I met Kristjan & Macy over a year ago when their friends Sven & Kertu from Estonia got married in the Philippines.  When they went back to Estonia, they had a lovely wedding there and came back to the Philippines … initially for a vacation … but ended up also having a wedding!  Everything was so fast, to think it all happened within 2 weeks preparation time.

Macy has got the most supportive family and sister Maynee to be able to pull this off.

That morning at the mayor’s house, everything was fresh and busy with preparations.

Kristjan was getting ready…

There was ostrich roasting in the backyard…

And his dad was also taking some photographs of his own

 Usually the bride & groom don’t see each other during preparations, but Macy & Kristjan were just there to support each other while dressing up.  Macy looking on …

 … and Kristjan putting on his Barong Tagalog in a tropical setting.

 Macy was just radiant!  Keeps making me think that Filipinas are very beautiful.

 The whole preparations, ceremony & reception were held in their lovely home in Bulacan.

 …everything was just relaxed, and happy!

 Here’s their invite with a photo from their wedding in Estonia.  Such a tough act to beat!

…and I saw the cutest girl in the house all rolled up

 This wedding was very different because the groom was the one who put on the shoes of the bride, very much Cinderella.

 Even Macy’s gown was different and very Filipiniana.

 We had a lot of time to do couple portraits even before the ceremony started and the light was just amazing!

 Light, lovely light!

 Couldn’t help but take some more.

 Here’s a little more details.

 And omg, cream puffs!

 Some family portraits…

 and ceremony captures…

 But my favorite were the fireworks!

 Congratulations Kristjan & Macy!  I am blessed to have captured your wedding in the Philippines.  When I go to Estonia someday, I will capture your beautiful country and you guys again! Yay!

Bulacan wedding of Kristjan & Macy shot with Alex Ruelo of Imagine Nation Photography.

If you liked this post and would love to have a milestone in your life captured the same way contact Arlene Briones here, let’s talk more about it. 

Mike & Lara celebrate their day with preps at Mt. Makiling, a ceremony in Bay, Laguna and a grand reception at the National Arts Center, Los Banos.  It’s amazing how creative Lara is, the whole ceremony & reception were her design.  I never knew the church in Bay would look so royal & the National Arts Center so dressed up.  Aside from running  Berris Cuisine,  she’s going to be a great events stylist.

The weather was beautiful & I just loved the emotions on Mike as Lara walked down the aisle.  They say getting married is a social event, a venue to let all your friends and family see you transition into another stage.  And as I captured the celebrations in the reception, I couldn’t but agree more.

Shot with Danielle Tan and Sanny Latina of Imagine Nation Photography.

If you liked this post and would love to have a milestone in your life captured the same way contact Arlene Briones here, let’s talk more about it.

One of the best plans that happen are the ones that are unplanned. It was a long weekend, no shoot, everyone was free, Kayla was about to turn 9, so we hit the road to an hour’s drive away beach.  It’s a not so crowded cove where I would love to shoot a beach wedding one day.

At the end of the day, everyone had their fill of poses, and the kids were really dark from playing under the sun the whole day.  I’m definitely coming back here.

Stephen and Glyze has been the couple organizing the Purpose Driven Photographer workshop in Singapore.  During my stay there, they were very helpful & always ready to pose, introduced me to cereal shrimp and a whole lot of foodie stuff in SG.  I was just happy to be able to shoot them on their day and see familiar faces like Donna and Joseph (all involved in Purpose Driven Photographer workshop).

I’ll be going back there to teach again in June – this time studio & fashion – and I can’t wait to catch up with them & my PDP Singapore family.

Shot with John Mateos Ong & Danielle Tan of Imagine Nation Photography.

Make-up by Madge Lejano of The Make-Up Studio.

Preps : Astoria Plaza

Venue : Oasis Manila

 Kim and Pop found love in Thailand, had a ceremony there and also decided to have one here to celebrate with family and friends.  The weather was great, good mix of emotions and love was just there to capture.  

Kim also knows my sister & her parents know my dad, so it was also nice shooting friends of friends, not to mention it was in such a picturesque place in Los Banos, Laguna.

This was Kim’s cheeky secret, lavender flats under her gown. Love!

Bright and sunny, pretty way to start the day!

Hands down to Kim’s supportive friends who really helped before & during the wedding day.  Their personal touches did it.

Everything that day was lovely.

I love veil shots. Its very symbolic and dreamy. It was an honor to have also fixed Kim’s veil that day.

Dona Jovita Resort has very spanish feel with a lot of terra-cotta colors & texture.

This baby had the cutest smile! Got a lot of picture of him.

And the ceremony starts at St. Therese Chapel, UP Los Banos.

After the ceremony, Pop & Kim visited Kim’s mom who passed away several years earlier.  Kim left her bouquet there.  It was a solemn moment as I clicked away thinking how happy her mom must have been watching from above.

And now the fun part!  I love sudden turns and stops when I see a place to photograph the couple.  Its funny where we sometimes find ourselves in. I’m happy the outcome was just divine.

Details, details and fun fun fun!

Congratulations Kim & Pop!  Hope to see you in Thailand one of these days!

Shot with Gracielle Hernandez for Imagine Nation Photography.

I am very much inspired by Anthropologie.  That’s why whenever my sister Wai’ Oli Sue sends in a catalogue I just devour it and wait for anyone willing to execute the pegs with me.

This shoot was done with our students from the Purpose Driven Photographer Workshop Laguna.  I was more than willing to make this shoot happen and true enough it turned out into a tropical adventure with the hiking and ‘semi’ rapelling just to get to Nakulo falls in Cavinti, Laguna.  Who wants to do Pagsanjan falls or any beachy/water adventure next?  Email me, I’d love to shoot you there!

I love it when hair & make-up ends early and there is enough time for solo portraits.  This is where the fashion and just out of magazine look happens.  Make-up is fresh, emotions are high with excitement & giddiness, and a sudden boost of creativity happens.  Manila Peninsula has great light in the afternoon.  It was a delight to capture Benro & Madel in this light.  It set the mood for their day which was just gorgeous.

Shot with Noel Salazar for Imagine Nation Photography.

When you let God write your love story, everything falls perfectly into place.  Arnold & Lady have always been blessed with beautiful light.  Ever since their prenup in UP Diliman, it just shined with awesome rays.  And whenever they came home from Singapore to fix their wedding, the weather always cooperated.  Which was no surprise that the same just continued to right up to their wedding day.

Having a garden wedding at Sofitel lends to that tropical feel with the coconut trees and sea just beside you.  The gown by Edward Teng blended in tastefully.

What can I saw, the rocks really rocked it!

Taking off the gown from its fitting form is a little moment in itself.  It can build up nervousness and giddy-good-feelings at the same time.

I was looking for anything that would stike mike during the preps, and this definitely was one of of it.  What a good way to start of the year!

Warm gold light enveloped Arnold’s barong tagalog.

Glancing out to think of something about the vows.

And a little fun with the bridesmaids.

You can define great architecture by the way a building makes use of light that streams in, and Sofitel just has that play of light and shadows.  I just had to take a series of shots out of addictness.

Here’s more of that.

It’s like a tropical oasis in the city!

This shot is dreamy, and any good friend of theirs would know its Arnold in a glance.

They both attend Victory Christian Fellowship (VCF) in Singapore and they had a lot of friends come over to witness and take part in their special day.

Here’s a nice surprise at the end of the first kiss!

Veil love, veil love once again!

Add some wind, laughter and a dash of love between them, and you get this…

The Chritsmas lights around also was so fun to shoot in.

Congratulations Arnold & Lady!  May God continue to bless you.

Shot with Danielle Tan for Imagine Nation Photography.

Coordination by Loi Villarama.  Videography by Wang.

Sometimes there are some people who surprise you when they hook up and become a couple.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought these two to get together. Back in highschool Paeng was this geek whiz playing Dungeons and Dragons and Tina was, well, Tina – bubbly, giggly, funny.  And life just happened separately for each of them for the next 10 years.Upon entering the grown-up world – becoming a doctor, a Physics professor at Ateneo – they somehow found each other by accidentally meeting in a restaurant. And the rest – is this is gonna be cliche – history.

The most comfortable place we could think up to have their prenup was at their condo.  Capturing them was pure emotions.  Happy, relaxed, in love.  We caught a little city sunset on the rooftop.  From growing up in green UPLB, these two have found love in  the hustle & bustle of the city.

It’s amazing to see the love between Mike and Fresa who both happen to be flight attendants based abroad.  Their travel theme was very fitting to a wedding celebrated in New World Hotel, Church of the Holy Trinity and Palacio De Maynila.

Fresa putting on her shoe was like Cinderella and her glass slipper.  This shot actually inspired me to apply it in other weddings.

Mike had the giddy excited look on his face while getting ready.

Light glorious light!

I loved the details in the reception.  The leaning tower, and suitcase cases molded the whole wedding travel theme.

Its during the speeches that you get to know a little more kooky things about the couple.  And after the best man’s speech…

…after the first dance.

…you are left with a love that would last a lifetime.

Shot with Gracielle Hernandez for Imagine Nation Photography.