Ricardo Pedrosa-Elena Belmonte
Madre De Dios
Tagaytay Midlands
Elena and Ric’s wedding was enchanting, captivating, and romantic.
Imagine how much pressure this wedding had generated earlier when this client couple finally chose me to be a part of their milestone. “We have great news for you, Ernest,” the groom-to-be said. “We have decided that you’d be our wedding coordinator because we believe that you are a man of style.” Gulp! I almost choked in fear – tremendous pressure, indeed.
Elena Belmonte had thought of only one distinctive look for her wedding to Ric Pedrosa: modern romantic. As luck would have it, the couple found the ideal sites that would reflect what they had in mind after several changes in the ceremony and reception venues. The final choice was Madre De Dios and Tagaytay Midlands where acres of lush greenery and the cool Tagaytay weather were perfect.
Elena dressed up at the Tagaytay Country Suites, and rode in a Jaguar Mark V which brought her to the chapel.
The reception was simply breathtaking – with ambient lighting, crystal beads, and fabric draping from the ceiling, the perimeter added to the romantic vibes.
Each floral arrangement was a work of art. Kudos to Jing Tanada who made certain that Elena got her wish. Truly, romance was brimming all over the place. 
Each table had antique copper votive candleholders and handmade crystal napkin holders. The names of the guests seated in the presidential table were laid out in handmade place card holders. In fonts used for the invitation and the misalette, the names were printed on off-white board and then pasted on top of a bronze board with hand-embossed details. 
Shortly before the newlyweds entered the reception hall, Crystal, the evening show host, spearheaded a fun, moving-around ice-breaker. It made every one to loosen up a bit, and created a relaxed and festive mood for the occasion. 
The menu for the sit-down dinner consisted of Arugula with Basil Vinaigrette, and Cherry Tomatoes & Pine Nuts topped with Warm Goat Cheese & drizzled with Highlands Honey; Cream of Mushroom Cappucchino & Brandied Prawn Bisque served with Bread Rolls with Sweet Butter in demitasse; Lemon Sherbet with Russian Vodka (garnished with Mint leaves); US Beef Tenderloin Medallion with (more) Gongonzola Sauce; and pan-seared Lapu-Lapu with Potato Gratin. Immediately after, the couple presented an unexpected but leisurely change of gustatory pace – a dessert buffet from Bizu in time for the cake-cutting ceremony. The cake with tiny flowers was also from Bizu. 
1. No calorie counting
2. Curfews not honored here.
3. Talk to somebody you don't know.
4. Indulge yourself with the yummy desserts.
5. Approach Ric and Elena anytime.
6. Enjoy a nightcap of alcoholic beverage.
7. Party hard and have fun!
“Dance as though no one is watching you
Love as though you have never been hurt before
Sing as though no one can hear you
Live as though heaven is on earth”
The night ended with a visibly overjoyed groom singing his heart out with the band, NATF, singing the couple’s favorite songs. 
Watch Threelogy's Onsite Video here. All photos courtesy of Mimi and Karl.
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.
Almost a year ago, I got an e-mail with the subject, “in desperate need of a wedding planner.” I was intrigued by the subject line and I immediately opened and read the message. One could sense the sender’s desperation and predicament. Briefly, she told me her difficult situation: 1. They are a couple based in California. 2. Both of them could spare only a few days in Manila before the actual wedding. 3. The wedding would be held in Bohol. 4. They expect 250 plus guests.
Chocolates. The two-layered Kitkat chocolate wafers were covered with specially designed wrappers that bore the purple damask prints of the invitations. These chocolates served as décor on the customized lime green linens. Individually, all the seated guests got significantly apt and different words (e.g., laughter, trust, desire, compromise, etc.) that semantically spell a happy and successful marriage. At the back of the chocolates were the pronunciation transcription enclosed in parentheses and a brief dictionary definition of the word. Truly, this ingenious touch was a conversation piece. 
Unity candle set. The crystals encrusted on the matches and candles were actually earrings snapped up from a thrift store. Add a silver ribbon and voila!, you have an instant expensive-looking unity candle set. 
Misalettes. The misalette covers were done plain lime green and plain purple. Adding interest to the misalette were metal ear hoops with a vintage feel.
Gown and bag. To say that Veluz did a geat job was an understatement. Joelene’s wedding gown was truly a fashion magnum opus. The moment she glided along the church aisle for her bridal march, a series of ooohs and ahhhs emanated from the guests. Apart from the jaw-dropping intricate details, what made the gown most amazing was the fact that Joelene never had a fitting not until a week before the wedding. The bag featured ostrich feathers and the same rosettes found on the wedding gown. Simply, Veluz outdid herself once again (as if this is even possible) proving time and again that you will never go wrong with great talent combined with sheer artistry. 
Gifts for the principal sponsors. The couple gifted their principal sponsors with a pack of social cards – something which they can use. Special silver gift wrappers covered the boxes which contained a matched set of 100 cards and 100 envelopes. The packaging was topped with a personalized gift tag and accentuated with purple ostrich feathers. 
Bridesmaids’ outfits. Since all the bridesmaids would come from the U.S., it was Joelene’s idea to buy their outfits online. It was also very thoughtful of the couple to give the female entourage members brooches to be used on the wedding day. Even the cute flower girls were provided with brooches. Notice the matching shoes of the female entourage members – very chic indeed! 
Cake and dessert table. Would you believe that the wedding cake cake was made of butter icing? From afar, the cake looked like it was made of fondant which is the common trend in wedding cakes. And with its intricate damask print design, one would expect fondant icing to be used. But no; upon closer inspection, it was made of butter icing! A dessert buffet was set around the cake table. Aptly labeled “Sweets for my sweet,” it offered a variety of decadently delectable desserts specially chosen by the bride and the groom. A hit among the guests was the R and J- shaped gingerbread cookies. Thanks to Ching Usares of Lola Lilia's for the scrumptious dessert spread and the intricate wedding cake. 
Floral arrangements. A great find in Tagbilaran, Bohol was the team of Joseph Dumadag and Michael Yu of Blue Grass Project who supplied all my floral requirements. The aisle of Baclayon Church was lined with white floral arrangement on lighted posts. For the reception, special white damask printed lamps and ornamental wood lamps from Manila were shipped all the way to Bohol. These lamps were decorated with clusters of white flowers. Customized green linens were made specifically for the 14-seater tables of Bohol Tropics. Specially designed table numbers and program cards adorned each guest table. The program cards contained the names and oft-quoted verses of famous poets. Four damask backlit posts topped with cascading white flowers served as the couple’s backdrop. 
Stairs. Of all the motifs, I liked most the love quotes which were placed strategically on the stairs leading to the reception area. These love quotes were specially handpicked by the bride. 
Photo Booth. If Mimi and Karl brought the Clique Booth to their own wedding in Bora, Joelene brought it to Bohol. Guests didn’t mind the long queue just to have their pictures taken. 
Bus ride. Since there were about 60 guests who came all the way from the U.S. (and some Manila-based guests), a bus shuttled all the guests from the resort where they stayed to the church and back to the reception venue. 
Wisely, every would-be bride should listen to what Joelene has learned from the pre-wedding experience-- one has to “let go” so one can enjoy her wedding. She trusted her suppliers and in return, she got the best (and more) from all of them.