What exactly is an intimate wedding? For many, it’s about keeping the guest list under double digits—a cozy gathering of close family and friends. But for us, it meant so much more. It wasn’t just about numbers; it was about meaning. Every detail of our big day, lovingly curated by my wife, held a deep personal connection to our journey as a couple. From the smallest accents to the grandest moments, her thoughtful touches turned our wedding into an unforgettable reflection of who we are. And for that, I couldn’t be prouder.

Venues

When it came to choosing our venues, we kept it close—both geographically and emotionally. As proud Silaynons, we wanted every location to feel like home. The ceremony took place in a quaint seminary just over a kilometer from our house—a place where we’ve shared countless Sunday Masses and celebrated Simbang Gabi together.

The preparations? Those were wonderfully laid-back, split between my house and my uncle’s nearby vacant home. It was stress-free, intimate, and deeply personal.

As for the reception, it couldn’t have been more meaningful. We hosted it in my paternal grandparents’ backyard, a cherished space where we’ve shared countless Sunday lunches as a family. It’s also where my cousins got to know April better, and where my grandmother lovingly nurtured her garden. Every location wasn’t just convenient—it was a piece of our story.

Guests

Our guest list followed one simple rule: we had to know them, and they had to know our story. It wasn’t about social obligations or expanding the numbers—it was about sharing our day with people who truly mattered to us. Initially, we planned for 150 guests, but travel restrictions and quarantines led us to scale down. For the ceremony, we kept it to just 60 guests to ensure everyone’s safety and adhere to health protocols. But by the time the reception rolled around, things felt a little more relaxed. Surrounded by the open air, we were overjoyed to welcome 100–110 of our closest family and friends to join in the celebration. It wasn’t about the quantity of guests but the quality of their presence that made our day so special.

Details

One of our biggest goals was to have a zero-waste wedding—an event that was not just meaningful but also mindful of the environment. We skipped the traditional “single-use” invitations that often end up forgotten or discarded. Instead, we used plantable paper and envelopes embedded with spinach seeds from Silent Beads, ensuring nothing went to waste.

Adding an even more personal touch, my wife manually typed each invitation on my grandmother’s vintage typewriter. For our godparents, we went a step further—each one received a heartfelt, handwritten note explaining why they were chosen to be part of our special day.

To top it off, every physical invitation included a limited-edition linocut print artwork that April and I designed together. Each piece was signed, numbered, and even served as our wedding emblem. It wasn’t just an invitation—it was a keepsake, a piece of our story shared with those closest to us.

Bouquets

 In keeping with our sustainable wedding theme, the bride chose succulents over traditional flowers. Unlike bouquets that wilt within days, these hardy plants can be replanted and nurtured, giving them a second life beyond the wedding day.

Decorations

True to her eco-conscious vision, my bride skipped the usual floral arrangements and instead used live plants as decorations. What made it even more special was that she propagated many of them herself, sourcing others through barters and plant swaps. Every plant carried a story, and together, they turned our venues into vibrant, living spaces. 

Wedding Favors

Our wedding favors were as meaningful as they were sustainable. Shortly after our engagement, we began planting citrus seeds—calamansi, dalandan, and lemon—that eventually became our giveaways. These seedlings also doubled as decor for our reception. The seeds came straight from our backyard harvests, with lemons sourced from the lemonade vendor near our home. Even the squeezed peels weren’t wasted; we composted them to create nutrient-rich soil for our growing trees. These tiny citrus plants weren’t just gifts—they were symbols of growth, love, and the roots we were planting for our future.

Cake and Cake topper

When it came to our wedding cake, we kept things simple yet meaningful. Extravagant cakes with “single-use” styrofoam fillers? Not for us. Instead, we chose a cake we genuinely love—a family favorite from M&M Patisseries that we knew we’d savor to the very last slice.

As for the cake topper, it was a masterpiece in its own right. Created by our friend, the talented mixed-media artist Megumi Miura it was a personalized artwork inspired by her signature Russian Doll Toy sculptures. It wasn’t just a topper but a unique, heartfelt piece of art that added a touch of whimsy and originality to our celebration.

Gifts for the Bridesmaids

For the bridesmaids, the bride carefully chose gifts that were both thoughtful and practical—something they could cherish and use well beyond the wedding day. Staying true to our zero-waste advocacy, we avoided anything disposable or single-use.

Each bridesmaid received a pair of earrings from Get Spotted , personalized with their initials for that extra special touch. The shoes were custom-made, with designs handpicked by the bride and her matron-of-honor to perfectly suit each bridesmaid’s style. To top it off, they were gifted stylish rompers, also from Get Spotted, that could easily transition from wedding wear to everyday fashion. These weren’t just gifts—they were tokens of appreciation, blending function with personal sentiment.

Masks

For both safety and style, we provided white reusable masks from Get Spotted and Vanguard PH for all our guests. It ensured uniformity while staying true to our goal of sustainability. These masks weren’t just a precaution—they were a practical keepsake from our special day.

Wardrobe

We took a mindful approach to our wedding attire, focusing on practicality and reuse. The groomsmen donned rented barongs—perfect for the occasion and a smart choice, as these traditional garments aren’t worn often. For their pants, we chose versatile pieces from UNIQLO, which they could easily incorporate into their casual wardrobes long after the wedding. Every outfit choice balanced elegance with thoughtfulness, making it memorable yet functional.

Gifts for the Groomsmen

For the groomsmen, we wanted to give something unique and meaningful. Each received a limited-edition bottle of locally-made Tanduay Declaracion Rum, crafted from sugarcane—a nod to our heritage. To make it even more personal, we included handmade notes with every gift, expressing our gratitude. It was a heartfelt way to toast their presence and support on our special day.

Coordinator

or us, there was no question about who would handle the coordination—Manang Tin Panes Ceraspe was our first choice. Despite her being unavailable on our original date, we knew her reputation and work ethic were second to none. We had seen her organize weddings for friends and had even worked under her ourselves as wedding suppliers, witnessing how she made every celebration Simply Special for each couple.

On our wedding day, Manang Tin made it her mission to ensure everything went smoothly. She reminded us to leave stress and anxiety at the door and let her take control. And she was right—everything fell into place without a hitch. As I wrote to April in my letter before heading to the church, “Let Go, Let God, and Let ng Tin take control.” And it was the best decision we made, allowing us to simply enjoy the day.

Event Stylist

Originally, Manang Tin was set to handle both the coordination and styling of our big day. However, she decided to focus solely on coordination, and brought in her sister Clay of Accent Cagayan to take on the styling.

Clay transformed my grandfather’s backyard into a magical space—unrecognizable from what we knew. It was as if we had been transported to a different world. Using all the plants we provided and her creative touch, she turned every corner of the venue into a stunning work of art. We were blown away by how she worked tirelessly until the early hours, even sleeping at the venue to bring her vision to life. It was also her birthday that night, making her dedication and effort all the more special to us.

Wardrobe Stylist

We’ve been very lucky to have talented and generous friends. One of them is our wardrobe stylist Emgee Po-Jimenea of StyledbyEmgee who happens to be one of the bride’s matrons-of-honor. She was the one responsible for styling and conceptualizing our prenup session, helped in designing the shoes for the bridesmaids, gifted the romper and earrings from her own brand, Get Spotted. Special thanks to her sister Manang Penden of Mum and Vanguard PH for providing the white reusable masks to all our guests.

Gown

The bride chose the number one designer from Bacolod to do her wedding gown. April’s brief to Kat Padilla of Kat Padilla Studio was “No beading, no laces, simple yet elegant”. Kat then transformed these words into a gown that fitted the bride’s dream. She knew what to hide and what to highlight from the bride’s physique. It was through her gown where the bride’s personality was shown.

Make-up

Being a practicing make-up artist herself, the bride chose one of her mentors, Jan Nicole Uy of Indigo Strokes , to do her makeup for our big day. Jan wasn’t just a professional—she had also become a dear friend over the years, always supporting our small business and sharing ideas, especially about her plant hobby. This connection made her the perfect choice to bring out the bride’s natural beauty and ensure she felt confident and radiant on our special day.

Priest

The officiating priest was a family friend of April’s—considered a “foster” son by one of her aunts who was one of our Ninangs. He wasn’t just a familiar face; he had joined family vacations and knew everyone in the family personally. We were fortunate that he took the time to personalize the Word of God, fitting it seamlessly into our life’s story, making the ceremony all the more meaningful and heartfelt.

Host

I’ve known Dani Dingcong for almost all my life—our friendship goes back over two decades. We even spent eight years together as classmates, so it was only fitting to have her host our wedding. Dani knew our life story inside and out, and there were no doubts in my mind about asking the best events host in town to guide us through our reception. She also served as my groomswoman, making the day even more special and personal.

Mobile Bar

The first supplier we booked was the mobile bar—Bounce. We had attended enough weddings to know how memorable (and sometimes hilarious) those drunken moments can be at after-parties. The stories shared, days and even years after, were definitely priceless! A bonus for us was that they didn’t serve drinks in plastic cups—keeping our celebration sustainable as well as fun.

Band

For our reception, we requested the band Fuse to play live during the event. They brought our favorite playlist to life, setting the perfect mood throughout the night. We were especially thrilled when they agreed to play the bridal march—a beautiful rendition of “I Choose You” by Ryan Darling, performed live by one of our bridesmaids, Micah. The song was close to our hearts, not only as a love song for each other but also as a tribute to our faith.

DJ

We were surrounded by talented and generous people throughout our wedding day. The afterparty was no exception, thanks to my cousin, DJ Iolo Villo, who kept the beats going until everyone was dancing and tipsy with joy. It was the perfect end to a perfect celebration.

Bridal Car

The bridal car was a vintage 1969 Lincoln Continental, graciously provided by my granduncle. It was a beautiful and meaningful choice for our big day, adding a nostalgic touch to our celebration and making the journey to the ceremony even more special.

Engagement Photoshoot

As a photographer groom, I’ll be honest—picking the right person to capture genuine moments was crucial for me! I was definitely lucky to have Keo Aldreich Angelo of KP Fotos take on the task. I had to pitch in a few ideas for the photographs I really wanted, and he nailed it! I was so happy with this outcome—Keo’s talent and creativity truly brought our engagement shoot to life.

Studio

We made use of  Studio Project Twenty Six, my brother’s studio in our house, for the portrait shots used during the prenup and preps. It was the perfect setting to capture intimate moments and details, providing a comfortable space for us to focus on each other and the memories we were creating.

Photo Coverage

If there’s one non-negotiable about our wedding, it was investing the most in the photo and video documentation team. As a photographer, I knew that you can’t afford to be thrifty when choosing these suppliers—after all, it’s these photographs and videos that are left behind after the celebration. We chose AMADY Iloilo, the sister company of MAYAD Studios, based in Iloilo. I’ve always been a fan of their work, ever since I first learned how to edit videos professionally through MAYAD Academy back in 2010. Though they took the largest chunk of our wedding budget, they didn’t disappoint—they even exceeded our expectations!

Video Coverage

For our wedding, we chose the best local filmmakers here in Bacolod to do the video coverage. I had personally worked with some of the shooters from Grilled Cheese Studios a few summers ago during Bacollywood workshops, and I was always impressed by how they could turn stories worth telling into films. On our wedding day, I was surprised by how they were able to come up with a beautiful 7-minute film that perfectly captured the emotions shared that day—exceeding all our expectations.

See SDE Film here

For us, an intimate wedding is not defined by the number of guests, but by how you pour in the labor of love into every aspect of it. All these details were well thought out during the two-year preparation for our big day. Lastly, we thank the Lord for keeping everyone safe and providing us time to prepare and even postpone our original date last year. Indeed, all things come in His perfect time.

Photos Courtesy of:

• AMADY Iloilo
• Studio Project Twenty Six
• KP Fotos
• Bounce Bar
• Aeson Baldevia