‘SAVED BY THE BULBS’: Iloilo couple uses onions instead of flowers in wedding

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

A wedding in Iloilo City recently took the online community by storm for its unusual prop that was relevant to one of the latest trending topics in the country: using pricey onions instead of flowers.

April Lyka Nobis from Bingawan, Iloilo and her husband Erwin Vogel Nobis from Estancia made their wedding day extra special by using three to four kilos of onions instead of the usual flowers for their wedding last January 21, as seen in the photos shared by RR Production on Facebook.

The photos showed Mrs. Nobis wearing a huge bunch completely made from onions, while her bridesmaids held smaller bunches, while Mr. Nobis’ groomsmen also had onions pinned to their buttoned shirts compared to the usual flower stalks.

April said in a phone interview that onions were also given not only to the bridesmaids and groomsmen, but also to the principal sponsors.

She spent around P8,000 for the onions which were ordered 4 days before the wedding. Despite the expensive price of onions nowadays, the cost was well under the P15,000 budget for the flowers.

“Our [wedding] coordinator had ways and means and was able to order just 4 days before the wedding. It was a good thing that they were able to find it online,” April said.

“We were supposed to use flowers, and when [the coordinator] bought the sack of onions, it was P8,000, compared to the flowers, for which we prepared P15,000. So, we were able to save because of the onions, and it was unique because that was what we used,” she added.

She said that this was inspired by another bouquet she saw online, which used onions and flowers.

“I sent the pictures to my coordinator, and they said that we could use that concept for the wedding. I also sought my groom’s permission, and he agreed. I gave my coordinator the signal, and they ordered that from La Union because these were not available in Iloilo,” she shared.

After the wedding, the principal entourage took home the onions, in addition to the regular souvenirs, which she clarified were not made of onions.

April gave her bouquet to her family.

The couple, who had spent 5 years together prior to their wedding, is now “busy”, declining to specifically state the next parts of their newlywed life. (With a report from Sean Rafio)