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| All Photos by Jervy Santiago |
And then there's the rebellious groom. A groom who is man enough to own up to the wedding hullabaloo. He is not scared to speak his mind and his ideas for the engagement and wedding he wants. Ramil had balls. The result is a prenup shoot unlike no other. Theirs is a love story that is solely their own. Walang manggagaya because it all came from their very hearts. Mabuhay kayo Ramil & Ching!
Here's what Ramil had to say on their rebellious engagement and wedding:
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“Coming Together” Ramil & Ching first met in FGU Insurance as management trainees (1997). FGU is their first home. |
Rebellious Brides: Who came up with the idea for your engagement shoot?
Ramil: "The idea of getting a pro to do it was my wife’s idea. We chose a pro photographer who was “creative” enough (non-traditional… non senti & dramatic & eeeky). We ended up with Jervy Santiago whom we thought was at the level of the more expensive suppliers yet did not ask for too much. Weddings are such a burden to the pocket. Sigh. Anyway, it was such a worthwhile endeavor & spend nonetheless.The concept came from me… from the theme “Coming Home” (of course approved by my wife). It’s from the fact that after 14 yrs of friendship & 3 attempts to court her & finally supposedly “giving up” on her… in the end we still ended up together. Keso!The concept was directed by Jervy with his creative director, Krista. The approach they took was to execute in a witty & funny way via a surrealist(ish) execution."
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“Coming Apart” They spent the FGU afterlife as close friends… but Ramil always found Ching “extra special”… even when they were both “attached & unavailable”. |
RB: How did your mothers and titas react to the prenup shoot?
Ramil: "It was funny because most of them liked the witty execution but they actually wanted to see more of them & their friends in all of the photos including the prenup pics. We understood though that it’s only because of what they’re used to when it comes to wedding pictures."
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“At Home w/ each other” Ramil & Ching always felt at home with each other even as friends. They share common interest in the arts especially music & singing. |
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“Crowded Room” Even amidst a crowd where both their previous partners would be present, Ramil would be so enchanted by Ching. |
Ramil: "We owe the uniqueness of the execution & the factors used to Jervy & Krista. I actually thought it was brilliant that we used these items since they helped in bringing the point home. We focused on using props & costumes that would represent different key items in our life together including the time when I courted her in the past & the memorable times of our friendship such as the Elvis costume & the guitar & dive gear representing key locations of our story. Another unique execution detail is the representation of key people in “the story” whom we cannot name nor present as is particularly referring to our “Ex-es”."
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“Far from Home” Even while with exes & previous girlfriends, Ramil would be so captivated by Ching… hoping from afar that somehow Ching would notice him. |
RB: What will you tell people who think your photos are not "timeless"?
Ramil: "Nevermind “timeless”. We care more for “relevant”. To me & Ching, these photos will always have a very deep meaning."
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“Chained Down” Chained & tied up with previous partners, they inexplicably shared a “constant” connection. |
RB: What do you advise grooms who think that weddings are girly or just meant for the bride?
Ramil: "Well I can only speak for myself… who you know is not too macho. Hehe. But I would advise grooms to get involved since as I experienced, the outputs are so much more meaningful than what I previously thought & that’s because I got involved in many aspects of it. I would advise grooms to get more involved in the food selection (to balance his family’s taste with the bride), photographer (since these will linger & will be a good topic of discussion with future kids) & venue (in my case it was more because I need one that’s cool enough. Pawisin ako e.) In essence, since the groom will have preferences & personal biases, the best way to achieve his desires is to work on the items himself. Simply put, you can’t blame your bride for something ending up not to your liking if you did not get directly involved. And more importantly, it’s quite selfish to have your bride do everything. Hindi mo sya slave. =)"
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“Coming Back Together” Despite being declined by Ching in 2006, in 2007 they end up working together again in Convergys, their second home. Ramil had to live with the pain. |
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“Relentless” Ramil tried to pursue a special connection with Ching a total of three times… but Ching was never ready enough… |
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“Moving on?...” So Ramil tried to move on… and on… but was never happy enough… |
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“The Journey Home” After 14 years… X number of Ex’es… X number of separate homes… |
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“Coming Home” Ramil & Ching … finally find their way back home to each other… and they will stay home forever… |
A Sidenote: Separately, Ramil & Ching's wedding theme was also "Coming Home".
Do you know of other Rebellious Grooms? Check out our Submissions Page to know how to contribute to our Rebellious Cause :)
--mica
Its been wow reading your article.
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