Real Wedding
Wedding Planning from
Miles Away
(Joel Lopez - Mary Hazel Lace Talag
Wedding)
By Jonathan Dionisio
July - September 2010
Planning a wedding takes
a lot of time and effort. One needs to dedicate, on a daily
basis, a fraction of their time to make sure that everything
turns out well during their wedding day. But how do you expect
someone to plan their entire wedding if they are miles away
from where they will hold their wedding? For Mary Hazel Lace
Talag and Joel Lopez, they defied distance and utilized every
available tool to turn their dream wedding to a reality.
The newlywed balikbayans:
Joel and Hazel Lopez. Serendipity in Doha
Hazel and Joel are both overseas Filipino workers based in
Doha, Qatar. The two met during an audition for dancers for
a concert where Hazel served as producer and organizer. She
approached Joel and invited him to watch the concert. During
their first meeting, sparks flew but were immediately disregarded
since at that time, they were both in a relationship. Their
second meeting five months would turn out to be the beginning
of an amazing journey.
In May 2004, she returned
to Doha after a short vacation in the Philippines. At this
point, she and Joel were both single. Since she had no permanent
residence in Doha, Hazel needed a room to stay. She met one
of Joel’s friends and told her about Joel’s uncle
who has a room for rent. Turns out, Hazel found herself knocking
on Joel’s door. When he opened the door, Joel remembered
her while she didn’t. As roommates, they quickly grew
fond of each other and in July 2, 2004, Joel popped the question
and she accepted it. In December 2, 2004, they exchanged vows
in a secret civil marriage ceremony at the Philippine Embassy
in Qatar.
When they returned to the
Philippines, they got married again in Manila on December
5, 2005. Before their first marriage, their families have
never met each other. Their second civil wedding served as
a way to formally introduce each other to their new families
and ‘legalize’ their marriage.
Hazel receives a heartwarming phonecall.
‘I Do’, Take Three
Four years after their Philippine civil wedding, after all
the incidents and marital woes they’ve experience, they
felt that something was lacking in their relationship. After
finding a good job in Doha, (Hazel as a Senior Finance Administrator
and Joel as a Data Encoder) they decided to have Philippine
church wedding ceremony as a way to seek God’s blessing
and thank Him for all the blessings He has given them.
On July 2008, they started
planning their wedding. Hazel’s mother-in-law and aunt
served as their initial wedding organizers. Since they were
overseas, the internet served as their primary source of information.
“As an OFW bride na napakalayo sa pagdadausan mo ng
kasal, it [Kasal.com] [served] as a very informative site
and lahat nadoon [like] suppliers…everything is there“,
shared Hazel.
"I do, I do, I do." Mr.
and Mrs.
Lopez at San Agustin Church. Communicating with wedding
suppliers was a challenge for Hazel and Joel. As a couple
based overseas who will get married in the Philippines, they
had to make expensive phone calls every now and then to make
sure that everything ran smoothly. With the help of their
wedding representatives, Joel’s mother, Hazel’s
aunt, and a family friend, they were able to attend to the
other needs of the couple that required their physical presence,
like food tasting. Despite having representatives, Hazel,
like other brides, was still hands-on with their wedding planning.
While working as an accountant, she would make phone calls
from her office to suppliers and to her family regarding updates
on their wedding. She would email suppliers regarding their
contracts and send it back to them. By July 2009, they were
finished with all their initial wedding preparations.
On December 16, 2009, Hazel
and Joel met up with all their suppliers for the very first
time. She did her final fitting for the gown, turned over
all souvenirs, which they bought from the Middle East, and
wedding related items to their on-the-day wedding coordinator,
and settled all payments.
Joel and Hazel professed their love for each other and said
their ‘I Do’s’ for the third time last December
20, 2009 in front of their family and friends.
As the saying goes, when
there’s a will, there’s a way. For Mr. and Mrs.
Lopez, they went out of their way to make sure that the day
they finally face the Lord in Holy Matrimony will not only
be well-planned, but simply memorable. With the use of modern
technology, particularly the internet, they were able to bridge
the gap and finally, make their dream wedding come to life.
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Wedding Suppliers
Hair and Make up Services
Bambi Fuentes Salon
Catering
Eloquente
Catering Services
Ceremony: Catholic Church
Shrine of our Lady of Correa
Immaculate Conception Parish
(San Agustin Church)
Ceremony: Preparation Venue
Pan Pacific Hotel
Design & Couture: Bridal Fashion
Edward
Teng (Bridal Wear)
Kitz Fashion Trends Apparel (Entourage)
Design & Couture: Men’s Attire
Pierre Cardin
Flower & Event Styling
The Manila Blooms Flower Shop (Church)
Bulaklak by Joel De Leon (Entourage)
Amarantheus Florist (Reception)
Invitation
Card Prints (Invitations)
Print Divas (Missallette Cover, Menu Cards)
Jewelry
Sky Jewellery
Lights and Sound
Sound Level Audio & Lights Rental
Music & Entertainment: Musician
JJS Music Entertainment
Music & Entertainment: Host
Norly
Dizon
Photo & Video: Photography
Treasured
Memories Production
Photo & Video: Videography
Treasured
Memories Production
A.G. Garza Video
Reception – Alternative Venue
La Castellana
Special Effects
Butterfly
Acclaim Butterfly
Dragon Fireworks
Transportation
Don
Robert Bridal Cars
Wedding Planning
Loi
Villarama Events Management
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Visit Kasal.com
Supplier Directory for the contact details of these wedding
suppliers.
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