Charisse Tinio Talks About NicePrint Photo's Story Of Legacy

NicePrint Photo is celebrating 17 years of capturing and immortalizing beautiful moments from people's milestones. And the company will mark its own milestone with a gala this March 17, gathering 12 of the country's top event stylists for an experiential exhibit that'll sum up NicePrint's journey.

That their upcoming 17th anniversary celebration will be graced by some of the stars they've worked with comes as no surprise. After all一since they did their first-ever celebrity wedding coverage for Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez in 2010一NicePrint has established itself as the celebrity go-to not just for weddings but also for birthdays, engagements, baptisms, baby showers, maternity shoots, and pretty much any occasion. 

All these celebrity milestones have significantly shaped NicePrint, but not to be missed from the core of the brand even in the midst of these star sightings is their heart and passion. 

"It's not just about celebrities," says NicePrint founder Charisse Tinio, who will be celebrating her birthday as well on March 17. And, it's never just about taking photos一it's about telling stories through photographs and videos. NicePrint was established in 2006, the result of Charisse and her husband Jibby's decision to pivot from their Konica Photo Express photography and photo developing franchise business. 

While Charisse is grateful for having been associated as a photography team of the celebrities, she wants to emphasize, too, that the #KwentongNP motto the company lives by is grounded on talking about real people, real lives, and how they've become part of these people's milestones. 

The upcoming 17th anniversary celebration was conceptualized with the tagline "Your Story, Our Legacy." Each and every event they've covered is ultimately part of NicePrint's storied history. 

"What we really want to highlight is legacy," Charisse explains. "Why legacy? We're in our 17th year, and somehow, through those years, we've been part of so many people's lives, so many Filipinos who have allowed us into their lives, trusted us with their milestones. And we feel like 'pag na-cover ka namin, somehow we've told your story, we've captured your moments and we were able to have the privilege to tell your story, and that in itself is our legacy."

Among the highlights of their upcoming event are four short, heartwarming films featuring couples whose weddings were covered by NicePrint. 

"A wedding is full of emotions. It's a beautiful day of happy tears and joys, and through it all, we'll be there," says Charisse as she recalls these weddings and occasions that may not have happened in the most ideal scenarios but are nevertheless real, inspiring, and heartwarming.  

There's a couple who got married at the height of the Ondoy typhoon in 2009 and another one tied the knot just as the Taal Volcano erupted in 2020. 

Also part of the lineup are Anthony and Rossel Taberna whose 15th wedding anniversary and other family photo shoots NicePrint got to be a part of; the couple's youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at 11 years old. "Nu'ng nagkaroon ng cancer si Zoe, I asked kung magwi-wig ba siya or magtu-turban. I was in awe when the daughter said, 'No need. Because I want NicePrint to capture me at my raw. And this is me today, and it's okay. It's part of my life story.'"

Charisse continues, "Naiiyak ako 'pag naiisip ko how privileged we are. This business is not just a business. There's just so much heart to it… We feel blessed to be here after 17 years and still be one of the most trusted companies."

The last featured couple has the most touching story, says Charisse. The couple was scheduled to get married, but one month before their wedding, the guy got into a serious car accident that almost cost him his life. He became paralyzed, so the wedding was put off while he went through rehabilitation. The couple decided to push through with their wedding about a year later, and the woman's unconditional love brings Charisse to tears. The wedding's SDE (same-day edit) video by NicePrint went viral in 2017, as the bride told the groom in her vows: "Mula ngayon, Ibrahim, ako na ang magiging paa mo."

Still aligned with NicePrint's goal to share real stories of real people, their story of legacy will also give a glimpse of how the company has not only touched but changed the lives of their employees for the better. "Most of them have been with us for 10, 17 years. We started as a franchise, we have Konica developing center, and some of the people who worked there like Rupert一imagine he was just a runner, cutter ng negatives, ganu'n ka-humble 'yung beginnings niya. We trusted him and now he's one of our top photographers." 

At the center of all these legacy stories is one that's closest to home. Fun fact: Charisse and Jibby's eldest son Sancho was born in the same year NicePrint Photo was born. 17 years later, Sancho is now involved in NicePrint. "At such a young age, he's already helping us grow the business," the proud mom tells Metro.Style. "It has come full circle that this boy who was born in the same year as NP is now shooting, assisting clients, and attending meetings. And it's just so beautiful to see how he bloomed through the years and how he's learned to love the company the way we, his parents, love it. Hindi pinilit. Talagang innately, passionately, he wants to be part of it. And I guess, that's the legacy, how things unfold."

Photography is a form of storytelling. And everywhere you look, stories surround us. The landscapes for content creation and milestone documentation are constantly changing. But in NicePrint's #KwentongNP book, for as long as there are moments to capture and stories to tell, their legacy continues. Charisse remarks, "We will not stop here. We're just getting started."     

Lead photos from @niceprintphoto