Mike and Joan Lo
Canyon Woods Chapel
Splendido Taal
The wedding of Mike and Joan was simply beautiful, laid-back and fuss-free.
This is one of the few cases in which I got to meet the groom prior to the bride. You see, Mike was the best man during the wedding of Jonathan and Kris Que. I met Joan for the first time during my trip to the US last year. Greeted by a warm smile, I felt an instant connection with Joan who gave me a free rein on the wedding planning. But, needless to say, I consulted with her and sought her approval on many details, as a matter of course.
In contrast to most couples who spent months dwelling on the nitty-gritty of their big day, Mike and Joan merely had a simple request—to make their wedding as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Just like with other couples, I asked them for pictures on how they envisioned their wedding to be—a good starting point on what ideas to give them. Then, we came to a moodboard consisting of dominantly lilac and silver— an appropriate combination and perfect choice of our wedding colors. 
The invitation by Amis Print consisted of a silver portfolio with the main invitation glued, and four inserts (entourage, reception page, map, and accommodations) neatly stacked together. Vintage curled graphics were used as design element.
Our pretty bride (who can easily be mistaken for a movie star) was made even more beautiful by the Madgician herself, Madge Lejano.
Veluz Reyes made sure that the gown complemented the innate and simple beauty of our lovely bride. The one-shoulder, dropped waist, tulle masterpiece was embellished with lace cutouts and beads. 
Purple long gowns with different necklines were made for the gorgeous female entourage. Joan’s bridesmaids surely knew how to ham it up for the camera.
Gina de Guzman of Petals Galore provided the flowers for the entourage and the bride. The bride clutched a hand-tied bouquet consisting of deep purple calla lilies, violet lisianthus, and white cymbidiums. Meanwhile, the entourage members carried all-white bouquets of roses, carnations, and lisianthus accented with green ribbons.
Joan took her turn for some bridal portraits. She is a real charmer as seen in these beautiful photos. Truly lovely, isn’t she? 
On the other hand, Mike also had some portraits before heading to the church.
It was breathtaking to see Joan during her bridal walk. She was really beaming with happiness. It was sheer bliss! 
All the wedding guests would agree that Fr. Dacanay’s homily was most memorable and touching. Just look at the raw emotions displayed during the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Nelwin Uy maximized the picturesque Canyon Woods for the couple portraits and some entourage pictures as well.
It was during the shooting of the couple’s portraits when Mike and Joan read their secret messages—engraved on their wedding rings— for each other. Mike wrote, “Never for granted” on Joan’s ring. On the other hand, Joan’s message for Mike was, “My greatest adventure.” Awww.... sweet.
A special menu for the sit-down dinner of more than 250 guests prepared by Splendido Taal boasted of tigress (Chinese spoon) adobo, green mango and cheese spring rolls; cappuccino mushroom; green and red corals topped with shrimp pesto and mango drizzled with Caesar dressing and mango puree; grilled fillet of fish over truffle-laced mashed potato in dashi broth; watermelon citrus sorbet; and paella a la Cristina with chorizo chunks and pollo Iberico on potatoes Anna. To make it more laid-back, the couple opted for a dessert buffet which served San Marco, mango sansrival, chocolate ganache cake, assorted fresh fruits, mango panacotta in shot glass, and caramel crème brulee with sliced kiwi. 
Since the main dining area could only hold a hundred guests, we had to set up white tents for the guests who were seated outside. 
The tables were decorated with flowers in varying shades of violet—neatly placed in wooden boxes. The same graphics from the invitations were printed on paper with which the boxes were wrapped for accents. 
White lamps were also placed on the tables. 
Joan got her wish for a “cartoonish” cake which basically summed up the story of how she and Mike met, the things they did together, and lastly, the wedding proposal. The cake was done by Penk Ching.
One of the highlights of the program was the “kissing showdown” game of the married couples. Just look at how “game” these couples were. 
At one point of the program, emcee Cristina Canada-Lazo asked the newlyweds to do the traditional first dance. It was followed by the dance of the groom and his mother, then the dance of the bride and her father.
After the program, guests stayed on for a night of listening to good music, dancing, and drinking.
Mike and Joan, thank you for the wonderful opportunity of planning your wedding. You guys are simply one of the easiest couples to work with. It was indeed a pleasure to be a part of your beautiful celebration. Rest assured that when I go back to the States, I will be “claiming” my free tour of Castro. 
Click here for Jason Magbanua’s onsite avp.
Click here for wedding pictures from Nelwin Uy.
Canyon Woods Chapel
Splendido Taal
The wedding of Mike and Joan was simply beautiful, laid-back and fuss-free.
This is one of the few cases in which I got to meet the groom prior to the bride. You see, Mike was the best man during the wedding of Jonathan and Kris Que. I met Joan for the first time during my trip to the US last year. Greeted by a warm smile, I felt an instant connection with Joan who gave me a free rein on the wedding planning. But, needless to say, I consulted with her and sought her approval on many details, as a matter of course.
In contrast to most couples who spent months dwelling on the nitty-gritty of their big day, Mike and Joan merely had a simple request—to make their wedding as relaxed and stress-free as possible. Just like with other couples, I asked them for pictures on how they envisioned their wedding to be—a good starting point on what ideas to give them. Then, we came to a moodboard consisting of dominantly lilac and silver— an appropriate combination and perfect choice of our wedding colors. The invitation by Amis Print consisted of a silver portfolio with the main invitation glued, and four inserts (entourage, reception page, map, and accommodations) neatly stacked together. Vintage curled graphics were used as design element.Our pretty bride (who can easily be mistaken for a movie star) was made even more beautiful by the Madgician herself, Madge Lejano.Veluz Reyes made sure that the gown complemented the innate and simple beauty of our lovely bride. The one-shoulder, dropped waist, tulle masterpiece was embellished with lace cutouts and beads. Purple long gowns with different necklines were made for the gorgeous female entourage. Joan’s bridesmaids surely knew how to ham it up for the camera.Gina de Guzman of Petals Galore provided the flowers for the entourage and the bride. The bride clutched a hand-tied bouquet consisting of deep purple calla lilies, violet lisianthus, and white cymbidiums. Meanwhile, the entourage members carried all-white bouquets of roses, carnations, and lisianthus accented with green ribbons.Joan took her turn for some bridal portraits. She is a real charmer as seen in these beautiful photos. Truly lovely, isn’t she? On the other hand, Mike also had some portraits before heading to the church.It was breathtaking to see Joan during her bridal walk. She was really beaming with happiness. It was sheer bliss! All the wedding guests would agree that Fr. Dacanay’s homily was most memorable and touching. Just look at the raw emotions displayed during the ceremony.After the ceremony, Nelwin Uy maximized the picturesque Canyon Woods for the couple portraits and some entourage pictures as well.It was during the shooting of the couple’s portraits when Mike and Joan read their secret messages—engraved on their wedding rings— for each other. Mike wrote, “Never for granted” on Joan’s ring. On the other hand, Joan’s message for Mike was, “My greatest adventure.” Awww.... sweet.A special menu for the sit-down dinner of more than 250 guests prepared by Splendido Taal boasted of tigress (Chinese spoon) adobo, green mango and cheese spring rolls; cappuccino mushroom; green and red corals topped with shrimp pesto and mango drizzled with Caesar dressing and mango puree; grilled fillet of fish over truffle-laced mashed potato in dashi broth; watermelon citrus sorbet; and paella a la Cristina with chorizo chunks and pollo Iberico on potatoes Anna. To make it more laid-back, the couple opted for a dessert buffet which served San Marco, mango sansrival, chocolate ganache cake, assorted fresh fruits, mango panacotta in shot glass, and caramel crème brulee with sliced kiwi. Since the main dining area could only hold a hundred guests, we had to set up white tents for the guests who were seated outside. The tables were decorated with flowers in varying shades of violet—neatly placed in wooden boxes. The same graphics from the invitations were printed on paper with which the boxes were wrapped for accents. White lamps were also placed on the tables. Joan got her wish for a “cartoonish” cake which basically summed up the story of how she and Mike met, the things they did together, and lastly, the wedding proposal. The cake was done by Penk Ching.One of the highlights of the program was the “kissing showdown” game of the married couples. Just look at how “game” these couples were. At one point of the program, emcee Cristina Canada-Lazo asked the newlyweds to do the traditional first dance. It was followed by the dance of the groom and his mother, then the dance of the bride and her father.After the program, guests stayed on for a night of listening to good music, dancing, and drinking.Mike and Joan, thank you for the wonderful opportunity of planning your wedding. You guys are simply one of the easiest couples to work with. It was indeed a pleasure to be a part of your beautiful celebration. Rest assured that when I go back to the States, I will be “claiming” my free tour of Castro. Click here for Jason Magbanua’s onsite avp.Click here for wedding pictures from Nelwin Uy.
Click here for prenuptial pics from Nelwin Uy.
Click here for Bride and Breakfast's article on Mike and Joan's wedding.
