MikeLigalig.com

By LUTCHIE CORAL
Manila Bulletin

If you would walk down the aisle, what aisle would it be? Would you like to glide on the powdery white sand of the beach or on the soft soil amongst verdant greens? Or would you rather plunge into an underwater ‘aisle’ together with tropical marine life? Or if you are one of those daring couples, you may consider the sky as your aisle as you jump off a plane or even hear your "I do" echo across the rock formations inside mysterious caves.

Whichever aisle you may choose to walk on to reach the love of your life, our country can offer almost any type of wedding imaginable to every anticipating bride. Take the hand of the one you love and experience once-in-a-lifetime enchantment as you celebrate your wedding day in one of the 7,107 marvelous islands that our country has to offer.

From north to south, From the big to the little islands of quiet beauty, there are endless possibilities in creating the wedding of your dreams. The trend in destination weddings has risen together with the growing demand for thematic weddings. Instead of transforming a function room with loads of props and decorations, couples now opt to go the distance and experience a natural setting where ambiance and beauty is never compromised.

Even if tradition and religion restrict you to celebrate your wedding in a church, you can still explore a lot of different venues for your reception. For more practical weddings, the ceremony can even be held at the same location as the reception. Great celebrations are offsprings of immense creativity but destination weddings can even expand the room for it.

Down south of the country are fantastic beaches that anyone would easily fall in love with. The white-sand shores of Boracay, Bohol and Cebu have been host to weddings of Filipinos and foreigners alike. Some guests may have to fly to reach the place but the experience brought about by the romantic solitude and the picture-perfect surroundings would certainly make the wedding unforgettable for them.

The northern part of our country also abounds in lush gardens and vibrant greenery where the fragrance of the surroundings adds to the romantic atmosphere of weddings. Places such as Tagaytay, Baguio, Pampanga and Antipolo have perfect venues to celebrate weddings in the presence of nature.

Some may be intimidated by the expensive cost of destination weddings. Certainly, some elements must be taken into consideration. The time and cost traveling to the wedding venue entails may affect the number of attendees (unless plane tickets are enclosed with the invitation). Hotel accommodations are also a factor to be considered. This is why it is still best to consider a venue that may be reached through land. There are a lot of fantastic wedding venues all over the country and, for sure, a perfect place is bound to be nearby. But if you’re planning an intimate wedding, then going the distance is the perfect option. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event and indulging in these luxuries can produce priceless memories.

You must have been dreaming of your wedding day since you were young so it is about time to visit these places, walk across their grounds and feel what it would be like on the actual day. It would also help you determine if you need to add cocktail tables or other furniture in the setup to accommodate the right number of guests.

It is also helpful to check the venue’s list of accredited suppliers before booking your own. Some venues have accredited caterers, photographers and other wedding suppliers who are used to working in the vicinity, thus having the added bonus of familiarity for smoother coverage and services.

The wide variety of wedding venues can also match the differing personalities of each couple. The laidback couple could enjoy a wedding by a picturesque beach while the romantics could indulge in a lavish garden wedding. The traditional Filipina could enjoy the richness of her heritage with a wedding inside a historic church. Dive buddies could be united forever in a rich marine sanctuary. The possibilities are truly endless.

Our country has been gifted with abundant natural resources and the best thing about it is that it is ours. Many people around the world travel to experience the richness of our land and water and they are proof of how beautiful our country is. Dreams are born in our islands and these are also the places where they can come true.

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