Most pre-wedding shoots are a challenge on a number of levels. We designed them to be like that at Metrophoto because we absolutely don’t want to compromise anything. In the case of Donna and Ivan, the challenge was taken up a notch because we had their shoot, six days before their wedding — pretty tight considering some couples shoot 9 months before they tie the knot. They also chose the beautiful yet much-publicised Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan.

Las Casas is a lovely place, with heritage homes collected from all over the country and transported and restored in Bataan in a kind of workmanship that’s very impressive in any standards. Of course, this means it’s a popular venue for other pre-wedding shoots – Metrophoto alone shot there four times last year. So it was another challenge was to make it as unique and memorable for Donna and Ivan.

But honestly, the challenge was short-lived. I would really like to take credit for stunningly amazing photos that we were able to create but that would be an utter disservice to the couple, especially to Donna who took what was already a pretty place to such gorgeous levels. At one point, they pretended to crawl out of a wall facing the one of the canals on the property just to provide the frame with such a unique angle.

At this shoot, Donna and Ivan showed us that it’s still possible to shoot on a tight schedule at a popular venue and still manage to find a unique and romantic vantage points that’s entirely their own. To Donna and Ivan, you guys are amazing and thank you for making Metrophoto a part of your story.