Church and Venue Booked

Last week we finally booked our church and reception venue.

Church: Our Lady of the Abandoned Church

Prior to booking OLA, Papa Jose (Jaylu's father) accompanied us to a lot of churches near Antipolo. We checked churches at Rizal. And we both loved the Christ the King "church in the sky" at Rizal. But the place is too far from my side, I am living at Fairview so Rizal seems to be too far from my family.

And so we decided to take our vows at Our Lady of the Abandoned Church in Marikina. We initially wanted the 4pm slot but unfortunately the time is no longer available. So the next option is the 230pm slot. So we blocked the time and date for 230 pm wedding. The wedding fee includes everything except for the flowers.

At first I really felt bad about it since our church is not airconditioned and I am having apprehensions regarding the humid afternoon which will make not only us (I will be wearing a long gown with the veil and him wearing a suit ) but our guests uncomfortable. But then on the second thought having the ceremony being finished at 3:30ish to 4 pm means that we will have more photo ops :) so I guess 230pm isnt bad at all.

The church is currently being renovated for the left side expansion and after that they will fix the other side. We asked the parish office if they have other renovation plans for next year and according to them none so far. So we are hoping that all constructions will be done by our wedding day.

The other church reqs will be done next year since most of the licenses and documents expire 6 months prior to wedding date, so it will be safe to do it by Feb or March next year.

Reception Venue: Velada Estate

We only managed to do ocular inspections on Kapitan Moy (just across the street of OLA), Mango Farm, L Orchard, Sweet Harmony Gardens an

d Velada Estate. Since we wanted the reception to be away from Manila but not as far as Tagaytay, we decided to do it on Antipolo.

So I did a lot of research on different reception venue in Antip

olo. The first time I saw Velada on their website I

actually fell in love with it specially the lights at night. The place is so photogenic.

http://www.veladaestate.com/

They fully operated last June 2010 so the place is still new. Initially I wanted a garden venue but since we will be getting married in June

I dont want to risk the outdoor venue for a possible rain so I want something like The Oasis Manila, it has a garden and a Pavilion

which is safe for a bad weather. This is where my Kuya Jason got married and I dont want to repeat another wedding in the family on the same place.

And so when we had an ocular visit at Velada, i fell more in love with it. There is an ongoing wedding at that time so we were able to see the setup and how is the place during a wedding. The AE, Marie toured us around. They have a garden which can accommodate up to 200 guests and this is where Christian Wedding ceremony takes place. And so my mind starts to imagine setups of cocktail tables and guests roaming around the garden enjoying the place.

They already have separate groom's and bride's room which is plus points for them. We can have our preps there instead of getting a hotel room which will add to our expenses.

They have wedding package which includes catering food good for 200 pax with bridal car, cakes, emcee, doves and wine for toast ceremony. Less hassle for us to think about those things.

Then went to El Patio, which is the Pavilion. I am impressed with it especially the drapings and tulle at the ceiling and it is big enough for 200 guests. The cooling system is Iwata which I think is good enough ventilation. Antipolo is already a high place so i dont see humid weather becoming a problem for us. Though Jaylu has one concern. The pavilion seems to be divided at the middle. The other side is somewhat elevated by I think just a step higher than the other side. It is rectangular by design so probably the people at the back may not be able to see what is happening at the front and Jaylu is concern that those people seated at the back may feel a little out of place. Well we just need to make sure that another projector will be setup at the back so that if there will be presentations like AVP or SDE, they can see it and wont feel that "out of place" thing. We should also talk to our emcee to include the people seated at the back to be part of our program. One thing is good though, the people at the back are the ones near to the buffet table so anytime they can come back and grab something to eat. hehe

They have parking at the back and the front, big enoug

h to accommodate transportation of our guests.

So far I am as excited as I am happy that finally, 2 of major suppliers are already booked. And we booked the church and venue that we love.

(left: Jaylu @ Kapitan Moy; middle: Me @ Kapitan Moy; right: Jaylu @ The Mango Farm)

Next on the list is the PhotoVideo that will cover the biggest event in our lives.

(Us @ The Mango Farm)

Church Hunting Journey Part 1

First things first, church. Since we want to have our wedding on somewhere East, we started our church hunting journey at Antipolo and Marikina.

Disclaimer: subjective opinions, they are based from our preference.

1. St. Therese

-along Marcos Highway, in front of SM Masinag.

- 15k for the flowers, carpet, priest, pianist, soloist

pros:

-the altar is stunningly beautifulit

- isnt hard to locate, SM Masinag is a sure landmark

- even if it's non-aircon the place seems refreshing since there are lots of trees at the back

- wide parking lot

- Ate, the one who assisted us seems to be very friendly

- Not too strict with the dress code as long as there's a strap that will support the gown and no low necklines

- good for intimate weddings :)

cons:

- not too long aisle for the bridal march - not really my preference.

- there's an ongoing construction in front of the church by the SM Management- Jaylu is thinking that maybe next year the construction is already done.

2. San Antonio de Padua

J.P. Rizal street Calumpang Marikina

wasnt able to get the price, we arrived at the church at the evening, office already closed

pros:

- beside the marikina river, good for photo ops

- since it is located uphill, i personally like the stairs that you need to take before reaching the church

- small church good for intimate weddings

- no bystanders expected since the location is somewhat hidden

cons:

- too small for us, same with St Therese, no long aisle for the bridal march

- since this is a hidden church, location is not too accessible, guests being lost on the way to church can be expected

3. Our Lady of the Abandoned (OLA)

- Calumpang, Marikina

- wasnt able to get the price, we arrived at the church at the evening, office already closed

pros:

- love the facade with the "banderitas" hanging from the church to its gate

- love the long aisle, perfect for the bridal march

- i like the chandeliers, it gives the church an extra brighter mood

- huge parking too

- we were not able to take a look at the altar closely but from our view, so far so good

cons:

- i am expecting some bystanders around since it is somewhat exposed to the Marikina people

- truth is, the name of the church is bugging me, "Abandoned". hehe but not really a biggie, I can use the Spanish name of it, "Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados"

We are planning to have occular on 3 more churches around Marikina and Antipolo/Taytay area, but so far OLA takes the lead.

I commend Jaylu for being so patient and being so actively hyper during this day. To think that he woke up earlier than me, went to MOA early in the morning and need to meet me up after lunch time. His energy is unbelievable, there are times I would shut him up because he is so madaldal and hyper while I am being attacked with my migraine maybe because i feel so tired of walking walking walking. hehe I am hoping he will remain this energetic attitude all through out our planning process :)

We got home past 8pm and celebrated my Kuya Jason's birthday and stayed up until 3am. I was happy to see my 2 kuya, Kuya Joey, Kuya Jason and Jaylu beer bond with each other. Talking about life at work and giving us advises regarding wedding preps :)

credits to Google for the pics