There is a goal to position Antipolo City in the province of Rizal as a sought-after location for couples looking for a wedding destination that combines breathtaking landscapes, cultural heritage and top-notch wedding services.

Such is the vision of “Antipolo Wedding Museum,” a bridal fair and fashion show held at the Marikina Convention Center with about 80 of the best wedding merchants and premier venues from Antipolo.

“This carefully selected collection of exhibitors will reflect the distinct charm, creativity, and high standards that have come to define Antipolo’s blossoming wedding industry,” says the dynamic and enterprising Joy Madriaga, whose highly successful family-owned business, Madriaga Catering and Food Service Inc., has been organizing wedding fairs together with her husband Nelson, daughters Sophia and Bianca, and son Lorenzo.

“When my eldest daughter Bianca graduated from college, she helped with the family business as the marketing director. That’s when the bridal fairs started. It was a good marketing strategy [for our catering business],” Joy shared. “From one wedding, two weddings, three weddings, now we can cater up to 15 weddings maximum. But all in the Antipolo and Rizal area only.”

A fashion fete

As the sales and marketing director, Bianca has been organizing bridal fairs since 2021. Over the years, their primary focus has always been on ensuring that the exhibitors are well taken care of and generating quality leads for their businesses.

“However, this year, we wanted to do something a bit different, especially for the Antipolo market. We saw an opportunity to elevate the experience and create a more dynamic event that not only showcased the bridal collection of our featured fashion designers but also highlighted the excellence of local wedding suppliers,” she bared.

Joy enlisted the help of her cousin, renowned fashion designer Albert Andrada, to showcase his latest bridal collection. Andrada, in turn, asked his protegee, Jezelle Haute Amorado, to participate. Bianca’s classmate and homegrown Antipolo talent, Rica Siena, completed the lineup. Held on 27 October 2024, the show was directed by legendary director, Ogee Atos.

“The decision to incorporate a fashion show into this year’s bridal fair was part of that vision — bringing something new and exciting to the table. We knew that this addition would add a fresh layer to the event, attract more attendees, and give the exhibitors and partners more exposure,” explained Bianca. “We expected the combination of the bridal fair and fashion show to result in a solid boost in both bookings and long-term business for Madriaga’s Catering, and we’re excited to see how this new format will continue to grow in future editions.”

The fashion show definitely played a key role in attracting a larger crowd, according to Bianca. It gave the event more visibility and engaged the attendees in a way that went beyond the typical bridal fair.

“Why ‘Wedding Museum’? Museums are viewed as something recreational. People go to museums to relax. So, in relation to wedding planning and our upcoming bridal fair, our main message here is planning your wedding can be fun, easy and not really something stressful. ‘Antipolo Wedding Museum’ aims to promote Antipolo as the next wedding destination and it also establishes that planning your Antipolo wedding is different compared to other cities,” said Bianca.

Bridal eleganza

Given the positive feedback they received, the Madriagas are committed to including fashion shows in all their future bridal fairs. It has become an essential part of the event, and they are excited to keep it as a regular feature. They will also continue their close partnership with Andrada to ensure each succeeding show is as exceptional as the first.