WEVA (Wedding & Event Videographers Association International) is a worldwide network of professional wedding & event videographers.

Last August 23-26, the annual WEVA Expo was held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Part of the opening night was the announcement of winners for the 2010 Creative Excellence Awards Competition.

There were 16 categories in total, and Filipinos were either named winners and/or finalists in among ten of them. Total country tally for the Philippines is 5 Golds, 3 Silvers, 3 Bronzes, and 5 Finalists.

Below is a list of Pinoy videographers recognized in the WEVA 2010 Creative Excellence Award.  We’ve also embedded the winning videos whenever the clip is available. Check ‘em out!

• GOLD AWARDS

Wedding Love Story
Jason Magbanua Wedding Videography | Fong Wedding

Wedding Pre-Ceremony Production
MG Video | Alex & Jamie Wedding

Wedding Ceremony Coverage
Jason Magbanua Wedding Videography | Luy Wedding

Wedding Highlights Production
Bob Nicolas Videography | Lamson Wedding

Wedding Demo Production
Phoeben Teocson Videography

(more…)

(photo by: Mimi+Karl)

The last remaining bachelor among the three partners of Threelogy Video finally got hitched last Friday.

Ceej & I have been friends since our early 20s and I’ve seen him get his heart broken a few times. haha!  I’d say his relationship with Ira has the least drama. Make that, no drama at all.  Either CJ has mellowed with age or he has found a partner with a perfect fit. Or both.

CJ married Ira in a ceremony held at Santuario de San Jose last Friday.  As part of the program at the reception, a surprise AVP was shown to the newlyweds and their guests. The video was actually the 3rd episode of “Monitor“ — Threelogy’s in-house webshow starred by the company’s wacky editors who are anything but camera-shy.  Cameo appearances by photographers Dino Lara (with his driver King who went topless in the video) and Mimi + Karl (with Katy).  Benz & I were also asked to participate and we tagged our baby Laya along.  TheThreelogy girls’ all-out lip-syncing of Charice’s “Pyramid” called for my Iyaz (delas Alas) moves. Watch the show below.

But the video presentation didn’t stop there. Towards the end of the reception, the onsite video was shown recapping everything that happened earlier that day. For me, the highlight in this video was foretold by CJ in our text conversation early that morning….

me: Gising na!!!
CJ: Gising na!!! Kumakain na nga eh.
me: Masarap dapat yan. Yung mga bibitayin pina-o-order ng masasarap. Hehe
CJ: Oo nga!! Last wish hehehehe
me: Sa tingin mo, maiiyak ka ba mamaya?
CJ: Cguro iyakin ako eh.
me: Bridal march ba o sa vows?
CJ: siguro sa march para kita ng lahat!!!! Hahaha

So did he mock a cry or did he really cry? He did both.

Cheers to CJ & Ira!

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.

(photo by KJ Rosales)

On June 5, 2010, Roger Francis Alcantara and Noemi Katrina dela Paz (Roj & 3na to the W@Wies) tied the knot at the Mary Immaculate Parish, better known as ‘Nature Church’ in Las Piñas City.  But what got their nuptials featured in Manila Bulletin was the fact that they held their reception in a McDonald’s outlet!

Below is an excerpt from the said article:

With “I do’s” already exchanged, the newly-married couple treated their guests to the brand of fast food that they both love. Yes, the wedding reception – or “recess,” as the couple likes to call it – took place at a McDonald’s branch along Alabang-Zapote road.

It was a wedding party that was like a children’s party — and perhaps the first-ever wedding reception in a McDonald’s outlet — with an even more playful twist.

The chocolate wedding cake (by Truffle Park Co.) was fashioned to look like a Big Mac, McDonald’s flagship double-layered burger; instead of Roger and Noemi, two McDonald’s mascots were made to do the traditional Filipino Catholic wedding “money dance” while the 120 or so guests who filled the particular branch took home popular “Happy Meal” toys.

And to symbolize their union in a way utterly unique and special to them, the couple ditched the cake-tasting ceremony in favor of taking simultaneous bites out of a Big Mac.

“It was the best bite out of a Big Mac that I’ve ever had in my entire life,” said the groom. You’d better believe him; he’s had countless Big Macs in his burger-munching career. [READ FULL STORY…]

In her email posted in the W@W eGroup, 3na shared that she and her groom even went through the drive-thru window with their entourage in tow.

In sharing their story, the bride said, “I hope this serves as an inspiration to all the future brides out there. The best pa rin if you make the wedding your own.  Don’t mind what other people say, kasi kami nung una, ilang beses kaming tinanong ng parents namin kung sa McDo ba talaga kami; and they ended up enjoying the party as much as we did.”

The groom’s advice is best shared with his quote in the Bulletin article: “My advice to other couples who want to tie the knot is to personalize their nuptial, if they can,” said Roj. “Why become like a million others, if you can become one in a million?”

Below is Roj & 3na’s onsite video by Kris Matanguihan.

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!