It's a well-known fact that we love ourselves a sweet, sweet engagement session here on SMP - and this beyond breathtaking Manila shoot is certainly no exception. Set against a stunning backdrop of crystal blue waters and romantically cloudy skies, it's casual yachting meets a glamour-filled evening meets all kinds of L.O.V.E.... our favorite kind. The oh-so-wonderful Nez Cruz snapped up every last glorious moment... and the bride and groom-to-be? Simply stunning. See so much more right here.
Philippines Engagement Session from Nez Cruz
Click here for the FULL engagement session!
From the Bride-to-Be... Our relationship had an unusual start — Jesse had just discovered that he was scammed in buying a property in the beautiful island of Boracay, south of the Philippines. He then went to Manila, the capital, to find help and found me! I am friends with his lawyer, and we met when he first discovered the scam. Amidst the devastating news, he was such a nice and sweet person trying his best to be positive. We first met in a coffee shop for breakfast, and we were instantly drawn to each other. He’d always say that I am his angel, helping him throughout the ordeal and being there for him all the time, but I would say that I am the luckiest girl because he is a great and loving individual, winning the hearts of my family and friends as well as mine.
Jesse works as a geophysicist in an off-shore vessel for an oil and gas company, and we used that as an inspiration in choosing seaside locations for both our shoots. Our Manila shoot was in Manila Yacht Club where in we had three layouts from casual to glam. We weren’t expecting the weather to not cooperate, but it ended up raining that day! The planks we were standing on were very rocky because of the wind, but our photographer, Nez Cruz, did a fantastic job in making us comfortable in front of the camera and making the rain work for us. The pictures turned out really well — the colors are very vibrant, and he made it worth it to be drenched in rain! I was a bit hesitant at first because an engagement shoot was an alien concept for Jesse but he ended up enjoying every bit of it, especially when my makeup artist, Irene Sy-Go, and stylist, Aira Franco, kept on teasing him that he looked like a movie star or a member of a boy band.
Photography: Nez Cruz / Location: Manila Yacht Club in Manila, Philippines / Stylist: Aira Franco / Hair: Jim Guerrero / Makeup: Irene Sy-Go