GCQ, MCQ, and so many alert levels, it’s really hard to plan a wedding with quarantine status changing every so often.
Newlyweds physician Dr. Justin Ragasa and celebrity chef/entrepreneur Wymberly Gaile C. Esguerra have been through this ordeal. Their plans have been changed “over and over again,” but one thing was for sure, they wanted it on September 2. “The original plan was for it to be held in Grand Hyatt, then at Okada, then we were so sure it would be in Gallery MiraNila at The Blue Leaf, but to our disappointment, the guidelines had forced us to scale down,” Justin tells Wedding Essentials.
The couple finally decided on having it at WagyuStudio in Bonifacio Global City. “There really was no other place that would serve us food that we thought was appropriate for us and our guests, says Gaile who added that they only had 10 guests on their special day. Unfortunately, Gaile’s parents couldn’t make it as they were experiencing symptoms. But despite all these challenges, they made sure everyone could still celebrate with them with the help of Nice Print Photo, Forever Mine Wedding Films, and live streaming by Joaquin Ambata Films.
To add, the couple also required all the guests and suppliers to take their RT-PCR tests to ensure the safety of everyone who attended. And the suppliers did an amazing job in sprucing up the venue. Mannix Peña was behind the three-tiered cake that was also filled with beautiful blooms. Flowers upon flowers cascading almost everywhere. The industrial vibe of the restaurant was transformed into a luscious garden filled with “sparkling glass cylinder vases of varying heights were accompanied on the table by all imported flowers in tones of white and mauve—hydrangeas, Ecuadorian roses, tulips, gypsophilia, eustoma, and phalaenopsis” as florists Dave posted on his Facebook page.
“It would be an injustice to those who worked hard for our wedding to choose a specific part of the day. Every detail screamed our personalities, which was what we really sought for. We wanted to deviate from the norm and set a statement,” Justin adds. “We wanted to keep it simple but with character (our character to be exact). There was a lot of contrast with colors and the overall design looked straight out of a magazine page. I could wax lyrical about how beautiful it was and how the beautiful the accoutrements were, but it would be better looked at than described. It will move you as it moved us,” says Gaile.
Both agreed to wear casual chic—in sneakers no less! “My wife was dressed with such amazing works of Andrea Tetangco and Marc Rancy. Her shoes were from Hermes. Her makeup was done by Leo Posadas, hairstyling by Valerie Corpuz. I wore Versace, Prada, Massimo Dutti, and my time piece was Vacheron Constantin,” shares Justin. The couple chose Tiffany and Co. for their wedding bands.
And would you believe that the couple was able to pull this off in 10 days? Their advice, “Get a topnotch wedding coordinator and also be prepared to shell out money. I mean anyone can get married, but to plan a wedding like this in 10 days? That takes resources and help. As for our case, it was Ms. Rhed Sarmiento who organized. Our wedding wouldn’t be perfect without her expertise on this.”
Photos by Nice Print Photo
