Once Upon a Time at Casa Marikit


 
Come daydream with us as we go through Jaimee and Mikko's breathtaking wedding. 


 
If you are an OG reader of our blog, you might recognize this sublime venue from Jaimee and Mikko's wedding. This is because our Maleficent editorial was shot here. Casa Marikit is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the country, and we couldn't be happier to discover that J+M saw the potential of this beautiful place for their dream wedding. A place that feels like it's straight out of a fairy tale. And yes, it is not a traditional wedding venue. It's a restaurant.  We've been pushing for "anti-reception" wedding venues and intimate weddings like a broken record for 10 years now. And if there's one thing that this pandemic did, is to really push couples out of their comfort zones. 

Rebellious Bride Jaimee shared so many wonderful insights on their wedding. And our wish is that their story gives you hope and inspiration that a wonderful and meaningful wedding is still possible at this time.
When was your wedding and how was it affected by the pandemic? How did you overcome the challenges? 
 
We held our wedding last June 12, 2021, during our second year anniversary. Mikko and I really wanted an intimate wedding even before the pandemic struck so cutting the guest list wasn't much of a big deal for us. The challenge came in when our close family and friends— mostly those who live in other countries and the elderlies— could not come because of the restrictions. It sure did give us a bit of a heartache but we just had to move on from it. We were able to overcome issues by first classifying if it was under our control or not. One big issue that was out of our control during this period was the unexpected change in quarantine schedules. We didn’t dwell on it as much but we sure did arm ourselves with back-up plans. On the other hand, the guest list kept on changing because each person had their own issues with their work or health. I would say that this caused me the biggest heartache but I still classified it as something that I can control because it gave me a chance to invite other friends or relatives to the wedding
 What advice can you give to brides who may have felt defeated in planning their wedding during the pandemic?  
 
Wedding planning, especially in the time of pandemic, is a true test of your partnership. It may seem as a task or a stressor but try to refrain to see it as such. Always remember that this is your day. You are not hosting a party or directing a show. You are inviting people to celebrate this milestone with you as a couple. 
 
Try to stay on the safe side and think ahead. I cannot suggest people to invite x number of people but it would be great if you could stay close within restrictions. Be mindful of the high-risk people in your guest list and consider having everyone tested, for your own peace of mind.  

Most of all, if you really are feeling defeated, try to step back a bit and remember the very reason why you are getting married and start from there again. Weddings shouldn't be all about the spectacle but I have to admit that it’s easy to get caught in that rabbit hole. So just try to step back and think of this beautiful union that you are about to have with your partner and try to stick within the essentials
We already know that the pandemic created some negative effects to weddings but what do you think were the POSITIVE side or silver linings if any? 
 
Having an intimate wedding felt so beautiful and sacred. We were able to celebrate with the people who were truly a part of our relationship. They didn't just know us by name but they know the hardships and challenges that we had to go through to reach our wedding day. Everyone cheered for us, cried with us and felt the love that we shared on that special day. It was truly a blessing.  
  "As with many things in life, always be mindful of your perspective in planning a wedding. The pandemic may have made it difficult but try to consider the positive things that you could gain from it, ie, going to easy and traffic-free zoom meetings, less cost, having more time  plan with your fiancé, going online shopping for souvenirs and more."  
 
Please share credits to your wedding suppliers and special shoutouts to MVPs that really helped you execute during this hard times 
 
I’d like to thank our video and photog team, Lula and Pearl, I am such a fan of their works and talent. I would say that a big chunk of the wedding day is spent in front of the camera and I am so grateful because the team was able to make me feel comfortable and they were very mindful of my energy during that day.
 We are also very grateful for Mishi and TJ of Casa Marikit. Thank you so much for granting our wish and opening your beautiful restaurant and hotel for our wedding. We cannot thank you enough and we wish you all the best in you business! Also to their GM, Ms. Bambi, thank you for accommodating our requests and for being so approachable. 
 
To Mark, our main man, the wedding coordinator, thank you for being a friend during this stressful times. Thank you for listening to my whims and taking note of my numerous requests! The combination of your assertiveness and bubbly attitude made us trust you and enjoy your company at the same time. 
 
Of course, it goes without saying that Gideon Hermosa made this day extra special for us and our guests. I've always thought that Gideon is the bride of brides because every girl dreams of him as their wedding florist. But I would like to take this space and thank Gideon, again, not just for his talent but for being such a beautiful person. He didn't just design the venue, he lessened our stress by showing us that he is in control of the situation (mainly because we had rain scares during that day). He is such a calm and down to earth person which made us admire and trust him more. Ms. Angelica, our account manager from House of Hermosa was also a delight to deal with. She accepted and replied to my every request with a smile and Gideon didn't fail to execute my wishes and more. House of Hermosa is more than just Gideon’s talent, they have so many VIP clients but they didn't make us feel any less. They make each wedding as beautiful and grand on its own.
 
I would also recommend being hands-on on your detailing and planning. It’s true that this day will go on so fast so make sure to savor every planning day. Know what you want and don't be shy to voice it our to your suppliers. They are there to help you attain that design or peg that you want however unique you want it to be. Be particular with your requests and communicate it properly with them.
 
CREDITS
Venue: Casa Marikit
Coordinator: White Ribbons PH
Event Stylist: Gideon Hermosa
Photographer: Pearl Studio
Videographer: Lula Films
HMUA: Katch Mejias
Gown: Rosa Clara
Second dress: Martin Bautista via Vestido Manila
Earrings: Sepa Cebu
Suit: Caballero
Cake: Petite Patty PH
Prints: Kasali.ph
Quartet: Manila String Machine
 
 
 
Loved any of these ideas? Pin it and follow our new Pinterest account:HERE

Interested in having your own wedding conceptualized for you? Click here to know more about our Wedding Agency Service

Couples & Wedding Vendors: Want to submit your own wedding styling ideas? Here's a link to see our Submissions Guide


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Wedding Business Spotlight: Quirky Creatives = Slice of Life

A sign of things to come? We did a burger-inspired editorial shoot with Quirky Creatives a couple of years ago. Was this a sign that they were about to shift from weddings to food? 

Hello everyone, Rebellious Brides here. Back from yet another hiatus. Yes, yes. Guilty as charged. But let's not talk about that and just get on with the program, shall we? 
 
Times have been hard since the pandemic and one of the most affected industries are weddings (for a number of obvious reasons that we don't think we need to further elaborate on). And so we thought that it would be awesome to lift the industry up in our own little way, by creating features on wedding businesses all around the world. Our goal is not just to promote these businesses but also to maybe inspire other wedding business owners by sharing what others have done to survive in these difficult times.  

So if you are a wedding business owner, or want to nominate a wedding business, email us at kai@rebelliousbrides.com for a possible feature. We will try to do this once a month. 

And we are so excited to kick things off by featuring one of our favorite wedding photographers based in Manila. A husband-and-wife tandem that we've collaborated with in the past....

Our very first Wedding Business Spotlight feature goes to... Quirky Creatives *insert applause here* 
 
During the height of the pandemic, we witnessed the natural evolution of this fun wedding photographer team as they were forced to temporarily pause operations for Quirky Creatives and launch a new business called Slice of Life. Our interview with Noel and Rae was both eye-opening and inspiring. And we hope that their story can help other wedding businesses stay relevant and find new revenue streams as well.

The photos above were taken from the last wedding that Quirky Creatives had before the first 2020 hard lockdown started. Back then, there were already stories of a virus spreading across the world. And just like everyone else, the team didn't think it was going to get as serious as it did. They thought the lockdown was only going to last for 2 weeks--max. But it got extended. One wedding got postponed, then another. And another. Until pretty much all the weddings during the summer season weren't going to push through indefinitely. 

By May 2020, Noel was in panic mode because he had a young new family to support. And to top it all off, in 2019 they invested in expensive equipment for their business. That's when the couple started brainstorming for project ideas that they can do whilst being quarantined at home. The initial idea for Slice of Life was to share on Instagram, quiet moments of their everyday life. Then the idea naturally progressed into creating beautiful photos for new and emerging local businesses. The couple saw an urgent need that can be fulfilled during quarantine life--people started selling their own homemade food creations (and other products), and these new businesses needed quality photos in order to sell their products. 


 

It wasn't that much of a stretch for them to transition into a diversified photography business because according to Noel, even before the pandemic, they already expanded their business model by offering photography services for non-wedding related companies. They were also offering project management and styling services for corporate events. Not to mention, Rae also had a professional make-up service. This was a couple that knew how to hustle and to channel their creativity into several projects to begin with.

But there were other photographers who started offering the same photography services so how did Noel and Rae separate themselves from the rest? Well...three things. 

 First, the couple took advantage of all that extra time being stuck at home to learn. They decided to absorb as many marketing and branding knowledge that they could find on the web like a sponge. So when they offer photography services, they are also able to create photos aligned with the brand's identity and its objectives. This means that they weren't just creating photos--they were adding more value into it.

 

And secondly, their new business has its own clear social media voice. When you check out Slice of Life on Instagram (and Facebook), it is a beautifully curated page created by foodies, for foodies. All of their food clients are assured to be featured in this new social media profile which comes with its own write-ups like a food blog. In other words, Noel and Rae get to try the new dishes created by their clients and they are able to express their experiences in very descriptive captions. And it works. As of this writing, their socials already have a combined  6,000++ followers. And if you know just how hard it is to grow an Instagram account these days, that's an incredible achievement all on its own.


 

And thirdly, remember I mentioned they were already doing styling for corporate events pre-pandemic days? They used that skill to not just take photos of the food (and other non-food products) but to actually style it--which, if you are familiar with advertising and how commercials are traditionally produced,  styling is a completely different service and fee altogether. But they managed to offer it as a packaged service at a reasonable rate. Which again---created even more value to their services. 

The results of their new business has been phenomenal. They now have repeat clients as new clients continue to discover them through their social media presence. And guess what--weddings are also finally back! 


Late last year, Noel and Rae captured their very first wedding as quarantine guidelines started to ease. When asked what it was like to work on weddings again, Noel shares that they are enjoying the fact that most weddings are now more intimate and more personal--just the way they like it. 

But as everyone knows,  2021 is not at all very different from 2020. And we were back to lockdown life, early this year. Now that they have Slice of Life, it's not as scary when weddings get pushed back. 

As cliche as it sounds, Noel says that the pandemic is proof that you simply cannot put your eggs in one basket. Learn to diversify, learn to be flexible, and learn to continue your education to gain new skills.
 

 Follow Quirky Creatives and Slice of Life via the following channels:

https://www.instagram.com/sliceoflifemnl/

https://www.facebook.com/sliceoflifemnl

https://www.instagram.com/quirkycreatives/?hl=en



 
Loved any of these ideas? Pin it and follow our new Pinterest account:HERE

Interested in having your own wedding conceptualized for you? Click here to know more about our Wedding Agency Service

Couples & Wedding Vendors: Want to submit your own wedding styling ideas? Here's a link to see our Submissions Guide


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Love in the Time of a Crisis - A "Brainstorming Session"

 Photo credits are at the bottom of the post

So your wedding has been postponed because of the current crisis. At first you thought, you can just move the date to the 4th quarter of the year. But now, that doesn't even seem feasible anymore. Maybe you and your guests have lost your jobs, and you can no longer financially support the upcoming wedding. Or maybe you are just afraid to push through because of all the fear and uncertainty you see in the news.

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Sun-Kissed Series - The Elopement


We cannot put into words how excited and honored we are, to have had the opportunity to do this destination elopement collaboration. For one thing, we love beach weddings. We've always been partial to it, we have numerous clients who have hired us to conceptualize beach weddings for them, and to do a full-on beach editorial has been a long time fantasy. Of course, it is not that easy to execute a destination shoot so that's why when BW Ivywall in Panglao Bohol gave us the creative freedom to do this beach elopement editorial, we could not resist and flew to the island in a heartbeat.

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