Hotel for Wedding Preps: BOOKED!

In our hunt for the hotel where we’ll do the wedding preps, I had only two requirements: proximity to the venue and a photogenic staircase.

The first one is a no-brainer. No bride wants to be late in her own wedding. :)

The second one is just really my preference.I am always in awe whenever I see photos of brides descending a marvelous staircase as they head to the ceremony venue. I had always felt that I want the same when the time comes that I get married.

Today, Percy and I went out to do a hotel ocular. As I’ve said in my previous blogs, I already knew the details of the wedding that I wanted. And now, I'm going to share the first and only hotel that I like for our wedding preps and this is no other than Eastwood Richmonde Hotel.

* Photo credits to the owner

I've been hearing good feed backs about this hotel, and seen good pictures on the net, so even though it's quite far from our wedding venue, we still decided to check it out. When we finally got into the hotel, I was in awe and I fell in love with the place. I love the stairs and the big chandelier at the middle of their lobby. The hotel is also connected to Eastwood Mall so it really is very convenient. 

The lobby is very nice too. Our bridesmaids and groomsmen will be lurking here as they wait for us for the pre-ceremony photo op.

Immediately after our ocular visit, Percy and I were already in agreement that this was the hotel that's perfect for us. Why? Simply because...

• It has a staircase! (Yey! Yey! Yey!)
• They have good air conditioning. It's cold even though we're just in the lobby.
• They have good lighting in the lobby, which is very useful for pictorials.
• Their lobby is big and No additional charges for lobby and room pictorials. (Yey!)
• The hotel is beside Eastwood Mall. In case you forgot something, you can buy it there.
• They have modern, clean, and spacious rooms. Also their room hallways are full of mirrors, really good for photo op. :)
• They allow food delivery with no extra charge (Yey!)
• They can allow room stay extensions with no extra charge (Another yey!)
• Their room rates are affordable, even if we book 2 rooms, it'll still be on our budget range (a big Yehey!) 

We booked a One-Bedroom Premiere Suite for me and for my family and a Deluxe Room for Percy and his family. The suite is big enough for all our wedding suppliers who will be hanging around with me as I prepare, like our entourage, HMUA, photographers and videographers, and coordinators, to name a few.

Yaaaay! Inch by inch, we're already getting somewhere!  We have less than 4 months to go before the big day, and I'm happy that our hotel for wedding preps can now be scored out of our wedding checklist. :)

Cheers,

Change of Wedding Date

Looks like our wedding was moved earlier, from December 13, 2014 to June. I felt sad because I really wanted the date 12/13/14 and we made an effort to book for it as early as we can because we know that too many couples will be marrying on that day because of the unique date. 

But then, Percy’s grandfather wanted our wedding to be held on June and we don't know what his reasons are. Because of his old age, we decided to agree on him plus the fact he will help us on our wedding expenses. I’m a bit stressed because June is too close from now and we only have five months to prepare. Hopefully we can get everything settled by then. We think of June 19 as our date because it is our 5^th year anniversary as couple but then it falls on weekdays (we wanted our wedding on weekends), so the next choice is June 28 which is Percy’s birthday. 

First thing we did was talk to Gazebo Royale for the change of date that we booked a month ago. Praise God because the afternoon slot of June 28 is still available. We know that changing the date after reservation incur charges but we have no choice, we have to change the date. And because of that, we were charged Php10,000. 

We went to Trinoma to unwind after a very stressful day. Haha! We called Kaye our friend/wedding coordinator and told her what happened. She got mad at us and I can still remember what she says, “Bakit kayo pumayag?” Haha! She told us that she will talk to the owner of Gazebo to waive the charges. Aaaww so sweet! She was still on the other line when Ms. Beth of Gazebo Royale texted Percy saying that they will not charge us anymore for the change of date. Yey! Praise God! We really feel the favor of God on us today, first on the availability of June 28 then charges was waived. 

And now it’s official, our big day will be on June 28, 2014!

Cheers,

 

Wedding Venue Hunting

Our wedding will be a Christian Wedding, and the reception and ceremony will be held in a garden. We finally have the date, and it’s 12/13/14 so as early as now we already started our venue hunting. Looking for a venue is perhaps the most exciting but at the same time, most frustrating stage in planning your wedding.  I have no idea that venue-hunting would be so difficult. I guess as a bride you just want to find that "perfect" place. I won’t be doing a narrative of how we went about our venue hunting since there are only two venues that we visited. Haha! Yes just two venues. 

When we visited the venue that we eventually booked, we realized that it’s definitely the perfect place for our wedding. After seeing the place, I don’t want to look for another venue anymore; I just wanted our wedding to be held there. Like true love, it was actually love at first sight! 

Blue Gradens Wedding and Events Venue

Address: 28 Samonte Street via North Zuzuaregui Road, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

Telephone No.: (632) 430 5982
Email: bluegardens@gmail.com

Website: http://thebluegardens.blogspot.com/ 

Our first stop was Blue Gardens.

Blue Gardens located in Quezon City was actually the very first venue we looked into. It was a bit far and difficult to find as it is located in Commonwealth. I discovered Blue Gardens on the internet when I searched for "worry free wedding". It has its own Worry-Free Reception Packages and they are pretty good and affordable. 

But when we did an ocular visit to the place and I am sorry to say but I got so disappointed. It was small, simply decorated and it doesn’t look the same on the pictures I have seen on the net. You can choose your wedding between the open garden and the fully air-conditioned Chateau. The Chateau was old-looking and in need have re-designed. Plus the food (catering) will be placed on the first floor and the table set up on the second floor which we feel hassle. We don’t want our guests to go up and down to get their food. 

They also have a Ceremony Package if you want to hold your wedding ceremony there. In our case, it's a Christian Wedding so the ceremony and the reception will be held in one place. But we got surprised because it cost another Php10,000, plus our faces fell when we found out that another Php20,000 additional charges apply  because our wedding date fell on their Premium Dates (12/13/14) and Peak Months (December). We just felt that in every action that we are going to do, there’s a corresponding charge incur. To my disappointment, it really didn't end up in my shortlist. I didn't really have the “this-is-it” feeling.

Wedding Ceremony in the Garden

Wedding Reception Set up - Chateau

Gazebo Royale

Address: 29 Visayas Avenue Extension, Quezon City

Tel. No.: 920-6503 to 05

Email add: info@gazeboroyale.com

Website: http://www.gazeboroyale.com/ 

After seeing Blue Gardens, we were about ready to go home because of my disappointment. But to make our day more productive, we decided to drop by at Gazebo Royale before we head to the opposite direction towards home. It was not on our list and I haven’t yet research anything about it.

Sure enough, when we finally visited the place, we were just so charmed by Gazebo Royale. We decided then and there that this is gonna be ‘IT’.  Everything fell into place, very accessible, package is generous, and the garden and landscape is gorgeous. We wanted the Phoenix Avenue perfect for our estimated guest number was around 150pax, but then we found out that the place is already booked for 12/13/14 (afternoon). The open slot was in the morning. I've always wanted a night reception and a late afternoon ceremony, so I told Beth our AE that we will have to think about it first. She then suggested that Champagne Hall was still available. 12/13/14 is a really nice and unique date and I didn’t want to let go of it.

Gazebo Royale has three venues: the Champagne Hall, the Phoenix Avenue and the Bamboo Grove. The Champagne Hall is a beautifully landscaped 900-sqm area that can accommodate 700 guests. It features a waterfall for a truly relaxing ambiance while capiz lamps and ceiling decors accent the Hall, creating a perfect setting for any occasion.

      *Rates for the Champagne Hall: 400 Guaranteed guests
          WEEKDAYS (Monday-Thursday)
                AM slot - Php 80,000.00
                PM slot - Php 90,000.00

          WEEKENDS (Friday-Sunday)
                AM slot - Php 85,000.00
                PM slot - Php 98,500.00

The Phoenix Avenue, a 400-sqm area surrounded by luscious greens, interesting water features, and ambient lighting, is ideal for smaller functions of up to 280 guests.

      *Rates for the Phoenix Avenue : 200 Guaranteed guests
          WEEKDAYS (Mondays-Thursdays)
                AM slot - Php50,000.00
                PM slot - Php60,000.00

          WEEKENDS (Friday-Sunday)
                AM slot - Php55,000.00
                PM slot - Php65,000.00

Both Champagne Hall and Phoenix Avenue has the following amenities: bridal suite/VIP lounge, outdoor cooling system, basic sound system, free guest passes and maps, parking and generator. All rates are for a 5-hour venue.

The Bamboo Grove is an air-conditioned glassed-in area that gives guests an interesting view of the landscaped surroundings from within. It is ideal for intimate functions, such as birthdays, corporate affairs, with up to 60 guests.

       *Rates for the Bamboo Grove: 50 Guaranteed guests
           WEEKDAYS (Mondays-Thursdays)
                 AM slot - Php 18,000.00
                 PM slot - Php 20,000.00

           WEEKENDS (Friday-Sunday)
                 AM slot - Php 20,000.00
                 PM slot - Php 22,000.00

NOTE: For December engaged couples, the weekend rate will be applied regardless of your date of wedding as this is their peak month. 

Gazebo has the following Accredited Caterers:

           The Manila Catering
           Eloquente Catering
           Simply Delicious Catering

           CVJ Food Catering
           Josiah’s Catering
           Hizon's Catering Services  

They also have a Worry-Free Wedding Package and they are complete. Their packages include the Caterer, Photo/Video Service, OTD Coordinator, Wedding Cake, String Quartet, LCD Projector, Light and Sounds, Bridal Car, HMUA and other details depending on your chosen package and suppliers. For more detailed information about their packages, you may contact them.

When we saw the premises, we just felt that this was the place God reserved for Percy and me, so we decided to reserved for the venue and the date on the spot.


Cheers,