Delivering the dream
When people see a dead end, I see a curve that can open up possibilities. When people say it can’t be done, I find ways to make the impossible happen. I constantly change the norm and create avenues for expression.”
FIFTEEN years ago — a time when concept weddings were not the norm — advertising lady Cristina Joyce “Teena” Barretto strode into uncharted territory to put up Teena Barretto Events (TBE), her eponymous outfit that seeks to turn a client’s fantasy into reality — and create once-ina-lifetime moments.
“While I’d been familiar with events planning through my years in the industry, I took a leap of faith [to go on my own] because I knew I wanted to make a difference on a personal level,” Teena says. “I had a vision of creating amazing memories through life’s milestones, particularly weddings.”
The main goal of TBE is to redefine celebrations. “We listen to our client’s stories and turn their vision into reality,” says Teena, whose youthful ambition was to be a theater director. “We deliver the dream and add a little sprinkle to it.”
She achieved this, introducing thematic celebrations and infusing production design in her events. “When I started, the wedding industry was a traditional template that just changed colors, which varied from one couple to another,” she recalls. “It was all about color motif combined with a slew of traditions.”
Thankfully, the exercise bored Teena, egging her to expand her creativity. “I challenged the traditional color motifs by introducing bold combinations,” she says. “Then, we pushed it further by playing with the details.
“We brought in production elements to the mix and it just went on from there. We just kept on raising the bar higher every time,” she says. “And 15 years later, this is where we are now — an era of grand, lavish production weddings and venue transformations.”
At the start, many balked at Teena’s suggestions. “I still remember very clearly the reaction I got,” she says. “Most suppliers must have thought that I was a crazy woman making things difficult and complicated for everyone. Luckily, there was a handful of brave souls like me, who weren’t afraid to break boundaries and believed in my vision.”
Despite the new paths she carved, Teena ( AB Communications, major in Media Studies from San Beda College Alabang) does not claim to have revolutionized the landscape of event planning. “It all just happened as I navigated my way toward my vision,” she explains. “To make a difference, you have to do something different every day.”
She explains her attraction for an evershifting scenario. “You have to see things differently,” she insists. “When people see a dead end, I see a curve that can open up possibilities. When people say it can’t be done, I find ways to win them over and make the impossible happen. I constantly change the norm and create avenues for creative freedom.”
Teena has since mastered the art of working out of the box that it has become second nature. “I usually find inspiration from traveling, life and the arts,” she grants. “But the most important source will always be inspired by the personality and the [back] story of every client.”
For weddings, Teena goes to the extent of learning about the love story of the soonto-wed couple, which is essential, she says, “to have a better understanding on how to make the day more memorable.”
Careful research and intense preparation lead to a positive outcome. Teena says: “I have no room for mistakes because weddings are supposed to be a one-shot deal. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that has been the stuff of brides’ dreams. Everything should be meticulously planned and executed because we carry the load of making those dreams happen.
“We breathe life into one’s dreams and fantasies.”
Along the way, misunderstanding with clients crops up, but this doesn’t ruffle Teena’s composure. “That’s always a part of the mix,” she reflects. “What matters is how you handle it and exhibit your willingness to listen. Compromise should be reached but the endgame should always be in tune with the two parties.”
Over the years, Teena and her team have chalked up managing some of society and showbiz’ biggest and most luxurious events. The most memorable ones unarguably remain the most challenging ones, providing wisdom and lessons. The 2010 wedding of entertainers Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez in Batangas stands out. “We did everything in two weeks,” Teena says with unabashed pride. The nuptials that went ahead in the middle of Super Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 was another wonder event.
As far as scale and effort go, however, the altar date of actors Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera in 2015 broke all templates. “A celebrity wedding in the heart of Metro Manila, with 1,500 VIP guests and personalities, set at the Mall of Asia Arena, a venue that was not made for weddings,” Teena offers. “We planned and executed everything in just a span of four months, and to think, I was on my third trimester of pregnancy.”
Celebrity weddings, for Teena and her staff, represent more issues to address, compared with non-celebrity weddings. Remarkably, TBE have always managed to deliver. “Being able to oversee and direct those layers effectively and efficiently is a must,” Teena says. “That is where our value lies — being able to give full service from top to bottom, without losing the personal touch and preferences drowning with all the media fanfare and noise. That at the end of the day, the bride and groom can say, they had the best time of their life.”
Yet another memorable wedding took place in Tokyo. “That challenged us to find all the right connections to make it happen,” Teena recalls. “Culture and language barriers were also a huge deal.”
A mother of two boys — Jase, 6, and Justin, 4 — Teena’s children are always her priority, no matter how busy she is. “I am blessed that I had them at a time when I had trusted people in my team and a system was already in place,” she says. “While my schedule is usually packed, I make sure I have an hour with them every morning and before they sleep.”
Previous to motherhood, Teena was the quintessential workaholic, putting in very long hours on weekends and holidays. That all changed when the boys came along. “I literally had to pray over my schedule. I asked God for Christmas and New Year. Before the kids, I was working even on Christmas and New Year for the last decade.”
Her incredible support system — mom, nanny, brothers and team members — allows her to succeed both career-wise and in her personal sphere. “They make it all these possible for me,” she says with fervent gratitude.
It has never been Teena’s goal to top one occasion after another. Neither is she interested to compete with anyone. She says: “Every event we ‘touch’ is special and unique. Each should hold their own value.
“Knowing that each dream and every story is unique, we create events with no templates to follow.”