Bride on Fire

Photography by Pat Dy

When RB Mica blogged about Vera Wang's Red Bridal Collection, we have since been hoping that a real bride would have the guts to wear one. And here we are at last. When photographer extraordinaire Pat Dy shared this on Instagram, we knew we had to have this on the blog. But it's not just the bridal gown that was on fire, really. It was in the couple's embraces, their stolen moments, and in their wickedly New York wedding. 

As written on Pat Dy's blog, he shares: 

Having shot hundreds of wedding dresses mostly white, a pink dress , a star wars dress, a few blacks, a DIY gown. I never thought i would be shooting a beautiful Red Vera Wang Dress worn by my bride Hsiao. Her awesome character, loving husband and a New york setting made her theme stand out even more. They love pictures and I took a lot, it was wasy…They showed me their love and effortless energy making that day even more awesome!……..xoxoxo

To view the complete set, CLICK HERE.

Congratulations Tony and Hsiao! And may your marriage burn with love, confidence, and passion as your wedding.

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown manhattan wedding, new york wedding, pat dy, rebellious bride, Vera Wang, vera wang red gowns, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Joanne and Richard - Beyond the Smokes and Mirrors

Summon To Love : Joanne and Richard from Mayad Studios on Vimeo.

Just one look at Joanne and Richard's engagement sessions and you'll probably get to the same conclusion as us that this is one glamorous, beautiful couple. But what we particularly admired the most was the email we received from Joanne (which was sent to us in confidence so we'll keep the finer details in private). 

How seemingly easy enough it was that Richard summoned the courage to walk up to her in a restaurant to introduce himself. How this simple introduction lead to a challenging relationship which they rebelliously tried to deflect. How the very concepts of their prenups intentionally left out the usual grand props to give focus more on lived-in locations with the most interesting of tiles, walls, columns, and available props. No. this prenup, and this very love story go beyond the smokes and mirrors. Joanne and Richard aren't the poster couple for being rebellious in the obvious of definitions but they are rebellious in how they feel and think. And beyond the smokes and mirrors, they are rebellious in their resilient spirits. 

Joanne writes: Basically, we wanted to be "uniquely rebellious" without totally being out of character.  We were being rebellious by avoiding the norm - out of town location (with wide shots where the face of the couple can no longer be seen), sexy shoots, and artsy photoshoot that most couples do nowadays.  We did a lot of research and found this old house in Manila that was turned into a gallery.  We did not make use of additional props because the place was already full of different furniture, plates, bed frames, etc.  Pat Dy (our talented photographer), known for making wedding editorial shoots, really made use of the natural lighting and elements.  It just looked like we were taking photos in our own "vintage" home.   Even without nature in our midst, he gave us photos we can look at with pride 10 years down the line.  

Joanne on their Mayad Video: As for our prenup video, we just went with the suggestion of our director.  Raphael Jamil Pranga also known as Fiel, the leader of the directing pack and founder of Mayad Studios, wanted something romantic and elegant that can be shot within the Metropolis. Though most of the videos I like were destination weddings, we took the risk and got Metro Manila locations to see how well they can do without the pristine beach, overlooking scenery, and the like.  We went to 3 locations:  National Museum, San Agustin Museum and W Condo.  

Here in Rebellious Brides, we've always said that prenups need not be overly complicated. Sometimes, all you need is to discover venues that are naturally decorated on its own. Simple w/ a Twist. That's what we said before in our Prenup Workshop Blog! Joanne, Richard, and their star-studded team ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT. Just...NAILED IT! 

CREDITS:

Photographer:  Pat Dy  

Makeup Artist:  Jim Ros of Maybelline New York

Stylist:  Sidney Yap

Venue:  A-11 Gallery

- - - - - - - -

Videographer: Raphael Jamil Pranga of Mayad Studios  (09177111477)

Makeup Artist: Ana Isip

Gown: Currithy Manzanero

Venue: National Museum, San Agustin Museum & W Condo

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown a11 gallery, ana isip, currithy manzanero, engagement shoot, jim ros maybeline, mayad, mayad studios, nation museum manila, pat dy, rebellious bride, san agustin museum, sidney yap, w condo manila

"Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication...and Rebellion"

 "A rebellious bride is a tough bride. She can be simple and refined, someone who stands firm with her decisions, one who is not easily influenced by others just because she prefers not to conform to traditions or customs."

Rebellious Bride Agnes on her definition of a Rebellious Bride

Photography by Pat Dy

When Rebellious Bride Reader Agnes emailed us, she said that she believed that simplicity was the ultimate sophistication. She also enumerated the reasons why she believes she is a rebellious bride, with a 'pahabol' note that says "...and hopefully you would consider [me an RB too] as I try to convince you hehe" 


And convinced we are. And it's true. Agnes and Jayson's wedding was indeed simple. Purplish and simple. But they got Pat Dy to immortalize their wedding through beautiful photos, and they got RedSheep to create the not-your-usual-dramatic video to keep the fun memories on rewind. And that's all you really need, don't you think? 

Rebelliousness is not always about the magnitude of details you can implement in your wedding. Sometimes it's in pursuing and prioritizing the bigger investments and your bigger beliefs rather than spending and arguing on other things. And here's how Agnes argued her piece on why she is a Rebellious Bride:

RB Agnes writes:

1) All the decision-making for the entire wedding was from me and from hubbie alone--even if it came to a point when some protested that the color motif that I have chosen was dull, we still pushed through with it anyway.

2) I decided to get an off-the-rack gown instead of the traditional custom-made gowns. Do note, my hubby was also there with me during the fitting so yeah he saw the gown before we got married at Church.

3) Simplicity: We had minimal styling from the cake, invitation layout up to the reception venue. I believe in the saying "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

4.) I think I also have a rebellious groom. Why? When we were in the selection process of our wedding bands, he made sure that his ring would be surrounded by diamonds too!

5.) Lastly we wanted the wedding to be not so dramatic as possible. So when Redsheep presented the SDE, we got really amazed! We wanted an upbeat song, so we asked Redsheep to use "I would do anything for you" by Foster. 

 Jayson x Agnes from redsheep on Vimeo.

 "The wedding that we envisioned came true. No heavy dramas just pure happiness," muses RB Agnes. 

 Rebellious Bride Agnes may not have the intricate creative details but she and her husband have the perfect photos and an absolutely fun wedding video to last them a lifetime. Simplicity is indeed the ultimate sophistication...and act of rebellion. 

Congratulations to Agnes & Jayson! 

CREDITS:

Photos: Pat Dy Photography
Video: Redsheep

Flowers: Serge Igonia

Coordination: Berlyn Yap of Blissful Occasion Events Organizer

Makeup: Rina Gorospe

Caterer: Centertable

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown berlyn yap, blissful occasion events, centerable catering, pat dy, rebellious bride, redsheep video, rina gorospe, serge igonia, simple weddings, www.rebelliousbrides.com

The Ultimate Run for Love

My, how time flies by so fast. Just last year, we cited Coach Rio's proposal video as a trend to watch out for in 2012 (Back track HERE). And here we are today, ogling his and Nicole's heart-stopping Mayad trailer & wedding video.

We don't personally know Coach Rio and Nicole (my mom does though--which is soooo weird!). But Coach being one of the country's 'pambansang' icons when it comes to all things running/marathons, we feel happy for him & his equally athletic 'n awesome wife as if we were one of the bystanders rooting for the lovers to finally finish the race.

Watch their rebellious, creative, and 'oh-so-logistically massive & impressive' teaser trailer:


Rio & Nicole Trailer from Mayad Studios on Vimeo.

Separately, Mayad (with the direction of Raphael Jamil Pranga) culminated the couple's running journey  through a thematic wedding video. What's so rebellious about their wedding besides Coach Rio's usual rebellious hair? Well, watch out how the couple exits the church and the bride's sizzling preps! We are also loving Nicole's rogue lips! Another sign that our fearless 2013 forecast is on the right track :)


Congratulations to one of the country's most inspiring, hottest couples! :)

CREDITS:

Directed by Raphael Jamil Pranga / Coordinator: Christine Ong Te / Flowers & Styling: Teddy Manuel,/ Gown: Veluz / Photographer: Pat Dy / Videography: Mayad Studios

PS. We absolutely LOOOOVE Nicole's makeup. Unfortunately, we don't know who to credit for it. If anyone does, please do share the information at the comments page. 

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown christine ong te, coach rio wedding, marathon wedding, mayad studios, nicole wuthrich, pat dy, raphael jamil pranga, rebellious bride, teddy manuel, veluz, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Rebellious Bride Ronna Creates Her Own Rules

Photography by Pat Dy

"My wedding may not be as rebellious as some, but I challenged Filipino traditions because I didn't see the point :) I also did what worked for us, rather than fitting ourselves into customary practices.... A Rebellious Bride knows who she is and is unafraid of being herself. She is ready to break or bend rules and challenge norms, not just for the sake of it, but because she is secure in and asserts her own identity. Her style follows from her personality, and she is comfortable to have only 50% of the decision-making weight. :)"

Rebellious Bride Ronna Capili-Bonifacio on what makes her a Rebellious Bride

As Ronna put it, her wedding may not be defined or considered by others to be of the rebel kind. But in our books, it's got our own rebellious seal of approval. We've said this before and we'll say it again--having a rebellious wedding doesn't mean taking it literally with all the Chuch Taylors in this world and downright crazy prenups. Sometimes, rebellious weddings are of the sophisticated, elegant kind and what makes it rebellious is in the subtle style or in the couple's thinking.

What makes Ronna rebellious is that she knew how to create her own wedding rules--she had an inquisitive mind. For instance, she refused to label her wedding into any kind of wedding concept, theme or motif. Instead, she wanted to go for THE WEDDING FEELING.


She also updated wedding traditions based on what she thought and felt are logical, and what made sense to her and her groom. In a country riddled with so many traditions, this was a bride who was graceful under pressure, and "took the bullet" for silly predictions of her imminent doom (just because she wanted to wear teardrop earrings which apparently meant she'd be crying all her married life and because she wanted black as her color motif which was apparently the color of death).

Ronna further shares:

"We had a little girl as a coin bearer because we didn't have a lot of little boy friends/friends with little boys. We sort of used them up for the rings and the Bible already. We also didn't do secondary sponsors because I realized it was more efficient to let our bridesmaids/groomsmen do the work during the ceremony since all they'd be doing is sitting down anyway. Hehe. Plus I didn't want to think of another color for the secondary sponsor's clothes. I wanted black table cloths because I felt it was more elegant, and I didn't see why everything had to be white just because it was a wedding. Plus, it makes the bride stand out more! Hehe.

For my earrings, I've always liked the teardrop shape so my mom had earrings made for me to wear. A lot of people told me not to wear that shape because it was bad luck but I really didn't feel that was true.

 RB's sidenote: We also thought that the bride's "White w/ a Twist" gown had the right hint of rebellion with its lace cutouts cinching the waist :)

We also went for a feel over a concept, which was out of town to set the anticipation for guests; a Friday for a more intimate guest list;  which we felt was really the point of a wedding celebration. :)"

 Rebellious Brides: What were the challenges/comments that you had to face for having non-traditional ideas for your wedding and how did you overcome this?

Ronna: I got a few comments about my unpopular choice of black ("black is a color of the dead") for a number of my wedding details and the "impending doom" ("you'll be crying all throughout your marriage") of using teardrop shapes on my ensemble. But none of the comments swayed nor affected me. I'm not superstitious and I believed that our marriage will ultimately be defined by God and how we work on our relationship. I would just laugh it off or sometimes ask, "Do you really think a particular shape can determine my life?" I also wanted those who asked to rethink their own set of mindsets and beliefs. :) 

Congratulations to Ronna and Bojo! Let Ronna's modern wedding rules & fabulous style serve as an inspiration to everyone out there to be inquisitive. There's nothing wrong with following traditions if YOU personally believe in them--but if it's just being dictated to you and deep down inside you actually think otherwise, then learn to be a rebel with a cause.

CREDITS w/ notes from the Bride:

Venue: Ville Sommet, Tagaytay

Photographer: Pat Dy (You are not the gold standard for nothing. It's not just with your photos, it's because of how you treat a bride and groom.)

Videographer: Bob Nicolas (I'm so glad you were Bojo's only choice. Thank you for your art that captures emotion tastefully.)

Catering: K by Cunanan (Our friends still remember the sumptuous meal. Thank you for exceeding expectation.)

Gown and Suit: Pablo Cabahug (You created my personal favorite fashion moment. And how you helped me that day is invaluable. I love how tempered your style is.)

Makeup: RB Chanco (I always, always still get compliments!)

Hairstyle: John Valle (I wouldn't have set my wedding date without you!)

Bridesmaids dresses: Nina Peña (Can't wait to see you succeed further!)

Coordinators: Weddings are Blessings (You are a blessing as well!)

Flowers: Flowers by Cheryl Ching

Chairs: Likha Events

Tent: Tentworld

XOXO,

Kai

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown john valle, kaye cunanan, pablo cabahug, pat dy, rb chanco, rebellious bride, rebellious brides, ville sommet tagaytay, wedding superstition, white black wedding, www.rebelliousbrides.com

Rebellious Bride Marie's Paper Surreal Wedding

All Photos by Rebellious Bunch Pat Dy unless labeled otherwise

"What made me a Rebellious Bride is by going for our theme. I knew I wanted something different, though i didn't know what I wanted at first. I never stopped looking. After months, I finally had my eureka moment!"

Rebellious Bride Marie Andres on what makes her a Rebellious Bride

I am absolutely in love with this rebellious wedding! Why you might ask? For starters, I am amazed at how Rebellious Bride Marie found her wedding theme, of all places, in IKEA. How's that for a rebellious inspiration?

But when Marie emailed us explaining to us her concept, my thought bubble was...uh-oh....brilliant concept but how was it executed? And then I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to discover that Marie and her groom Nino made sure to entrust their Paper Surreal Wedding to the rebellious of the rebellious--Vatel, Pat Dy, K by Kaye Cunanan, Cecilio Abad, Perfect 10 Weddings, this was an all-star cast...and the result of wich was a paper wedding in the most classy way imaginable. Everything looked like a piece of paper artwork--even the gown. 

Rebellious Bride Marie writes:

Hi Rebels! :-)

Im a fan of your blog :-)

The very first time I saw this picture i knew i finally found our theme: 

 Our theme is paper surreal because I love paper and I love how it is a durable and clean material.

I wanted the Ikea Maskros lamp (dandelion paper lamp) to be the centerpiece of my reception. We bought 2 of these in Singapore Ikea. Since I was decided with using the paper lamp, I thought that it should match well to the whole reception.

Actually, our reception concept stemmed from that simple Ikea lamp. I thought that if we have our reception in a hotel then they would have in-house chandeliers, so next idea came that we should have it outdoors. But then, a white roofed tent would not showcase the lamp’s beauty especially at night, so the idea of a transparent tent came in. I searched for the nicest tents in Manila and I finally saw Likha’s tent. Then after that came the idea of paper decors on the table. I was happy that Vatel Manila was still available and is very willing to do our decors.

Photo on the left by Jaja Samaniego

Photo by Jaja Samaniego

Photo by Jaja Samaniego

Photo by Jaja Samaniego

Rebellious Brides: What can you advice to brides who may be thinking of having a creative wedding but are afraid to pursue it?

Marie: Just make sure your wedding is reflective of you and your groom's personality. Research and more research helps, and an open mind too! :-)

RB: What is your definition of a Rebellious Bride?

Marie: A Rebellious Bride knows that a wedding is an introductory presentation of the lifetime that is ahead of her and her groom and so she gives it her all. In the end, she pleases herself, makes her groom proud and leaves her guests in awe and inspired!

CREDITS:

COORDINATOR + EMCEE

Perfect 10 Weddings

PHOTOGRAPHY

Pat Dy

VIDEOGRAPHY

Phoeben Teocson Team B

CATERER FOOD

K by Cunanan

RECEPTION, HOTEL ROOM, 3 SHUTTLES

Thunderbird Resort

CAKE 2 TIERS

Cake Concepts

IKEA LAMP

Bought from ikea

STYLIST + BOUQUET

Dylan Gozum of Vatel Manila, and also ETC Handmade Goodness.

TENT with 20 GLOBELIGHTS

Likha Events

BRIDAL GOWN

Cecilio Abad + MOH Dress

GROOM SUIT

Onesimus

ENTOURAGE

Gretchen Pichay

HAIR AND MAKE UP

Pong Niu

INVITATIONS

Done by bride's sister Debbie Grace Andres

Congratulations Marie & Nino! And thank you so much for 

sharing with us your uber unique wedding! :)  

XOXO,

Kai

Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride

Read More »

Add Comment

Unknown cecilio abad gown, gretchen pichay, ikea wedding, kaye cunanan, Likha Tent, paper wedding, pat dy, perfect 10 weddings, Pong Niu, rebellious brides, vatel manila, www.rebelliousbrides.com