I’ve written about what happened at Firestarter already. Now I’m going to share about our shoot on the second day. The lovely dress that everyone’s been raving about was designed by Veluz. Fozzy and I were in her shop for the first fitting. I was already smitten with the dress Fozzy was trying on, but Veluz decided it wouldn’t do. So she started from scratch again. Fozzy and I could not stop giggling and gushing at the shop. There’s just something about Veluz and her dresses that does that to girls. The overall look was romantic, elegant, and feisty. And this is why I love Veluz’s work. Other than her gorgeous designs and the impeccable fit and workmanship, she reads people well and somehow designs dresses that match brides’ personalities perfectly.
Our dream shoot would not have been complete without a beautiful bouquet by Dylan Gozum of Vatel Manila, hair and makeup by Chichi Sotomil (which Fozzy didn’t want to wash off when she got home, haha), and stunning Sugarfree Shoes courtesy of Lifestyle by Feliz. Jeff and I are so grateful for their support, and are proud to call them friends.
An interesting bit to this story though is how we came to shoot Chips Dayrit and Fozzy Castro-Dayrit for Firestarter. Jeff and I started planning this workshop hoping to shoot a real couple, and my first choice was Chips and Fozzy. You see, Fozzy inquired with us for their 2009 wedding, but we couldn’t take on their wedding because of a schedule conflict. I was always a bit sad about that. We got to keep in touch anyway and grew to become friends. Our kids were born days apart, and their daughter Hero was our son’s first playdate.
When I asked them first if they would consider modeling for the shoot, they couldn’t fit it in their schedule either. Chips is an ultrarunner and is in training for a 100-mile run. Jeff and I then spent days looking for the right models, but none of them ever felt right. So I pitched it again to Fozzy a week later. I think my excitement was contagious this time; I somehow managed to get her onboard. And because Chips loooves Fozzy, he worked his training schedule around the shoot. Fozzy and I spent about a week all giddy and gushing over the dress on text and Twitter, and every day ’till the workshop, I knew I did the right thing. Jeff and I need a real couple to do what we do. I love a bride who gets giddy and excited over wedding things, because why not. Weddings are exciting. Weddings are fun. If you’re not happy and in love on your wedding day, you’re doing it wrong.
This wasn’t exactly a real wedding, but it came pretty close for me. Jeff, the participants, and I all had a great time shooting them. And I do believe Fozzy, and maybe even Chips (haha), had fun, too. They’re absolute naturals in front of the camera. They’re obviously madly in love with each other, and yes, I could not stop being giddy seeing them together. I like how he holds her, and how he makes her giggle like a schoolgirl. And I love how she’s soft and yielding with him, but still completely her own person.
So, Chips and Fozzy, this kind of makes you one of our couples now and I get to write you a little note. Hee. Thank you for spending your Sunday morning with us. We all had a field day shooting you two, and I still get giddy seeing your photos, even though I’ve seen them about a hundred billion times since the shoot. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful experience. You were the icing on the cake. Love always.
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