The unique and colorful culture of Dumaguete City was showcased through the products of its local wedding suppliers and the activities staged during the Maanyag nga Lalik wedding fair and exhibit. The wedding fair and exhibit was held last May 22 – 23, 2009 at the Bethel Guest House in Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City.

The sixth leg of the Kasalang Filipino 2009 12-city wedding fair roadshow, co-presented by Kasal.com and ABS-CBN Regional Network Group in cooperation with Key Cities Events Marketing and Bethel Guest House started off with a grand motorcade of decorated bridal cars and tartanillas (horse-drawn carriages). Later, a cultural presentation depicting authentic local wedding tradition was staged followed by the “Palihi” ceremony. This traditional ritual by the Negrenses is done to bring forth harmony and good fortune to farmers during the planting season.

Cultural presentations, bridal bouquet-making competition, wedding setup arrangement and table skirting Competition,and the opening of the wedding photo exhibit highlighted the first day of the wedding fair and exhibit. Fourteen amateur and professional make-up artists exhibited their skills at the Ever Bilena Gandang Pinay Bridal Make up Competition. Mr. Kim Philip Durap was declared champion for the Classic Make-up category and Mr. Melchor Edralin for the Fantasy Make up category. Each received the grand prize of PhP. 20, 000.00 worth of Ever Bilena products, 1-year Gold Priority Listing advertising in Kasal.com worth PhP. 5, 000.00, and a trophy.

Renowned flower and event stlylist Henry Pascual gave a talk and demonstration on the latest in flower and event styling and shared tips to Dumaguete florists and event stylists.

On the second day, representatives from the Regional Office of the Department of Trade and Industry introduced innovative sales and marketing strategies to wedding suppliers to aid them in expanding their business. Meanwhile, soon-to-wed couples attended a free marriage seminar organized by the Dumageute City Population Commission.

Maanyag Nga Lalik wedding fair and exhibit ended with the Kabulakan Festival Street Parade. The day was capped with the Maanyag nga Lalik Wedding Fashion show featuring the works of local bridal couturiers from Dumaguete and Cebu City. Wedding suppliers were given the chance to interact with other wedding products and service providers at the Exhibitors Networking Night. All the couples who attended the event received free gift pack while lucky couples received special gift packs and gift certificates courtesy of the event sponsors.

Kasalang Filipino 2009 is a nationwide wedding fair road show which ties twelve (12) Philippine cities with one goal of promoting the local wedding industry. The following are the 12 cities of the 2009 road show – San Pablo, Tagaytay, Tarlac, Dagupan, Legazpi, Dumaguete, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bacolod, Manila, and Cebu.

Kasalang Filipino 2009 is co-presented by Kasal.com and ABS-CBN Regional Network Group and made possible by Max’s Restaurant, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Goldilocks Bakeshop, Hewlett-Packard Philippines, Ariel Javelosa Photography, QP Designs, and the following media partners: Lifestyle Network, Sky Cable, WRR 101.9, My Only Radio, Metro Weddings, Metro Home, Food, Foodie, Flavors Magazine, China Business Philippines, The Manila Times, Business Mirror, Philstar.com, Tsinoy.com, and LocalDirect.com. Technology partners are Touch Solutions, Toshiba, Bitstop Network Services, and Too Many Memory.