A Love that Grew With Grace

Featuring Joseph Tiu and Ren Rebadomia

Not all love stories begin with fireworks, some start with a quiet spark that slowly grows into something extraordinary. For Joseph and Ren, that spark flickered to life on Bumble in November 2021. There were no grand pickup lines or over-the-top messages. In fact, Ren’s first message was simply a GIF.

“I’d already been on the app for weeks and wasn’t expecting much,” Ren laughs. “But when we started talking, it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. There was no pressure to be anything other than myself.”

Their first date at a Japanese restaurant was classic Joseph: he over-ordered food, then over-ordered again when they went for ice cream afterward. It became a running joke between them, and those lighthearted beginnings paved the way for a relationship filled with joy, calm, and shared adventure.

“She’s the calm to my chaos,” Joseph says. “I tend to overthink everything, and she just grounds me with her quiet strength.”

They became official in January 2022, and their love blossomed through travels around the Philippines and abroad—Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, the U.S.—but the magic wasn’t just in the destinations.

“It didn’t matter where we were. What mattered was that we were together, trying new things, or just enjoying quiet moments,” Ren shares.

For Ren, it was Joseph’s consistency that stood out.

“He showed up. He followed through with what he said, and I never had to question where we stood. He made me feel safe,” she says.

Joseph felt it too—early and deeply.

“It was in the way she listened, the way she moved through the world with grace. I knew I wanted to build a life with her.”

He proposed in Japan in December 2023, at Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera temple. With friends helping to set the scene, Joseph knelt down in front of a surprised and teary-eyed—Ren.

“It was perfect. I was shocked, a little shy, but so moved,” Ren recalls.

Their wedding at Lakehall, Sta. Elena Golf Course, was styled by Teddy Manuel into an enchanted garden, complete with a mirror canopy and white floral aisle.

“Seeing her walk down that aisle—it’s an image I’ll carry with me forever,” Joseph says.

Their celebration was filled with intentional, personal touches: travel photos printed on cloth, favorite food carts like Potato Corner and Firefly Coffee, and a signature cocktail called “First Kiss.”

“It wasn’t flashy, just full of meaning,” Ren explains. “Even the bouquet had a hidden fan because I knew I’d get warm during the garden ceremony!”

Instead of a typical reception entrance, their travel video played first. Then the lights went out—and came back to reveal the newlyweds already on stage, dancing.

“It was unexpected, playful, and just very us,” Joseph says.

And even with unexpected hiccups, like Ren’s makeup artist canceling just three days before the wedding, the day unfolded beautifully.

“We had booked her a year before, so it was a shock,” Ren shares. “But Carissa Cielo Medved and Florenz stepped in like fairy godmothers. They were so warm, so professional—it felt like they were meant to be part of our day.”

“What made it unforgettable,” they both say, “was seeing everyone we love in one place, celebrating with us. It felt like the perfect start to forever.”