Article by Maan Pamintuan Lamorena
When Archie Alemania proposed to Gee Canlas on August 27, she had no idea they would be married in exactly two months. The host and actress initially thought of a long engagement – a year and a half long, to be exact – but since love has no boundaries (or a timeframe in this case), the couple arranged to tie the knot soon after.
Most couples take months (and in this perfection-obsessed society, even years) to plan their wedding day. It’s not as simple as choosing a caterer or picking out a dress to wear anymore. Every. Single. Thing. must be mapped out perfectly.
So, imagine Gee’s surprise when Archie said, “let’s do it on October 27!” (Okay, that’s not how he said it exactly; I made it sound unromantic). I wanted to tell you that Gee squealed in delight and said, “Great, let’s do it!” But that’s not exactly what happened. She did squeal in surprise because just like any other bride, she had her misgivings if it can be pulled off, of course.
So how did they do it? With the assurance and dedication of her groom-to-be, Gee and Archie plunged on and began what would be another adventure of their lifetime.
Finalize a Date and Stick to It
The first thing the couple did was list down all of the things they would need (and want) for their wedding. You don’t need to include your desired supplier immediately, but it would be best if you can. Flowers? Check. Photographer? Check. Venue? Check. And the list just goes on.
Whether you’re planning a grand wedding or a low-key ceremony, though, one very important detail you must set first is this: THE DATE. With 365 days to choose from in a year, choosing the best time to get married can sometimes be tedious. Luckily for the couple, the 2-month timeframe they set pretty much limited their options.
The story of how Gee and Archie arrived on a wedding date was something many other couples experience, so feel free to take notes.
The two had a venue in mind. This location was perfect in so many ways – Garden setting, check. Parking for visitors, check. Roofed venue for reception, check. Open on the date they wanted, NOPE. They had two choices: either move the date of their wedding or choose another venue.
Both Gee and Archie agreed that they wanted to keep the date they initially planned and decided to look for another venue. Enter The Monochrome. This new events place in Nuvali, Laguna had everything they wanted and needed. And the clincher? It was available on the date they wanted. That sealed it.
It’s not easy making this choice because many couples have a specific venue in mind when planning their day. However, it helps to prioritize what is more important for you as a couple and that should help you both decide.
Since their chosen venue already sports a stunning view of a lake, FJ Sionson of FJ Sionson Flower and Events did not have a hard time coming up with a creative style that would give off a rustic yet elegant vibe for the two to tie the knot.
Leave It to the Pros
Given that they only had two months to prepare (plus their work schedule of shootings and tapings), the task of planning their wedding was quite overwhelming. Initially, Archie promised to plan everything and take care of all the details of their wedding, but the daunting task of plotting even the minutest detail caught him off-guard.
Faced with the potential disaster of a man planning her wedding, Gee approached her friend Sarah Abalos of Stylescape. Being no stranger to unique wedding timeframes, Sarah assured Gee that everything could be done. All she needed to do was relax, let go of the reins, and concentrate on being the glowing bride on her day.
Though it’s common knowledge that Gee can be quite the Superwoman, it was a big release for her to pass the task of planning the minutest detail of their wedding to someone she can trust. As Sarah Abalos and Kim Mara of Stylescape weaved their magic in getting things done on time, our bride-to-be didn’t transform into a Bridezilla and was instead an ultimate Bridechilla all the way!
Book Major Suppliers First
Since time was of the essence, the couple had to pin down the essentials as soon as their wedding date was finalized.
Among the major concerns were the photographer and videographer who would capture the moments of their special day. These days, it wculd take a year in advance (or more) to book the heavyweights in the photography and videography industry, so they knew there were huge odds against them to even inquire for availability.
Archie was determined, though, so he sent an inquiry to one of the wedding industry’s top and highly-sought-after photo companies. Call it serendipitous, but when Archie talked to Char Tinio of Nice Print Photography, the firm just happened to have an open booking for the 27th of October, so that settled the matter.
They agreed to a laid-back chill theme for the prenup photos and a rustic vibe for the actual wedding, and we can all agree that Nice Print did an amazing job in capturing the couple’s wackiness and personality in the photos.
They have an uncanny knack for getting the most ordinary and candid moments and turning them into something extraordinary and breathtaking. Just take a quick look at Gee and Archie’s e-session and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Read on for more!
