Wedding of Mary Joyce and Frederic at Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts

Bride and Groom: Mary Joyce Bulanon and Frederic Gallardo

Wedding Date: January 5th, 2020

Wedding Reception Venue: Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts

We met…

We met in Dubai 10 years ago through my cousin, who was his college friend. I cannot say that sparks flew when we first met, but we developed a friendship that was a great foundation to our relationship now.

Our proposal…

On our trip to Georgia in 2016, we heard of this place called City of Love in Sighnaghi where couples can get married any day of the week at any time of the day. So, we went to one of the wedding venues there. We walked down the aisle and danced to Georgian music. It was not your usual, surprise proposal, no bells and whistles, but we both had that quiet understanding about taking our relationship to the next step. Fast forward to our pre-nup shoot was the real surprise. I was doing my solo shot in the middle of the desert when he came running towards me with a bouquet of flowers in one hand. I asked if that was part of the props for the shoot but then he started making a speech. He knelt on one knee and asked “Will you marry me?”

Our wedding theme/colours…

We had a rustic theme with emerald green as the dominant colour, that being my favourite shade.

My dress…

My wedding gown for the church ceremony was from Bliss Bridal Sharjah. I knew when I saw it that it had to be the one I walk the aisle on. It was love at first sight! The second dress, the reception gown, was a different story. It took me time to find that one but when I saw it I felt it was perfect for the occasion – equal parts romantic and equal parts fun.

My hair and make up…

I got connected with Darwin Perez through Facebook. He did both my make-up and the entourage.

His suit…

His suit was from Suits and Shirts Men Bespoke Tailors. In keeping with the theme, he wore a darker shade of emerald green tuxedo with black lapel and bow tie.

What our bridal party wore…

Our bridal party wore an emerald green infinity dress from Audrey’s Dresslab Philippines. Because most of our entourage were from overseas, we chose the infinity dress so that fitting will not be a concern, the fabric will not crease and to give our entourage the option on how they wish to style their dress.

We chose our photographer because…

We simply love their work! GDG Film does not only take photos but they perfectly capture the moment. Their photos make for great memories. They are based in the Philippines but we decided to fly them to Dubai to do both our pre-nup and wedding shoot. Seeing the end-result and reliving those tender, emotional and fun moments through their photos, we can say it was all worth it.

We chose our wedding coordinator because…

We actually did not have a wedding coordinator. We did everything ourselves, from conceptualizing the theme to invitation to sourcing wedding essentials and giveaways. It was our work of art and our labour of love. On the day itself, we requested some help from our family and friends just to ensure that the program run smoothly. It truly was a family affair through and through.

Photographer: GDG Film Philippines Flowers: The Flower Market

We chose our venue because…

My mom originally recommended the place. She actually found it on Facebook! She knew we were already doing oculars but had not found the one yet. Initially, I was hesitant with Lapita because of its distance from our church. However, that all changed after seeing it in person. It was the perfect venue for us.

Lapita is very beautiful and charming. They have a spacious ballroom for our reception and a sprawling outdoors where I imagined my guests could walk around, relax and enjoy the scenery. After all, they were also on vacation. As we had planned to check-in with our family, we saw the private pool as a great venue to bond. The food is a super plus factor too but what really sealed the deal were the hotel coordinators. They were accommodating and very pleasant to work with. A big shout out to Hend Hossam. She made things happen.

Our menu…

We chose an international menu to cater to the diverse cultural background of our guests. We had an assortment of cold dishes, a live pasta station, salad and soup bar, Angus beef live carving station and a selection of desserts. We made sure everyone would find something he/she likes. The garlic prawn with caramelized onions, carrot puree and fresh herbs was an instant hit in the buffet station. That definitely got second servings! In general, I can say, that the food was one of the highlights of the wedding as all our guests had a positive remark about it.

My favourite part of the wedding day…

My favourite part of the wedding day was being surrounded with love from family and friends from different sides of the globe. I look back on it fondly and appreciate the moment more than ever today, especially as we all experience the uncertainty of days in this pandemic, as well as, the ongoing travel restrictions everywhere. We were both very glad to have had our family and friends take part in this momentous event of our lives.

My piece of advice for other brides…

My piece of advice for other brides is to be hands on with every detail of your wedding planning. Do not be shy to put your imprint or personality in every little element. Savour each moment of the planning but enjoy and let go on your day.