When I was 6 years old or so, my mother brought me to a wedding where I was one of the flower girls. I wore this oh so girly daffodil yellow eyelet dress. In my hand was a fancy basket full of flowers. There was hushed excitement in the air and everyone seemed to know everybody. I could vaguely remember the details, but the church where the wedding ceremony was held was forever inked in my memory. It was perched atop a hill surrounded by mountains and sea on either side as far as the eye could see. One had to climb the old stone staircase leading to its main entrance to reach it.
I thought it was one of those places that existed only in books. Blame it on Folk and Fairy Tales lying somewhere at home. It certainly made me believe in mermaids and dragons and witches and dwarfs and giants and trolls and of course wizards. The reception that followed the ceremony was held at the house of the bride which was beside a rocky beach. I was busy counting pebbles and seashells on the beach with my new friends then to notice the party.
Fast forward 20-odd years later when my boyfriend proposed, my mind naturally wandered on that unforgettable day.
1. Why did you have an intimate tropical wedding?
I have always been fascinated with close-knit wedding celebrations. Somehow they felt cozy and heartfelt. They allow the couple to express their own personal style. And with our love for beaches off the beaten track, a remote island wedding with its romantic laid-back vibe seems the perfect fit.
2. What are some of the challenges you face planning an intimate tropical wedding?
The church we have chosen or rather I picked out was in a remote island in northern Palawan. It was a 45-minute plane ride from Manila, 25-minute van ride from Busuanga to Coron, and a 2-hour boat ride to Culion island. It seemed asking too much of our guests travel-wise.
3. Did you have any issues with the small guest list from family and friends? If so, how did you address them?
Our parents would have wanted us to have a big hometown wedding. Hometown weddings are beautiful, but we really love to have an intimate ceremony. We really wanted the emphasis of our wedding day to be on the marriage and our commitment to one another. Our parents supported our decision, so did our close friends.
4. What were the highlights of the ceremony?
We agreed to have the traditional vows and uttering those age-old words felt very romantic. That was until we exchanged the rings. Mine just wouldn’t fit. The ring, which was supposed to be on my right hand, had to be put on my left. It has remained there until now. When we reminisce those moments we just had to laugh. There was nothing wrong with the ring, by the way.
5. What were the highlights of the reception?
Our wedding cake was plain white and stripped of any embellishments my mother had a fit. But that was the best cake a supplier in a remote island could offer us. As the island got their supplies from the mainland, we were just glad the eggs arrived on time, and we had a cake, a very delicious chocolate one at that. At least it would stand out among all my birthday cakes.
The local band we hired was also able to play the song for our first dance, which they rehearsed only a couple of days before the wedding. We were looking so much forward to that.
Among the gifts we received was this Yukata, given to us by my former students who came to our wedding straight from Tokyo.
Thank you so much Joji, Miwa, Natsuki, and Tomohiro.
It was so fun trying on a Japanese costume on our big day. Hubby and his friends especially loved it since they are really into Japanese animations.
6. What was the best thing about the wedding?
The best thing was the groom made all the arrangements with the church, reception, accommodation, and air tickets.
Guess I was one of those lazy brides. But I did help out, er — a little. I picked out the location — that wasn’t easy, photographer — that wasn’t easy either, made our wedding invitation, and designed my dress. His reaction when he first saw my dress was priceless. I thought he was going to go ballistic.
OUR SPECIAL THANKS to:
Sherwin Obos Ramosa. A landscape architect by profession who volunteered to be our onsite coordinator, event designer, and personal assistant. Thank you friend. I especially love your design for the maidens’ hair accessory.
Jollyvic de Castro. Our businessman friend who offered to be our wedding giveaway sponsor. He thinks a pair of scented oil is perfect for a wedding giveaway. I couldn’t agree more.
And many thanks to the students of Loyola College of Culion and the staff of Hotel Maya for our church aisle decoration and their assistance throughout the whole event.
To Joel Francisco Photography for the lovely photos.
And of course to our family and friends for the love and support.
Hugs,
Beautiful wedding!
Thank you 🙂