Language of Love
Simmering down from their post-nuptial highs, four recently-wedded brides revisit the love and magic of their big days with
Four recently-wed brides—Roma Singh, Catherine Concepcion-Puno, Maica Tady, and Michelle Barrera-Juban—share special memories with Shauna Jay Popple Williams as well as impart indispensable advice
What was the overall look and theme of your big day?
We didn’t have a theme. If we were to describe it all, it was a white garden/beach wedding with a Filipiñana twist. All our décor was very minimalist and understated. Tropical flowers by Foriade accented the main areas and the tables were filled with glass vases and candles to achieve a beautiful amber glow for dinner.
Who was your cake by and what was the style like and flavour?
It was a six-tiered chocolate cake with white fondant icing by Max’s Corner Bakery.
What were your wedding party favours?
We had beautiful white buri fans made and some woven banig baskets filled with goodies from Max’s Corner Bakery. We also gave away abaca slippers for the after party and fun, colourful headdresses to add to the festive energy.
Who did you wear and how did you decide on this? What was the process like for you?
I wore my mother’s wedding gown, which was made by my grandmother in 1985. I then went to Vania Romoff, who skilfully reconstructed the gown and placed the hand-beaded lace into a new design. I commend Vania for taking on a project that entailed working with something so sentimental. It was really special to wear something that has been passed down three generations. I wore a different dress for the reception dinner, and then a silver outfit for the after party, which were both created by Martin Bautista.
Which wedding Apps, sites and bridal Instagram accounts did you follow for inspiration?
The Lane, Loho Bride, and NeWhite. Really more “modern” wedding accounts.
As far as the wedding planning went, what did you insist on doing yourself and what did you delegate to the planner and/ or bridal entourage?
I would say Benny and I were pretty hands on. We were involved in everything from start to end—from our save the dates to the website design, invitations, menu, tablescapes, music, lay-out, etc. We wanted a fun light twist to shine through our simple, understated “non-theme.” Humour at the centre of our relationship—that’s who we are as a couple, so it was important that we had a hand in every detail to make sure that was expressed. Of course, we couldn’t have done it all without our coordinator, Berlyn Yap. She guided us through the process and helped us get through the stressful times. My bridesmaids were all amazing! One of my bridesmaids is an architect and graphic designer and helped design our wedding invitations and website. She knew our style and that we wanted to keep it light and super funky.
What were your non-negotiables?
Amazing food. We worked really hard with Cibo to make sure our guests were happy. We didn’t want anyone to feel “hungry” at any one point in the day. We even made the finger food quite filling and rich! We did it food station-style, which was more attuned to the beach/garden setting. We also threw in a Max’s Fried Chicken station. Good music! One night, we gathered a group of friends and bar-hopped to Strumm’s, Salon de Ning, etc. to find our wedding band. We finally went with disco “tita” music so every age group got on the dancefloor. We are also spoilt with having a lot of friends who are DJ’s so we were lucky enough to have had two playing tandem at our welcome party and three on our wedding night.
Did you plan your big day with a strict budget in mind?
We think every couple comes into the initial planning stages with a budget in mind but we quickly learnt that industry prices will force you to compromise on what you want to include or what’s really important or what your guests will actually notice. Every couple is di erent so we can only speak from our preferences really. We felt that really good food and drinks would keep everyone happy and the good vibes flowing. If you’re going to keep your guests waiting, might as well feed them well! We’d say do away with the small things like spending on “branding” the small details. It’s your wedding not a business. Your guests won’t notice or remember branded napkins or drink mixers.
Where will your honeymoon be and how are you deciding on this?
We are still planning it! We did go on a minimoon to decompress and spend time together in Palawan right a er the wedding. Something I highly recommend if you aren’t doing your honeymoon right a er. It’s a great feeling to get on a plane with your new hubby and just be like, “We did it!”