Fernbrook wedding: Benedict + Karen

July 4, 2010
Fernbrook

I know I have been a terrible blogger lately.  I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted an entry!  It's just that a lot of stuff have been going on lately, and I'm planning on making some changes on this blog soon...but more on that in another post.;)

Anyway, I was going through some of the events and portrait sessions from last year that I haven't posted yet (and yes, there are still tons of them!), and I realized I haven't posted Benedict and Karen's lovely wedding yet. I thought it would be the perfect time to blog about it now because these two just welcomed a bouncing baby boy over the weekend! So, a big CONGRATULATIONS to the proud new parents of YGO!:)

And now for the wedding...

It was a morning wedding so we were at the hotel by around 3AM.  Karen is usually bubbly and that day wasn't any different.  When we got to her hotel room, she was already up looking fresh and overflowing with energy and excitement. This was the day of her DREAM wedding!  Ever since my first meeting with the couple over a year before the wedding, and on the day we did their engagement session a few months before the wedding, Karen and Benedict have been sharing with me bits and pieces of the wedding details and how they worked hard to make their dream wedding come true.  And on the day of their wedding, I was one of the people who were just as excited to see how the day would unfold for them.

Karen is my college best friend's younger sister and seeing her get married made me feel...old. Hahaha. Seriously, I met Karen when she was just a freshman in high school. I couldn't believe she was actually marrying the man of her dreams. And it was such a great honor for me to be chosen to be the one to capture everything in pictures.

Below are just some of my favorite photos from that day...



The bridal shoes.


Karen's unique modern wedding dress.

A closer look. Check out those pretty details!


The bride getting all prettified.





A couple of portrait shots before slipping into her dress.

All throughout the morning, Karen was all giddy and excited and had several "This is it!" moments.  However, as soon as the veil came down over her head, she became quiet and a bit emotional.


Beautiful bride!





Benedict got ready in another hotel so I just sent my 2nd and 3rd shooters to take pictures of him while I focused on Karen.  I did take a few shots of him at the ceremony venue.  He looked a bit nervous but still handsome as always.:)


The wedding didn't have just one but several colors incorporated in the theme. And what lovely colors!


I always love taking pictures of the kids.


The little guy on the right is my inaanak Basti.  They had to wake him up early and he wasn't too happy about it.  He still looks adorable though, doesn't he?


I had a lot of great shots of Karen walking down the aisle, so I'm just gonna post a few of them.


Awww...


For some reason, I just love this shot!


Yes, Benedict sang for Karen as she was walking down the aisle! Behind him are his best man (his brother) and his parents, all waiting for the lovely bride at the altar.


The beautiful mother of the bride.:)

Love the headpieces of the bridesmaids!


Karen's dad making an emotional speech while her mom looks on.


During the vows...











Some shots of the details at the reception.











Cutting the cake.

They say that whoever finishes the wine first will be boss of the house.


Guess who won?;)


Watching the same-day edit video by the talented Phoeben Teocson and his team.

The reception was over at around 2PM.  The weather had become hot and humid and everyone was exhausted. However, since we weren't able to take couple portraits after the ceremony, we had the session when all the guests had left.


Benedict had already taken off his jacket because he said he was baking in the heat but we made him put it back on for the photos. Hehehe. He obliged and put on a smile for the cameras.  I have to say, they still look fresh in the following photos, don't they?

Fernbrook has a lot of great spots for photos.


And they have vintage cars on display too.


Fierce.

As I said, the couple worked hard to make a lot of their dream details come true.  One of those "dreams" was  to have a billboard! So, they had this 8ft wide and 14ft tall tarp printed and displayed by the road leading to the venue.

Two of my favorite shots of the couple.:)


Thanks to my sister Pie Lorenzo and Edison Reyes for shooting with me during this wedding. And thanks to Pete for assisting (because the assistant I hired couldn't make it). ;)

Island Cove Wedding: Jay + Far

May 28, 2010
Holy Cross Parish Church, Noveleta, Cavite
Island Cove, Kawit, Cavite


While the rest of the villa was buzzing with activities, we found Far already on the make-up chair sitting quietly, smiling for the video camera every few minutes, but generally deep in thought.  She smiled and said she was a bit nervous.  She wondered out loud if Jay was doing any better.  When we went to the groom's villa, Jay narrated to the videographer and to the rest of us how he was feeling.  Rather, he tried to. He said he has never felt that way before.  He said he was nervous, like he was about to take an exam...or something.  But when he finally saw Far walking down the aisle towards him, and when he finally took her hand at the altar, it seemd like the most natural thing in the world.  No more nerves for either of them.  As long as they had each other's hand to hold on to.

The day dídn't exactly run smoothly.  My team started the day getting stuck in traffic on the way to the hotel-resort. And then it started to pour just before we left for the church. And then we got lost on our way to the church. Twice. But when we got to the church, the bridal party wasn't even there yet, so the ceremony was a few minutes late. And then we got stuck in another traffic jam on the way back to the hotel-resort for the reception (This time, we made sure we were right behind the bridal car so we wouldn't lose our way.). And then the traffic and the crazy weather got to our bride Far and she got a terrible headache just before the reception. But you know what? As far as Jay and Far were concerned, the day was perfect. They were so calm and cool, and nothing could ruin their big day for them.  And you know what happens when your bride and groom are stress-free and happy? You get great photos! :)

The bling on top of their invitation card which was designed like a post-card. Pretty cool!


The other bling.


The cut of Far's dress was simple, but she looked like a goddess wearing it. :)

I think I took more than two-hundred photos of Far's lovely purple shoes!





Our lovely bride.


These photos were taken before it started to rain.  It was already overcast outside, so we got nice diffused lighting for the portraits.





My favorite photo of Far!





Then we went over to Jay's room.





Our handsome groom.;)

Some shots at the ceremony.





Love Far's smile here.

Listening to the homily.








It was almost dark when we got back to Island Cove, and the weather was still gloomy so we couldn't get sunny photos of the couple.  I did find a nice spot at the hotel with nice diffused lighting.  And Jay and Far worked it pretty well for the camera, don't you think?;)


Far got sick from the traffic and the weather, but she still looks perfect in these photos, doesn't she?





Jay doesn't look so bad either.





I asked the coordinators for another 10 minutes for a few more shots at another spot and they worked it into the schedule.  I loved working with Love Daligdig and her team from Special Events by the Planner.  They made our job so much easier.


I love these two.


Couldn't get enough of the shoes!


Yep, the sky was pretty gloomy that day.

The theme of the wedding was "Travel and Leisure" and their designer cake fit perfectly.

The fun grand entrance of the couple.








The couple with their friends having great fun during the bouquet and garter games.


A sweet kiss to end the night.