DATE// October 25, 2008
CHURCH// Trinity Christian Church
RECEPTION// L’ Fisher Hotel
COORDINATOR// Clay Tan
DECOR & FLOWERS// Clay’s Wedding & Events
GOWN// Lourdes Lipa
MAKEUP// Kelly Cuachon

Bacolod celebrated it’s 29th Masskara Festival.

The MassKara Festival is a week-long festival held each year in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province in the Philippines every third weekend of October nearest October 19, the city’s Charter Anniversary.

The festival first began in 1980 during a period of crisis. The province relied on sugar cane as its primary agricultural crop, and the price of sugar was at an all-time low due to the introduction of sugar substitutes like high fructose corn syrup in the United States. It was also a time of tragedy; on April 22 of that year, the inter-island vessel Don Juan carrying many Negrenses, including those belonging to prominent families in Bacolod City, collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank. An estimated 700 lives were lost in the tragedy.

In the midst of these tragic events, the city’s artists, local government and civic groups decided to hold a festival of smiles, because the city at that time was also known as the City of Smiles. They reasoned that a festival was also a good opportunity to pull the residents out of the pervasive gloomy atmosphere. The initial festival was therefore, a declaration by the people of the city that no matter how tough and bad the times were, Bacolod City is going to pull through, survive, and in the end, triumph.

Watch this video in HD at Vimeo.

DATE// October 18, 2008
LOCATION// Planta Centro Bacolod Hotel & Residences
COORDINATOR// Clay Tan
DECOR & FLOWERS// Clay’s Wedding & Events

DATE// October 18, 2008
LOCATION// Planta Centro Bacolod Hotel & Residences
COORDINATOR// Clay Tan
DECOR & FLOWERS// Clay’s Wedding & Events

Celebrating the 29th Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. The theme for this year’s Masskara is “City of the world”. As Bacolod is now a member of the league of cities around the world.

Shooting a wedding during Masskara festival hightlight day makes us think of the activities outside the hotel. As the Masskara dance parade starts outside Planta Centro Bacolod. No regrets though we enjoyed the wedding and had really great time shooting. Check out the same day edit we did for the couple.

Date: September 29, 2008
Location: Don Salvador, Negros Occidental