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…)

I was scanning the thumbnails of Benz’s tagged photos in Facebook when a particular picture got me curious, that I just had to click for a larger view.   Here’s what I saw…

(photo by: Pat Dy)

This shot was taken Pat Dy from Choy Nuñez & Jill Sabalo’s wedding.  Jill is a W@Wie and admits that she loves W@W, hence the inclusion of the W@W commemorative coin as part of the wedding arrhae.

In the blog entry of the couple’s wedding planner (Ernest Pascual of Events! Events!), this photo caption appears:

The wooden arrhae box with gold and silver metal plate carving matched the theme. The arrhae was composed of six coins from 1980 - the year when Choy was born, plus six coins from 1982 - the year when Jill was born, and one coin from W@W.

What a great idea!

I agree with Benz that it’s indeed heartwarming to see a W@Wie like the coin so much to even include it in the arrhae for her own wedding.  We had the W@W commemorative coin minted as a souvenir for our site’s 10th anniversary celebration last year.

Below is a more detailed look of the W@W coin in this short clip done for us by Phoeben Teocson.

- - - - - - - - -

Related links for Choy & Jill’s wedding:

• When Fashion and Romance Met (Events! Events! Blog)
• Choy & Jill (Pat Dy’s blog)
• Jill (The Veluz Bride)
  
• couple’s wedsite (via Multiply)

Today our eldest daughter, Kite, turns 11.  Her birthday party was held last Sunday which coincided with the baptism of her baby sister, Laya.

(photo by Oly Ruiz of MetroPhoto)

It ain’t a wedding but the event also involved preps in the hotel (courtesy of the GCs we received from Mandarin Oriental), a church ceremony, and a reception.  The staff of Mandarin even brought a cot to our room especially for the baby. Since we booked the party at Blue Leaf (thanks to Eugene & Michelle Sandejas for accommodating us), we decided that the Christening of our four month-old baby be held at the Sanctuario de San Antonio for proximity and convenience of the godparents and other guests.

Benz & I usually plan big events in our family together, but this time, she planned it with Kite. I was mostly pleased with this arrangement except when I asked approximately how much they spent so far.  But with the discounts and freebies we got from our suppliers, I shouldn’t really be complaining.

Joel Bautista did Laya’s baptismal gown in piña, while the candles were custom-made for us by Ernest Pascual –  dubbed as the ‘Details Diva’ by his brides.

After the short ceremony at the Baptistry, we proceed to the party venue.  Upon arrival, what greeted us were the myriad of colorful balloons dropping from the ceiling by Polkadot Events, which also served as our party planner.  There were also a gallery of large backlit portraits of our family especially setup for us by Ronald of 4th Wall (the selected photographs were taken by The Stork Studio during Benz’ pregnancy up to Laya’s 3rd month).  The photobooth of Studio on Wheels was already clicking away for the early birds by then.

Since the party’s theme was Arts & Crafts, there were stations for origami, cake decorating, ceramic & sun-catcher painting, nameplate designing, sand art, and bead making.  Most of these were provided by Rekindled Moments.  The personalized aprons provided to the kids were customized by Loot Fairy.  Standing in as the party host was Jiggles - the balloon lady whose balloon show was a big hit with the kids and ’stage parents’.

When I learned that Joy San Gabriel would be doing the birthday cake, I requested that it be a tower of mini-cakes so guests could take them home.  Aside from the various food carts, Josiah’s Catering provided the buffet of our guests.

Highlights and sidelights of the event were captured in the onsite video below done for us by Threelogy.

- - - - - - - - - -

Related links:

• Kite’s 11th Bday & Laya’s Baptism Party - by Fol Rana, Jr.
• Kite’s 11th Bday & Laya’s Baptism METROFIED - by Oly Ruiz of MetroPhoto
• Kite & Laya’s Double Celebration photobooth prints - Studio on Wheels
• Laya (3rd month) - The Stork Studio
• Laya (newborn) - The Stork Studio
• Laya (in the womb) - The Stork Studio

(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!

(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.