JL & Francis’s Bespoke Rustic Wedding by Jess Panajon

I have a soft spot for rustic themed weddings. I love how this theme focuses on natural look and works well with simple accents. The simplicity that this theme brings enhances the beauty that a wedding celebration requires yet highlights the love that’s being celebrated that day… because we don’t want a plethora of decorations to steal the scene in your wedding, do we? Just the same, rustic weddings can bring out the DIY savviness in us, giving us plenty of opportunities to incorporate bespoke, handmade items as decorations.

So thrilled that today’s bride JL knew this and had the most meaningful DIY rustic wedding there is! Equally thankful that the very talented Jess Panajon was there to document everything! All you have to do is take a peek on all the photos and the simplicity of this wedding shines through! No make-up, no rings, no frills. Just a solemn day to celebrate love.

Here’s the bride JL as she shares all the love…

“We me at a boarding house in Mandaluyong, January of 2006 during our senior year in Jose Rizal University. Housemates, then friends then a bit more than that after several months. There wasn’t any proposal. He was already in the UAE. So our life became the chat room mostly Whatsapp sometimes Facebook occasionally Skype. One time (at band camp), we were chatting and I just asked him what his plans were. He enumerated them and just casually slipped in “get married in 2016”. And I likewise casually replied “Ok”.”

“I have always preferred a small, intimate wedding (he, on the other hand wanted the opposite, but I won that argument). We did however agreed on one thing: it’s going to be simple yet different. We wanted it to be relaxed and comfortable, just an extra special day of our lives with our families and closest friends where one need not stand on ceremony. And so we decided on a rustic theme. I’m very meticulous and a stickler for detail. So we opted for a DIY. I don’t trust just anyone for my “wedding squad”. I picked a handful of my students to help me. Pinterest saved our asses. Research, research and more research. From centerpieces, to flowers, flower arrangements, wedding favors, invitation etiquette, what-to-do and what-not-to-do lists, they were all there, they were all handpicked. That’s why they were personal, very personal. And that’s the reason they’re extraordinary.”

“If I were to choose a tad more defining moment amongst others in the wedding, I guess that would be the time we were pronounced as husband and wife. There were like a band playing inside my head, fireworks going off, champagne spilling and people chanting “change is coming”. I just wanted to go Phoebe (Friends series) and yell, “I’m married!”

It was a whirlwind. But I have savored every minute of it. As my husband reached for my hand and encircled my waist, every moment was special. It’s us. It’s ours. ❤️❤️❤️”