CYRUS Bascon hasn’t been home in the Philippines since forever. So, when he got married last year, the tall Los Angeles firefighter from Mission Viejo, California, made sure his wedding ceremonies would take place in his motherland.

“The last time I was in the Philippines, I was five years old; I vaguely remember the place I grew up in. So the journey back home to get married has been quite nostalgic for me,” Bascon, now in his early 30s, said in faltering Cebuano.

With a bit of jetlag still purring in his head, Bascon married his Filipina bride, met her friends, family and relatives, and drove off to places where his memories took him. For Bascon, the trip was like hitting the home run—marrying the woman he loved while also revisiting his childhood paradise.

“For many Filipinos, you haven’t gotten married unless you walk down the aisle in a church in the Philippines,” said Event Planners’ Rita Neri.

Sheena Castro, a 22-year-old licensed vocational nurse working at a hospital in Washington, DC, shares Neri’s sentiments. Without a doubt, Castro said she would jump at an opportunity to exchange marriage vows in the Philippines.

“I want to have a traditional Filipino wedding, surrounded by my family, friends and relatives,” Castro said. Her sister Camille agrees with her.

Neri, along with a team of Filipino wedding specialists, participated in the Great Bridal Expo in Los Angeles and Anaheim, California. It was the first time that the Department of Tourism (DOT) participated in the bridal traveling show.

When Neri proposed the idea to DOT secretary Ace Durano, she said the concept was immediately given top priority. Durano, said Neri, knew there was a chunk of a market out there but just didn’t know where to begin.

DOT’s participation in the bridal expo could lure into the country a whole new brand of visitors, this time with the Philippines packaged as the ideal wedding destination for both Filipino and North American markets.

Participating wedding specialists included the Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts, Club Punta Fuego, Lito Sy Photography, Palamuti by Jing Tañada (florist), Forsc Ink (sound systems), Pastry Bin by Penk Ching (cake specialist), Imacron videos, wedding gown designers Rajo Laurel and Frankie de Leon, and Wink: Written in Ink (invitations designer and printer).

The exhibitors offered a variety of packages—from invitations to cakes, reception flowers and videography—at very competitive prices, with many services even going cheaper than what are normally offered here in Manila.

Guidebook

Neri also prepared a guidebook on getting married in the Philippines, with topics ranging from citizenship to divorce, separation, widowhood, military approval (in case the couple to be married are from the US military), parents’ consent, and religious and civil ceremonies.

“I want us to have an impact here. Almost everywhere in the world the wedding industry is going destination. But first they have to know what the Philippines is all about because as far as they are concerned we’re not on the map,” Neri said.

With foot traffic to both the Sheraton Hotel-LA ballroom and Anaheim Convention Center going by the hundreds, Neri hopes the team was able to create a buzz at one of the US’ biggest bridal expos.

Aside from offering probably one of the most affordable packages during the expo, Neri said the country has an edge over other destinations in that the Filipinos speak better English.

“They have churches, we have churches; they have beaches, we have beaches; they want gardens, we have gardens. But if the bride wants a Victorian motif, for instance, I think we are only among the few foreign destinations who would be able to understand this down to the detail,” Neri said.

Even better, Neri said, is that some of the packages come with relaxation packages for couples. The Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort & Spa, for instance, also offers massages; while its Boracay Resort & Spa, due to open in January, also offers many outdoor activities.

Neri said she made sure the DOT Philippine team has one of the best wedding specialists in the country, paying close attention to specific information such as silverware and linens, the kind of questions a bride might want to know.

For Filipinos, however, Neri said it is the tug of the heart that makes them seek out the Philippines to have their solemn vows.

Sharon Delana, a Filipina residing and working in LA, was looking around for wedding specialists for her August wedding in the US when she saw the DOT Philippine booth. Delana used to be an intern for the DOT in Zamboanga City, Mindanao, and was beside herself with joy at the mere sight of the DOT booth.

With fiancé Steve Potter in her arm, Delana said it was already too late for her to change her wedding plans. Had she known earlier that there were professionals who could arrange everything for her, she would have chosen the Philippines as her wedding destination.

“But it’s never too late. Now that I’ve seen this exhibit I think I’m going to have a second wedding back home,” she said, playfully nudging her fiancé’s arm.

“Why not? I would surely love to see the Philippines and meet all of your family and friends,” Potter said.