Photograph courtesy of The Bellevue Resort Bohol
Behind the scenes at Timeless, the Bellevue Resort Bohol’s 10th anniversary socials event, celebrating the local creative community.
Over the years, Bohol has become popular among couples looking to host their destination weddings. After all, the province is known for their beaches and naturescapes; in the Bohol Marine Triangle alone, which is comprised of the Panglao, Balicasag, and Pamilacan islands, “five major ecosystems—fringing mangroves, seagrass beds, sargassum seaweed beds, coral reefs, and deep-sea—are present,” reports National Geographic.
For the Bellevue Resort Bohol, it wasn’t long after their 2012 launch that they sought a more intentional approach to their wedding experiences. The resort, which couples began selecting for their nuptial ceremonies and accommodations, hired someone who would become a key member of their team.
“I started in Bellevue in 2014,” recounts Charo Aguilar, Bellevue’s director of events. It’s a mellow February afternoon, and together with resort manager Noli Salvador Soldevilla, we are seated in their now-empty Lamian restaurant that was earlier packed with patrons enjoying the breakfast buffet.
“I came from Cebu hotels,” Charo continues. “When I came here, there’s really not much suppliers. I told myself that I have to learn the culture so I would be able to reach them.”
At the time, she understood that Boholano wedding specialists and suppliers might not be as forthcoming to an outsider like her. When she first contacted a handful of them in 2015, she recalls her invitations being politely declined.
It was only a year later that they started to welcome her. Shared meals eventually became their annual socials event, which steadily saw the number of attendees grow from five, to eight, to 10, to more. It was exactly what she, together with Bellevue, envisioned: a large community of suppliers in Bohol.
Then the pandemic came. “I left Bellevue. And surprisingly, the suppliers were still reaching out to me,” Charo fondly remembers. “‘Hey Cha, I’d like to let you know that we built associations. Can we invite you back once the border opens?’”
Charo was touched at the revelation that even without her, their bonds persisted and even strengthened to the point of mobilization. Along with these newly-launched communities, their shared vision truly crystallized. “We want to be the top destination for our clients,” she declares. “Our clients are building dreams. We want to build dreams with them, together.”
That brings us to today. Charo has returned to Bellevue, and, along with Noli, is presently running around to finalize tonight’s socials titled Timeless, which places a thematic focus on the pearl. Like pearls, Charo explains, “love stories and lasting relationships are also formed over time.”
Beside her, Noli expresses apprehension at being just hours away from tonight’s event. “We’re going to be put in the spotlight tonight, so there’s a lot of pressure for both of us,” he confides. As the manager in charge of operations and logistics, Noli has been welcoming VIP guests all week, and has been on his feet ensuring everything flows smoothly for the evening. “Occupancy is full,” Noli says calmly, before Charo quips, “Si Sir Noli yung pinakabusy today!” [“Sir Noli is the busiest one today!”]
Though they usually invite their entire roster of wedding specialists and suppliers, the socials’ 10th anniversary was specifically meant to show appreciation for those who have been there since the beginning, leading to an intimate guest list of only 40 partners.
The entire event served as a celebration of local culture, from gastronomy to fashion design. A six-course meal was prepared by their in-house team of chefs, incorporating Boholano ingredients like asin tibuok and tablea, followed by a short program recognizing Bellevue’s top suppliers. To conclude the evening, 13 fashion designers from the Bohol Designers Circle showcased 30 wedding looks for both women and men.
Among the night’s awardees was Mae Supremo-Li, the co-founder of Supreme Weddings and a member of the Bohol Association of Weddings and Event Professionals. “It’s always a challenge as well as an honor and a pleasure to be working with a prominent organization. You will learn from each other,” Mae tells Vogue. She was one of Charo’s earliest collaborators, and a decade on, their work relationship has evolved, in Mae’s words, into “a sincere friendship.”
She goes on to share that Bellevue “always delivers and makes the clients happy, which makes me happy, and makes my job easier.”
It’s not difficult to deduce where this joy comes from, when it’s evidently a reflection of what goes on internally. Charo herself takes pride in the resort’s efforts to uplift their local makers. In their lobby, a space is dedicated to locally made goods from necklaces to bags to hats, that brands are able to display and sell for free. While other resorts have a practice of accrediting partners (which means that if a couple wishes to hold their destination wedding there, they are limited to their list of suppliers), in Bellevue, they are open to new talents the same way they support their existing suppliers.
“We want to welcome everybody,” Charo insists. The best part of her job is that it doesn’t feel like one at all; that it is, in her own words, a playground where she meets people with their own stories to share. The same is true for Noli, who muses, “Being in the service industry, the most rewarding thing you can hope for is to see a guest smile and say that they had a great stay.”
Whether it’s a guest, partner, or client, for Noli, “It’s very rewarding for you to be, in your own little way, a part of their core memory.”
