A chance meeting in Tulum would eventually blossom into Robbie and Marie’s grand wedding, a celebration of their love and a tribute to family heritage.
Some love stories are written slowly, unfolding through years of shared routines. Others arrive like a spark: unexpected, magnetic, and impossible to ignore. For Robbie Vergel de Dios and Marie Garcia, destiny chose the latter. Their story began against the vibrant rhythms and moonlit shores of Tulum, Mexico, where a chance trip would alter the course of both their lives.
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The Beginning Of Robbie & Marie’s Love Story
Robbie never planned on meeting the love of his life when he booked a spontaneous getaway. Fresh from leaving his job and craving clarity, he joined his friend Jason Soong on a last-minute trip to Tulum. Marie, meanwhile, was also there—invited by her childhood friend and fellow Groove Manila DJ, the very same Jason who had unknowingly brought them together.
The soon-to-be couple spent only four days together in Tulum, but the hours of easy conversation and shared adventures made it feel like much longer. Something simply clicked. When they returned to their respective homes—Robbie in San Francisco and Marie in Vancouver—every photo from that trip seemed to echo the same truth: a spark had formed.
They reunited shortly after in the US, choosing to nurture what started in Mexico. For a while, they travelled back and forth to see each other before finally deciding to build a life together in San Francisco.
As for the proposal, it was as intimate as their bond. While Marie was on a work trip in Manila, Robbie followed—though not for the reasons she initially thought. He quietly met with her father to ask for her hand in marriage. And on the anniversary of the day they met, he proposed in her childhood bedroom. It was simple and heartfelt, filled with tears and sincerity; the kind of moment one remembers for a lifetime.
Crafting A Celebration Of Meaning
For Robbie and Marie, every choice in their wedding carried a story. Casa Malca, their venue, was more than just a stunning location; it held a special meaning in their love story. During their first trip to Tulum, they had wandered onto the property, taken their very first selfie within its enchanting spaces, and vowed to return someday. Years later, that promise became their wedding day.
Florals were non-negotiable. Marie had known from the start that it had to be Designer Blooms, the company founded by her late mother, Rica Garcia. Anything else would have felt incomplete.
For the couple’s film, they chose Ismael Gonzales, a Mexican filmmaker whose work goes far beyond typical wedding videography. Raw, emotional, and textured, his visual storytelling style aligned perfectly with the tone they envisioned.
Music was woven into the celebration through the people Marie holds closest. DJs Jojo Flores, Jason Soong, and Paolo Maralit, longstanding friends and collaborators in the Filipino music scene, flew in from around the world to soundtrack the night.
As for “the dress,” Marie discovered it in the most unassuming way. While casually browsing a bridal boutique in San Francisco, she slipped into a gown by Chosen by Khya and instantly knew it was the one. Even after meeting designers back home, nothing came close to how she felt in that first dress. It had been hers from the very beginning.
A Tulum Wedding Built On Love And Legacy
More than a union of two people, Robbie and Marie’s wedding became a tribute—a celebration not just of their love, but of the people who shaped them.
At the heart of it all was Marie’s late mother, Rica. Her presence lingered in every detail, expressed through blooms that carried history and artistry. “Every petal, stem, and arrangement was crafted in memory of my mother, whose legacy I (along with my sister, Isa) continue every day,” she shares.
Three decades ago, Rica and her husband Ting introduced Designer Blooms to the Philippines, redefining floral artistry at a time when malls were only beginning to flourish. At her daughter’s wedding, that legacy came to life as an ethereal landscape of romance—an homage woven gently into the celebration.
As the ceremony unfolded under the golden light of the Harvest Moon and friends and family celebrated late into the night, the couple felt surrounded by every person, memory, and moment that brought them there. A love story born by chance—now written in the stars over Tulum forever.
Photographer Arte Visual
Videographer Ismael Gonzalez
Ceremony Casa Malca, Tulum
Wedding Coordinator Fer Gallegos
Caterer Casa Malca
DJ Jojo Flores, Jason Soong, Paolo Maralit
Cake LA Migaya
Event Stylist Designer Blooms
Gown designer Kyha Studio, Australia
Suit designer Indochino
Host Atom Ungson
DJs Jojo Flores, Jason Soong, Paolo Maralit
Cigars Tabacalera
Sunglasses Krewe
