By Mina Deocareza | September 2014
Four hundred, two hundred fifty or one hundred guests – for most people, this is what constitutes as an intimate wedding affair. Small and intimate weddings greatly capture the essence of a wedding which is the love between two people. A short guest list also makes weddings a lot more personal and memorable. But one particular couple decided to go to the extremes by stomping all other intimate wedding affairs – a wedding with only 35 guests.
In his words
Ronald saw Dior for the first time on TV while Sunday mass was on. With her trademark glasses and green jumpers, Ronald was immediately love-struck with this simple yet delightful girl. Luck would have it as they came from the same school. Ronald was then determined to finally meet this girl that caught her attention.
Ronald and Dior met when they were both just 14 years old during their school’s Intramurals Week as both fondly recall. While Ronald was sweaty and nervous, Dior was charming and excited. “He wouldn’t go near me as if I had something contagious. He kept wiping his forehead. I thought it was very amusing.” During the weeks that followed, Ronald became even more eager to get to know Dior as he would anxiously wait for her to come down the stairs since Dior’s classroom was just located above his. Although school assignments and activities linked the two together, nothing else bloomed during their high school days. Not long after, college proved to be the right timing for them as they finally went out on their first date. They have then been going on dates ever since.
Years passed as Ronald and Dior grew up to show qualities that they continue to love about each other. Among all of Dior’s suitors, Ronald was the last one standing. Even after seven years, Dior explains that she still feels like a giddy school girl whenever she’s with Ronald. And for Ronald, he couldn’t have said it better than himself.
“I knew she was the one because she possesses the characteristics of a woman whom I want to date for the rest of my life. She is one simple lady. I like it a lot because the simplicity in her screams a trace of class and elegance. She is one sterling woman. Beyond that and more importantly, she is responsible, very thoughtful and loving. She has stricken beautiful colors in the imperfect canvas I shared. When we are together, I see all green, blue skies, sunshine, lilies and the twinkling stars at night. She has made me realize that life is better when love is around. She is my dream girl. It is my faith that she is one sent by God to pair me in celebrating life and creating a family for Him.”
Ronald decided to seal the deal by proposing to Dior in front of her house complete with candles, red roses, a violinist, a guitarist, a little red box and a charming harana that he sang himself. With adorable words and extremely sweet gestures like these, any girl wouldn’t have said no. “She finally said yes and I felt like I just won the lottery”.
You can never go wrong with a classic
The couple wanted a grand wedding but something that was still within their budget. But for Ronald and Dior, grand meant other things than just a long guest list. Their wedding meant the past meeting the present to prepare them for the future which is why their theme was vintage with a touch of contemporary. This meant sticking to the classics with black and silver colors.
The invites and giveaways embodied this type of concept that exuded elegance and beauty. Thanks to the advent of laser cut design and printing, the invites turned out to look quite decent. Dior had to stir up some creative elements into the giveaways to make them fit into their theme. The touch of DIY definitely made the giveaways even more special.
Vintage cars served as bridal cars while songs played during the reception were all classics. To go with their theme, the couple wanted all white flowers for their wedding. Ronald had been getting flowers from Belen’s Flower Shop for years since they were his go-to place whenever he gave flowers to Dior. Since the flower arranger already knew Dior’s taste when it came to flower choice, they were the only flower shop to consider. It also made a good story to tell. After hand-picking each flower, Ronald, with an apt for organizing, made a chart segregating the flowers down to the last stem. While everything looked pricey in pictures, the couple exclaims that most of it was quite affordable. It was exactly the simple yet elegant wedding they wanted it to be.
Thirty-five
The bride and groom claimed that they were pretty hands-on during the wedding, even with signs of obsessive-compulsive manifestations. While most couples would require their guests to wear formal attire, Ronald and Dior went their way and created a “Formal Attire Requested” guide. The guide was very detailed with men required to wear barongs and women long gowns. While the guide does sound simple, there’s a lot more to it. The couple required their guests to wear piña/piña jusi and their prescribed camiza chinos with proper brand and color. Women, on the other hand, were to wear only black or silver long gowns with sleeves. Children were asked to have their tucks style polo custom-made by a specific tailor accented by custom-made bowties. The guide also indicated where to buy the cloth with the specific number code and color.
Fortunately, the meticulous attire guide was not too hard to execute since Ronald and Dior only had 35 guests. Although intimate affairs such as these can be solemn and memorable, not everyone understood of their decision to keep it small. Ronald and Dior had to sit down with their families to make them understand their decision. After many discussions, their families were finally amendable to the idea.
Having a handful of guests proved to be a good decision despite the number of bashers who thought it was a terrible idea. There was an aura of closeness since everybody knew everybody else in the room. Every detail in the wedding had a personal touch and their families were more than eager to cooperate and follow their “Formal Attire Guide”. Each guest also had a task to execute either during the wedding itself or at the reception valuing their importance and presence at the wedding. Just as how each family member should never be left behind, no one was left out during the wedding and everything came through just as how Ronald and Dior planned it to be.
The one that stood out
Most of their suppliers were referrals from friends but there was one particular supplier that they were absolutely smitten with. It was during a bridal fair that the couple stumbled upon Robo Formacion Photography. Robo Formacion Photography was not referred to the couple nor were they an acquainted friend. His pictures simply spoke for themselves as Ronald and Dior became hooked with Robo’s talent from thereon after.<
“He definitely was able to capture the best of all the important moments in our wedding day. Beyond his good gift in creating concepts, we highly regard his extraordinary craft in photography. He really is a master of his field. We were very delighted with their service and of course very satisfied with their work output because our simple wedding became grand with their beautiful photographs. It implies a true labor of love. More importantly, he and his team have good work ethics beyond compare. They easily gel and smoothly execute and are very professional. Working with them is like a breeze.”
How they did it
Ronald and Dior were able to execute the intimate of most intimate affairs. Despite the simplicity and small number of guests, it was the effortlessness that made the wedding feel classy and elegant. Although it seemed impossible at first, they were able to pull it off by keeping five simple tips in mind throughout the wedding planning process. First, no one likes a bridezilla, or groomzilla, for that matter. Problems will definitely arise which is completely normal. There is no perfect wedding so learn to be flexible with decisions. Second, do not go over budget. An extravagant wedding is of no use when you are left with debts right after. The bride and groom’s first role must always be treasurers of the wedding.
Next, couples must be organized. Cluttered minds equal to chaos. A notebook with contact numbers, ideas and inspirations will always come in handy. Take it wherever you go so that you are always ready when inspiration strikes. Fourth, do not forget to smile. There is no need to feel angry or frustrated because this is one day that you don’t want to have an ugly face. After months of preparation, just simply smile on your wedding.
Lastly, never forget to pray. Marriage preparation seminars were created to help you move forward into the next chapter of your lives with ease. Pray for guidance, good health, direction and your marriage. “Although there will be days when you will argue about everything, but never forget to always choose to love.”
