Featuring Erik Lawrence Sy Dy and Justine Louise Rana Burgos
I was fortunate to have had the luxury of planning my wedding twice.
We opted to proceed with getting married despite the pandemic, for better or for worse. Such an intimate gathering also means going through the mental gymnastics of justifying who deserves those most coveted spots. You’ll realize how much more beautiful and sincere your wedding would be with just the people who genuinely care about you are at attendance. And with this comes the best part of all – the pressure lifted off your shoulders when you realize that no matter how you celebrate your wedding, these special people will be happy just knowing you’re getting married to the love of your life.
During my civil wedding planning, all that mattered to us was that the food should be great. In our search for a venue beautiful enough so we don’t have to spend on styling, we found Casa Buenas. We hit the mark on this one! It was spacious yet still felt intimate, and it was homey despite looking opulent. And what’s more is that they do Filipino Spanish cuisine so well that our guests could not stop raving about the dishes served. However, in scrimping on some important aspects, we found ourselves learning a valuable lesson – you really get what you pay for. Notice how we don’t have many photos to show for our civil wedding?
On my second try in planning a wedding, it had to be perfect but not too extravagant. There’s a bigger budget but there is still a budget. I chose my suppliers mindfully considering how much of their talent/skill justifies the difference in their rates. The shift in mindset while factoring in our dynamic and taste as a couple enabled me to build a dream team of suppliers I most probably would not have come up with if it weren’t for the experience I had during my civil wedding.
In curating the wedding experience I wanted our guests to have, I wanted to make sure the day was enjoyable and genuine. During cocktail hour, we had a live soy candle-pouring booth where guests got to choose the scent of their candle souvenirs. In entering the ballroom, a tunnel was built to direct the guests to the best view of the grand ballroom while being greeted by the glamor and the dynamic sounds of the saxophone and the violin on pedestals.
Above all these details, what I wanted is for our wedding to feel like us – a true celebration of love and of families and cultures coming together as one. We wanted to honor my husband’s Fil-Chi roots while incorporating Filipino elements like the waling-waling on my dress and the décor, the chocnut ice cream being served to the guests, OPM being played by a big band injecting an old-world charm to the atmosphere, which was likewise achieved by the 1955 Chevy Bel-Air which served as our Bridal Car.
I am happy to report that we achieved a Church wedding celebration that we’re happy and proud to show everyone, with no regrets or reservations. And most importantly, we were able to do that while sharing our story and our growth as a couple to our guests, especially featuring the biggest change in our lives since our civil wedding – our best boy, Gael.
Erik Lawrence Sy Dy and Justine Louise Rana Burgos’s Dream Team: Coordinator: Christine Ong Te Events | Photographer: Mico Studios | Videographer: Jason Magbanua | Church: Santuario de San Antonio | Venue: Marriott Grand Ballroom | Event Stylist: Drew Menor | HMUA: Madge Lejano | Bridal Gown: Jo Rubio Atelier | Bridal Shoes: Curated by Jefferson Si | Groom Barong: Boy Kastner Couture | Host: Sam YG | Singer: Joey G | Souvenir: Vela Studios | Invitation: Print Divas | Lights and Sounds: LX Pro
