Cover Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s ‘Strictly RSVP’ 2026 team
Edsa Shangri-La, Manila’s ‘Strictly RSVP’ 2026 team
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Edsa Shangri-La, Manila
At Edsa Shangri-La, Manila, this year’s ‘Strictly RSVP’ moves beyond the traditional bridal fair, exploring the intimate dinners, weddings and milestone occasions shaping modern celebrations
Ella meets Paco at a family gathering. Years pass, and their paths cross again. There is a proposal somewhere in the middle, then a wedding, then the long procession of birthdays, anniversaries and dinners that tend to follow people through adulthood. At Edsa Shangri-La, Manila, that couple serves as the centrepiece of Strictly RSVP, the hotel’s annual showcase devoted to celebrations and the industries built around them.
This year’s edition, titled “Pages of Forever”, turns Ella’s life into a series of chapters. One stylist imagines her debut. Another plans the engagement. Elsewhere, tables are laid for weddings, Ting Hun ceremonies and milestone birthdays. The point is clear from the start: the showcase is no longer a bridal fair in the traditional sense, even if wedding gowns and towering floral arrangements still occupy their rightful corners of the ballroom.
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“Strictly RSVP was born on a vision of creating something beyond the traditional bridal fair,” the host explained during the preview event. “While we know weddings are really very special celebrations for all of us, here at Edsa Shangri-La, we believe that every celebration or every milestone should be celebrated beautifully.”
That idea has shaped the event since its launch in 2024. Over the past three years, it has expanded into something closer to a study of how Manila now celebrates. Weddings remain central, though many gatherings have grown smaller, more personal and specific in tone. Debuts are leaning towards having intimate guest lists. Anniversaries are staged with the same degree of care once reserved for receptions. Family lunches become elaborate productions. Even children’s parties arrive with stylists, lighting plans and mood boards. “To make it really memorable,” the host remarked, discussing the growing preference for smaller celebrations.
Above Edsa Shangri-la’s Milany Jalandoon, Pamela Correa, Shariza Relova and General Manager Stanley Lo with guests during the exclusive press preview
Edsa Shangri-la’s Milany Jalandoon, Pamela Correa, Shariza Relova and General Manager Stanley Lo with guests during the exclusive press preview
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That shift also explains the event’s broader mix of collaborators this year. Teddy Manuel, Ginger Gadi, Beautiful Occasions, Kathy Sy King and Tiger Lim each interpret Ella’s story through different visual approaches, moving from grand, theatrical arrangements to softer, more domestic settings. Some stylists lean heavily into florals and architecture. Others focus on tablescapes and texture. But altogether, they map out the many forms celebration now takes across the city.
For Stanley Lo, general manager of Edsa Shangri-La, Manila, the appeal lies in the emotional weight attached to those occasions. “People now seek moments that feel genuine, experiences that create lasting memories and connections that matter,” he said. “Whether it’s an intimate dinner, a milestone birthday or one’s dream wedding, every occasion deserves to be celebrated beautifully and meaningfully.”
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Above Lobster angel hair pasta served at the exclusive press preview at Edsa Shangri-La
Above Fillet Mignon Rossini and Foie Gras served at the exclusive press preview at Edsa Shangri-La
Lobster angel hair pasta served at the exclusive press preview at Edsa Shangri-La
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The hotel itself plays a large role in that sentiment. For more than three decades, families have returned to the property for birthdays, weddings, engagements and reunions. During the afternoon’s conversations, Lo recalled couples from the Chinese-Filipino community meeting for the first time over dim sum at Summer Palace before eventually returning years later for their own wedding banquets.
That history gives Strictly RSVP a different kind of depth. Beyond the installations and elaborate dining tables sits something more meaningful: the idea of a hotel becoming part of a family archive, one occasion at a time.
Catch Strictly RSVP on June 27, 2026, at Edsa Shangri-La, Manila. For more information, please visit Shangri-La.com.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
