W@W Weddings – Page 2 – Weddings At Work

Cecile and Lemjay

May 2, 2015/in Blog, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Groom Lemjay Lucas and bride Cecile Jagua were wed in May 3, 2014.

Many W@Wies from 2012 to 2014 know Cecile (and Lemjay). She was active at the Weddings at Work Yahoogroups and event went to meet-ups and parties. She was so active in the W@W community that Benz herself agreed to be their wedding ninang. It was no wonder she received the “Always Present” Award during the W@W Grand EB of 2013.

Let’s take a look at how their wedding came to be:

The Preparations
Lemjay was based in Singapore, while Cecile was in Manila. Despite being in a long-distance relationship, this didn’t stop them from being hands-on in preparing their big day.

Cecile joined W@W a month after getting engaged and the community provided her the sounding board she needed. “I found sisters/brothers na naiintindihan ako and no need to explain pa our two-year engagement.”

W@W helped Cecile and Lemjay complete their roster of suppliers with reputable people since joining the community gave them access to feedback from fellow brides and grooms. Who are their suppliers, you ask? Read on.

Church: San Antonio de Padua
They booked Hacienda Isabella and asked for recommendations regarding nearby churches. San Antonio was one of the recommendations. Cecile visited the church in November 2012 to book their slot.

Come wedding day, Cecile said, “Lalong gumanda ang church dahil sa mga bulaklak ni Serge (Igonia) at isama pa ang maraming nakapark na sasakyan at ang magara kong bridal car.”’

Reception Venue: Hacienda Isabella

They didn’t really have a specific venue in mind. They just wanted one in Tagaytay since they spent their second anniversary there. They looked for venues online and liked photos of Hacienda.

On May 2, the day before their wedding, everyone experienced the hospitality of Hacienda as they checked in. The staff also followed the room assignments that Cecile made even if Cecile and Lemjay weren’t there yet when other guests arrived.

According to Cecile, her favorite part of the day was the “dance floor na may monogram.”

Bridal Gown: CA Design Team and Vidal Clayton
They were chosen because Cecile and Lemjay believed in their capacity to deliver, plus “magaan ang loob [ni Cecile] sa kanila”. She describes her gown as “way beyond her expectations”. Clayton was earliest to arrive at the preps venue.

Groom’s Suit: Veejay Floresca
The groom’s attire was their dilemma – they didn’t know whether to buy off the rack or to have one customized. Since Lemjay could not decide, Cecile took matters into her own hands and said she will give this to him as her gift—her only contribution to the wedding. She was also the one who decided on Veejay.

They met during Veejay’s vacation in the Philippines. Cecile recalled, “Very detailed si Lemjay sa gusto niyang suit, kaya naman natutuwa sa kanya sina Veejay and Bryan (Veejay’s assistant).”

Cecile only had these to say, “Ang pogi ng mister ko. Ang cute ng color ng suit niya eh, very unique and very Lemjay.”

Caterer: K by Cunanan Catering
K by Cunanan was non-negotiable for the couple and they had their first food tasting when Lemjay came home in June 2012. K by Cunanan delivered with excellent service. Cecile is thankful as well to Nina, the account executive of K by Cunanan.

Videographer: Bob Nicolas Videography
Choosing the photo and video teams was assigned to Lemjay. Since Cecile’s bezcuz (short for best cousin) was getting married as well and she got Bob Nicolas, Cecile and Lemjay started browsing his site and watching his videos. They were very pleased with all the videos so Cecile sought them out in the Sept 2012 bridal fair she attended.

“Super bait ni Bob and nung mga brothers niya at team niya. Na-surprise kami sa SDE. Napaluha ulit kami ni Lemjay,” Cecile gushed.

Photographer: Joel H. Garcia Photography
In 2012, Cecile started asking if she could book the team. Since their calendar was not yet open, Cecile continued her inquiries until early 2013. Ma-anne, Joel’s then fiancée, agreed with the booking. She also gave them a price lock of 2012 rates since she was their first bride who inquired two years ahead.

“No regrets talaga na sila ang kinuha,” Cecile said. “Ang galing mag-detail nina Joel and Ma-anne. Grabe ang eye nila. Nacapature ang moments namin ni Lemjay.”

Florist: Vatel Manila
She found Vatel Manila because of her bezcuz, as well. “I love the entourage flowers, pati sa mommies, flower girls, ninangs, and ninongs,” she said. There were a few hitches but overall, she felt everything went well.

HMUA: Keighty Wong of MK Make-up & Studio
Cecile has known Keighty because they were classmates at HD Make-up Academy. Aside from giving her a friendly rate, Keighty also extended Cecile a free trial make-up session. On their wedding day, Keighty gave her the perfect make-up and even gave free make-up and hair styling to the flower girls.

Entourage Dresses: Cheesecake
Cheesecake, makers of infinity dresses, was a W@W find. Because Cecile didn’t want the members of her entourage to be hassled with fitting schedules, Cheesecake readily accommodated her.

Cecile just went to Glorietta to meet with Agatha to choose a swatch that she likes. Agatha then sent her a measurement guide, which Cecile gave to her entourage. After a few months, she picked up the dresses with each one placed in reusable bags. Cecile loved how the entourage made sure each dress was different in design.

Bridal Car: JCA Bridal Car Rentals
Cecile contacted JCA via Facebook. She was able to exchange messages with Rudolph. They really wanted the Cadillac but it was more expensive so they opted for the Studebaker. There was a mix-up with the reservation, however, and so Cecile chose another car.

On the day of the wedding, traffic was heavy. Miles, the assigned driver, calmed her down by playing wedding songs.

Photobooth: Contact Live Photography
She described the admin of CLIP as easy to talk to. When she booked the supplier, CLIP even gave her extra minutes even when they exceeded the number of booked hours.

Emcee: Mallory Ferrer-Cosio
Cecile heard about Mallory even before she got engaged. After she and Lemjay watched the YouTube videos of Mallory, they became convinced. On the day, Mallory did really well that even guests from other countries praised her.

Church Floral Arrangement: Serge Igonia of Loi Floral Sense
Serge is one of Cecile’s W@W finds. She wanted the sampaguita effect for the church aisle but let the idea go because of budget constraints. A few days before the wedding, however, she got a call from Serge, who said he had a gift for them—the sampaguita aisle! “Amoy na amoy ko ang fresh sampaguita at ang gandang tingnan,” Cecile gushed.

Cakes and cupcakes: Toy Cakes and Pastries
Chef Francis Arcabos was also a W@W find. Cecile found him easy to talk to and down to earth. They went to Chef Kiko’s house for the final detailing and even got 50 cupcakes for free. Cecile was very happy with the cake as it was delicious and even had a cute topper.

Lights and Sounds: Artuz101 Professional Lights and Sound System
Artuz was a suggestion of Hacienda Isabella because the supplier was Cavite-based and was familiar with Hacienda. Cecile said everything they agreed on was implemented well.

Stylist: Gideon Hermosa of The Events Studio
Cecile described Gids as nice and down to earth. She also credited him for changing their theme from vintage travel to photographs and memories. She booked his semi-styling package so Gids handled their photobooth backdrop. Cecile and Lemjay also loved the string lights the staff installed.

Choir/Musicians: Totally Mesmerized
Totally Mesmerized is another bezcuz-related find. Since Cecile would accompany her cousin to meet-ups, she met them, as well. Lemjay heard them during the wedding of Cecile’s cousin and they decided right then and there to book the group.

Mobile Bar: Sober Club
Cecile tasted their concoctions during the surprise bridal and stag party for Mimma and Didda of Weddings at Work. She asked for the card and found Jenny accommodating. Cecile noted that the set-up registered well in the wedding photos.

Design and Layout (digital designs): The Pretty Palette by OJ
Cecile had this to say, “Super thanks kay Mommy OJ at nakuha niya ang gusto namin. Super ganda ng invites namin and unique.” Incidentally, OJ and Cecile were both W@Wies before OJ decided to be a supplier. Cecile also credited OJ for their door signs, bridal car sign, missalette layout, picture game layout, and photobooth layout.

Invitation Printing: Elyn Cordova of Concepts and Technology
Cecile met with Elyn twice only—first for the sample print of OJ’s design and second, to get all the printed copies for distribution. She found Elyn nice and easy to deal with. The printing of the invites went without any hitch.

Tent Rental: Tent King

She found them because she needed to look for tents for K by Cunanan’s buffet area. Even if they are based in Tagaytay, they still had an OOT fee since Hacienda is farther than other venues. When they arrived to check in on May 2, a day before the wedding, Tent King was already setting up.

Wedding Essentials: Pretty Little Details
Before Donna Salgado was a W@Wie before she became a supplier. She promised to help Cecile with the wedding and true enough, she made the letters L&C, holders for their coins, rings, and Bible, their monogram stamp, love story board, and printed photos of Lemjay and Cecile. She even brought them all the way to Antipolo. She also printed their missalettes, door signs, and car sign.

Many of their wedding suppliers were W@W finds and the couple was grateful. They also loved how so many W@Wies helped make their wedding successful. “Thank you, W@W Community, dahil sa mga naging friends ko na I know I will treasure and have for a lifetime. I’ll be a W@Wie by heart forever.”

A Look Back at W@W Videofest by Jason Magbanua

April 30, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog, W@W VideoFest, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

If there’s one thing that can be said about W@W throughout its existence, it’s that friendships abound here. It’s like a big slumber party where wishes and secrets are exchanged. No judgments here, only honest conversations and sincere sharing.

Master videographer Jason Magbanua skillfully captures the bride vibe in this video. Jason, the ultimate W@W “slasher” meaning supplier/star/christmaspartyhost/friend/adviser/supporter/etc/plusmore, knows the pulse of the groupie really well, having been around them for as long as he has been in business. Putting all that together results in a candid and genuine vid. Must watch!

https://vimeo.com/3106246

Grooms’ Look of Love

April 25, 2015/in Blog, W@W Weddings, Wedding Hacks /by W@W Editor

They say that a wedding is a woman’s big day. But these photos show that the grooms also know just how special their wedding day is.

John Mateos Ong ni Monique

Mark ni Anne

Ejhaye ni Agie

Archie ni Aimee

Ron ni Aiza

Loy ni Ayn

Karl ni Anna

Mark ni Chrissie

Jay ni Pizza

Nunui ni Jenki

Ian ni Johann

Allan ni Mandy

Jay ni Michelle

Jojo ni Pittipat

Jojo ni Shyr

Jay ni Nikki

Jaypee ni Pat

“Pinoy Henyo” Proposal

February 7, 2011/in Trends, W@W Weddings, Wedding Hacks /by W@W Editor

“Pinoy Henyo“ is a word-guessing game segment popularized by the noontime show, Eat Bulaga! It’s played pretty much like the “Taboo” boardgame except that the one giving hints is only allowed to answer “Yes/Oo” or “No/Hindi” to the guesser’s questions related to the word stuck on his/her forehead.

In a get-together with friends last Christmas, Nico played “Pinoy Henyo” with his girlfriend, Rea. Here’s a snapshot while their friends are so kilig as the wedding proposal unfolds.

(photo courtesy of Tim Medrano)

Such a sneaky way to have the girl “pop the question”, while the guy gets to say “YES!” in return. hehe

A Short Film for a Prenup Video

January 27, 2011/in W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Instead of having friends and family being interviewed to tell their love story for an AVP to be shown during their wedding reception, John Chu + Ailyn Go had a different approach. They wanted to entertain their guests with a short film, and judging from the output, I’m certain they pulled it off!

Think Korean novela redubbed for Filipino audiences. It’s actually a clever idea since the “actors” never had to memorize their lines to deliver a good performance. I was fortunate to be in the Threelogy office the night they were scheduled to dub the scenes. Since I was there anyway, I was made to do the voice of the antagonist’s sidekick. Some of the lines (like the bit about Michael Jackson) were thought of by Bong and CJ on-the-spot. We were in laughing the whole time we were recording. 😀

Ready your popcorn!

‘Dashing’ Bride barely made it to her wedding march!

July 20, 2010/in W@W Weddings, Weird & Amusing /by W@W Editor

Meet Darlene. She is a W@Wie who has recently gotten married to Gboy.

Their altar date was set last April 17, 2010 in Tagaytay. Wedding ceremony was slated at 1PM but during that time, vehicular traffic was on a standstill because of the Tour of Luzon bikeathon, and in the midst of the gridlock was this classic Mustang bridal car.

The bride got a call from her wedding planner informing her that she would have to forgo her bridal march if she arrived 30 minutes after the scheduled ceremony. Left with no other choice, the bride scooped her skirt, train, and veil of her Veluz wedding gown and started dashing towards the direction of the church. Following Darlene’s lead was her bridesmaid and her make-up artist, Eddie Bruan. Upon seeing them on the street, the photo and video guys also got out of their vehicle.

Oly Ruiz of Metro Photo captured in multiple shots as the bride emerged in the two-way gridlock.

“After about 15 minutes of running, we came at the intersection where everything was clogged-up and asked — forced actually — a tricycle to take all of us (all seven of us) to the church which was another mile away,” Oly narrated.

As for the groom, he had tried to hitch a ride with passing motorists but no one stopped. Good thing the couple’s ninang saw Gboy on her way to the church and gave him a ride.

If those weren’t enough trouble for a day, the bride also shared that her wedding gown got burned due to a spotlight under their table at the reception. Darlene further added, “I thought there we were done with all the mishaps, but ‘lo and behold: our big day has almost turned into our last day!!! We almost fell off the cliff due to break dysfunction of our car!!! My goodness! What a day!!! At least we have an exciting story to tell our grandchildren.”

Checkout Gboy & Darlene’s onsite by MG Video. An ample coverage of our dashing bride in the middle of the road and their tricycle ride can be seen towards the end.

Head on to Oly’s blog entry for his eyewitness account and more of the images from the event.

Cheers to Gboy & Darlene for their positive outlook despite the odds. 🙂

A pregnant bride celebrates life & love!

April 30, 2010/in W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

In a conservative, Catholic country like the Philippines, getting knocked up before marriage is not always met with parental approval. But pregnancy out of wedlock does happen and it doesn’t always end in a mom raising the child alone. 🙂

Although marriage should not be an answer for an unplanned pregnancy, marriage shouldn’t be completely written off as well especially if the couple mutually love each other and both are mature enough to face the financial and emotional responsibilities of parenthood. Needless to say, the support of the couple’s loved ones spells a huge of difference.

Such was the case in the wedding of Janio & Maan. They were showered with the love and support of their family and friends during their big day.

It’s also noteworthy that Maan never tried to hide the bump by wearing a ‘maternity’ wedding gown as seen in the photo below. 🙂

(photo by Jay Jay Lucas for ImagineNation)

Here’s wishing the infanticipating newlyweds a happy family life! 🙂

A Wedding Proposal Story: Floating on Cloud 9 while diving underwater!

April 26, 2010/in A Bit Personal, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Meet Mark & Anna.

The two are college sweethearts who have been together for about 10 years already.

Sometime last year, on a weekend he had work, she scheduled a diving trip in Anilao, Batangas with friends. For their last dive, Anna was instructed by her diving buddy to follow 30 feet underwater. When they got there, here’s what she saw…

… a tarp with her name and the words “WILL YOU MARRY ME??”

Then she saw this guy in his dive mask kneeling on the seabed with a bouquet of flowers. It could only be Mark! After she signaled ‘YES’ to him, he handed her the ring attached to a string and to his BCD (buoyancy control device). He also gave her tarpaulin that had ‘YES’ on it. Afterall, nobody really expect to hear that sweet word underwater. 🙂

As soon as they surfaced, this first thing she uttered to him wasn’t a verbal yes, but “Are you okay?”

Turns out, Mark is no swimmer. Despite that, he willingly took diving lessons (behind her back) specifically for this proposal. The lengths some men go through just to pop THE question never cease to amaze.

“People asked me how I felt that day and I always have the same answer. I was in cloud nine and the experience was surreal,” Anna said. The engaged couple is set to have a ten-ten-te-ten (10.10.10) wedding.

Cheers to soon-to-weds! 🙂

They said he wouldn’t live to see his wedding day

March 28, 2010/in W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

(Joseph Santos, 28, right, a.k.a., the “Miracle Baby,” is shown with his fiance Micaela Sando, 24. Joseph, was given the “miracle baby” title after he and his twin brother, Jason, were born almost four months premature. Their mother, Purita, went into labor while on a flight from Guam to Hawaii. Now, nearly 28-years after the event, Joseph will be getting married on Saturday, March 27 | photo & story excerpted from ocregister.com)

The year was 1982.

The sweat was beading on Purita Santos’ forehead. She had just come from a wedding in the Philippines – her and her husband’s homeland – and this little spell was killing the euphoria.

The 35-year-old mother of two, who was again five-and-a-half months pregnant – this time with twins – was in an uncomfortable spot on a Pan Am flight from Guam to Hawaii.

Pains were shooting through her lower back. She was trying to stave off the contractions by propping her legs up on the seat-back tray in front of her.

A stewardess eventually asked for a doctor. There were two on board. Purita Santos repeated to herself that she couldn’t have the babies on the plane – or for another three months.

But once the plane touched down in Honolulu, and her water broke in the hospital, there was no denying that the babies were going to arrive early.

Baby Jason, at 1 lb. 9 1/2 oz., came first. Head first. He didn’t cry.

Baby Joseph, at 1 lb. 7 oz., came feet first. He cried very little, and very quietly.

The doctors thought Joseph Santos would go blind from the oxygen they pumped into the incubator when he was born.

His twin brother, Jason, older by a minute or so, only lived for two hours. Doctors gave Joseph less than a one-in-50 chance of survival.

They said he might never walk, and there was the possibility that he would never talk, too.

Santos, who weighed under two pounds when he was born prematurely, was at one time hailed as Orange County’s “Miracle Baby” by local media.

Doctors first gave him only a few hours to live. Little did they know on Jan. 17, 1982 that about 247,100 hours later he’d still be here.

On Saturday, Santos will join his beautiful bride at the altar. He’ll say his vows, and promise to be hers forever.

Sometimes, miracles do happen. [READ FULL STORY…]

My Ondoy Wedding Story

September 27, 2009/in W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Yesterday’s flash floods brought about by typhoon Ondoy got numerous weddings postponed, receptions canceled, and a lot of wedding suppliers stranded in their cars amidst flood and/or traffic. But we’ve heard of a few weddings which still pushed through despite the calamity. Proof that all a wedding needs is a bride, a groom, a couple of witnesses, and an officiant for it to push through.

Below is a personal account of Randall Dagooc of MangoRed who covered a wedding yesterday despite rain and high water (text lifted from his facebook note).

– – – – – – – – – –

We made it! We f*ckin made it!

10 AM

Alis kami Ortigas going to Alabang for a wedding. Wedding Ceremony is at 3pm sa Fernbrook.
Stuck sa C5 for 2 hours–U Turn then daan kami sa Fort Bonifacio-Mckinley-Nichols Route.
Stuck in fort Bonifacio (Lawton Road) for another 2 hours. 5 meters per hour ang takbo ng mga sasakyan.

2 PM

Sabi ni Teena (Coordinator) moved daw ang ceremony to 5pm.
I said “Sh*t! Choke point lang naman is yung bridge sa may Nichols! Sabi ko lakad na lang kami then brave the flood! bahala na si Santino”
Went down the car amidst the massive traffic. Lakad kami Al, Rex and me from Mckinley Hill to Nichols. Basang-basa sa ulan, naka white pointed shoes, coat or in short naka formal attire.
si Rex nakabalot ng plastic. Ako nakapulot ng Tarpaulin. Si Al, naliligo sa ulan na parang street children.
Then May nadaanan kami Military Surplus shop na nagbebenta ng Military raincoat.
- “Ate! Mag kano Raincoat?” sabi ko
- Ate: “450 pesos isa…”
- Ako: “Shit! basang 300 pesos lang pala dala ko!”
Hanap ako ng ATM. Lakad ulit.
May Tumawag sakin: “Randall! Randall!”
“Uy sina Wally Gonzales at sina RJ!” bwahaha! Stuck din sa Lawton Road!
- “Chong, pahiram naman ng 1,000 oh, pambili ng raincoat!”
Ayos nakabili. Lakad ulit for an hour. Naka raincoat na. hehehe
Nadapa si Rex sa sidewalk.
May nagsabing batang kasalubong namin: “Dad mga sundalo ba sila?”

3PM

Text si Teena (Coordinator) -Stuck pa rin daw sya sa EDSA. at na move ang wedding to 8pm. Tuloy na tuloy daw. Kahit mag cartwheel pa daw sya para matuloy.
Sabi ko, “ayos lupet nito!”

4PM

After 1 hour ng paglalakad sa ulan at baha, tawid kami sa baha sa may Nichols yung may tulay… Massive!
Pagkatawid, lakad sa may SLEX ng konti habang pumapara ng sasakyan na pwedeng maawa samin. Buti may Taxi na nasuhulan ng 500 pesos na pumayag.
Sakay kami. Sobrang luwag sa SLEX at andaming tumirik na sasakyan sa tabi.

5:30 PM

Nasa Preps na kami. Nangutang muna ako sa bride ng 500 pesos pampamasahe.
Tuwang tuwa si manong.
Tawag ako kay Chuck (Cherry Blocks) na taga Alabang.
sabi ko “Chong pahiram naman ng tuyong sapatos, long-sleeves at mejas oh!”
Dumating si Chuck and we’re all comfy and dry.

WEDDING

Shoot kami with Sir Raymund Fortun, Jok & Chuck.
20 relatives lang ng bride & Groom yung nandun. Wala nang iba.
Inasikaso ni Sir Raymund yung Church. Baha na kasi sa Fernbrook so wala na talagang pag-asa.
Instant lahat!
- Instant Best man.
- Instant Ceremony.
- Instant Priest.
- Instant Reception.
- Instant mami.

Sobrang lupit ng wedding!

Sabi ng Groom: “Itutuloy natin to whatever happens. Kahit san pa kami ikasal!”

Astig!

Very emotional lahat! I Admire the courage and love of Eli & KY! Grabe. Inspiring!

I’ll post the other details with photos this week…may wedding pa kasi kami tomorrow. Tulog muna ako…hehehe

Bottomline: Weddings are all about the couple. Not the guests who won’t be able to attend. Not the cake, the gown, the details, the photos etc.. etc…

Anyway, Salamat kay RJ & Sir Wally.
Kay Chuck!
Kay Atty. Raymund Fortun!
Kay Eli & KY
and sa pinakamalupet naming team! Al, Rex & Jap!

Sabi ko nga, kung ang mga conflict (war) photographers nakakapag shoot kahit patayan na, anu ba naman ang baha para sa mga wedding photographers? *yabang* hehehe

Salamat sa lahat!

I hope naka survive ang lahat at marami tayong natutunan na leksyon sa dinulot ng bagyong ito.

Orgasmic fun at Bim & Gen’s Pre-Marital Party!

August 11, 2009/in A Bit Personal, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

(photo by Paul Vincent. Click here for more photos.)

Benz & I have attended pre-wedding parties separately in the past. Thing is, the bachelor parties I’ve been to had a non-disclosure agreement upon entry, while Benz attended bridal showers that are too wholesome to be interesting. 😛

Last night was probably the first time we’ve attended a not-so-wholesome pre-wedding party together. It’s not like a tame shower not a quite an off-the-record stag either. The event was just pure unadulterated bastusan!

From what I gather, a pre-marital party is to ready the soon-to-weds prepare for the wedding night. All the attendees are one in saying ‘NO’ to pre-marital sex. *rolleyes*

To Bim & Gen, the couple who runs phoeben teocson | wedding cinema, our congratulations and best wishes for your November 21 wedding… night! 😉

Props to Queen Gutierrez-David of Just Like Ours, the soon-to-weds’ wedding planner for orchestrating the whole thing and keeping it a secret from the couple. Now I’m assuming that a pre-marital party will now be part of her freebie for her other clients. bwahaha!

08.08.08 – Auspicious, Olympic Weddings!

August 7, 2008/in Trends, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Tomorrow’s THE date. It’s gonna be 08-08-08! Just within our online community alone, there are 34 W@Wie brides set to wed tomorrow! That’s almost quadruple the number of W@Wies married on 07.07.07 despite the triple 7 date falling on a Saturday last year.

We doubt if 09.09.09 (Wednesday) would even be a bit as popular. But 10.10.10 (Sunday) is showing a lot of promise as the next wedding date of choice, at least for Filipino soon-to-weds, since it sounds like ‘ten-ten-te-ten’ — a local kiddie chant/phrase that practically represents a happy wedding. This early, we already have members who are set to marry on that date.

But nothing beats August 8, 2008. It’s the very first time that over 30 W@Wie brides are marrying on the same date in W@W’s nine-year history. Add to that the other Pinoy couples outside W@W who also chose that date and you’ll see how busy tomorrow is gonna be for a lot of wedding suppliers. And the date’s popularity is not just here in Manila or the rest of the Philippines.

In the U.S., thousands are set for an 8.8.8 date referring to it as “the date of a lifetime.” There’s also the “Olympic Wedding” surge in China where thousands of Chinese couples are expected to tie the knot as Beijing formally opens the games tomorrow. There are even officially-issued, Olympic-themed wedding rings available these couples. See the designs of the his & hers platinum Olympic rings here and here.

Our best wishes to all 08.08.08 couples!

Hawaii Four-O!

March 14, 2008/in A Bit Personal, Blog, PrepTalk, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

One Memorable Poolside Luau for a Ruby Wedding Celebration
by: John & Benz Rana
article originally appeared in print: 06.04.05

We just came back from the best wedding party we’ve ever been to! The event was the Renewal of Vows and Thanksgiving Party of our parents, Fulgencio Rana, Sr. & Perla Capiral-Rana, to celebrate their 40^th (ruby) wedding anniversary. We had the perfect weather, the perfect set of wedding suppliers who seamlessly set the mood, guests who came in their Hawaiian outfits ready to party, and most of all, a very happy couple finally getting the kind of wedding they never had.

Papa & Mommy (that’s not a typo, that’s really how we call them!) never had an en grande wedding when they got married 40 years ago. Yet they managed to pay (in full or in part) for the weddings of their five children. So since their 25^th anniversary and every five years hence, the family would toy with the idea of having a renewal of vows. On New Year’s Day of 2005, the plans became more concrete, and the ideas and talks became more serious. Aha, this is it! This is the year. finally!

Our Dream Team

Being a wedding photographer, our kuya, Fol Rana, Jr. was automatically put in charge of the photo coverage and portraiture; and us, being in the forefront of WeddingsAtWork.com, were automatically put in the driver’s seat to plan the whole event. Lucky for us, preparing with just six months lead time wasn’t as hard since we already knew who to go to for what. In just a matter of days, we have already decided who will be doing what and by the outcome of yesterday’s event, we surely made all the right choices.

First, we decided on having the event at The Coconut Palace as this is the venue the guests will most appreciate; outdoor yet elegant, picturesque, and would fit our Luau-theme perfectly. Next we got Josiah’s Catering as Papa, Mommy and their friends love their food already and the company has already been the family’s choice primarily because of their very personalize service with us in every event. What made the look cohesive was the design of the non-traditional invitations we got from Prinsonalities.The invites set the tone of the celebration which made all the guests indeed come in their best luau get-up. Virginia Cakes based their design on the invites and what a sight the towering cake was! But that was expected, as Virginia always provided the cakes for all our major events and never failed to wow us. To set the mood with their set & lighting design, we talked to Balay Kandila and as soon we did, there came a snowball of ideas that felt like an avalanche already! Plans became bigger and bigger, set-ups became more and more elaborate until we were already too excited and too hooked up with the wedding. Their enthusiasm and heart poured into this wedding was so infectious that what started as a simple party became a Grand event. While in the hotel, Mom was already so impressed with their hand-painted Unity Candle custom-made by Balay. The set-up and styling of the venue was very colorful in the afternoon sun and transformed magically as dusk came. Sound Syndrome automatically came in as our lights and sounds provider and as the plans grew bigger that the venue would no longer be able to provide the electrical requirement, that we would need a generator. Good thing Glisaz just informed us that have gensets for rent. Next came Tropical Blooms to complete the Luau look, they provided every floral bouquet for the entourage, complete with the painstakingly hand-made leis made of leaves draped on the men’s shoulders with the ends dangling in front; it set apart the male entourage from the guests.

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The fireworks were one thing we insisted on. We felt the celebration won’t be as grand without the illuminating the sky & the Manila Bay backdrop. Good thing our friends from Dragon Fireworks are accredited with Coco Palace. The ooh’s and ahh’s the fireworks generated was proof it indeed wouldn’t have been perfect without it.

The only thing that took us the longest finalizing was the production for the Audio Visual Presentation. As we had to go on location for this, Papa, kuya and us had our own opinion on what we want the AVP to be. Threelogy Digital Video was actually in a bind as we were all pulling them on different directions. Good thing they found a way and were able to make a video that surely pleased us all. We are very proud of this group as they are friends who just recently entered the wedding industry and are steadily gaining ground. We look forward to seeing them make it big.

As we were in the middle of the preparations and actually quite done choosing most of the suppliers, we’ve noticed that our personal to-do list for the big day become more and more complicated for us to handle that we already needed professional event management. Good thing Visions & Ideas came on board just in time and practically saved our lives and sanity. We would definitely be too tired writing this article if they weren’t there during the event. No task was too big or too bothersome for them. Everytime we reach a stump, they would simply say, don’t worry, we will handle it, and really they did! There was nothing we needed that they didn’t have (yes, including Midol!) that it was just like JLo in her movie! Mommy even said she felt like a queen with a personal assistant always on her side to simply wash her hands. Thanks to them we were able to actually enjoy the event without worrying about anything.

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It is now hours after the party but still we can picture the whole set-up: tables linens in printed floral design, waiters and waitresses in complete Luau get-ups, long neon flags in bamboo poles waving, the super colorful projector frame that was such a center of attraction, the full orchestra elevated on platform that resembled a boat with matching lifesavers, the bamboo raft that transported the Rana grandkids from one end of the pool to the other, the special numbers prepared by our brothers, sisters and our kids, the first burst of the fireworks, the smiles as the AVPs were shown, the grand fondant cake, the calla lily bridal bouquet, the yummy chocolate fountain, the unending servings of food, and the endless congratulations of we got from both guests and wedding suppliers for such a great wedding and finally seeing the happiness of our dear parents who finally got their wedding and so much more!

Rain-Free Day

Our special thanks to the Carmelite sisters of Lipa and the cloistered nuns of Santa Clara who helped us in praying for a rain-free day. Call it a miracle but it really didn’t rain that day despite the consistent afternoon showers throughout the week. Mommy said, if prayers can move mountains, what more if it’s just rain. It also helped that Papa, who from the start never doubted that it would be a sunny day, was unwavering even during the eve of the wedding despite the really loud downpour and wind we heard from the balcony of the bridal suite in Westin. The blessings were just too great we knew that God has a hand in making it all happen.

Papa & Mommy, we are so happy we had a hand in making all this possible for you. Here’s wishing you 40 more years of good health and togetherness. We love you! Cheers!