Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect in doing this pre-wedding editorial with Nico and Solenn. Aside from meeting Solenn once (which was pleasant by the way, no V.I.P. syndrome whatsoever), all I knew about them was pretty much just from their Instagram accounts. They seemed like cool people, and if you look at the stuff they like doing, you’d say that them being talented was an understatement. But how our shoot will fare was a total mystery to me. I was a bit anxious to make it successful, fun, and of course to raise the standard for all everyone involved. I arrived a bit late compared to the rest of the B&B team as I was in my first trimester of pregnancy and was ordered by my doctor to take things slow. The mood was energetic. Celebrity photographer Mark Nicdao and his team were busy preparing their equipment in one area, while the Bluebarn styling team were meticulously doing last-minute tweaks on the various set designs to make everything as perfect as possible. The mood in El Kabayo was calm, yet you can feel the build up that something exciting was about to happen. I turned my gaze to the beautiful and extensive collection that Stylized Studio, the wedding wardrobe styling company of Liz Uy, had prepared for our special couple of the day. I was impressed. They brought in racks of clothing that stretched to eternity, and tons of shoes that we could choose from. Liz told me that was part of their work ethic—to make sure every possible outfit was available in case it was needed. They even got some international designers to send their gowns over to the Philippines for the shoot. I was beyond impressed by their dedication and professionalism.
After checking on the set, I went into the dressing room. There I found Solenn, playfully joking around with Owen Sarmiento and Mark Familara, our makeup artist and hairstylist. There was a real lightness about her. And get this. She and Nico were at the location at call time, with a few minutes to spare. I heard they were always on time for shoots, but it still surprised me anyway that it was the real deal. Small things like that say a lot about a person. I asked where Nico was and was told he was out in the ranch. Under the scorching heat I saw him jumping over the fence for some shots. I knew we were in for an interesting day with this couple—they were game to do anything! True enough, the whole shoot was AMAZING. It was tiring for sure, but no one, not even Nico and Solenn complained. When it was time to be shot, all they did was be themselves, their in-love selves. How they interacted with each other during filming was just the same as they were off-camera. It was contagious and mesmerizing, everyone watching just sort of fell in love with both of them. Really, if you were there you’d probably feel like you were watching a rom com movie that made you feel so happy and inspired! I rarely use the term #relationshipgoals, but yeah… about Nico and Solenn… #relationshipgoals, guys!
At the end of the day, I was still pinching myself and wondering if everything that took place really happened. It was a such a wonderful experience for me, that up to this day, all I can do is rave about it. And yes, this is a milestone shoot for the blog and I can’t thank everyone enough for making it happen.
Make sure you check out Nico and Solenn’s photos by Mark Nicdao and their pre-nup video by Jason Magbanua!
Here’s what some of the suppliers had to say about the shoot and their creative input!
The Delightful Miss Joyce: “I wanted to play with patterns but not too cookie-cutter, so I hand-piped ferns and painted them gold. I also wanted a rust effect on the gold layers so I hand-smudged them (though not so evident in the photos). I still wanted to add our sugar flowers but not the usual set, so I arranged them in a way they were sprouting up.”
Stylized Studio: “Preparing for our collaboration with Bride and Breakfast for Solenn and Nico’s pre-wedding shoot was like preparing for a fashion editorial for a fashion magazine. We prepared a mood board following the rustic theme for us to get the right dresses and jewelries–lace dresses, rustic gowns and suits, headpieces, fringe, etc. With team effort, we were able to create the five best looks. It was such a delight working with the couple–they can pull off just every look! Overall, the looks gave a mix of rustic bohemian feel but still with a hint of sexy because why not, it’s Solenn and Nico!”- Danae Dipon
We also can’t thank K. by Cunanan enough for the great service and sumptuous food they prepared for us. From breakfast and lunch, to the afternoon snack, everyone had a full and happy tummy! They delivered beyond our expectations that even their catering setup looked like it was part of the shoot too! Take a look at these Jaja Samaniego snaps of their food and setup.
