The Searching Bride: destination weddings

Showing posts with label destination weddings. Show all posts

Monday, April 7, 2014

Falling in Love with Eskaya

All my photos were taken from my iPhone 5C unless labeled otherwise

I first found out about Eskaya a couple of years ago---found it not even from a local blog but from the Kiwi Collection. I was immediately intrigued by it. I thought to myself, "Where is this place and how come nobody talks about it as much?" When I did more research, I kind of understood why. It's definitely not a mainstream resort. It is in the ranks of the Aman Resorts and the Maldives. In fact, it's the "best kept secret" of politicians and celebrities including Kris Aquino, PGMA, Kim Chiu & Xian Lim, and my fave couple Dingdong and Marian. It's the most premium resort in Bohol and I instantly knew I had to have this on my Bucket List.

The law of attraction has always been on my side, and long and behold I had the honor of experiencing Eskaya first hand last weekend. Here's the first thing we laid our eyes on:

The Rebellious Bride in me instantly knew that this place is a place to fall in love. Whether it's for a proposal, for a prenup, DEFINITELY for a wedding, or a honeymoon, or maybe even a renewal if you're celebrating an anniversary, Eskaya comes out highly recommended. You just have to look at my photos to see why:

Being in Eskaya felt so surreal. I don't intend to sound snooty or even arrogant but I'm just trying hard to find the right words to describe the "Eskaya Experience". So the best way for me to describe Eskaya is this: Once you've gone to Eskaya, there's no other way to do Bohol. Not only are the villas breathtaking, the spa is a Conde Nast recommended spa. When we first saw the Handuraw Spa, my jaws literally dropped. I could already envision a proposal happening right there, right now. Check out my spa photos:

The dinners are oh so romantic at Eskaya with BBQ candlelight decks overlooking the ocean with traditional "Harana" boys singing to the tunes of literally Parokya's Harana, With a Smile from the Eheads, and even Beatles and U2.

But it's not just the rooms or even the spa that makes it romantic. Eskaya's own private powdery sand beach is just the perfect spot for a reception.

The main pool I would say would be the best place for the ceremony but Eskaya also has all these wonderful fishing gardens that are also very giddy-worthy if you prefer garden weddings.

The exclusive Eskaya island hopping tour and cultural tour are just as romantic and high end. You get a private assistant that attends to your every need. Just right after sunset you'll get to encounter wild dolphins, hundreds of them, swimming beside your boat. Then your personal assistant starts serving continental breakfast at the Balicasag island where the snorkeling activity is. Eskaya's snorkeling gear was top of the line making it even more enjoyable. True to our romantic form as hubb and wife, Cy and I did snorkeling while holding hands (cheesy I know). We've invented the term HHWS -- Holding Hands While Snorkeling haha! I got a kick out of seeing multiple "Dory's" ala Finding Nemo and even Crush the Sea Turtle!

That's our personal assistant, Ariel carrying our continental breakfast and towels for our exclusive Eskaya Island Hopping Tour

So lucky to capture this moment of a baby dolphin twirling!

The highlight for me though was Virgin Island and the shifting sand bar. OMG, so romantic! If I were to have a rebellious renewal of vows (again, haha!), I'd probably have it here. The buco stand will do just fine as a ceremonial arch haha! I wouldn't even style it. Who needs styling if you have this as a view?

Filled with wonder and peace at the Virgin Island

Going back to Eskaya, one of the ultimate reasons (as if I haven't stressed that enough already) why I find this place perfect to fall in love with is because I can't help compare it. Sure I've always been a Boracay Bride. Sure I'm also in love with Batanes, and sure I have been to Bellaroca and I know these "three Bs" have always been a sure choice for prenups and weddings but I think Eskaya is also the perfect choice for those wanting to have the best of everything. Why? Let's face it, Boracay is already going mainstream and it's too crowded. Batanes, though I love that too, is just a little unattainable weather-wise and logistics-wise. Bellaroca on the other hand no longer has flights and they don't even have a beach! But at Eskaya--everything that I just said can be addressed. It's accessible, logistics-wise Eskaya's staff are the best! And of course, it's super ultra private.

While writing this piece, I came across a foreign couple who got married in Eskaya. Let's watch their video!

Rait and Marin ll Wedding Highlights ll 02.23.12 ll Eskaya Resort Bohol
from supersevenstudio on Vimeo.

But do me a favor, will you? Get married in Eskaya and get Jason Magbanua/Mayad/Bob Nicolas/Ian Cruz/John Marvi to do the wedding film! An Eskaya wedding rightfully should have an award-winning wedding video :)

I also found a prenup as photographed by MetroPhoto no less!

Oh how I miss Eskaya now!!!! My first Eskaya experience was with my husband. I can't wait for us to go here with our closest friends next time.

Thank you for this experience, Universe! #HappyThankYouMorePlease :)

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Monday, March 31, 2014

Paradise on Earth

So many places to consider as a rebellious venue outside of hotels, outside of Boracay, outside of your comfort zones. Don't you agree? We are after all, close to Paradise. Watch this!

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Unknown beach wedding venue, destination weddings, its more fun in the philippines, liveleak philippines, rebellious bride, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Monday, February 17, 2014

Pauline + Brian: A Wedding Experience

Photography by We Are Seekers

I love it when couples give their guests an experience as opposed to just being a witness to their union. Take for example Pauline + Brian. Their destination wedding went beyond the ceremony as they made it a point to extend the festivities--basking in the sun and savoring the island together with their guests and chronicling it through photographs that will last a lifetime. The result? A laid back love story that is effortlessly rebellious! View this set! The photos are amazing!

SPEAKING of photos, I am once again in awe of how We Are Seekers manages to make weddings look so effortlessly beautiful! Their B&W video can definitely rival with foreign quality! It's simply to-die-for! Bravo!

Congratulations to Pauline and Brian! May your marriage be as adventurous as your wedding. And may this feature inspire you guys to evolve weddings to meaningful experiences not just for you but also for your loved ones.

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

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Unknown destination weddings, dumaguete wedding, island wedding, rebellious bride, we are seekers, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Monday, July 8, 2013

The Details That Matter

When you look at Pao & Den's Ian Cruz Wedding Video, you might ask me why we chose to feature it in the blog--the wedding doesn't seem rebellious in the most obvious of details. But it did in the details that mattered.

It was in the way that Ian told the story--and how he best captured it with the bride. It was in the sweetest, most creative proposal. It was in the groom--not only in his outfit but in his own little quirks (including fake-tripping in the video). It was in the beautiful bride not just her fabulous gowns but in how she professed her love. It was in the perfect setting, in the most perfect cone in the world as the backdrop. Enjoy!

The Bride's message to Ian:

"When the downpayment was given to Shy at SMX, I hadn't met you yet. I only knew that you came highly recommended. Even then, I must be honest that I was a little worried. Everyone was telling me that videographers play a crucial role in every wedding. And yet, we just booked a videographer we had never sat down with. :) It helped that I saw how nice your outputs were from your site but I wasn't sure if you would be able to understand our story and whether anyone could capture it in a 5 minute film. My worries were eased when we had merienda at podium. As we sat there eating the burnt tinapay pizza, we took in your aura, and both Paolo and I felt a sense of calmness. You seemed to get us. Now, after seeing a same day edit that we didn't even expect, I must say that you truly are a genius. Seriously! When you asked me to share a little something about the watch, I complied but I never would have guessed that something like THIS could come out of such a simple sharing. Truly, you have made a mark in our story. We will always remember. We will always be grateful. Dios Mabalos, Ian Cruz (and team). :)"

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

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Unknown bicol, bicol wedding, destination weddings, ian cruz, ian cruz films, mayon volcano, rebellious bride, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Rebellious Bride Kat

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." -Charles Mingus

http://media-cache-ec4.pinimg.com/originals/51/89/34/518934015d083581026a44668d53b113.jpg

Kat is all about simplicity -- no froufrou, no fuss. She hardly even wears makeup. So for wedding day, she told me straight that she wanted to look like herself and not have as much makeup as possible. Even for her hair, she wanted it in a waterfall braid and very laid back. As a result, she looked simply beautiful.

Bridal look by The Makeup of Mica, shot by Tronco Photography

Love Kat's wedge booties and lace bouquet.

Since she didn't want to complicate her life, she and her then fiancé Francis chose Sonya's Garden for the reason that there is absolutely no need to style the place.

"We loved our reception venue, Sonya's Garden. we didn't have to do much in terms of decoration since it's exactly what we like but we did make sure na meron meryenda. Ayaw kasi namin yun nakatayo kang naghihintay tapos gutom ka pa kaya pinabuksan namin ng maaga yun venue para pwede agad pumasok at umupo yun guests sa tables nils. They can already order whatever drinks they want and we setup a snack bar with Sonya's famous hispinis bread, cheese hopia and cupcakes :)" -Kat & Francis

For the toast, they drank coke instead of champagne in line with their ideals of keeping things real and simple.

Instead of intricately arranged flowers as ceremony decor and reception centerpieces, they chose potted plants like herbs and cactus intended for guests to take home with them.

Kat also didn't want to complicate the wedding with superstitions.

Kat: This is a picture of us hanging out for a little bit at the hotel lobby before we left to go to the church. At least hindi kami praning sa oras tyaka dun sa "bawal magkita" na rule... hehe!

Here's more from Kat and how they simplified their big day:
Kat: I liked that he ended up not wearing a tie or a bow tie. He looked a lot more comfortable at hindi sya nainitan masyado (he didn't feel the heat). Hehe!

Kat: That's a picture of me with my Maid of Honor, J, in the bridal car. We didn't hire a driver or booked a bridal car so she just drove me to the church :)

Kat: As for the entourage, I asked them to just reuse a dress that they already have or buy a dress that they can use again. Sayang kasi magpagawa ng pare-parehong dress na malamang hindi na nila gagamitin ulit (it's a waste if I have them wear tailor-made dresses in the same style that they will never wear again anyway).

Kat also used a wedding app that us at RB and the Wedding Agency recommend to our clients. The aptly called Wedding App that collects all the photos from your wedding guests and organizes them accordingly in a timeline. Simply amazing!