Milan and L.A. | Wedding at St. Pius X Parish

What’s your silver lining in this lockdown? Ours is witnessing how love can thrive in different moments, despite the challenges of this pandemic.

One of these moments is the intimate and heartfelt wedding celebration of our friends, L.A. and Milan. This wedding was special and exciting to us because after a very looong time, we were able to go out and do what we love as husband and wife. And it’s more meaningful as we captured the life-changing union of our friends.

A few days before their wedding, rumors of ECQ were already circulating. Leaving nothing to chance, the very organized and detail-oriented L.A. called and checked if we’re still game and if we need to consider plan B, etc. Unlike our previous wedding coverage, we wouldn’t be able to document the usual preparations prior the ceremony. But it was ok to help ensure everyone’s safety and for good measure. And borrowing what a meme would say - “walang makakapigil sa amin!” Haha! Not going was never an option. We were prepared and were also observant of the safety and health protocols.

The celebration happened on a Saturday. ECQ took effect the following Monday. Thank God, He let the universe conspire for the wedding to push through.

And we would also like to thank these friends who helped in making the celebration a memorable one:

Rona and Manolet Tobias

Eyesee and Kio Saguisag, and the rest of the video team

And lastly, thank you so much, LA and Milan, for making us a part of your special day! Cheers to always finding love, light and our silver lining, no matter what!

Milan & L.A. at St. Pius X Parish

Shailesh and Crystal | Tagaytay wedding

Who would have thought that one can find love in another place, an unfamiliar culture that speaks a language different from your own?

Well, Shailesh and Crystal did.

They say home is where the heart is. So no matter where they are, even when they’re just in the grocery (right guys? haha), they know they’ll always feel loved at the comforts of each other’s arms.

Presenting… Mr. and Mrs. Fernandes’ wedding celebration in Caleruega church and Splendido, Tagaytay. Watch the beautiful story of Shailesh and Crystal’s celebration of union and love.

Thanks to all who made this day awesome for both Shailesh and Crystal:

Coordination | Janille Casilang Events

Preparation | Splendido Tagaytay Hotel

HMUA | Aloja Carvajal

Hair and Makeup Artistry

Venue & Catering | Ladera Restaurant, Splendido Golf & Country Club, Tagaytay City

Cake | The Confectioner's Lab

Sounds & Lights | Artuz101 Professional Lights and Sound System

Florist | Estrella's House of Flowers

Emcee | James Calonge

Perfume Bar | Beni Marisky Perfume Bar

Musicians | Manila Wedding Singers Band

Photography and Videography | Leo + Lira Photography

Yeyi and Ian's Rocking "I Do" | A Wedding in San Antonio de Padua and Balay Dako

Watch the story behind why this wedding celebration is one for the books!

Mr. and Mrs. Waddell’s wedding at San Antonio de Padua Parish.

It was our first time to cover a couple's wedding that had Metallica's Nothing Else Matters instrumental as the bridal march song.

Instead of robes, the bride and the entourage were in black t-shirts featuring heavy metal bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, ACDC, Nirvana, etc with matching jeans and boots.

The ambient song of Velvet Revolver and other similar heavy metal songs during the reception filled the halls of Balay Dako.

The table assignments also went by the name of the said bands, instead of table numbers.

Their cake was black, laced with some flowers.

Their monogram also took inspiration from their Metallica's logo. It was very apparent from the prenup shoot down to their souvenir.

The intimate yet heartfelt wedding celebration of Yeyi and Ian showed their personality and love for music.

Enjoy this preview to that rocking day, Ian and Yeyi! #YEYIAN1D0

The Secret to a Happy Marriage Part 2

What does it take to reach 40 years of solid marriage? It takes two simple steps!

Step 1: watch this video in HD, with sound on. (Upto the maximum volume that you can, for better feels!)

Step 2: Check out some snippets of what we learned from Tito Ace and Tita Rose's 40th wedding anniversary below.

1) A secret to a successful marriage and family life is a different kind of LRT - love, respect, trust. They're in the core of their relationship. These values are given and received, not just by the couple, but also by their kids.

2) There are usually five (5) kinds of rings in a marriage: engagement ring, wedding ring...and the more important rings that will keep the relationship resilient and lasting:

SuffeRING

When honeymoon stage is over, you'll get to know your spouse more. Flaws and all. This may mean sharing difficulties, responsibilities, problems, in sickness and in health.

RemembeRING

During trying times, always go back to the reason why you saw "forever" in this person.

CenteRING

Whether it's good or not so good days, put God in the center of your marriage.

It worked for Tito Ace and Tita Rosa, hope it can work for you too!

We, as husband and wife, know that this is easier said than done. We are also still a work in progress. But we're making the most of each day - growing and learning together, finding new ways to do so and enjoying passion projects like this!

- Leo and Lira

*******************************************************************

In making #KasalRosa renewal of vows and wedding celebration happen, it definitely took more than two to tango! Apart from the leadership of Dhiems and support of siblings and cousins, we met some new friends who made everything extra special :

Venue and Catering: Farm Hills Garden

Venue Styling and Coordination: Kristine Cortez and team

(We'll add more to the list, once we have them!)

For Leo+Lira Photography and Videography team, a special shout out to Josh Rodriguez and friends! You guys are awesome! Sa uulitin!

Seeing posts like this from Leo+Lira Photography for the first time? Connect with us! Like and visit our Facebook page @LeoAndLiraPhotography

The Secret to a Happy Marriage

Watch this video to know the secret to Ace and Rose's solid and happy marriage. And they're on their 40th year already, by the way.

For better "feels," watch in HD with sound on.

#KasalRosa

Seeing posts like this from Leo+Lira Photography for the first time? Connect with us! Like and visit our Facebook page @LeoAndLiraPhotography

#PogiWedsPogo

When asked what does "Pogo" mean, Abhishake Chandel shared that "she ( Fritze Abarre ) was calling me pogi. So out of impulse, I called her Pogo, which is a cartoon channel in India. I know, it's weird. Haha!"

And in Abhishake and Fritze's wedding thanksgiving, we were moved with three life-changing realizations. Let me start with the last one that was not included in the Facebook post.

3. Acquaintances and newly-found friends with shared values and zest in life can feel like old friends. The team didn't expect to share so much hearty laughter during the shoot in Escala with Fritze and Abhishake. The couple was so easy and fun to work with and just clicked well with the team, who "nose-bled" and wished they brought "more English." Haha!

2. Some people can be more Pinoy in thoughts and actions. Described as "ang Indian na maka-Pilipino," Abhi seemed to already embrace Filipino culture and ways. To name a few, we saw how he: greeted the elders with "mano" when he paid respect to Fritze's older relatives, was being so "malambing" and "carinoso" to Fritze, and ride with "nose bleeding" joke when some folks would talk to him.

1. Sometimes, knowing the value of family and how to love unconditionally can be learned through other people, not necessarily your own. Abhi was a free-spirited individual until he met Fritze, and witnessed the "benchmark" of how to love and care for family through Fritze's love for her siblings.

And have a peek into their special day through these SDE video and photo slideshow.

SDE Video

SDE photo slideshow

Meet the team behind the scenes.

Our heartfelt thanks once again, Fritze and Abhishake, for having us.

And lastly, cheers to old and new friends for a job well done!

Photo and Video team for Leo+Lira Photography:
Elboy S. Fabra Jr, Aljon Gervacio, Josue Jhoy Rodriguez, ERic BOy Ermita Carpo, Ethel Diño-Datario, Leo Datario, Tristan Dehesa, Carlo Capila

HMUA: Lyn Tierra

OTD: Event La Vida

Preparation Venue: Escala Tagaytay

Event Venue: Aquila Crystal Palace Tagaytay Events Place

Why you would want to be in Inaki and Sasha's double birthday celebration

Not just two, but there are five reasons!

1. It's any kid's dream birthday celebration venue

Both kids and kids at heart had a great time during Inaki's 1st birthday and his ate Sasha's 6th birthday celebration because it waaaas in Movie Stars Cafe SM Mall of Asia ! It was our first time there and we felt like giddy 7-YO kids excited to go in. Among others, the life-sized statues of Joker, Iron Man, Shrek, Catwoman, Storm Trooper, definitely made the place sooo awesome to be in, even before the birthday party started. Mommy Rina and Daddy Jason did a good job in choosing a super coool venue!

2. Cosplayers all around

So apart from re-enacting scenes from the Spiderman, Avengers and Batman movies, the Movie Stars Cafe Dance Troupe did a good job in making the kids and their parents in awe of their epic dancing moves.

Almost all the kids went there in their superhero-themed costume. Some kids at heart (aka the parents) wore a superhero shirt too!

3. Fun games

All the games were fun for kids. But what I particularly liked was this specific group game that involved some parents. The game's name escapes me right now. Haha! But it was a great collaboration between the kids and the parent-participants. The parents in the two groups were so competitive! The outcome was both hilarious and awesome. See photos in the photo slideshow below, and let me know if you recognize the group game's title. Haha!

4. Game prizes any kid would dream of

Mommy Rina did a good job in providing a loooot of cool prizes for the kids. It's also a good twist to the mechanics to let the kids choose their preferred prize, after each game. The prizes were a combination of fun toys, story books, coloring books and cool stuff for school!

5. Superhero-themed dessert table from heaven

As a self-confessed sweet tooth, I got so excited to see the dessert table being put together. What made it awesome is the superhero theme - from the super cool Superman and Cat Woman birthday cakes, cookies and cake lollipops. I wished I was able to get some. But they were gone by the time I remembered. Haha!

Watch in HD the same day edit photo slideshow video below, to see why anyone would want to be in Inaki and Sasha's birthday celebration.

Thank you Rina and family for making us part of Inaki and Ate Sasha's special day. God bless you more!

Our first blog for 2017!

2016 was filled with extreme highs and lows, with health challenges in the family. Fortunately, the blessings were more abundant. Part of what we’re grateful for, as husband and wife, were the opportunities to capture family and friends’ life-changing moments. The past year of doing so made us know each other further - both the good and not so good. Experiencing how we were, when under pressure or on a high after accomplishing an event, made us love and bring out the best in each other further. And a very memorable testament to this was during Paul and Chen’s wedding, on December 18, 2016.

Chen and Paul: Once again, huge, huge thanks for making us part of your beautiful celebration and heartfelt union. From a relatively new couple, here’s sharing some of our life’s learnings:

· As Pastor Rodel said during the ceremony, love endures all things. There will be times when the other is not loveable at all, but endure during these times. You’ll be reminded of the reasons why you chose to love and be with this person.

· This next one is inspired by Paul and Tristan’s conversation, after the ceremony. Paul said, “8 sentences yung sinulat ko for my vow. Pero yun lang nasabi ko.” Sometimes, things don’t happen the way we envisioned it. But it’s ok. Life is not perfect. And so are we. What matters is that you’re together, in life’s highs or lows.

· May this life-changing moment be a good excuse for you to start having lots of photos (and selfies?) together. Haha! (For those who need to know why I said this, go here. Kudos again to Niq and team!) . It’s good to look back and reminisce documented memories, most especially when the time comes that you’ll have a child.

Here’s sharing the photo highlights. For more "feels," please view the slide show video in HD and listen with audio.

P.S. Thanks mucho as well to newly found-friends:

Fellow photographer Tristan of Point Sixty Three: 'til the next photo shoot!
The Film Hat: awesome and beautiful SDE video, Niq and team!
Hoot Designs : we looove the romantic-wild-garden-styling of the place! Please expect a possible Client. We just referred you!
KeyStrings Music: Beautiful and moving music
Queensland Catering Services: Yummy food!
Stohnenky Pro Sounds and Lights ("bright lights, clear music"): the lights greatly helped in the garden feels of the place
Lamariee Bridal Couture Kebaya: The bride's gown suits Chen's personality well!
Bergamo: The groom looked dapper with your suit!
Nor Anonuevo and team of the The Forest Barn: it was a pleasure meeting you! Hope we cross paths again!
Abagatan ti Manila: We'll definitely go back, even if it's for a personal trip.

#YutucMyHeart
#wedding #weddingsph #photographer #Fujifilmph #Fujifilm #LeoAndLiraPhotography

Our first maternity shoot

Hubby Leo's BTS shot capturing our #holdfastgear in action

It was one of those beautiful Sunday mornings. In the serene Stonecrest clubhouse surrounded by tall healthy trees and Bermuda grass, a huge pool, football field with lush greeneries, we did a maternity shoot with Rheena, who is almost eight months pregnant. Her hubby Tristan was of course, part of the cast. Oh and, not to forget their “gentle giant” three-year-old-pit bull, named Elvis! I initially found him scary but I immediately got smitten because he was actually a gentle, chubby-huggable and behaved dog. “Clingy siya,” Rheena disclosed when Elvis started whimpering when Tristan left to get some more props from the car.

How We Tried to Influence our Child’s Early Development

The unexpected blessing called Musikgarten

On our way home from church one day, I spotted this signage on a building, which happens to be Musikgarten’s branch in Pacita. It was a blessing in disguise because I thought that finally, I can fulfill my wish to expose him to more learning opportunities, other kids, and music. I perceived the school and the teachers to be the extension of myself and my husband to provide consistent opportunities to stimulate 3D’s senses through various means including music and play. This is something a working mom cannot do on a daily basis to help her child's cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.

We decided to enroll 3D, who was then one-year-old and three months, in Musikgarten. After several classes, we noticed that shy 3D became friendlier towards guests, he further enjoyed his dad’s music with much awe, he became more expressive (although we couldn’t understand a thing, I wished we had a subtitle machine), he looked forward to washing his hands (accompanied by the song, “hands-a-washing…”) and he learned to enthusiastically help pack away his toys (while we sang “pack away, pack away your toys….”). He consistently understood simple instructions as well. See video here and here. My thought at that time: Konti na lang, mauutusan na siyang bumili ng suka sa tindahan. Chos! And more importantly, 3D was enjoying and having a great time in school!

First of summer

We just turned a new life-changing page in our three years as husband and wife. After months of preparation, Lirazel and I are excited to finally put this website together, for everyone to see this summer.

We share one common goal: to beautifully capture special and unforgettable moments the best we can. And as we become part of that moment, we capture life, along with its perfect imperfections, awe and wonder.

Photography has always been closest to our hearts. And these past few months, this hobby switched on passionate feelings towards capturing moments and memories. May it be random. Or life-altering. Our son inspired us to look at it in a new light. And cliche as it may sound, he is our source of inspiration.

Who's yours?

Leo