Asia Weddings

Every day, we feature beautiful weddings. We are lucky in that over the course of 10+ years, SMP has sort of established itself as one of the few places to share the prettiest of the pretty weddings and trust me when I tell you, there are no shortage of them. But every now and then we get a wedding that takes the word beautiful to an entirely new level. That truly takes my breath away. And this is one of those very special weddings. I can’t tell if it’s the exquisite photography by Kurt Boomer, the shockingly gorgeous design by Gideon Hermosa or simply the bride in her stunning loveliness that made me fall so in love. Regardless, this is a wedding that I will never ever forget.

From the Groom: Hannah and I first met in Signet, a menswear store that I co-founded with some friends. We had just opened our first store and Hannah was there accompanying her brother, Bryan, shopping. Our store manager called me because Bryan wanted to pay with a check. I gave my approval and decided to pass by the store but I didn’t think that they would still be there.

When I entered the store, I saw Hannah from the corner of my eye and thought to myself, “hey, she’s pretty cute.” but thinking that she must’ve been Bryan’s girlfriend. When they left, I asked our store staff and they told me that she was the customer’s sister.

I didn’t think I would ever meet her again but fast forward to the weekend, Hannah came back again with another friend to check out some shoes. This time I got to talk to her a bit and found out that she was traveling around Europe with her brother in a few months time. 

She also mentioned that Bryan was starting to get into photography. I told her that we were going to be in Florence, Italy around the same time to attend Pitti Uomo, a big menswear trade show and invited the both of them to swing by and come take photos of all the menswear people hanging around the area. And that’s how everything began…

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Photography: Kurt Boomer | Videography: Bob Nicolas Wedding Films | Coordination: Christine Ong-Te Events | Floral Design: The Events Studio | Wedding Dress: Hannah Kong | Cake: Mannix Pena | Invitations: Natural Selection Design Co | Reception: Whitespace Manila | Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Catering: Cibo di M | Hair and Make Up: Albert Kurniawan and Jerry Javier | Groom's Attire: Sartoria Dal Cuore | Groom's Attire: Ring Jacket | Bridal Slippers: Bella Belle | Bridal Veil: Dolce And Gabbana | Choir: Manila Philharmonic Orchestra | Ring Box: The Mrs Box | Vow Notebooks: Smythson

The next best thing to having your very own private island? Getting married on one. And when you see this gorgeous couple’s island wedding (planned on just a $15,000 budget!), you’ll be packing your bags to follow in their footsteps. From the Bride’s beautiful Claire Pettibone gown to the breathtaking beach ceremony and reception, this day is the perfect start to happily ever after. See it all from Mimi Nguyen assisted by Kim Le Photography in THE VAULT!

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From The Groom…Shortly after my wife and I started dating we began traveling. We fell in love abroad, we got engaged abroad, and so, naturally, we decided to get married abroad. I distinctly remember standing with my bare feet in the sand, on the other side of the world, looking into the eyes of my soon-to-be wife and thinking, “I can’t believe this is our wedding.” On November 26th, 2014, my wife and I got married in the Philippines on this tiny Island in the Palawan province called Cowrie.

Trang and I got engaged in the summer of 2013. With a small budget of fifteen thousand dollars, we weren’t surprised to learn that almost everything was out of our range. Disappointed, we started looking into different options. In the end, sticking to our initial budget was one of the best decisions we ever made. We were able to transform that 15k into a week-long celebration, that not only brought us closer to our family and friends, but it allowed us to share with them what we love most in life, traveling.

I wish I could take some credit for making our wedding what it was, but, other than choosing the location, it’s safe to say I did little to nothing to help plan the wedding. My wife was the driving force that made everything happen, and it didn’t happen instantly. It took her about 11 months to plan, and she did it in steps.

The first step was to find the place, and the second, to pick a date. Together we searched the earth for a place where our guests could best stretch their money. For this we had two requirements. One, to find a place our guests could spend as little as a thousand dollars for a week vacation which included their flight, food, and excursions (we covered the lodging and breakfast), and two, not to have our guests miss too many work or school days. After a few days, we settled on Thanksgiving week in three potential places: Bali, Vietnam, or the Philippines. Pro and cons considered, we went with the Philippines because of a tour guide named Omar Silva that I was lucky enough to meet on a previous visit. Every moment spent with him made a lasting impression on me and I knew I wanted this for our guests. With his help I was sure we could create a week long itinerary for everyone to enjoy. Through TripAdvisor we were able to find our lodging at Palo Alto Bed & Breakfast. More importantly it got us in touch with Pauline Ylaya, who not only runs the Palo Alto with her family, but she offered to be our wedding coordinator.

Over the course of the year we learned that a destination wedding can only be as successful as the trust you have in your coordinator. Being on the other side of the world we weren’t able to be hands-on. Pauline worked so hard for us, visiting countless places to find our perfect location. She did such an amazing job, finally leading us to Cowrie Island, and the thoughtful Rafols family that allowed us to have our wedding on their Island. They provided their island, food, and transportation for 50 guests, for a price that made me want to run screaming through the streets like a crazy person. From there it was easy handling the cake and flowers. For the cake, the city of Puerto Princesa only offered one option, so we went with La Patisserie French Cakes & Pastries. For the flowers it was almost as easy. After the first shop fell through, we went with the second shop that was recommended by our coordinator. We can honestly say we were so happy that we worked with Jacqs Floral Design! They did an incredible job recreating my wife’s vision for our wedding.

All that was left was the decorations and the capturing of our wedding. Thanks to two little known sites by the names of Style Me Pretty and Pinterest (I’m kidding, I know what Style Me Pretty and Pinterest are), my wife already knew what she wanted. Working with Pauline everything was either purchased or built on the island. As for capturing the wedding, we knew who we wanted, and we were just hoping that we could make it work. Leading up to our engagement, we had become fans, and eventually friends, with Mimi Nguyen. If you ever have the pleasure to see Mimi at work you’d be quick to notice how good she is with her clients. She has the amazing ability to work with anyone and quickly put them at ease. She’s so good, in fact, that I was convinced we were friends after our engagement photos, and I’m not that easy to warm up too! So we crossed our fingers and sent her an email asking if she was available to travel Thanksgiving week, and lucky for us, she was! Along with her second shooter, Kim Le Pham, we were extremely happy to have them on board. Things quickly went from great to unbelievable when we met Kim Le’s husband, Jason Huang, and we were able to work out a deal to have him be our videographer for the wedding.

The year flew by, and the day had finally come. As we boarded our flight to the Philippines with only a couple days before the wedding, all we had left to do was: meet our coordinator, check out the island, do a cake taste, do a food tasting, and set the menu, all while coordinating the safe arrival of our 40 guests…no sweat! As soon as we landed, we dropped off our bags and were taken straight to the island. It was beautiful. The island was so much more than we deserved or could have ever asked for. Working with owner/chef Rix Rafols to prep the island and set the menu was fun. We filled our stomachs with delicious seafood and traditional Filipino cuisine. All of which we couldn’t wait to have our guests eat.

With our first day coming to a close Trang and I were so happy with how everything was working out. The location was amazing, rain or shine, we were going to be getting married on an island closed off to the public and tourists, exclusively set aside for us and our guests!

The morning of the wedding I spent some time finishing up my vows. I had been working on them for a while now, so it was really just nailing down the final touches. I wore a beach friendly linen vest and pants outfit from JCrew, and Trang wore a beautiful dress from Claire Pettibone that matched her lacy, flowy style through and through. One of my oldest friends/board-line sister did Trang’s makeup. Trang looked perfect. I can say this because seeing her at our first look got the “feels” going. Feels that I didn’t expect to get until we did our vows. We made our way to the island holding our breath. Dark clouds from an arriving hurricane threaten the entire day. In some sort of miracle the clouds seemed to avoid our island completely as they drenched the rest of the surrounding areas. Score one for the wedding party!

The ceremony took place feet away from the shore, officiated by one of our best friends. We left it up to him to create the structure of the ceremony and surprise us on our wedding day. Not only did he do a great job, but he also brought us to tears. The vows were equally as emotional and had to be paused at one point because our guests were crying loud enough to make me lose my place. It was pretty funny. After we kissed the festivities began, and everyone settled in as the stars came out. Eating and dancing through the night, we couldn’t have asked for more.

Photography: Mimi Nguyen | Cinematography: Table4 Weddings | Event Planning: Pauline Ylaya | Floral Design: Jacqs Floral Design Studio | Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone | Cake: La Patisserie French Cakes & Pastries | Invitations: Michelle Le | Bridesmaids' Dresses: ASOS | Hair + Makeup: Christy Rivera | Calligraphy: Anne Robin | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Hotel: Pauline Ylaya | Venue: Cowrie Island - Private Island | Bridal Boutique: Claire Pettibone | Photography Assistance: Table4 Weddings

So I’ve said it time and time again, but these travel posts are always so detrimental to both my productivity and my wanderlust. The Philippines have always intrigued me, but Mariel Hannah has just ensured that it’s skyrocketed to the top of the list. Have you ever seen anything more picturesque? I just can’t get over all the beauty. And if you’re anything like me, you might want to spend some time getting lost in the gallery. 

From Mariel… During my stay in the Philippines I traveled around the city of Davao. Some days were spent within the city, but most days were spent by the beach. Those days I spent lingering by the ocean are the days I long for. The beautiful white sands, the perfect blue waters and wonderful world of wonder that lie beneath.

We stayed at the Pearl Farm Beach Resort, a premier destination resort that lies within a smaller island just an hour boat ride from the main city. During your stay, my biggest recommendation is to take your days slow and enjoy every minute. Spend your days snorkelling and spend your evenings watching a movie on the beach. Both of their AM and PM yoga classes take place high on a hill overlooking the beautiful ocean and Mount Apo (one of the largest mountains in the Philippines) – it’s worth the morning wake up call.

Another highlight of my trip was scuba diving. Pearl Farm offers a package for a day trip tour to some of Davaos best diving locations. My favorite ended up being the Coral Gardens. I did the 40 foot dive which allowed me to see some of natures most amazing views. I recall seeing all of the vibrantly beautiful life that flourishes below. The purples, the pinks, the blues, yellows and green coral… Absolutely exquisite. I can’t even begin to describe the beautiful creatures that live within them, each more beautiful than the next.

This affair is answering all of my light-filled wedding fantasies. Dreamy is another adjective that comes to mind and it’s woven into everything, from the adorable DIY elements incorporated into the day to the images by Foreveryday Photography. It’s a happy collaboration of color, smiles and a rainbow of heels. See so much more in the full gallery!

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From the Bride…After Nev and I got engaged in November 2011, I didn’t jump on the wedding planning mode immediately like most brides-to-be. Though we knew we wanted to get married the following year, we didn’t have any planned dates yet; we just wanted to enjoy the engagement bliss. But months went by so fast, and the next thing we know, we’ve been engaged for 8 months and had 6 months left before the year ends. So we finally decided to get married under the cool breeze of December and that’s the only time planning started.
 
We wanted to have a relaxed and cozy wedding with a handful of people we dearly love. This was the focal point of our whole planning, so everything we did was centered on making our guests feel our love and gratitude to them. We chose a small Catholic church for our ceremony, and found a big house with a bare garden and a great view of the famous and scenic Taal Volcano. The bare garden was perfect for all the DIY styling I had in mind; and the natural breeze, the hilly surround, and the laid-back and dainty feel of the place was the right fit for our countryside theme.

With the help of friends and family, we planned our wedding and gathered everything we needed. Weekends and lazy weekday afternoons were spent doing DIY décor, from the makeshift chandeliers to the wooden panels to the hanging lights to the pompoms; and even the invite, which I worked on w/ Nev’s brother, who also luckily happens to be a freelance graphic artist! Some weekends, Nev and I will go to flea markets and buy small decorative items, while our families went on a mission to collect recycled bottles and jars, as well as create hundreds of paper flowers. He also took me to his grandma’s place, which was just filled w/ amazing furniture perfect for our theme, and she happily let us borrow them. We also talked about our ideas to our suppliers, and even had a DIY dry run of the reception setup at home for our caterer to see! I would buy flowers, arrange them, take photos and send them to our caterer, who did a great job in translating our vision into reality. We, together w/ a couple of our siblings, were at our reception venue three days before our wedding to make sure my vision becomes a reality, and up to the night before the wedding, we were setting up and making sure the place looked pretty.   

We had a very short program, something atypical in a Filipino wedding. After a couple of speeches the first dance, we spent the rest of the time just chatting with guests and letting everybody have a good time. The setup of the venue definitely helped put everybody at ease. We placed cocktail tables on one area, a bench on another, and tables under a tent under the night sky. We think it’s safe to assume our guests really had a great time. When we left the venue, our guests stayed to enjoy the breeze, the hand-picked bottles of wines, and the company. In fact, when we went back to the venue the next day, our friends and family were still there cooking breakfast!

We love our wedding to bits! All of the details we incorporated enhanced the overall feel and mood of the occasion. Now I have a bunch of mason jars and photo frames at home, and the beautiful photos by Foreveryday Photography, which all remind me of the day when I married the man of my dreams.

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Photography: Foreveryday Photography | Floral Design: Yho-An’s Flower Shop  | Event Design: DIY | Event Planning: Once a Bride Weddings | Ceremony Location: Chapel on a Hill | Reception Location: Tagaytay Estate | Invitations: Jonathan Manaois (design), Amis Print (printing) | Catering: K by Cunanan | Entertainment: Serenata Strings | Ceremony Dress: Percy Barillo | Reception Dress: Tammy Tan | Shoes: Pedro | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Tammy Tan | Groom’s Suit: JC Ulanday | Makeup: Mickey See | Hair Stylist: John Valle

A wedding that includes giant marshmallows (hanging from paper clouds) and edible chandeliers is pretty much guaranteed to be a good time.  That’s kind of a given.  And when this darling duo incorporated those two elements into their big day, it was just the beginning of one serious fun-fest.  I’m talking sparkler send-offs, yummy cuisine and a “dreams” theme that was simply bursting from every last moment.  The perfect mix of beauty and magic?  We think so.  See it all captured by Nelwin Uy in the full gallery.

And a little slice of wedding heaven from Bob Nicolas…

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From the Bride… Cayo and I chose “dreams” as the theme for our big day because we wanted it to be a day of play. No one was allowed to be a grown up. Far from an ultra-formal affair, it was more like the biggest road trip – disguised as a wedding.

A lot of the details had to be invented, like edible chandeliers for the reception. Luckily, we had the talented Meg Amat of Eve & Co. on our team. Giant marshmallows were strung together and cascaded down from paper clouds. Against string lights and a starlit sky, they created the stunning illusion of frozen raindrops. What we didn’t expect was the marshmallow fight that broke out. One minute, people were sipping drinks, and the next thing we knew, a godfather had thrown the first marshmallow.

It was pandemonium after that.

We co-created our invite with close friends Mike and Bonnie, and my sister Kristel. Mini blankets were attached to each invite and guests were asked to write down a wish for us. The swatches were later stitched together to create a patchwork of dreams.

The rest was just magical. We made our reception entrance down a sloping stone path dotted with paper luminaries. Friends and family waved sparklers over our heads as we passed, and it seemed like we were walking under a canopy of lights. Then the breathtaking pop-pop-pop of fireworks lit up the night sky.

Guests got a taste of comfort food from our two “homes.”  From the Philippines, we served mini Ilocos empanada, beef and pork lechon and brick oven-roasted chicken with a rosemary and lemon rub. From Thailand, we had fried curry prawns and steamed dory fillets splashed with hot sesame oil, chili and lime. After dinner, friends lounged in “dreaming tents” where they could roll around, doodle in journals and find hidden mini Marvel and Transformers toys – Cayo’s favorites.

Instead of the traditional cake cutting, we decided to do a “locking” ceremony. We wrote our names on a padlock and attached it to a dream cloud. Friends added theirs. There was something so moving about seeing our names surrounded by all these strong relationships. But as with most memories that night, an unexpected twist happened. It became the running joke to approach people and ask if they had a “padlock-buddy.”

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Wedding Photography: Nelwin Uy | Wedding Cinematography: Bob Nicolas | Ceremony Venue: Sts. Peter Paul, Bauang in La Union, Philippines | Reception Venue: Thunderbird, Poro Point in La Union, Philippines | Officiant: Fr. Johnny Go | Wedding Coordinator: Lyte Gatchalian from Weddings and Beyond | Event Styling: Meg Amat from Eve & Co. | Floral Design: Efren Baccawat | Wedding Invitations: Kristel Ko, Mike Sicam + Bonnie Doroy-Enriquez | Decor: Lito Gemora, Japs Perez, Kat Encanto, EJ Galang | Fireworks: Enzo Crisostomo | Personalized Hangers: MELAfied |Photobooth: FotoMoto Concepts |Lights + Sounds: Reinforcement Baguio | Hosts: Laica Turingan + Caloy Sambrano | Strings: Music of the Heart | Band: The Johnny’s | Wedding Dress: Rosa Clara | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Raza Formal Wear | Groom’s Attire: Nap Arienza | Hair + Makeup: Cathy Cantada-Dizon + Jerry Javier

With a Groom who works as a wedding photographer by day and a Bride that isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and dable in many a DIY project, this wedding was destined to be a winner. And it’s just as the couple envisioned. Intimate, hand-crafted and pure magic under a sea of sparkling cafe lights. From the far-flung yet insanely gorgeous Philippines, we bring you an al fresco stunner shot by Mark Cantalejo Photography, a.k.a the Groom’s company. See it all unfold under those gorgeous twinkle lights right here.

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From the Bride… We’ve only been dating for eight months when Mark proposed to me at the arrival hall of the Mactan airport when I was coming back from a business trip. You know those people you see holding up name cards of the people they’re supposed to meet up when you go out of the airport? Yes, Mark did a version of that but with a twist. Grinning from ear to ear while holding up the colorful LRC (Linette Ramos Canete) cut-out cardboard, I saw next to him his overeager accomplices (Tisha and her husband Teody), immediately bring up “WILL YOU” and “MARRY ME”, as I slowly walked towards him. To say that I was surprised is an understatement! I was too stunned to move and the only thing I could do was hug Mark tightly and cry. But of course, I said yes!

It took a few more months before we finally sat down to carefully plan what would be the happiest day of our lives. As the planning progressed, we (okay, I) realized that we wanted the same things. We wanted the wedding to be a reflection of who we are, we wanted it to be a happy celebration of our love and commitment. So we went for an intimate, laid-back affair with only 60 of our closest family members, friends and wedding suppliers. We wanted to keep it small—just four long tables—so everybody can relax and enjoy the food, music and each other’s company. That settled, it was time for arts and crafts nights—dressing up Mason jars that we would use as centerpiece décor, cutting brown cardboard that we used as envelopes for our invites and tying twine and wooden buttons around it. Being a Fine Arts graduate, Mark was a pro in designing and executing all these DIY ideas, while I tried to be a keen observer and hoped that I wouldn’t be entirely useless in this project. When I finally learned how to tie the ribbons just right, I took over the invites while Mark moved on to designing and printing the menu on brown paper that doubled as table napkin holders. Mark also taught me how to fold the napkins neatly so they would fit snugly into the menu cards-slash-napkin holders.

For the place cards, we wanted it personalized like everything else, so we opted for recycled film rolls with the names of the guests handwritten on a cardboard strip. Instead of table numbers, we glued our initials L, M and C (and S, in honor of our Chow-chow dog, Siri, who couldn’t make it to her parents’ wedding) on matte gold wooden frames, which perfectly complemented our rustic theme. Hiring a stylist or a planner is great but there’s just something about being totally hands-on that makes DIY weddings more fun and personal, It gave Mark and I the time to bond, so the planning and preparations were just as fun and memorable as our wedding day. We would have missed out on the stress wondering whether or not we would ever find the jute sacks we needed to use as table runner after a whole afternoon’s search in the wet market. We almost gave up when luckily we found a market vendor who had piles of jute sacks hidden away.

The anxiety, the relief and joy, the feeling of being pleased with yourself—I think every bride and groom needs to go through all that to be able to truly appreciate the beauty and meaning of your wedding day, and to appreciate and love each other more. Last July 19 of this year, we experienced all of that, and more. Having our families and friends celebrate with us and seeing how God spared us from heavy rains made us realize that we are abundantly blessed. To our dear friends in the wedding industry who helped us generously, you all just made it extraordinary. In the end, Mark and I got everything we wanted and hoped for our wedding. Indeed, it was the greatest day of our lives.

Wedding Photography: Mark Cantalejo Photography / Ceremony Venue: Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in Cebu City, Philippines / Reception Venue: White Sands Resort and Spa in Maribago, Mactan Island, Philippines / Wedding Coordination: Tisha Sanchez Cue of Bliss Unlimited / Wedding Cinematography: Franz Arrogante Videography / Centerpiece Floral Design: Debbie Huang of Simple Wishes / Bride + Bridesmaids’ Bouquets: Michael Badang Rueda / Boutonnieres + Ring & Coin Nests: Padecio of {etc} Handmade Goodness + Vatel Manila / Wedding Cakes: Marissa Rodriguez Unchuan / Dining Area Concept + Wedding Details: DIY by the Bride + Groom / Wedding Gown: Ronald Enrico Couture / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Edwin Ortiz Alba / Hair + Makeup: Jessie Colon Recola Glova

Floral wreaths are awesome – and so are brides-to-be that rock them during their engagement sessions. Case in point?  This uber-gorgeous soon-to-be Mrs., who not only dons the world’s most beautiful head piece from Vatel Manila, but some seriously stylish frocks, as well.  (Here’s looking at you, flowy chiffon skirt.)  Add in one very dashing groom, the fab stylings of Aira Franco and some amazing images captured by J Lucas Reyes and we have ourselves a dreamlike session from start to finish. See it all here.

Click here for the FULL engagement session!

From the Bride-to-Be… I would like to share these lovely photos of me and my fiance. When we were shooting this, there was actually a storm and it was raining cats and dogs almost the whole day. I was really worried that our suppliers wouldn’t be inspired because of the lack of sunshine. But I guess somebody heard us and decided to give us some golden light towards the end, thus enabling us to shoot at the beach. With just 30 minutes of sunlight, we were truly amazed at our photographer’s talent. He was able to bring out a lot of good photos!

My fiancé and I are both geeks. We both work in the IT industry, and these photos are far from what we usually do. But this is us — we both love to experiment and challenge our norm. We didn’t want any props or a picnic set-up in engagement shoots. It was a photo Jose Villa that inspired our photographer to do this shoot. Our stylist was the one who added the head wreath touch, which we got from Vatel Manila, a favorite of brides in the Philippines. I was really lucky to have sported such a gorgeous head wreath. We really love our suppliers to bits! They kept up with the weather and made it so easy for us to pose and get good pictures. 

Photography: J Lucas Reyes / Location: El Kabayo and Beachfront in Subic, Philippines / Floral Wreath: Dylan Gozum of Vatel Manila / Cinematography: Daniel Lei Studio / Styling: Aira Franco / Hair + Makeup: Fritz Mortel of Aira Franco

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.

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

This is, hands down, one of my absolute favorite destination weddings ever.  It pulls off the travel theme so elegantly and effortlessly.  I love the origami sailboats folded out of maps, the adorable custom tote bags, the prism-hued bridesmaid dresses that mimic the shimmering light off the Boracay Island waters.  Each and every details is, in a word, stunning. See them all in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

And this film by Mayad Studios is all kinds of awesome!  The music, the moments!  Every last second is completely breathtaking…

From Aaron Ebio Ebsfoto…It’s not everyday that our dreams come true. However on this day both of ours did. We are so fortunate to be blessed with family and friends that truly care and love us. Our wedding day would not have been the same nor the week we spent together filled with adventure, laughter and certainly tears. The easiest choice we had to make was our destination. Boracay was certainly a destination worth visiting and we knew it was a chance for my fiancé (now husband) and his family to see the Philippines. Now looking back, it was the best decision.

The details of our wedding were so important to us. We wanted a sailboat theme, inspired by the paraw boats that sailed along the island. Our beautiful letter pressed invitations were a collaboration with Craftmaster and my husband. Anthony is a graphic designer so he willingly designed our logo, website, welcome bags and stationery. I had the help of my beautiful bridesmaids folding origami paper boats and DIY moss covered table numbers. I made our menu and welcome cards and had a look-book for our wedding events team to follow. We complemented our seafoam green color with creams and crisp white.

Oh where do I start about my dress. I found Veejay Floresca online after searching for a modern designer that can transform my inspirations into reality. I wanted fun with a touch of art deco. Veejay flew to Sydney to do my fittings and he also made the colorful creations that the entourage wore. The first time I tried my dress on was only two days before the wedding. It was perfect.

My one and only “ can’t compromise” was commissioning Mayad Studios to document our wedding. We had a lot of family friends who couldn’t make it to the wedding. Mayad captured the very essence of who we were…fun..relaxed with a touch of glam. They did just that.

Photography: Aaron Ebio Ebsfoto / Cinematography: Mayad Studios / Event Design, Coordination, Planning + Flowers: Boracay Weddings / Welcome Goodies: Islas Aromatics / Location: Discovery Shores / Invitations + Wedding Accessories: Craftmaster Printing Press / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman / Wedding Dress: Veejay Floresca Couture / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew + Hugo Boss / Make-up: Julie Ebio Make Up Forever Paris / Hair: Bangz / Music: Everyday People Band

A HUGE thank you to Margaret Singer for sending us today’s affair. If you aren’t familiar with Margaret’s work, head on over to her website and blog…but brace yourself, you will get sucked in! And an even bigger thank you to Chris and Todd for letting us share in the celebration!

Oh but just you WAIT! The fun isn’t over yet. The adorable bride, Chris, sent me a link to the same day video that their cinematographers, Mayad Studios did…so you can really see the affair unfold! It takes a lot to blow me away…but this BLEW. ME. AWAY. Love. Just click on the image to see the short, but wonderfully sweet vignette!

Stay tuned to find out the winner in our A Day in May giveaway!!!

As the sun went down on today’s featured wedding, the vibe turned into a complete and unabashed celebration…just as it should be. With a crew that traveled from all over the world to share in Chris and Todd’s big day, the whole evening just seemed to glow!

Am completely loving the approachabile elegance of the night…the huge japanese lanterns, the great chalkboard seating chart, the family style table. It’s so warm and welcoming and yet ridiculously chic. If I haven’t said it enough today, Margaret Singer, the photographer behind the affair is such a genius!

Perhaps the most beautiful part of the entire day of today’s featured wedding, was the moments that the couple stole right after the wedding…to play on the beach and have a little fun with their bridal party. Too, too cute.

Margaret Singer is a complete genius, snapping images that are so unbelievably moving, so undeniably chic. Loving. Every. Bit!

Here is a bit more eye candy from today’s featured wedding!

all images by Margaret Singer

OBSESSED.

We are featuring an absolutely, positively stunning wedding shot by the forever talented Margaret Singer. She has managed to capture the style, the emotion, the pure beauty of the day to perfection and I am honestly, wishing that I was on the beach right now, celebrating with the gorgeous couple!

When I asked the bride what her style of the day was, she said…”beach elegant but laid back. Photos, music and non-stop champagne were my 3 top priorities. I wanted everyone to be comfortable and have fun all night long.”

More to come from the wedding and the ridiculously lovely reception in a bit! Oh and for those of you that are dying to know about those bridemaid dresses…Chris had them designed by TC Sibal out of the Philippines (she used to work for Natori in NY).

Today’s featured affair, sent to us by the fabulous Margaret Singer, is the perfect wedding pick-me-up for a Monday morning. It’s sweet, it’s sophisticated, it’s utterly romantic. The sheer beauty of the sea and the sand, paired with the simplicity of the color palette is absolutely gorgeous, no other way to say it!

Oh and I love, love, love these lively pictures of the ceremony…

For a wedding that is so innately elegant, it also seems like a really great party! The perfect combination!

There is so much to love about today’s featured wedding. The crisp white color palette set against the stunning seaside backdrop, the couple that is clearly madly in love, the guests who know they are in for something oh-so- special. Everything about this wedding is complete bliss.

Margaret Singer is the voice behind these gorgeous photographs and I have to say, I am completely smitten. It’s always really exciting to discover a new talent, especially one as lovely as Margaret. More to come in a bit!

The fabulous Margaret Singer sent me today’s featured wedding and I have to say…I am insanely jealous that she was able to photograph the affair. It’s the perfect combination of chic, CHIC style and laid back elegance. Plus, I kind of have a girl crush on the bride and her party, so ridiculously lovely…

Much, much more to come!

I just might have two new obsessions. The first…Margaret Singer, the photographer who sent me today’s wedding. And the second, the ridiculously gorgeous wedding that she sent! Chris and Todd, the adorable couple, held a fabulous reception on the perfect beaches of the Philippines with lots of friends and family to help them celebrate.

But before they did that, the two held an intimate ceremony at a quiet little church with just their nearest and dearest. Small and relaxed, the pictures that came out of the day were so lovely, so romantic, I just had to share!

And just after they stole their first kiss as husband and wife, Margaret captured a few utterly gorgeous images that should grace the walls of their home for years to come…love.

We have a full day of beauty, thanks to the talented Margaret Singer, that is sure to make you drop all of your wedding plans and book a trip to the beach to tie the knot (sorry!).

Oh and by the way, we have a really fun week here on SMP. This afternoon, we’ll be announcing the A Day in May giveaway and later in the week we are going to debut all of those great DIY projects that you’ve been working on! We also have a FAB new project by DIY editor, Kathleen, and a handful of real weddings that are going to make you jump for joy! Back in a bit!