PATRICK UY is a name synonymous with weddings. Since the early ?90s when Patrick began a photography career, his services have been in high demand.

He has photographed many celebrity weddings, including those of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales, Jackie Ejercito and Beaver Lopez, and those of Mikey and Dato Arroyo, sons President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

And even in today?s economy, big-production weddings remain a constant, making his services popular among brides drawn to his recession-friendly rates ? Patrick?s Pacific Light wedding photography package starts at just P55,000, affordable compared to those who charge more than P80,000 for basic wedding coverage.

Patrick discovered his passion for photography 31 years ago. Working on ad campaigns (Bench was his first) and magazine editorials further cemented his career as a sought-after photographer.

In 2004, he became president of the Camera Club of the Philippines, then of the Advertising Photographers of the Philippines a year later.

Royal mission

In November 2008, Patrick added yet another feather to his cap when he was invited to photograph the Bhutan king?s coronation. With wife Evelyn and colleagues John Tronco and Philip Santos, he went to Bhutan to document the festivities.

Patrick said that the journey to Bhutan actually began in a wedding he shot in Boracay. He shot photographs for the Vietnamese groom who, it turned out, was a good friend of Bhutan?s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. In time came the invitation to ?shoot? the enthronement ceremony.

?It was part of our karma that our weekend was free ? that same weekend of the coronation. So off we went, for the shoot of a lifetime!? said Patrick.

Happy kingdom

Bhutan, a once famously isolated Himalayan kingdom wedged between India and China, is a Buddhist nation with over 600,000 people. The country is reliant on GNH or the ?Gross National Happiness? based on Buddhism principles for the development of Bhutanese society and its economy.

The Bhutanese monarchy is still fairly ?young? ? just a little over 100 years old.

In recent years, Bhutan has begun to open itself to the rest of the world. His Majesty Jigme Singye, father of the current king, is a proponent of political reform. He voluntarily transferred his ruling powers to a council of Cabinet members. He was instrumental in the formation of Bhutan?s constitution and is largely credited for Bhutan?s first democratic election.

In December 2005, he announced he would abdicate in his son?s favor by 2008.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 29, an Oxford University graduate and a bachelor, was crowned in the inner sanctum of the Punakha Dzong as the fifth Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of Bhutan on Nov. 6, 2008, at exactly 8:31 a.m.

?The royal astrologers deemed this to be the most auspicious time to get crowned,? Patrick remembered.

The celebration of the king?s coronation lasted three days, from November 6 to 8. Foreign dignitaries attended this momentous event marked by ancient, colorful rituals.

On November 6, festivities began, and as it was also the eighth day of the ninth month of the male earth rat year, the Bhutanese people lined the streets and had the opportunity to offer the tashi khaddar (white scarf) to the Dragon King.

Days after the enthronement, a parade was held at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, where people from the 20 dzongs or districts performed the Black Hat dance or Shana Cham, the Lama dance and other traditional dances.

?There were dancers who wore animal masks and very colorful costumes, and young priests who danced to ward off evil spirits. It was really a feast for the eyes, and the music was spellbinding,? said Patrick.

?The whole country was celebrating. You can see that people were really in joyous spirits and showing their love for King Jigme Khesar.

?The king sat with the people and seemed very down-to-earth. He made every effort to greet everyone on a personal level and was very gentle with the children.

?I hold him in very high regard after how I have seen him interact with his subjects. He was just like everyone else.?

Those spectacular few days in Bhutan have been etched in Patrick?s memory ? a compelling experience which drove him and his colleagues to stage an exhibit, ?Bhutan, Last Shangri-La,? last month.

Patrick?s career as photographer has come full circle. ?Bhutan was really where I found my place as a photographer,? he said. ?It was like a whole new world, it was surreal, like being in a National Geographic show. It was really Shangri-la.?