I am not really keen on having engagement or pre-nuptial photos. I am used to seeing a lot of engagement photos of couples dressed to the nines, in an island, in a forrest, in a quirky cafe, etc, etc, and I honestly don't see myself and Witt in those positions. I was thisclose to forgoing any pre-nup photo sessions but Witt cleverly came up with a nice pre-nup concept that got me onboard.

Witt wanted a photo shoot that is very casual in a 'daily grind' indoor set-up with our everyday stuff. I immediately liked the idea because it defines us and our personalities. We are homebodies who prefer indoors instead of going out for adventures. We love lounging around, social media, mobile games, our gadgets, and our mobile phones (and the stuff you can do with it).

I was already scouting for venues as early as March to complement the idea. We searched for the best condos, hotels, and staycation places in Manila. Our shortlist included Joya in Rockwell or Oakwood in Ortigas. This changed when my colleague, Jean, told me about their staycations in Airbnb flats here in the Metro. It was a eureka moment for me because Witt and I are Airbnb fans as well. We like unconventional and unique accommodations and we stayed in an Airbnb in Kuala Lumpur last year.

Airbnb is an online marketplace for people looking for listings of vacation rentals, homes, and flats for lodging. People host and rent their place for guests looking for accommodations. It's an improved version of the "couch surfing". Airbnb has over 1.5M listings in 34,000 cities and 190+ countries. 

There's A LOT of good Airbnb rentals in Manila. Top condominiums and buildings in Makati, Taguig, and Ortigas has a lot of listing targeting tourists and staycationers. We were very lucky when we chanced upon Clare's Modern Loft with Golf Course View in Bonifacio Global City's Burgos Circle. The loft is very nice and is very Instagram-worthy! It's perfect for our pre-nup session.

Here are some photos.


We were not really fuzzy with our engagement shoot and we only had 2 simple lay-outs - plaid and denims. Plus a 3rd top change and look for me. The place truly complemented our desire to have social media-worthy photos that shows our passions and hobbies.

Our photographer for the shoot is the great Caliber King of Team Pat Dy. Cali guided us in the shoot and he made us relax and get through with it. We still don't have the official photos but here are some behind-the-scenes from Instagram and our cameras:




Our shoot was also a success because of our glam and style team led by Eds Go, my make-up artist, and Nikki Abella, our stylist. Eds Go is truly God-sent and I was very fortunate that I was able to book her for the wedding and the pre-nup shoot as early as February this year. She is now one of the most sought-after bridal make-up artists as evident on the number of page views, e-mails, and inquiries I got when I blogged my Eds Go make-up review months ago. I will post another one for the three special looks she made for me for our pre-nup.

Our stylist, Nikki Abella of Dream Event Express Planners, was a last minute decision BUT I am very glad that we got her. It was very stressful to have a pre-nup production and Nikki was always a step ahead in ours. She made sure that we followed the schedule, we have the right clothes and looks, and she ensured that everything is in order. She also provided some props and helped us shopped two days before the shoot.


Our pre-nup shoot is not as fabulous compared to other couples' but I am very happy because it's very us - laid back, simple, and relaxing BUT it had very nice, contemporary, and bright details and touches.

------------

Oh, some #SmartAirbnb plugging...

One of the reasons why I love Airbnb is because of Smart's partnership with them. This is one of our coolest partnerships this year together with Uber (shared economy FTW!). We launched the offer and partnership a couple of weeks ago in an Airbnb house in Forbes Park in McKinley. All Smart subscribers can get Php 2,500 off for Php 8,000 and above bookings. All you need to do is text SMARTAIRBNB to 2855 to get the discount code which you will input when you book your rental. This is good for bookings until March 2016 and for travels until December 2016 in any Airbnb listing anywhere in the world. Check this out for more info: smart.com.ph/airbnb.

I wasn't able to use the discount for our loft booking since I booked prior to the offer but I will surely use it in our honeymoons and travels next year!

P.S.
Countdown starts today! Thirty days to go before the big day!