The Wedding: Venue

For me, looking for a venue for reception is the hardest part in planning a wedding. There are so many things to consider. 

It should be near the church, affordable, decent, and for us it should be air-conditioned. Dapat kakasya din ang number of guest na invited.

I hope that this list could help those who will stumble upon this blog who are also looking for a venue in the same area as ours.

Our wedding ceremony will be at Christ the King Parish Church, Greenmeadows.

The following are shortlisted already from more than 30 venues that I inquired.

1. Greenmeadows Clubhouse

Contact: 637-3311; 6373399

Capacity: 150 pax

Sponsorship required

Rate: Php 22,500 + refundable Php 10,000 bond

2. Corinthian Gardens Clubhouse

Contact: 633-0914; 633-0923; 634-7280

Capacity: 200 pax

Sponsorship required

Rate: Php 

3. Valle Verde 5 Clubhouse

Contact: 631-0496; 386-1019

Capacity: 220 pax

Sponsorship required

Rate: Php 13,800

4. Acropolis Clubhouse

Contact: 633-1937; 634-5057

Rate: Php 15,000

5. Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club

Contact: 723-0665 loc. 303-304

Capacity: 200 pax

Rate: Php 32,000

6. CAI Events Place

Location: E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Barrio Ugong, Pasig City

Contact: 667-0880 to 93 loc. 4251

Rate: Php 100,000

7. Chardonnay by Astoria
Location: 352 Capt H. Javier St., Pasig City
Capacity: 200 pax
Rate: Php 270,000 (package for 200 pax- venue and catering)

8. C3 Events Place
Location: 18 Missouri St., Northeast, Greenhills
Capacity: 300 pax
Rate: Php 213,000 (package for 200 pax- venue and catering)

9. Daza Pavillion
Location: Camp Aguinaldo
Capacity: 150 pax
Rate: Php 12,000

10. Glass Garden
Location: Evangelista Ave, Pasig City
Capacity: 350 pax
Rate: Php 75,000

There you go. Good luck to our preparation. I hope you could also find the perfect venue for your wedding.

Calaguas Island

I saw pictures of Calaguas island when I was browsing the internet. It was so beautiful that I cant let this summer to pass without going there. So I booked a trip to Calaguas via Calaguas Local. Originally, kami lang talaga ni fiance pero we decided to make it a barkada trip with our close friends. They agreed to come. Pero nung papalapit na ang araw ng alis namen isa-isa na silang nag-back-out. Oh well, they missed an opportunity to be in a paradise. And we're back to just two of us.

We get the overnight package tour from Calaguas Local for just Php3,199 per person. Inclusions are:

 - roundtrip bus transfer from Manila-Daet-Manila via DLTB Bus Co. (Pasay Terminal)

 - roundtrip boat transfer to and from Calaguas Island

 - 3 meals (1st day lunch, 1st day dinner and 2nd day breakfast)

 - tent accomodation

 - Bagasbas beach side trip

For more information about their package, you can visit their website calaguaslocal.com.

We leave Pasay terminal around 9:00pm of Friday, our Day 0. Delayed by almost an hour, supposed to be 8:15pm departure.

We arrived in Daet around 5:30am of Satuday, Day 1. From the bus terminal we rode a tricycle going to Jollibee Daet, our meeting place with the tour guide. We had breakfast in Jolibee, since Day 1 breakfast is not included in the package.

From Jollibee Daet to Vinzon's port to Calaguas Island has a total of two and a half hours travel time.

When we arrived, the view that I saw was not what I expected. I expected it to be an island with a small shoreline, not so much people since it was a virgin island and no boat on the beach but what I saw was exactly the opposite.

But still, it was a very beautiful island with long and wide shoreline, powdery white sand and crystal clear blue water with a mountain backdrop accompanied by small hills and cliffs. Perfect! Well, almost, except for the boats and so many people that kinda ruin the view. Medyo madamot ako, I want this island just for myself.

It was really hot that day, so chill out muna kami sa kubo while waiting for our lunch.

After lunch, mas lalong uminit at medyo takot talaga ako umitim sa mga panahong ito so bumming muna under a tree.

It's already 4:00pm when we decided to swim. Medyo mainit pa rin pero mukang hindi na rin naman mawawala yung araw unless gabi na talaga.

We walked towards the long shoreline. Pagdating sa dulo, picture taking, bumming and back to our camp na.

Buti na lang medyo maaga pa kami nakapag-banlaw kasi later that night sobrang haba na ng pila sa C.R. para magbanlaw.

We ate dinner.

That night, there's a party on the other side of the camp, loud music and booze. We decided to just lay on the sand, watch the stars and wait for one to fall and make a wish and yes, I saw one!

Being tired the whole day, we slept early.

We also woke up early and decided to have a little hike up the small hill at the end of the shore.

The view was breathtaking from up the hill, you can almost see the whole island.

We head back to camp and ate breakfast.

We leave the island by 9:00am.

We buy some pasalubong then went to Bagasbas Beach as part of our itinerary. You can do surfing in Bagasbas beach my beau and I decided to just eat and enjoy the view. Aside from the very humid weather that day, mabibitin lang kami dahil konti na lang ang oras and we are scheduled to leave na.

I will definitely come back. Calaguas Island has a very good potential to be the next Boracay.

The Wedding: Date

Planning a wedding is never, never easy. There are so many things to consider. For example, informing first the parents of your plans and decisions. That is what I failed to do . Being excited and all, we had already set our wedding date and booked the church last May. 

I just mentioned to my mom that me and Jojie were getting married already on October. Ganyan lang ka-casual, after all it is not a big deal anymore because we're old enough. Kay mom ko lang na-mention since mas close kami kesa sa dad ko.

It was only after we booked the venue that we decided to formally announced to the family that we are getting married. We told it first to both my parents. Nothing extraordinary to their reaction as I mentioned earlier that we are old enough to settle down. But when we mentioned the date, my dad responded "bakit October?!" 

No answer came out of our mouths with the intensity of my dad's disapproval to our chosen wedding date. Asking for the third time, only we answered that because it was his birth month.

He told us that it was not a good month to get married because of some "pamahiin". I will not elaborate kasi hindi naman kami naniniwala dun and told my dad na marami namang nagpapakasal ng October. I actually have some of my friends na October nagpakasal and so far so good naman. Sabi nya it is still up to us if we will push it kasi after all kami pa rin naman ang magpapakasal pero kung sya ang tatanungin ayaw nya.

Jojie and I talked about it and decided to move the wedding date. I still want the 10.10.15 date aside from we already booked the church and venue for that date. But Jojie explained to me that it was a family culture that came down from my dad's great ancestors and it is not that we believe or should believe but being a descendant and mostly out of respect dapat sumunod din kami. 

I was relieved that he understands and I agreed. 

Between September and December, we choose the latter. We might lack ample time for preparation if we pick September.

We went to the church the day after. All weekends of December is already fully booked except the morning slot of December 12. Hindi na kami nagdalawang isip pa, being the only available time slot left, we booked it na.

There! Our new wedding date is December 12, 2015 and that is final!

The Wedding: Church

So after the proposal, I didnt think of anything for a month. Medyo high pa ko sa feeling of being engaged eh. Then bigla na lang namen napag-usapan kung kelan kami magpapakasal. He suggested October because it's his birth month and I agreed. We thought October 10 (10.10.15) is a good date.

We have the top 3 churches that we're eyeing for. I immediately called them to check on the availability of the date that we want.

1. Mt Carmel Church

photo source

photo source

It is located in New Manila, Quezon City. We decided to held our wedding in Quezon City because it's the city where we currently live. That is why Mt. Carmel was our first choice aside from having a very long aisle, of course. Apparently, the church is not holding a wedding from July of this year until next year because they were having a renovation. I was really really disappointed because since I was in college I dreamed of getting married in this church. Being in denial, I called them 3 times just to make sure. But I guess and I thought maybe it's not meant to be, so I moved on to our second choice.

2. Sto. Domingo Church

photo source

photo source

It is located along Quezon Ave. I also liked this church because of it's long aisle. Since I cannot reach them through phone (sira yata), I made an effort and went there. Turns out that they were also not holding a wedding for the first two weeks of October because of their feast. I asked pa rin why. They said that they were too busy to hold a wedding. There it goes, another disappointment. 

But I know I have to move on.

3. Christ the King Parish

photo source

photo source

This church is located in Greenmeadows Ave also in Quezon City. This church dont have the long aisle but it has a very beautiful interior and Christ at the center and so I think this will be the perfect church for our solemn and simple wedding. Air conditioned is a plus factor. When I called to inquire they still have an available slot for October 10, finally! Though the available time slot is alanganin which is 1:00pm, we still decided to book it.

So there! The church for our wedding is gonna be Christ the King Parish.

Sagada Day 3 and the Moment

On our 3rd and last day in Sagada, we woke up as early as 4:00am. He fetched the motorbike that we rented a day before and picked me up in our rented guesthouse.

We leave our place around 4:30am. We didnt know the road going to Kiltepan. Luckily, we saw other tourists that were also going to where we were headed, so we just followed them.

On the way, we had to stop because a van ahead of us was caught up on a road pothole. The road was so small that its good as one way. Good thing, we were riding a motorbike and we just passed trough the vehicles which passengers had no choice but to get down and hike up.

We arrive at the viewpoint by 5:00am. There were already few people settled to their spot of choice while waiting for the sun and the sea of clouds. 

It was cold and foggy.

We found our own spot and waited there. This was one of the things that makes me excited to go Sagada. Came 5:30, no sunrise yet. But we waited patiently, taking pictures in between. It was already 6:30 but we can't see the sun. Others gave up and leave. 

We waited still, until it was already 7:00am and we know that its time to leave. Natatakpan ng clouds ang sun at punong puno pa rin ng fog ang paligid.

So we decided to just take pictures of what we have and head back to the guesthouse after. The place was breath taking specially when clouds tend to disappear for a minute and we would see the rice terraces.

There were so many expectators that wanted to take pictures of the rice terraces. So he led me to a spot where there's only two of us.

When we finished taking pictures, niyaya ko na sya na umalis. But suddenly he got something on his pocket and showed me a small red box. Medyo bumilis ang heartbeat ko and I asked him "ano yan?". Then he replied in a question too and on bended knee, "will you marry me?".

I felt so overjoyed and my tears wanted to fall but I held it back and answered, "of course, yes!"

I hugged him blissfully then told him to put the ring on my finger. Unfortunately the ring was a bit small that it wont push trough my ring finger. Kahit anong gawin ko ayaw talagang pumasok...ng singsing. It turned out that he got the wrong measurement of my finger. 

You can say that it was an epic fail. The non-apperance of the sun and sea of clouds and the ring that dont fit but still, for me, it was the happiest day of my life. My heart exploded of happiness to the fact that one of my dreams came true. To be engaged and soon be married to the man that I love, the man I prayed for to come into my life. And Im forever be thankful to God and Mama Mary for giving him to me.

He contacted again the person that he bought the ring from and asked if there's something they can do to the ring to fit. Im still lucky that it can be resized.

And it perfectly fit. I so love this ring. It is exactly how I want it to be, my engagement ring.

This is the end of our Sagada trip but definitely the start of our journey to forever. Yes, may forever!

Sagada Day 2

March 21, 07:00am
Happy 2nd anniversary to us.

The sun was up but it was still cold. Masarap pa sana matulog. Pero hindi naman kami nagpunta ng Sagada para matulog lang.

09:00am

After we ate our breakfast at the guesthouse, we went back to the tourist information center.

One of the things that I look forward in Sagada was the marvelous Bomod-ok Falls. But to my dismay, we saw a handwritten sign in the front of the information center saying that Bomod-ok Falls would be close for the next 3 days for a sacred ritual.

I asked them bakit hindi nila kami ininform yesterday eh di sana doon muna kami nagpunta. But they answered, ganun daw talaga yun, biglaan. So I thought kung kelan nila gusto mag-ritual gagawin nila ng walang pasabi? Hindi ako naniniwala. Pero ano pa nga bang magagawa namen?

Eventhough I was very very disappointed we have to respect their tradition and had a very reason to come back.

Moving on, we decided to tour Central Sagada instead.

09:30am

We started at St. Mary's church. There was an ongoing wedding that day. It's kinda cool that some members of he entourage was wearing the traditional Igorot costume. The groom had this head dress just like of the Igorot I saw in Baguio. I wonder what the bride's wearing.

We also passed by the Calvary Hill. I was in a cemetery but it didnt felt like I was. Kinda enlivening place for a cemetery. They had this tradition every November 1st that they light a fire near love one's grave instead of a candle. "It was like hell", as our tour guide described it.

Next stop was the Echo Valley Hanging Coffins. On our way down, some of the tourist were shouting. It was amazingly echoing. I'd like to try but I was pretty shy to shout so I just listened to the others.

It's surprisingly impressive how they put the coffins on the hills. Our tour guide told us that they used ladders. I still cant imagine, especially when I see coffins on a very high rock valley.

Another valley with hanging coffins.

We hiked to and trough Sagada Underground River. The water was very very little. According to our tour guide it's been six months since Sagada last tasted rain.

We reached Bokong falls. A very small falls with nature carved pool. The water was enticingly cold.

Bokong Falls

After adoring the little beauty, we headed back to our guesthouse.

We passed through rice fields on our way back.

01:00pm

We ate lunch in Pinikpikan House.

04:30pm

We rented a motorbike and went to Danum Lake to watch the sunset. It was a 30-minute travel.

There was an average amount of crowd when we arrived.

It was too little for a lake. I think it's more like a pond. Nevertheless, Im still stunned.

Sun was starting to set, so we started to find a good spot. Picture taking in between.

Danum Lake is the only place in Sagada that reaches my expectation. The place that I enjoyed most, with landian on the side.

The sun was gone, so we headed back to the guesthouse.

On our way back, we stopped at the Sagada Pottery to peek. They show us how to do the thing for P50. You can try it by yourself for P100, if you want.

We passed through rice fields again.

07:00pm

We rest a bit and ate dinner at Masferre Restaurant. The lights went out again.

09:00pm

The night was a little hot. Shuteye.


To be continued...