Starting off with their theme, Christian and Janelle have always been fascinated with the Japanese culture. The details were done to showcase the country – paper cranes, parasols, and even DIY cherry blossom trees were brought in to achieve the Japanese feel. Other than that, the colour pink was widely used throughout the wedding especially with the entourage gowns since it’s a sakura’s colour.
Going back to our initial meeting, I asked them – “what’s in Dagupan that can characterize Pangasinan?”, one of their answers that got me excited was the river. The province is famous for its Milkfish and these are usually bred in these waters. I then imagined them on a boat or a raft with a really nice view of the river. Good thing they agreed with me.
Come wedding day, they welcomed me with a surprise..they found a bamboo raft. Though it’s no longer used in the area, months of persuasion paid off when Janelle’s mom got a couple of fishermen to get us one. After the church ceremonies, we set up the shot and I got myself one of the best photographs from the year. It was also humbling that this image was chosen as one of W@W’s 12 best wedding photos of 2012 along with other amazing photographers.
It was exciting to see my vision come to life but it’s always a team effort between me and the couple. Without a bride and groom sharing the same dream shot as mine, we won’t be able to pull it off. This serves as a reminder for us to always work closely with each couple so we can aim better in creating unique images. Enjoy the photos!
Coordination and Styling: Rannie Nieva
Makeup: Maricon Perez
Couturier: Von Lazaro
Videography: Dan Mendiola
