By Jose Paolo dela Cruz
After a year of postponements and disappointments brought about by the pandemic, the loving couple finally tied the knot in an intimate ceremony by the beach. And with the setting sun and no more than 28 guests as their witnesses, Eric Charles Sy Uy and Reena Ritz Tee became man and wife.
Aside from both having worked in the hospitality industry and their shared passion for travel, the two also come from business- oriented families. Eric is the son of SMHCC chairman and president Elizabeth Sy and her late husband Charles Uy, while Reena is the daughter of Gerry and Delfina Tee, who are into the garments and seafood exports business.
Seven years after they first met, Eric decided that it was time to take things to the next level when they went on a vacation in Munich in November 2019.
“Having spent much of his childhood in Germany, Eric wanted to bring me back to the place where he had such fond memories,” starts off Reena. Since it was the beginning of winter, they thought of going to Garmish-Partenkirchen, a quaint ski town in Bavaria, before heading to the country’s highest mountain, Mt. Zugspitze.
At the peak of the mountain, he got on his knee and proposed. She, with a joyful heart, accepted.
Wedding crasher
Not much time passed before the couple started planning a wedding in the south of France. “It was supposed to be held in the countryside; a garden wedding in a private chateau in the middle of vineyards and centuries-old groves,” describes Eric. However, their September 2020 wedding wasn’t meant to be, since COVID-19 happened.
“Eric and I were in a long distance relationship. I was based in Hong Kong, while he stays in Manila. We thought that 2020 would be the year we’d close that gap. Instead, we were separated for over nine months due to travel restrictions!” shares Reena. “After all the postponements and disappointments, we asked ourselves: ‘What are we waiting for?’ Let’s just do it, even if it’s just us two!”
As soon as air travel was allowed from Hong Kong, Reena packed her bags and flew back to Manila to marry the man of her dreams. This was three weeks before the big day, which was set on Dec. 8, 2020.
No place like home
In lieu of the south of France, Eric and Reena were married at Pico de Loro in Batangas. “We chose Pico de Loro because we wanted to have it held somewhere remote and exclusive, especially in these times. We also wanted an outdoor venue and Pico has more than a few of these for
us to choose from, like the beach or the garden. It is also where we had one of our first out-of-town dates in the Philippines,” says Eric, who also spent many wonderful times at Pico with his family, growing up.
Eventually, the couple picked the grassy area of the Pico de Loro beach as the venue for their ceremony and reception.
The couple also invited a total of 28 guests, who were all tested for COVID-19 onsite to ensure everyone’s safety. Among them were Eric’s uncle and now wedding godparent Henry Sy Jr. and his wife Jasmin; as well as godparents William and Marylou Tiu Lim of Mega Global.
While there was a change in date and venue, the lovebirds still wanted to recreate the charms of an intimate outdoor Provençal wedding, mixed with the beautiful garden setting inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, one of the bride’s favorite literary works.
“Pico de Loro has this beautiful wide open garden area by the beach, which was a perfect backdrop for this type of set-up. We loved how Gideon Hermosa turned the area into a gorgeous secret garden with white and pink flora growing from the main tree, and the rustic, autumnal walkway,” shares Reena.
The reception was equally stunning with elegant tablescapes donned with soft, feminine flowers and a mesmerizing ceiling of string lights. A sumptuous five-course feast — consisting of smoked fish, salad, ravioli, tenderloin, cod fish and cheesecake — was also served by the Pico Sands Hotel.
But not everything went without a hitch. Fifteen minutes before the 3:30 p.m. ceremony, raindrops began to fall. The ceremony was postponed for a while, once more! “We were so nervous. We all prayed very hard!” shares Reena.
Thankfully, the heavens listened and the bride was soon able to walk down the aisle in her beautiful Ines Di Santo wedding gown. A glorious sunset then followed, adding a touch of romance to the entire affair.
“We started the reception with our first dance, in the presence of our family and friends. Afterwards, one of our godparents, Henry Sy Jr., led the prayers before the meal and delivered a short speech to commence dinner. We also had a short program hosted by JC Alelis, with musical accompaniment by Da Capo,” says Reena.
And at the end of the day, all things ultimately worked together.
“After the whirlwind of emotions and uncertainties during the year, there was a moment right after the ceremony, when we were having our photo taken by the beach and the sun was slowly setting in the horizon. We had a quiet moment just dancing to the sound of the waves. And right there, we both realized that we did it, finally! We were both elated that this finally happened against all odds,” concludes Eric.
