | Club Balai Isabel

photo by Nelwin Uy

“Oyo & Tin’s will always make it on top of our list of most memorable weddings. Unlike other celebrity couples, they were beyond the flaunting of their beautiful wedding.  They opt to make it intimate and private, sans the media coverage from the press or any TV networks. Real life couples like them make us believe in forever and serendipitous endings!”

– Bong Sare, videographer

John Estrada + Priscilla Meirelles
26 February | Thunderbird Resort, La Union

“For us, John & Priscilla’s wedding was the best one for last year. Not only because they are celebrities, but more so because they were truly hands on with their wedding preparations which made their 3-day weekend wedding truly memorable for the suppliers and guests alike. No single detail was missed out — from the golf tournament for the male guests with the groom, to the bridal spa party for the bride & female guests, to the rehearsal dinner & Tiki night party the night before.  Everything was perfect!  And of course, the beautiful exchange of vows right during sunset was breathtaking! We were truly privileged to have been part of this wonderful, unforgettable wedding.”

~Charisse Tinio for Nice Print

Karlou Amada + Rochelle Evangelista
15 May | Le Jardin Rosella, Tagaytay

“We love new and bold ideas as long as it keeps the intimacy, glamour, fun, and excitement of the event. This inspires us more and unlock the doors of creativity. Karlou & Rochelle certainly made this wedding their own by putting twists to old traditions. Chickens instead of doves, log cutting instead of cake and Zest-O instead of wine!”

~ Paul Vincent, photographer

Jika David + Brice Jaulneau-Labarre
04 June | Eglise Saint-Sauveur de Brignoles + Château de Robernier (Provence, France)

“It was our first trip to Europe and it is not everyday you get to cover a wedding in a medieval castle surrounded by wheat fields and vineyards. The South of France is very picturesque that you can choose any surrounding as a backdrop to the couple.  One of the more memorable moments during the wedding was going to church which was a 30-minute drive from the castle. The Filipino contingent convoy of three cars had to rely on the cars’ GPS… in French! With the foreign language and unfamiliar surroundings, one by one, the cars took different turns and got lost but eventually reached the church all at the same time, just like how it is in movies.”

~Mimi Abesamis, photographer

Paal Froeyen + Michelle Uy
14 July | Seawind, Boracay

“Mich from Christine Ong-Te Events waited for the perfect partner to come along and it took quite a while.  But when we learned that she had found the one, there was no stopping the freight train.  And when she announced it, everyone was excited! But it also came as sad news because we all knew that after the wedding, they will be moving to live in Norway. A beautiful wedding day handled by the team of Amanda Tirol, but everyone else in Christine Ong-Te’s team, Make-Up Studio and Imagine Nation peeps to name a few, put in their efforts to make the day extra special and memorable. We thank God for making the wedding possible and for giving such beautiful weather (it was raining hard days before). To me this is one for the books! (plus who doesn’t love a Boracay wedding?)”

~Derrick Lim, photographer

Derrick Bautista + Bonny Octarima
16 July | Kayumanis Nusa Dua Spa & Resort (Bali, Indonesia)

photo by Bunn Salarzon

“We chose Derrick and Bonny’s wedding because it has all the elements of a perfect wedding – a scenic location, well thought of wedding details, heartfelt vows, unguarded emotions, an amazing fusion of cultures, family and friends who treated us with so much love and most of all, a couple who has successfully survived all the odds!”

~Phoeben Teocson, videographer

Robert Ritter + Laura Castillo
06 August | Jesuitenkirche + Liechstenstein Museum (Vienna, Austria)

photo by Paul Vincent

“I expected to gain knowledge but not as soon as the early part of my trip; How important culture, history, art, love, family and God is in our lives. Regardless of your descent, religion or age. Along these realizations we stumbled upon this couple and families bonded together with love. Their union summarized all that I have learned and reflected all the awakening knowledge that I have gained.  Special thanks to Robert and Laura for the opportunity and friendship, and to Paul Vincent & Ayvih delos Reyes for the assistance.”

~Chug Cadiogan, videographer

Jonathan Fenix & Coco Opena
04 September | Tagaytay Highlands

“I’ve had two other couples wherein the wedding kiss was the couples’ first kiss. But Jon & Coco’s was extra special. In her vow, she told Jon, “I promise to make love to you as often as you like — even everyday.”  Prompting Pastor Desmond to cut-in and say, “Hold it, hold it… I think we are saying too much here. We have kids around, and you do realize that this is a vow you are making before the Lord, right?” It was really precious! Everyone at the wedding could only feel the joy and excitement between The couple! After all, there’s the wedding night!  At the end of the wedding, I was probably one of the last to leave the place and I saw the bride’s mom standing outside. I approached her and said, “Tita, you’ll miss her in your home.” She replied, “Oo nga eh, maybe I can have her one last night.” And so I offered to try to convince The groom. When I asked Jon, I got a big loud answer, “You tell her I already waited 38 years for this and I will not postpone it another night!”  Yes, their that was their first! First kiss, first everything — a perfect exclamation point to the journey of waiting for God and His perfect time!”

~John Mateos Ong, photographer

Jor-El de Guzman + Joyce Kung
10 September | Hilton Fallsview Hotel (Niagara Falls, Canada)

“With the great experiences and great people we meet, we find it difficult to choose the one we can our best for 2011. Although, we consider the wedding of Jor-El and Joyce in Niagara Falls, Canada as one of the most memorable. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to witness the marvel of The Niagara Falls, and to be able to cover a wedding there is truly unimaginable. But what makes this wedding really stand out more is the incredibly warm gesture that Joyce and Jor-El showed me. Their wedding day was a few days after my birthday and they actually prepared a surprise for me by having their whole reception sing me a birthday song that left me in awe and overjoyed. The toughest thing in destination weddings is to be away from home and from your love ones especially on your birthday and having a ballroom filled with people mostly with foreigner sort of embrace you in such a way is truly an experience out of the ordinary.”

~Oly Ruiz, photographer

Paul Valencia + Jean Cayetano
20 September | UST + La Castellana

“Paul and Jean’s story is very inspiring. Imagine having a long distance relationship for six years and six months and still staying together, despite many problems that can happen because the two of you are not together. It seems almost impossible. But these two just fought for each other with the help of God’s grace and love, and finally got married last September. They’re finally together for the rest of their lives. It was very touching seeing Paul’s reaction to Jean when she entered the church; he was both crying and excited at the same time, and you could just feel the genuine happiness people had for them. It just really goes to show that when you truly work on love, all the challenges you may encounter is worth it.”

~Noel Salazar, photographer

Vince Arlante + Kit Siendo
23 September | Our Lady of Lourdes + Splendido, Tagaytay

When I was approached by Vince & Kit to inquired about my service-only package the first thing that I noticed is their simplicity as a couple. I have already seen them scouting around different bridal fairs & I feel happy to have been chosen by clients who are as down-to-earth & unpretentious as them. They wanted the event to be as intimate and personal as possible which evidently shone through every detail of the ceremony & celebration. Love is not measured by any amount – and this was true enough for my Wedding of the Year couple: Vince & Kat.

~Jervy Santiago, photographer

Mark Sandico + Gan Perez
25 Septermber | Santuario de San Jose + Peninsula Manila

“Mark and Gan’s wedding is for us one of those that broke the norms of how a wedding should go. From their details and tons of call-out boards and the crazy poses they made their entourage do during the ceremony march was just too fun! And in the reception, they had a special number done by a Michael Jackson impersonator. Everyone who attended just felt the happy vibe as they partied the night away. Mark and Gan’s goal was really just to have everyone enjoy the wedding… and they hit it dead on! Ever since we posted their wedding photos, a lot of other couples started to inquire and we started to receive a lot of unique ideas/concepts that they want to do for their wedding.   These kind of weddings just have the ‘spunk’ that we love capturing.”

–Jay jay Lucas, photographer

Cenyang Qian + Dongyang Huang
14 October | Acuatico Beach Resort, Batangas

“While it’s a dream for many Filipinos to be married in a romantic country overseas, Dongyang and Cenyang, who are Swiss-based Chinese couple, chose to have their special day in our country. Their wedding was just their second time to visit the Philippines and yet they fully entrusted every detail of their wedding to hand-picked all-Filipino wedding suppliers led by Christine Ong Te Events – a proof of how much talent and beauty our country has to offer. It was God’s birthday gift for me to be working with Mayad Studios for the first time as I am a big fan of their craft.  I can say that this is the most intimate wedding I have covered so far. They only had 16 guests all coming from China (suppliers outnumbered their guests)! It was such a beautiful beach wedding on a month of October. It was raining hard a day before, but the skies surprisingly cleared up on the day of the wedding itself giving the event a dreamy feel on my images.”

~Jaja Samaniego, photographer

Alvin Ty + Alessandra Ty
23 October |San Agustin Church + Edsa Shangri-La

 

“The thing about this couple is that they very down-to-earth and what I admire the most is that they remain in love all throughout their relationship. The wedding of Alvin and Sansan elaborates such a full production, most elegant gown, an exquisite and a grandiose reception with guests that number in the bigger hundreds that include prominent individuals from politicians to business magnates. Further than anything their wedding is simply stunning and sincere. I’m extremely glad to have met them.”

~Ian Cruz, videographer

Ken Wong + Janice Layug
12 November | Klapsons Hotel, Singapore

Our first wedding shot in full Monochrome Series. A destination wedding happened in Singapore wherein our camera were all set in black and white. And it was a blast working with Phoeben & Gen Teocson and Randall of Mangored. The gown was created by Veluz Reyes.

~Jayson Arquiza, photographer

Mark Escueta + Jolina Magdangal
19 November | Madre de Dios, Tagaytay Midlands (church wedding)
21 November | Splendido Tagaytay Golf & Country Club (garden wedding)

 

“What’s special about this wedding is not the fact that they are famous in the Philippines, with Jolina being an actress and Mark being a rockstar drummer of Rivermaya.  This is their church wedding, attended only by more or less 20 people. There was nothing grand planned about this actually, it was almost like a practicing for their garden wedding on November 21st.  But love is truly grand and we all felt it immensely as the day progressed. I live for moments like these. I will actually let the pictures speak for themselves.  I’m sure Jolina and Mark will have a flourishing married life. There is no doubt about it.”

~Dino Lara, photographer

 
photo by Mango Red

“Early on we had a feeling that this had the makings of a wedding to remember. The couple was SO hands-on — from the invites to the gown, it was their own design. Even the theme they chose was unique and was SO them.  Come wedding day — or days, as they had not one but two ceremonies — we knew that this IS a wedding to remember. It was private, intimate and romantic. They even had a semblance of divine intervention as their “No Plan B” outdoor wedding didn’t have a single drop of rain until the end of the reception.And here’s the clincher… this was a celebrity wedding. (P.S. Jolina’s spontaneous, unread vow and Mark’s heartfelt, written vow has got to be 2011’s best exchange of vows.)”

~Bob Nicolas, videographer

Romulo Tobias + Nena  Bacud
(Golden Wedding Anniversary)
30 December | Manila Hotel

Never did Capt. Romulo and Lola Nena thought that they would have their vows renewed 50 years after their wedding. A Golden Shotgun Wedding, so to speak. A true labor of love, the Tobias family, together with their relatives and pamangkins prepared a long time for this secret special event. Everyone contributed and shared for the new rings of the couple. Since the family wanted a very simple but memorable wedding, they did almost everything by themselves: coordination, invites for 120 guests, planning, and even entertainment. They made sure the big secret would not leak out.  All along, the couple thought they were just going to have a family pictorial at Manila Hotel and Luneta Park since it was their wedding anniversary. We played along, of course, but still documented everything. Capt. Romulo and Lola Nena walked into a room full of people who loved them. They were accompanied by marching cadettes and still haven’t got a clue of what’s happening. Reaching the altar, Lola Nena was so surprised to see the man standing in front of them. The brother of Capt. Tobias, Most Rev. Antonio Tobias. The same man who wed them 50 years ago.”

~Dominic Barrios, photographer

February 14 is getting to be a popular date for mass weddings held throughout the country.  Here we compile various photographs we found throughout the ‘net of hundreds of Filipino couples choosing to say ‘I do’ on Valentine’s Day. 🙂

Wedding photographer Dino Lara parked at San Agustin church in Intramuros, Manila and learned there was an ongoing mass wedding.  Someone approached him and asked if he could shoot and cover the event.  He gladly obliged. 🙂 [source]

In Palawan, western Philippines, at least 150 couples defied the rain by getting married and planting mangrove trees at a ‘Love Affairs with Nature’ themed mass wedding. For better and for worse, Jojie Salminiano and his new wife Analyn were not deterred by the rain. REUTERS [source]

A newlywed couple, Joey Bayo, 24 and his wife Lea, 20, plant a mangrove tree after a mass wedding of the theme “Love affairs with Nature”, in San Jose town, Puerto Princesa, Palawan city, western Philippines on February 14, 2011. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco [source]

Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) stand in prayer during a mass wedding inside the police headquarters in Manila February 14, 2011. Some 21 couples from the PNP were married for free in celebration of Valentine’s Day. [source]

Newlywed Filipino couples kiss during ceremonies at a mass wedding in the suburban city of Taguig, south of Manila, Philippines as they celebrate Valentine’s day on Monday, Feb. 14, 2011. About 140 couples joined the mass wedding sponsored by local government officials. AP / Aaron Favila [source]

Please do let us know if you find any more interesting mass wedding photos that we could add in this post. 🙂

That pretty much sums up what the theme of next year’s W@W Desktop Gallery will be.  The title of our 2011 desk calendar is “Destination Weddings: PHILIPPINES.” Here’s the cover art. 

We would like to acknowledge Erron Ocampo — our featured photographer for the month of October — for his freehand illustration of the twelve iconic landmarks for each location as they appear on the cover.

The pictures submitted for this collection include images taken from as far as Ilocos in the north, to Zamboanga in the south.  Below is a map where we’ve marked the wedding destination with a thumbnail of the featured photographs.

(featured photographers/studios from top left: Richie Macapinlac, Jayson & Jo Anne Arquiza, Erron Ocampo, Fol Rana, Jr., Joey Boquieren, Robert Lester, Nice Print Photo, Paul Vincent, Chito Cleofas, John Mateos Ong of Imagine Nation Photography, Jomel Gregorio, and Lito Genilo of Smart Shot Studio)

The W@W Desktop Gallery is an annual publication.  The calendar serves as our Holiday token to the W@Wies and to our friends in the wedding industry.  If you are one of the newlyweds whose picture appear in this year’s edition, please do let us know so we could send you a personal copy (Philippine address only).

As in the past, this year’s edition will be unveiled in the W@W Christmas Party happening this Friday with The Pergola (Boom Complex along Roxas Blvd.) as our host venue.  If you’ve signed up to attend, we hope to see you there! 🙂

Mount Pulag is the highest peak in Luzon. The borders between the highland provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya meet at this mountain’s peak.

Depending on the trail, a climb may take between one to four days.

Raymond Fortun spent two nights in this mountain for the prenup shoot of Toto & Janine who are both adventure travelers.  Needless to say, those two nights also meant having to sleep on hard bare ground in freezing temperatures.

Here’s one shot atop the mountain’s grassland summit of the couple’s backpacks that seem to look out towards the sea of clouds.

• To view the rest of the set, head on to Raymond Fortun’s multiply album.
• For the photographer’s account of this prenup trek, read his notes: The Challenges of a Mountain Shoot.