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

I was amazed with the artwork in this poster the first time I saw it.

I’m digging the vintage feel of it all. This was designed by artist JP Cuison for MangoRed.   MangoRyan wanted us to share this with all the abroad-based W@Wies who may be interested in having a prenup or postnup shoot with them.

There are only 20 slots available.  Checkout the poster and see if they are visiting a city near you.  Email mangoredstudios@gmail.com for inquires or to reserve a slot.

A few tips for the destination wedding bride (as published in Inquirer Lifestyle)

• Plan ahead. Give yourself at least one year to organize your wedding. This means not just you and your entourage and family, but your guests as well. Send out “mark the date” notices long before official invites, and request your guests to confirm attendance early so you can settle budget, expenses and accommodations. It’s crucial to note that marrying abroad means you will be subject to the destination country’s currency fluctuations vs. the Philippine peso, so it’s best to save up ahead in the currency of the country you will be in if you have a chance to get low exchange rates while in the planning phase.

•  Find out what’s best to source from here – and there – so you can  make practical decisions. This varies for every bride. You’ll have to do some research and pencil-pushing for  this, to compare the prices of sourcing it there or shipping it from  Manila.

•  Learn about the wedding quirks and nuances of your destination of choice. France and Spain require proof of a 40-day residency. An NBI clearance is among the documents you have to submit if you want to get married in China. And if you had a previous marriage that’s been annulled, you’d still have to wait a year if you want to tie the knot in Italy. Besides reading up on the country and its culture, actual visits are the best way to learn about your selected destination. When faced with challenges and doubts during the preparation stage, the trips will also serve to remind you of why you chose it in the first place.

• Be clear on what expenses you will cover. You can invite whom you want but you’re not expected to pay for everyone’s airfare. You may have to shoulder the expenses of your parents, grandparents, and children, if any. If you’re close, be frank and ask siblings and friends to take care of their tickets in lieu of a wedding present. The practice with other nationalities during a destination wedding is that they do not even have to pay for the accommodations of the guests, but since we are Filipino, we usually do a compromise. [source]

 
(photo source: hundredislands.ph)

(via Phil. STAR) Two couples who long dreamed of having an island wedding will finally fulfill their wish when they renew their marriage vows in an underwater wedding today at the  Hundred Islands National Park.Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, who will officiate the wedding, told The STAR that the wedding will be held inside a cave at the Cuenco Island, about 15 minutes away by boat from Lucap Wharf, the jump-off point to the Hundred Islands.

The couples were Jayson and Myra Llavore and Ricky and Geraldine Joachon, both from Manila. They decided to renew their marriage vows “before God’s majestic natural beauty through the clear waters of the Hundred Islands,” according to the wedding organizer, Winston Santiago.

These couples, however, were not dressed in the usual wedding attire but in their scuba diving gear.

Braganza, himself a scuba diver, said this will be the second time he officiated an underwater civil wedding. Last Valentine’s Day, a couple from Manila also came here for their underground wedding held in another venue at the Hundred Islands, Old Scout Island.

Braganza said during the rites, there was a waterproof small board where their vows were inscribed and a waterproof pen for their signatures where the couples expressed their marriage vows using sign language.

Their principal sponsor was Vice Mayor Cesar Manzano.

“But of course, the real marriage certificate was signed by the bride and groom and their ninong inland,” the mayor said.

The ceremonies will take about an hour, he said.

Aside from the two couples, another couple, already senior citizens and balikbayan, had their renewal of marriage vows in a beach wedding for their more than 40 years of blissful marital life also at the island.

Braganza said this pre-Valentine’s Day wedding is part of their continuing efforts to showcase the beautiful Hundred Islands managed by the city government as a scuba diving haven and in the future, as the country’s underwater wedding capital for scuba diving enthusiasts.

“We hope that the underwater wedding in Hundred Islands would snowball and become a tradition for couples to come here every Valentine’s Day for this unforgettable experience,” Santiago said.

Mike Sison, city tourism officer, in a separate interview said the guests will partake of a special breakfast as a reception for the three weddings featuring Alaminos’ best-like longganisa, parad (grilled spare ribs), grilled boneless bangus, binongey (glutinous rice cooked inside a piece of bamboo) and local fruits.

Braganza had been holding a sunset civil mass wedding for the past seven years for couples who are already living together without getting married at the Lucap Wharf.

This year, 95 couples form part of the Valentine’s Day civil wedding sponsored by the city government at 3 p.m. today at the Don Leopoldo Sison Auditorium here because of the ongoing construction at the wharf.

 
(the Palace features a huge chandelier made up of 101 coconut shells | photo by MangoRed)

(via Inquirer.net) Engaged couples who plan to hold their wedding reception at the bayside Coconut Palace, will have to go elsewhere.

According to a senior staff member of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), which owns the 33-year-old facility, no more private parties will be allowed at the edifice “as per instructions of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).”

The OVP, which is renting a portion of the seventh floor of the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, will transfer shortly to the Coconut Palace, located at the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex, behind the Folk Arts Theater.

“No dates yet, but the first quarter of the year is our target,” disclosed Joey Salgado, spokesperson and media officer of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

VP’s residence

The Coconut Palace will be the Vice President’s permanent office and official residence.

“Aside from security reasons, it is hard to imagine working there with caterers and wedding or birthday guests, among others, running around,” Salgado told the Inquirer.

Asked about the repairs reportedly being made at the facility, Salgado said, “The floor plan has not yet been finalized, but the OVP is working on it.”

Binay’s new office, which was built in 1978 on orders of then first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, was a “bargain,” according to Salgado.

“Our monthly rent will just be P400,000, which is half the amount we are paying now at the PNB Financial Center. And the P400,000 to be charged by GSIS is what they earn a month from the wedding and other receptions held at the Coconut Palace,” he said.

The OVP’s monthly rent at the PNB Financial Center still does not include other overhead expenses.

‘Good idea’

Considering the reduction in the OVP budget for 2011—P185.1 million from P187.3 million last year—Salgado noted that moving to the facility was a “good idea.”

Last June, President Aquino offered Binay the Coconut Palace as his official residence.

Aside from this lavish mansion built during the Marcos era, the other option was the old City Hall of Makati City, where Binay served for six terms as mayor.

Binay had thought of holding office there but the building on JP Rizal Street needed to be renovated first. He also joked that he was having trouble getting permission from the new mayor, his son and namesake, Junjun Binay.

To his staff, he complained that the Vice President, often referred to as the “spare tire” in government, did not have a permanent office and an official residence.

Binay’s lament

“A provincial governor has a governor’s mansion. The Vice President comes home to his own house,” Binay once lamented.

At the Coconut Palace, a four-hour reception normally cost P100,000, while a simple guided tour would cost P100 per head, said GSIS staff.

The facility, which stands on a 2.7-hectare property, is estimated to be worth at least P1.2 billion.

The GSIS has spent over P10 million preserving the look and feel of the original edifice, designed by architect Francisco Mañoza and made of several types of Philippine hardwood and coconut shells.

It has been used as a guest house for official guests of the Marcos government, like Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and US show biz stars Brooke Shields and George Hamilton.

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Related News:

• Coconut Palace eyed as Binay’s office, residence (GMA News)