John Garcia and Judy Dizon
Santuario de
The Peninsula
John and Judy’s nuptials could be typified as sentimental but enchanting and regal. 
Judy was the last bride I accepted before I closed my 2008 schedule. She was just excited to have me for her wedding coordinator, and so was I to be chosen. Every now and then, during the planning stage, I would get reassuring messages from her. When I met her for the first time, she greeted me with a warm smile and hugged me tight like we had known each other for a long time. I planned for her wedding as if I was doing it for my best friend’s wedding.
Fast forward to the magical wedding day. The atmosphere in the hotel preps was a pure delight. With friends of the bride joining in the preparations, the air was permeated with contagious laughter. The bride’s parents were so appreciative of the details which were one by one brought out of the box for picture-taking. Some of the beautiful details of her wedding were as follows:
The invitation suite was printed in blue ink on silver paper. 
Iconic snowflakes were silver-stamped on metallic blue paper which served as cover for the missalettes.
The gifts for the entourage were wrapped in ice blue paper and tied with navy blue ribbons. Gift tags reflected the same patterns used for the invitation. 
Some bouquets were interlaced with bracelets fashioned from monochromatic blue trinkets; others were adorned with snowflake brooches made of ornamental crystals.
Judy carried a dainty bouquet of white roses, carnations, and tulips with a “J” pendant highlighting the handle. 
The shoes featured snowflake patterns to go with the theme.
The unity candle had a big silver brooch. The candles used to light the unity candle had blue crystals which were actually earrings.
Veluz Reyes designed an off-white beaded pina cocoon gown for Judy. Note the letter “J” embroidery which was cleverly incorporated by Veluz in her lovely creation. The gown fit Judy to a tee. 
Judy rode in her old car with a personalized plate number bearing her name.
The 92AD rendered church songs which made the ceremony more solemn. Christmas carols were also sung at the pictorials portion of the mass.
Instead of the traditional confetti and shower of petals at the recessional, guests sprayed artificial snow on the newlyweds. Guess who had more fun with the snow sprays?
At the cocktail area, tables were decorated with white blooms, small glass balls, and snowflake cardboard cutouts.
Guests enjoyed the M&M candies in blue and off-white.
They were also directed to their respective seats through the tags attached to small bags containing nuts. At the back of these tags, trivia about the couple were written.
Jing Tanada spruced up The Conservatory for it to exude its naturally relaxed and intimate ambiance. She placed all-white roses on blue table linens. It was perfect! White Tiffany chairs completed the clean and clutter-free setup.
On the tables, place cards with names of guests were tucked in silver- and crystal-encrusted snowflake place card holders.
Snowflake parchment paper cutouts were pasted on glass containers serving as votive candle holders. The same snowflake cutouts were spread as well on the tables.
The ice carving had–-you guessed it right! --the snowflake design.
To create a unified look, napkin holders were crafted from blue metallic paper with the same design used in the missalettes.
The table numbers and buffet table labels manifested as well the winter wonderland theme.
The five-tiered cake was done in varying shades of blue. The topmost layer also featured the bride and groom figurines in winter clothes. Snowflakes in fondant icing were also utilized to decorate the cake. Claycakes by Karla Magbanua created this wonderful wedding cake. Ditto with the bride and groom cake with snowman and snow woman as a special request of the newlyweds. 
Mineral water bottles, with blue and white labels to match the wedding color motif, had a silver ribbon with snowflake trinkets tied on both ends.
Silver bells were also placed on tables. They had note tags enjoining the seated guests to ring the bells.
All pictures courtesy of Mimi and Karl.
A few weeks after the wedding, Judy sent me a very touching note with a heartwarming poem. An excerpt follows :
No amount of words can truly say,
How deeply thankful we are everyday.
This wedding became the talk of the town,
Because of you, how else can we wear a frown?
We've planned this wedding for two years,
That big day, we breezed with no fears.
Up 'til now, we hear nothing else, but raves,
Our event has become everyone's fave.
Even the smallest of details you always knew,
All the ideas you've shared were never a few.
Concepts only you can pull off with your creativity,
You've constantly surprised us with your ingenuity.
Judy and John, I truly value your trust and friendship. Thank you for meeting me in LA. See you both when you visit 
For the first time in my wedding planning career, it was the groom whom I met first, before the bride. You see, Jonathan Que, the groom, was into the wedding preparations himself as much as his bride, Kris Rea. During the initial meeting, I showed Jonathan some of the graphic designs I did for previous weddings projects, and how these materials tied everything together beautifully. Good thing Jonathan appreciated and believed in “branding” a wedding. He then asked me for another meeting, this time with Kris. He said that he was sure Kris would be excited when I present her some of my ideas for their wedding.
Francis Libiran tailored a classic black suit for the groom. Grooming was done by Joel Estrelles by Make Up Studio Team. 
Kris carried an all-white, hand-tied bouquet of Ecuadorian roses, cymbidiums and gypsophilia arranged by Beth Amat of Eve and Company. The bridal bouquet matched Jonathan's boutonniere. The bridesmaids’ bouquets, like the bride’s, featured roses. To bring out the earth hues in their dresses, they also carried purple lisianthus and red celosias. 
The couple seized every chance to customize their wedding including their letterpressed invitations which highlighted a red damask pattern. This pattern was the common thread that tied together all printed items –- from the misalettes, table numbers, and menu cards, to the place cards and escort cards.
The couple named the tables after the places they have visited together. 
The adult guests learned their seating assignments from cards attached to small bags containing Hershey’s kisses in orange, red, and brown foil. 
Beth Amat was also responsible in making the Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila brim with modern elegance. All-white arrangements were done on all tables. White cloth drapery and crystal beads cascaded from the ceiling. 
For a more vintage feel, the event stylist covered regular glass cylinders with gossamer fabric and lace –- the effect was simply romantic.
The guests had a gastronomic feast of Smoked Salmon with Garden Herbs and Dill Mousseline; Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Bacon Bits; Cajun Roasted Chicken Roulade with Caramelized Onion Confit; Seasonal Vegetables and Mashed Potato; and Mango Panna Cotta. 
The wedding reception hall resounded with the heartwarming message of the maid of honor and sister of the bride, Khristel Janna C. Rea, and the ceremonial toast led by Michael Anthony C. Lo, the groom’s best man. 
To Jonathan and Kris, may your love for each other thrive for as long as you live, and continuously inspire family members, friends or strangers, and all lovers around you. 
From top:
The night ended with a visibly overjoyed groom singing his heart out with the band, NATF, singing the couple’s favorite songs. 
Couple # 2 – Roger and April. Both Roger and April are doctors based in the States. Roger is already a resident physician while April will begin her residency program in July. She e-mailed me while I was in New York, and we decided to meet up in Manila to finalize her wedding plans. Working with her was a breeze–-she exactly knew what she wanted, and we were lucky to have her cool, doting mom to help us out in the preparations. Roger and April’s wedding is set in Tagaytay. Jason Magbanua and Pat Dy will do the videography and photography, respectively. Veluz Reyes will prove once more why she ranks among the favorite couturiers of brides. 
Couple # 3 – Romeo and Jen. Both Romeo and Jen are based in the United Kingdom. Having been together for a long while now, the couple has decided to tie the knot in April next year. Kaye Cunanan, Aaron Lejarde and Veluz Reyes top their list of suppliers. We managed to maximize the couple’s brief stay in Manila by finalizing almost all of their wedding requirements before they headed back to the UK. The food tasting in Kaye’s residence was definitely several notches above satisfying. Her bright food ideas always attest to her enviable status as one of the most sought-after caterers in town. Aaron transformed Jen to a lovely bride which prompted her to say, “I never thought I could be this beautiful.” Meanwhile, Veluz’s vision for the bride made Jen giddy with happiness. 
Couple # 4 – Jasper and Karen. Jasper and Karen are both doctors based in the States. I met them in New York, thanks to Mimi and Karl who recommended the very soon-to-wed couple to me. The first meeting was very casual–-I remember I didn’t have a proposal to show them. What were the odds of having a successful client meeting while on a vacation, right? (I’m not complaining, okay? I think this is way beyond coolness – booking a wedding while on a vacation.) Threelogy Video, Veluz Reyes, Madge Lejano, and of course, Mimi and Karl are part of their dream team. It rained hard during the photo shoot at a new resort in Angono, Rizal, but there was nary a whine or whimper from the couple. I love this couple to death. They’re one of the easiest people to please and work with.
