Being off social media for 4 weeks had more ups than downs. Ups : more time spent with loved ones, not constantly checking my phone for notifications or taking photo's to post on instagram or facebook (because not doing that is so mainstream.. lol), not knowing what everyone was up to whenever I would bump into someone due to no exposure to posts or check in's before hand which makes of a good conversation and catch up (how it should be) and the list goes on. Downs: not much to say on the downs of being off social media, it was more of a "breath of fresh air". There were the occasional instances where friends/family would ask me "oh did you see where abc went the other week or did you happen to stumble across xyz's post?" which  I would have no knowledge of obviously, however I'm glad that I did social media fasting.. 

But having said all that, I'm back!!! 100%! Unfortunately or fortunately for some social media is such a big part of our genertaion so we need to just ride with it and enjoy what it has to offer. I've got so much planned for the blog this year and hoping that I have more time on my hands to execute them! For starters, definitely need to sharpen my photography and baking skills and who knows you might start to see collaborations on here so make sure you are watching this space frequently for updates and new posts (which I promise to do more of this year too).

For those who have been following Apesylove, thank you for being a part of this journey! 

Photos: from my Instagram @apesylove 

The most stunningly gorgeous “sunset by the beach” wedding ceremony which I had beautifully planned with my then fiancée disappointingly did not meet our imagination and expectation. The whole week of our wedding event rained like it was the last rain Boracay was every going to experience for eternity. Torrential weather put our guests in misery and with Boracay being an island meant all forms of transportation to the island were cancelled or delayed for hours and at most overnight. Mother Nature…. Whyyyy??

I’m not at all fussy with anything however my wedding day made the exception list. It was the one day out of all days that I wanted everything to be perfect. It truly was a heart wrenching moment for me, knowing that my dream of a sunset wedding went bust. Nevertheless, my now husband and I still made the day of it until we were the last ones standing. Reality hit, reminding us that the most significant part about weddings is bringing people together to celebrate the union of becoming husband and wife and we were blessed enough to have our family and friends travel to Boracay just to be a part of it all. For that, I will be forever grateful and can honestly say that I have the most amazing family and friends.

In retrospect, the photos turned out great.

Simple lessons learnt.

1. Nothing in this world is perfect, even wedding days!

2. You can’t have everything, especially having your own wedding instagram hash tag. Wishing instagram was the "in" thing back in 2011. Our hash tag would have been #romslovesapril. How awesome?!

3. Make sure you don't plan a wedding in Boracay, Philippines during December. Your best bet for an uninterrupted sunset beach wedding would be during dry season from March to May.

4. The more you expect, the more you will be disappointed. I know it’s easier said than done but I’m aiming to live by this rule.

Photography by Mayk Photography | Videography by the Fourth Project | Groom Country Road | Bride Carla Zampatti | Groomsmen Zara top and pants | Bridesmaid dresses from Light in the box| Make up by Margaret Albia | Hair by Maricel Dionisio | Fridays Resort - Boracay Island, Philippines