April and May up to a week after our dream beach wedding celebrations and tours have been such an exciting roller coaster ride! I wanted to share so much about our wedding — the pre, during and post events but I am still a little bit overwhelmed until now with everything that has happened that I think I need to organize them all here on my blog to satisfy my OC tendencies. Teehee. (^_^)
You can also go back to my engagement posts for more background about us in case this is your first time to visit my blog and you’re curious about us:
A DIFFERENT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT
ROMANTIC ENGAGEMENT AND FINE-DINING BY THE SEA AT SHANGRI-LA MACTAN
OF WEDDINGS AND BREAKUPS [A RAW CONVERSATION WITH A 6 YEAR OLD]
HOW TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER? [REAL TALK WITH MY THEN LIVE-IN PARTNER]
BEHIND THE SCENES – THE MAKING OF OUR ENGAGEMENT PHOTOSHOOT AND TEASER VIDEO
SHANGRI-LA MACTAN 5-STAR VACATION
And of course, we already got legalized last Nov. 21, 2022 through a “secret” civil wedding: SECRET CIVIL WEDDING: BECOMING MRS. VILLANUEVA PART 1
And this wouldn’t be possible of course if I had not gotten annulled from my previous marriage. So you can understand how everything feels so miraculous for me. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I’ll be so much blessed with Mahal and the life we live now. Thank you, God, for all your graces and blessings!
Both our engagement, the civil wedding, and everything in between are all parts of the journey leading to the realization of my ultimate dream beach wedding with Mahal.
But before we head there, let me share with you first our prenup / pre-wedding photo and video shoot done by Lumad Creatives. The succeeding photos are by Marion Dhen of D’PIX Photography.
Here’s the video:
We basically wanted to go back to that time more than a decade ago when Mahal and I first met here in Oslob and he became my tour guide around this beautiful quaint southern Cebu town and its neighboring municipalities, Boljoon and Alcoy. So, we chose the following locations for our pre-wedding / prenup shoot:
Oslob Cuartel
Cuartel is located by the sea where oftentimes, we witness a perfect and glorious sunrise especially when the weather is good. On the day of our shoot, April 4, 2023, there were not much clouds on the horizon and the sun did rise so perfectly above the ocean. What a blessing! It’s like God was continuously blessing our upcoming nuptials.
Cuartel is also where the Oslob Church, the Ruins, and the Baluarte are. These historic structures are preserved until now and the whole area will make you feel like you’re living in the 19th century every time you visit this place which we have the privilege to do every day since we just live a few minutes away from it.
Oslob New Village Lodge
Since we are now the legal owners of our little resort, Oslob New Village, we wanted to feature it a bit. But I’m telling you, the photos and videos still don’t do justice to our little oasis. According to our guests, being here feels like being in Bali as you wake up to the sounds of the birds, leaves rustling, stream flowing… and you retire at night with the sounds of the crickets, waves crashing from a distance, and the evening breeze. It’s the ultimate place of relaxation here in Oslob, a perfect oasis to unwind after a day of touring and swimming with the whale sharks, which Oslob is known for.
Boljoon Church and the Old School
Ever since I first laid eyes on this church, Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio Parish Church of Boljoon, back in 2012, I think I already fell in love with it. You want to guess why? If you know me, you’ll be able to guess by just looking at its facade — the church looks so Haloweeny, right? It’s so creepy it’s beautiful! Mahal and I explored this church a bit back in 2013 and every time I’d pass by this church, we would either stop to take pictures or take pictures of it while the car is moving. I just like the old, rustic vibe of this place!
Beside it is an old school called Escuela Catolica. We love its eerie ambience (because I super love Halloween) that having our photos and videos taken there makes us feel like we’ve known each other for centuries, which is how I felt when I first talked to Hanz more than a decade ago… it’s like finally coming home to my soulmate after centuries of searching. Char! The search is indeed now over. (^_^) And we wanted to honor that feeling the first time we met.
Boljoon Church also stands right across the sea so when you’re there, it will give you a fantastic view of the turquoise blue waters amidst the limestone cliffs.
Alcoy Beach
The original plan was to go to Sumilon island. But it’s the season of high tide and we won’t have any beach to frolick on. Everything is covered in water at that time. So we chose to go to another beautiful beach that we frequented over the years every time we’re in this part of the country… it’s Alcoy beach. It has white sand and beautiful turquoise waters, perfect for the backdrop we wanted since we’re both beach lovers.
Tumalog Falls
Tumalog Falls is one of the most beautiful falls I’ve ever seen here in the Philippines! The first time I visited this magnificent place, with Mahal as my then tour guide, it caught my breath away! It was just so beautiful with its cascading curtain of water falling onto the green mossy cliff all the way to the cold blue natural pool below. Until now, it never ceases to amaze me! It’s very beautiful that it’s one of the must-visit places here in Oslob and of course, after our beach wedding, it’s one of the spots we toured with our friends / wedding guests. You have to watch our pre-wedding video to see its full glory!
So that’s it! I just wanted to share here first our pre-wedding film and our favorite prenup photos. Watch out for the rest of my blog posts under my dream beach wedding series. (^_^)
Til then!
MomTraNeur - The Self-Help Mommy 