JD and Michelle: No place like home

My best friends know that if I were not getting married on the beach, I’d be getting married in a big old house, a big old library or a big old barnyard (Yes I like big and old stuff!). But well, I am having a beach wedding, and I don’t have a big old house I can marry in anyway.

But JD Domingo does (or at least his dad does). Film editor JD and his lawyer bride Michelle Santos pulled off that “backyard wedding” I so totally dig. Or wait, was it a front yard wedding? Anyhoo, the ceremony was held at Mary the Mother of the Church Parish in Las Pinas and the reception was done at Casa Domingo (A.K.A. the groom’s house in BF Resort Village, Las Pinas) on Oct. 29, 2009.

Truth is, this couple almost gave up the idea of having the reception at home due to, yes, pressure from traditional folks who thought it was not “bonggacious” enough (Michelle’s word!). The couple caved in and was set to have the reception at the pricey Antonio’s restaurant in Tagaytay, but Michelle’s parents had to go to the U.S. soon, so the couple reverted to their original plan — and out everything together within a month!

From Michelle:

We used it as an excuse to go back to our original plan of having the wedding at JD’s house. We’re really happy with the outcome. It was worth butting heads with people. The important thing is we had a wedding we wanted — unique and non-traditional. 😀

At the reception, there was a Digman’s halo-halo station, a bibingka and puto bumbong station, lechon baka and lechon baboy, R. Lapid’s chicharon for cocktails (beat that!), fresh lumpia from Bacoor, pansit from Binan…

If I may say so, they had a wedding I wanted (among other weddings I want. LOL).

Enjoy these (raw) photos from Imagine Nations’s Toto Villaruel, Hyds Valencia and Noel Salazar.

If you don’t get the hint from this invite, well…

The bride wore a funky, short wedding dress by Gretchen Pichay. Brave and beautiful, that gown. Fit for an off-beat bride.

The groom:

Y por supuesto, la casa

Michelle says the house was actually built in the 1980s so it’s not that old.

It was just made to look old 😀 JD’s papa collected wood, bricks and adobe from old houses that were demolished so it was extremely laborious and it took a long time before it looked like that.

How charming is this set-up?

And is this actually the bathroom? I’m stumped.

Oh and some scenes from the church. I was so fixated on the reception at home I almost forgot to share these. Love the candid shots! (I think that’s an Oreo she’s biting into…)

Oh what a big old house can do for weddings… Thanks JD and Michelle for daring to do it at home. There’s nothing like it. Cheers!