A Romantic and Elegant Tagaytay Highlands Wedding
I’m excited to feature Weddings Abroad Guide’s first ever real wedding in the Philippines – the story of Joanarc and Brian, a lovely couple who met while studding at University. Their elegant wedding was held in Tagaytay Highlands, a little piece of Fillipino paradise which offers the sheer magnificence of nature and a panoramic view of the Taal volcano.
From: Quezon City, Philippines
Nearest Airport: Ninoy Aquino International Airport
With a custom made Vania Romoff bridal gown, simple yet elegant floral arrangements and personal DIY touches, this wedding is just gorgeous. Below, Joanarc kindly shares the details of their Tagaytay Highlands wedding and their plans leading up to it which is accompanied by fabulous photography from the talented Toto Villaruel.
Important to us…
It was important to us to have a wedding that was a celebration of our love. Brian and I wanted to keep our wedding a simple and elegant celebration of our marriage that would be witnessed by close friends and family.
To create a modern feel, we limited the colours to black, white, and champagne and filled the venue with flowers and lights to evoke a feeling of cosiness. We wanted everything to be chill, for the guests to feel relaxed and for everyone, including us, to have fun.
My dream wedding…
I wanted our wedding to be simple and elegant but never boring. That’s why every little detail counted. For example, in the church, we only had a few floral arrangements but they were all the flowers we loved.
My wedding was my dream wedding. I work in PR and events so I know not to ask for the stars. I wanted a nice venue where everyone could be relaxed. I wanted to create an ambience that was both elegant and cosy. I think I achieved that.
Our wedding location…
I grew up near Tagaytay City but I studied in Manila, which is about two hours away. After graduation, I was living in Metro Manila where I met Brian.
Our wedding venue…
We decided to have our wedding in Tagaytay because this is where we went for our first out of town trip. We researched venues and had already decided on one when my mother called raving about Tagaytay Highlands. She had already arranged for a trip so we all went together and when we saw the views by the ceremony and wedding venue, we couldn’t say no!
Our ceremony…
We are Roman Catholics so we had our ceremony inside a chapel. After the mass had ended and I turned around to see the chapel filled with our loved ones was an overwhelming experience for me. Knowing everyone had travelled over two hours from the city to celebrate with us was very special and touching.
For my entrance, we played ‘We Had Today’ by Rachel Portman. I was at home a few years ago and couldn’t get any sleep when I passed by ‘One Day’ on HBO. I heard the song and it stuck with me ever since. I found it funny that I started crying when I heard the song play just as I was about to enter the chapel. I was supposed to give a secret gesture when the doors opened but I wasn’t able to do it because I was already bawling. During the mass, my cousin and her friends sang and all our close family members and friends were participants in the service.
Our reception…
The reception was held in the Midlands Veranda which was near the chapel we had our ceremony in. It was a simple ballroom with floor to ceiling windows which enabled guests to have a complete view of the Taal Volcano and the Taal Lake.
My wedding dress…
My dress was custom-made by Vania Romoff. I wanted something feminine and modern and Vania Romoff was the person I wanted to do it. Luckily she said yes. I had been semi-stalking her to be honest, even before we started planning. I’ve always been a fan.
Extra activities…
We provided hotel and lodging for the entourage and our family the day before the wedding so they could relax and not rush coming to our wedding. We also held a mini celebration the night before at a restaurant near our venue. In the Philippines, we don’t usually do rehearsal dinners so the dinner was really just for socialising.
Since we had 150 guests, I knew the bulk of our budget would go to the food. On top of the buffet dinner, we also provided cocktails after the ceremony because I’m very particular when it comes to the guests being well-fed. I get cranky when I’m hungry and I don’t want 150 cranky people welcoming me at the reception. 🙂 We also provided an open bar because our friends are big drinkers. We wanted them to have fun since they have travelled so far to come to our Tagaytay Highlands wedding.
Our wedding planner…
Brian and I planned everything but we had an on-the-day coordinator who helped us not just on our wedding day but in the few months before the wedding. Her team, Kiss The Girl Events, anticipated every request.
On the day…
The morning of my wedding was stress-free because of them. I only found out about the problems after the wedding or when there was already a solution. For example, I didn’t know the driver Brian’s dad hired for the day bailed until I got in the car and saw one of my bridesmaids driving with her bouquet still in her hand. It was only a ten minute drive but still. By that time, I could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
There were some things that the florist and I agreed upon but weren’t executed. Everything was still beautiful but working in PR and doing events professionally, there are details that stood out to me like a sore thumb.
I wanted magnolias for my bouquet but a week before the wedding; the florist informed us that the big magnolias that I wanted weren’t available. He proposed to get anemones, my second choice, but warned me that they wilt easily. I was still excited because during our initial meeting, he told me anemones won’t be in season the time of our wedding. The morning of my wedding, the flowers were delivered to my room and I was disappointed because I immediately noticed the browned edges of my anemones and the flowers for the entourage were smaller than what we agreed upon.
My wedding coordinator spoke before I even said anything because she knew the problem. That was when she told me that our florists’ supplier delivered pink roses instead of white so the florist had to make do with what he already had just so there would be white flowers in the church, the reception venue, and the hands of the entourage.
DIY touches…
The invites were made by the maid of honour and her partner. I did the layout for all the other printables – the thank you cards, table assignments, menu cards, bar list, straw tags, game cards, etc.
My advice for other couples…
Research, research, research! Listen to reviews of other brides. Also, you get what you pay for. Most of the suppliers are known in the industry mainly because of their reputation so listen to all the feedback.
It would also help couples to know what style, theme, and colour you want before you search for and meet with suppliers. I know Pinterest is a great place for inspiration and it could be quite overwhelming to include all the details in the pins you like but at the end of the day, you have to create a wedding that reflects you and your groom’s personality.
Wedding film…
Dreamechanics were responsible for Joanarc and Brian’s touching and emotive Tagaytay Highlands wedding film, which you can watch here.
Thank you to Joanarc and Brian for sharing their beautiful Tagaytay Highlands wedding story, I wish you a lifetime of happiness.
See more destination wedding inspiration.
The Perfect Partners
Photographer: Toto Villaruel // Videographer: Dreamechanics // Ceremony Venue: Madre de Dios Chapel // Reception Venue: Midlands Clubhouse // Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Kiss The Girl // Bride’s Dress: Vania Romoff // Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin // Bride’s Robe: Mara Chua // Bridesmaid Dresses: Mara Chua // Groom’s Attire: Felipe & Sons // Hairstylist: Jan Edrosolan Makeup Artist: Gery Penaso // Bouquets, Flowers & Decor, Event Stylist: Serge Igonia // Cake Baker: Sweet Solutions // Catering: Tagaytay Highlands // Invitations & Stationery: Katrina Tapang and Tefiny Tulod // Band: The GoatCake // Ceremony Musicians: Iris Gonzalez // Host: Cece Nicolas- Mariano of Kiss The Girl Events // Lights and Sounds: JS Mina // Female Entourage & Principal Sponsors Favors: Oliver and Maude // Male Entourage Favors: Gouache Bags // Photo Booth: Party Smarty PH