Denise and Mike's Travel Themed Beach Wedding

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It may be grim outside but today on Festival Brides we are heading to the Beach with Denise and Mike's beautiful travel-themed wedding at Anvaya Cove in the stunning Philippines.

After meeting in London and sharing many wonderful years travelling the world, Denise and Michael decided to trace back their roots to where both their families originated and get married in the gorgeous Philippines. Through their wedding they hoped to bring timeless elegance and class to the beach as well as keeping true to their passion for travelling with lots of laid back DIY detail and travel inspired decor.

Look out for the gorgeous ceremony sea green doors which Mike and Denise painted themselves as well as some stunning clutch bags from Aranaz. Denise also gives some excellent planning advice at the end of the blog so make sure you read it!

Denise and Mike tell us all about their elegant yet relaxed beach wedding....

At the Zurich airport, the flight/digital billboards flashed our travel pictures with a red sign that says "Denise, Will you marry me?" The Swiss are very conservative and my husband's proposal took him months of meeting with the airport authorities just to allow him to pull-off such a romantic proposal.

I wanted to bring relaxed elegance to the beach. Normally, beach weddings are very bohemian. I had to tone down the boho part to make it very elegant. I chose a classic Pronovias a-line gown with mother-of-pearl sequins for that timeless look. I made my bridesmaids wear crisp white polos with their bridesmaids skirts for the wedding preps. I chose to make them wear separates so that they will still be able to mix and match the pieces even after our wedding. There are also so many travel-themed ideas implemented here and there.

Our love story was 5 years in the making. Mike's sister was my intern in the Philippines. 5 years ago, she wanted to introduce me to her brother but I paid it no attention. 5 years later, when I was about to study in London, I met up with Mike's sister and she told me that Mike had relocated to Zurich (as he is half-Swiss) and that maybe we can meet-up in London. Mike added me up on Facebook, we chatted for months until he finally visited me in London. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Watching the sunset with all of our friends and loved ones. It was just so significant. I was leaving everything behind and moving to Zurich. I was closing a chapter of my life and beginning a new. My favourite is our kissing silhouette picture with the sunset as our background.

Firstly, know who you are when personified as a couple. Are you the hipster who wants a farmhouse wedding? Are you the surfer who wants to get married by the beach? When you personify your combined tastes, it is easy to make wedding décor and theme decisions based on that. Secondly, Stick to the budget. There are a thousand of ways to make your theme come alive without overspending. The marriage is still the most important. Starting the marriage debt-free will give you the much-needed peace of mind. Lastly, make it festive! It is a celebration of love after all! Have song and dance numbers. Involve your family and friends. Do not have down and dull moments during the program. Read blogs and take their advice in how to spruce up a wedding party.

In planning a destination wedding, it is best to be organized. Logistics is very important especially when you have guests flying in to celebrate with you. Organize for hotel accommodations, transportation, etc. But learn how to delegate. Ask each member of your entourage to be on top of one area. If we did not delegate some of the responsibilities, we don't know how we would have pulled off a destination wedding since most of the time, we were at two separate places.

Photography: Nez Cruz

Venue: Anvaya Cove

Bride's Dress: Pronovias

Bride's Shoes: Yves Saint Laurent

Bridal Robe: La Tercer

Bride's Make-Up: Denise Congco

Bride's Hair: Renen Bautista

Bridesmaid's Hair & Make-Up: Benjie Angeles and Ferdie Santiago

Groom's Suit: Sidney Eculla

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bea Romero

Boutonnieres, Pillows, Bible Band, Bride's Garter: Handmade Goodness

Ceremony Canopy & Decor: Mundo Builders