Are you a bride-to-be planning your wedding in the Philippines while currently residing overseas? We cannot even begin to imagine how stressful it must be to put together the most special day of your life with miles and miles separating you and your selected venue. Choosing a team of suppliers that can perfectly execute your dream wedding is hard enough, but not being able to meet and see it all in person, is a totally different story. From curating your wedding mood board to organizing your logistics, planning will be an uphill battle and at times can be overwhelming. So, if you are an OFW bride who just started or is in the middle of wedding planning, this article is for you! We interviewed overseas couples who successfully planned their weddings in the Philippines to give some words of wisdom and tips on how to stay sane (because planning can make everyone a little crazy sometimes). Scroll down and let’s get inspired with their stories, shall we?
They got married in Manila in front of 250 guests last February 2020. The wedding planning started for them in November 2018, which gave them a year and three months to plan their wedding in the Philippines. While it was a rollercoaster of emotions for both JC and Klaud, they turned it around by seeing the hiccups as welcome challenges for them to face together as a couple. According to Bride Klaud, “It was challenging because it can get overwhelming to see the list of wedding vendors in the Philippines. Plus, not being able to physically see the venue was also a bummer. But thanks to technology, we were able to get an idea of what the venue would look like. Most of the wedding decisions we made were done by looking at pictures and trusting the vendors since we were not able to see and talk to them in person.” Despite the challenges encountered, JC and Klaud were able to achieve the wedding they had always envisioned. Scroll down to get a glimpse of their wedding photos taken by Nice Print Photography.
Here are bits of advice from JC and Klaud:
It was a different story for this couple. Groom Ron is based in the Philippines, while Bride Lily is residing in Melbourne. Although they had a year and eight months to plan everything, the logistics were tedious for Bride Lily. She said, “I flew back home twice during the planning stage. I only had two weeks at that time to actually grasp the concept of what we needed to do. Our schedule was back to back. Nakakabaliw. I cried multiple times, wanting to cancel my wedding. I actually did cancel it once”. But amidst all the challenges, they pulled it off beautifully. It was a humbling and sensational experience all together, as they wanted to share their love and host a graceful event for their family and friends. Keep scrolling to see the images from Ron and Lily’s wedding taken by Gatz Creatives.
Here are some planning tips from Ron and Lily:
John and Janine are both OFWs based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. They originally planned to get married in September 2020, which was their 7th anniversary. But, the pandemic got worse, forcing them to postpone their Philippines wedding and decided on a simple church wedding instead in UAE. According to Bride Janine, “everything was perfect, but it wouldn’t be the same without your parents witnessing your union.” Thankfully, restrictions eased during the last month of year between UAE and the Philippines, and they were able to make it home to fulfill their essential mission. They both came home two weeks before their wedding date and took this opportunity to organize a rustic bohemian wedding with the family. Check out their intimate wedding photos captured by Ilaya Films.
Here’s what we have learned from John and Janine’s story:
