MANILA, Philippines - With Teddy Manuel, you should never expect things to be plain and simple. A blank and boring space is transformed into a wonderland of a specific theme, thanks to his overflowing juice of creativity and relentless pursuit to give his clients only the best.
Today, Teddy is one of the most in-demand event stylists in the country. Count international and local celebrities among those who have tapped Teddy to weave his creative magic into their celebrations: big-ticket weddings such as those of Ogie and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Drew and Iya Villania-Arellano, Mark and Jolina Magdangal-Escueta, among many others.
His floral arrangements have also become attractive focal points in many private homes, hotels, restaurants, and corporate offices. Print and broadcast media couldn’t help but take notice of this talented young man—Teddy has consistently been featured in various magazines and TV shows and lauded for his jaw-dropping designs and arrangements. He was also included in a publication that listed the top seven wedding suppliers in the Philippines.
Teddy, who is the creative genius behind Flowers & Events, has worked hard to be where he is now. As a young adult, he spent his weekends in Divisoria, helping tend to the family’s food stall. “At an early age, my parents instilled in me the value of patience and hard work. I think I got my entrepreneurial spirit from them,” he says.
He’s not one to wait for opportunities to come knocking at his door. Instead, Teddy used his go-getter attitude to start fulfilling his dreams. While working as a ticketing agent for Air Philippines (Teddy took aeronautical engineering in college), he completed his master’s degree at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He also took electives on entrepreneurship to further provide him with the right tools for his future business.
When it was time to think of a venture, Teddy did not have to look far and wide. Weddings have fascinated him to no end that he would always find himself reading the newspaper column of Rita Neri, the pioneer and stalwart in the wedding planning industry in the Philippines.
“I have always been interested in weddings. I was amazed by the look of weddings back then,” Teddy recalls with fondness. “This is a happy business. Everyone loves beautiful beginnings and happy endings. This is a kind of business where I don’t feel like I’m working.”
Teddy learned everything he needed to be better in his craft: importation of beautiful blooms from Holland, Australia, and Ecuador, as well as how to create a romantic ambience by integrating the following elements: floral arrangements, decors, ceiling installations, staging, lights, and props.
According to Teddy, he’s very hands-on in the creative brainstorming until the execution of the event. “I love to help brides and grooms realize their dream wedding by providing them with personalized design elements that will reflect their personalities as individuals and as a couple.”
Teddy furthers, “The process entails sleepless nights to create one event. But I’m still on top of the production process, logistics, and event proper. I’ve also trained production managers to oversee the plan so that it’s executed properly and ensure that any event—be it wedding, debut, birthday, anniversary, corporate—be stress-free for our clients.”
All his hard work slowly paid off. Teddy’s list of satisfied clients has grown longer with every event he works on. Last year, Flowers & Events by Teddy Manuel became the first Manila-based wedding supplier to open a branch in the paradisiacal island of Boracay. Realizing the growing trend of destination weddings, Teddy made his services more accessible to couples who dream of saying their “I do’s” with the picturesque island as their backdrop.
“I feel I’m in the right place at the right time when I started my business. As with any start-up, challenges were part and parcel of the business. I just kept an optimistic mindset, learned from them, and continued moving forward. I’m thankful to my brother Roland who has helped me all throughout this business endeavor,” he says.
Teddy knows that every event is a source of joy for someone (or a couple) and it is meant to be very personal. So he works on turning their dreams into reality; all they need to do is bask in the beauty of the celebration.
“I find fulfillment and happiness in each event that I do. I feel blessed to be in a business that makes people happy,” muses Teddy.