Skip to main content

Weddings At The Peninsula

I love weddings and I love weddings at the Peninsula. Always, it's a joyous moment as a newly wed couple enters the lobby and the string quartet at the gallery would pause playing it's standard classics and shift to 'Here Comes The Bride'. I truly enjoy wedding receptions at The Conservatory and the Rigodon Ballroom, as they are grand and intimate at the same time.
Yesterday, along with eleven of the Philippine's most brilliant fashion designers, I presented wedding frocks inspired by my favorite TV series, Downton Abbey. It was quite a challenge working with very fine tulle and French lace, but I was really happy with how the pieces turned out. Jackie Aquino superbly directed the fashion show, an orchestra playing Taylor Swift songs as models paraded our creations.
For a change, I took photos of this grand event using Instagram. It captured the mood and old world charm of The Peninsula Manila and it's many beautiful weddings.

Instead of the usual huge flower arrangements, a symphony of bridal bouquets welcomed the guests at the lobby. 


Designers dressing up the exhibit mannequins.

Colorful lanterns adorned the Rigodon ballroom ceiling.

Pink blooms made you forget it was 36 degrees celsius outside.

One of the several bridal table setting displays at the lobby exhibit.

I was privileged to adorn my model with this beautiful aquamarine pendant from Jul B. Dizon. 

Emerald Alshamarri and Jessica Yang wearing my Downton Abbey inspired wedding frocks.

Emerald and Jessica on the runway.

Strapless gown in Toile de Jouy by Joey Samson.

James Reyes's Duchess Satin gown with taupe and slate borders.

Tulle and lace from Ivarluski Aseron.

Rhett Eala's bride's maid and flower girl.

Francis Libiran's swirl skirt.

Jesus Lloren's backless number.

Marina Benipayo gliding down the ramp in Cary Santiago.

The fashion show finale.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The House Of Dr. Luis Santos

Our tour of Malolos continues, from the Cojuangco ancestral house  http://myrefrigeratordoor.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-cojuangco-ancestral-house.html , our gracious host  Melecio Cojuangco  brought us to the house of Dr. Luis Santos. Mel arranged the visit with one of the heirs of Dr. Santos,  George Imperial . From the outside, one would already be in awe of the sheer size of the house. The house was built in 1933, according to the marker by the gate. Upon entering, you will marvel at the grand staircase, the expansive receiving room and the foyer filled with hard bound medical books and mementos of Dr. Santos' career as a well loved doctor in this town. The second floor was something else, as our group slowly ascended the magnificent staircase, my heart literally skipped a beat at the sight of the ceiling mural and Art Deco details. We found out later that the mural was painted by the great  Fernando Amorsolo  himself. There was a private chapel in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes

Bespoke Dining At Denlim's Kitchen

I first heard of Denlim's Kitchen from my friend Boboy Consunji . Boboy posted photos of the Denlim's pugon liempo  (pork belly roasted in a brick stove) on Facebook, and it caused me a couple of sleepless nights.  Dennis Lim , the chef and owner serves only one group a night, and dinner is booked nine months in advance. One day, I got a call from Boboy, there was a booking cancelation and he was lucky to get the slot. Excited for the big feast, I walked Mega Mall from end to end, and ate in small portions three days before our appointed day. Denlim's is in San Fernando, Pampanga, a two hour drive from the metro. Boboy, a Kapampangan was our living Waze and historian, we didn't have trouble looking for the place. Free of corkage, we each brought a bottle of red wine, my good friend  James Reyes , and Noel Orosa . We were a happy group of twelve, Boboy's friends. Each dish personally served by Dennis were wiped out in minutes. I especially loved the bread ser

The Cojuangco Ancestral House

Our next journey takes us to a historic town in Bulacan, thirty minutes north of Manila. My road trip buddies, my college friends who all share with me the same fascination for heritage houses were privileged by an invitation from Melecio Cojuangco to visit their ancestral house in Malolos. Mel, his cousin in law Marissa Lopa, Rima Datuin and Evelyn Bautista  and I discovered each other's funny bone   because of our love for the ice cream served in a huge bowl at Peninsula Manila's lobby. One evening, to justify our appetite, we pretended it was my birthday and we had the string quartet play happy birthday for me, from then on, we became good friends. Mel's grandfather,  Jose Cojuangco  was born at the Malolos house, very near the Barasoain Church. Jose's mother traded rice from Nueva Ecija, sacks transported by boat via the river at the back of the kamalig to Binondo, Manila. Like most turn of the century houses, the Cojuangco house uses piedra china stones f