Go for simple and stress free. At the end of the day, this is the perfect opportunity to really see the true essence of getting married
For Frederico Miguel Lorenzo Alegre and Kimberly Zulueta, their January 8, 2021 intimate wedding in Tagaytay was somewhat like a smaller version of what they had envisioned for their wedding. The couple was engaged in 2019 and they initially thought of a wedding for 200 guests scheduled on September 2020. Instead of a party, Miguel and Kim enjoyed “an intimate and meaningful lunch celebration” at Antonio’s Fine Dining Tagaytay.
Miguel and Kim were married at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Tagaytay and their reception venue is the couple’s “favorite Manila date place” and where Miguel asked for Kim’s hand in marriage. The proposal also happened over lunch, so their wedding was like an ode to that special moment.
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Because both the bride and the groom come from big families, safety was their biggest priority. Miguel and Kim decided to keep their wedding to just their immediate families and a pair of principal sponsors. They also did not hire too many wedding suppliers, prioritizing Kim’s makeup artist and their wedding photographer. Perhaps with a picturesque place like Antonio’s and its superb food for fine dining, there was really not much else needed.
Wedding planning journey
Below, Kim shares in her own words how they planned their wedding, how they felt adjusting their plans from a 200 pax wedding down to 20, and the secret to surviving pandemic wedding planning.
How did you two meet?
Miguel and I met on a night out back in September of 2012. We were then re-introduced at a friend’s party a week after that, and started dating since. We dated for seven years before he proposed to me last October 27, 2019 at our favorite Manila date place–Antonio’s Fine Dining Tagaytay. He asked me out for a lunch date, little did I know, he was going to propose in front of our families (who were all secretly hiding and watched as he knelt down one one knee and popped the question).
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What was your idea for your wedding?
The theme I was going for was minimal and chic. I always liked neutral colors as its not just appealing to the eyes but also very elegant and timeless.
Was this your original wedding plan or did you have to adjust it?
In a way the wedding we had last January 2021 felt like an intimate version of the big wedding we were planning for that was supposed to happen last September 2020. An elaborate night long fete with 200 pax became an intimate and meaningful lunch celebration of 20 pax instead. Even if we changed our plan entirely, and we were not able to use the suppliers we have initially booked and have been looking forward to working with, the wedding we had still felt like how we’ve been imagining it to be.
What were the challenges you had to go through?
Our main concern was the safety of our families and guests. Miguel and I both have big families. He comes from a family of 11 while I come from a family of seven. Given that our immediate families alone is already a crowd, we have decided to get married only with our parents and siblings. We also had just a pair of godparents and limited our suppliers to a makeup artist and a photographer.
What were some safety protocols you did for your wedding?
A few days before the wedding we also had to ask everyone to stay home to minimize contact. We also got everyone tested the day before the big day for safety.
Despite having a very limited guest list, we felt very grateful to have been able to get married, in a church and in front of the people who truly mean the world to us. Everything was just perfect from beginning to end.
What is your advice for couples planning their pandemic wedding?
For other couples looking to get married during the pandemic, go for simple and stress free. At the end of the day, this is the perfect opportunity to really see the true essence of getting married.
