Wedding

I think the groom said it best when he described their Villa Escudero wedding as magical. I wish that I could make photos do most of the talking just to prove this point, but unfortunately I don’t have that many pictures because I was (eep!) hosting the reception that evening. Yes, I had to set my stage fright aside so that I could give in to my sister-in-law’s request. I’m glad I did because I actually enjoyed hosting! I don’t think that I’ll be doing it again anytime soon, though.

Villa Escudero is right at the border of Tiaong, Quezon and San Pablo Laguna. It’s one of the most popular options for an out of town Filipiniana-themed wedding within driving distance from Manila. Making arrangements with them is relatively easy even if you didn’t hire a wedding coordinator, like my sister-in-law, because they have their own team of coordinators and highly trained staff. Basically, they are so used to having weddings there that they just know what to do already.

We arrived at Villa Escudero the night before the wedding so we were able to get a full night’s rest. I’ll tell you about our stay in a separate post. In the meantime, you can read about one of our pre-wedding visits here.

C+B1 — Before the wedding. The photo on the upper right belongs to my cousin-in-law, Mykel.

In the photo above, you’ll see three generations of Cuyugan boys, all decked out in their gorgeous Julius Tarog barongs. Julius did the gowns and barongs of the bride and groom, their parents, and the entire entourage. I have to say that he is just amazing when it comes to menswear, and the detail that he put into the bridal gown and veil are simply gorgeous. [Read more…] about A Wedding at Villa Escudero

I know that I am better at expressing myself with words than with images. But I also know that I am capable of taking a pretty photograph if I want to. It just takes a little more effort and a little bit of post-processing. I did study photography as part of my course in college after all, and I passed too! I wasn’t the best in class, but I don’t think I was the worst either. Practice makes perfect, and I’m pretty sure I lack practice. I do have a DSLR, but I often am too lazy to take it with me because it’s heavy and bulky. Besides, our waterproof camera is a lot more fun to bring along, and it’s easy to see why.

Thank God it's waterproof! — Thank God it’s waterproof!

This year, though, one of my blogging goals is to take better photos, and that means that it’s time to reunite with my trusty D3000. Now, let me make one thing clear. I believe that a beautiful picture is dependent on actual talent and not on one’s gadgets. I just had to say that because a lot of people think they are photographers, and good ones at that, just because they own a DSLR. Hang on for a moment while I roll my eyes.

Anyway, common sense will tell you that a better camera will give you better photo quality overall. That’s how it is with digital. And you really can do so much more with an SLR than with a point and shoot cam, given that you actually know how to work the camera. So I’ve decided that I want to challenge myself, my knowledge of my camera and my retention of the things I learned years ago in college by taking photos using my DSLR as often as I can.

I started last weekend during our trip to Las Casas for my sister-in-law, Baban’s prenup shoot with her fiancee, Cy. I figured that they would all be so busy posing that no one would really be able to focus on taking behind the scenes pictures, and so that’s what I assigned myself to do that day. Like I always say, I’m a behind the scenes person, and I know that I’m more effective shooting photos than posing for them, even though I am certainly not an expert photographer.

My goal was to capture moments, and of course, provide the couple with some behind the scenes shots that they can keep to remember the day by. I’d like to think I did a pretty good job of it. But that’s just me. One thing’s for sure, the bride to be looks happy and in love. That’s good enough, right?

Opinions are super welcome, okay? Brace yourself now because a minor photo dump is coming up in 3… 2… 1…

Las Casas 1-9 — Instant tourist attraction

It was a really fun day, and the bride and groom were really happy with the photos that their supplier, FilterPan took. Can’t wait to see the official photos. Meanwhile, what do you think of these behind the scenes shots?