Weddings can be reasonable

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THE P60,000 gown (center) by Ian Tanya.

DESIGNER Adam Balasa representing Visayas region.

DTI fair proves that you don’t have to break the bank to celebrate memorably

WHILE every couple dreams of their wedding day, they also dread the expenses. The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) Bagong Pilipinas Wedding Fair proved that one can have affordable weddings that look like a dream.

The fair, which ran from June 26 to 28, showcased wedding suppliers from all over the country, all at the SMX Aura Premier Convention Center.

We spotted suppliers like Ian Tanya couture for wedding gowns. While they offered Filipiniana baros (tops) at about P2,500 to P4,500, particularly striking was a P60,000 wedding dress covered in what looked like jacquard at first but turned out to be elaborate cut-outs (a dress of that intricacy, reminiscent of the work of Oscar dela Renta, would normally set one back in the hundreds of thousands).

We also saw a wide range of wedding and engagement rings, from P4,500 silver rings, to packages of three rings for P87,500 (from Bev Jewelry Online Shop).

There was also a fashion show during the fair’s opening on June 26, with Mindanao-based designer James O’Briant taking the (wedding) cake for his interpretation of Muslim wedding gowns (veiled, long-sleeved, striking).

DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque assured us that participation in the fair was free for the suppliers, to help boost MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in the country. “The ones showcased here are those that are not that famous yet, so we can give them an avenue,” she said in a speech.

She said that last year’s wedding fair brought in about P130 million worth of business, and they were hoping to make P200 million in this second run.

Assistant Secretary Nylah Bautista of the DTI, meanwhile discussed the possibility of the Philippines becoming a wedding destination for couples. While our Southeast Asian neighbors have managed to make their shores wedding dream escapes (such as in Phuket and Bali), it would seem that the Philippines isn’t quite there yet. “We believe that we’re ready in terms of the products and services. It’s the infrastructure that we have to coordinate with the other agencies: to ensure that the road networks are secured, the places are safe, and then also coordinate with tourism, so we can all together promote destination weddings in the Philippines,” she said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

There was much regional representation in the fair, with suppliers from Baguio, Cebu, Iloilo, La Union, and other places in the Philippines. “We have platforms like this to put (them) in central Manila, so they can be aware of the big market that it reaches.” — J.L. Garcia