THE POWER OF YES
EVENTS BY MARGE MARGE ARELLANO MONTEMAYOR
Business magnate Richard Branson once said, “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you are not sure you can do it, say yes. Then learn to do it later.” But can the same concept apply to organizing a wedding? The short answer, if we look at Marge Montemayor’s case, would probably be “yes.”
Marge has planned two weddings in a day and has organized a Star Warsthemed wedding in El Nido.
It didn’t start with grand requests, however. According to Marge, it started with small gestures.
“It started with small tasks here and there for a friend’s wedding, but my biggest break came when I did a wedding for Fiel Pranga of Mayad, who encouraged me to go into wedding planning and coordination,” she says.
Seven years into the business, and Marge is still saying “yes.”
Take one of her most memorable weddings: “One that stands out is the
‘two weddings in one day’ wedding I did for Nivay and Princess Anandarajah in Antonio’s Tagaytay. Nivay being Sri Lankan and Hindu really put a twist to the wedding. During preps for instance, he had a Hindu Morning Ritual with his family where all the guests that were in his room blessed him with milk. After the Christian ceremony by Pastor Bebo Bharwani, the shortened version of the Hindu ceremony with an exchange of flower necklaces for the couple, a Saptapadi—or the Seven Steps—and the Thaali, which made use of a coconut, took place. We capped off the evening with a huge after party at the Antonio’s Cabana, where we had a Beyonce impersonator start the festivities for their guests.”
How exactly does Marge pull it off?
“I only accept one wedding a day, and I personally attend all the needs of the couple pre-wedding,” she says. “I always make it a point to work closely with my couples because in the end, my goal is for them to trust me so they can let me do my work and [they can] just enjoy their wedding day.”
While saying yes to towering requests may be her routine, Marge’s other skill is to manage expectations. In fact, it’s one that has helped her earn the trust of her clients.
“I am the type of planner who will always be honest with my couple. If it’s the couples’ dream and it is doable, then I will do everything I can to make sure that it is executed to the best of my ability,” she explains.
Marge‘s head-on approach hasn’t just earned her a list of clients, but their complete trust and an overflowing pool of memories to boot. And to think it all started with a simple “yes.”