Where's the honeymoon?

Looking for a honeymoon destination is the last on my list. Originally, I wanted to go to Seoul & Jeju but then it would be tiring for both of us because of its itinerary. I finally let go of my fantasy honeymoon destination (peejay comforted me by saying we can go there next year around October). So, I am now looking for the best place here in the Philippines. A lot of people suggested Palawan and Bellaroca. I made a little research but I know i need to do my homework properly so I can jot down the pros and cons. I'm open to suggestions too!

Wedding Preps Venue: The Hunt begins...

I never thought that looking for a venue that we'll use the day before and after the wedding would be difficult. Initially, we wanted to get Linden Suites but my future mother-in-law suggested that we get a place near Enderun. Marriot, Shangri-la Makati, Maxim, Dusit Thani and Manila Peninsula are out. They're out of the budget. So I turned to W@W community and talked to another bride-to-be who's also getting married at Enderun. She suggested The Luxe Residences which we visited last Saturday. Their 2-bedroom apartment costs P9,030 per night and their 1-bedroom apartment costs P4,830 per night. Not bad right? They have nice rooms and literally 10 minutes away from Enderun but then I am bit concerned that there's no AC unit at the living room of the 1-bedroom apartment. Suppliers and guests will be there and room temperature matters for sure. I also don't like the fact that they will call the rooms at 10pm just to ask us if we still have guests. It has a curfew. So dormitory-like. 

So, I considered another one, The Picasso Boutique Serviced Residences which is in Salcedo Village, Makati. I like that Salcedo has a park and a lot of restaurants. It's also near Ayala Triangle and Landmark in case we need to buy stuff at the last minute. They don't charge corkage for take-out food and their rooms rates are reasonable too! Take a look at some of the pictures I got from their facebook account.

 I fell in love with The Picasso Suite instantly. I need big space for the suppliers who will be there during my preps. We'll be visiting the place one of these days. I hope!

Picasso facade

Madrid room

Malaga room

Barcelona suite

Montparnasse suite

Barcelona / Montparnasse bath tub

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

The Picasso Suite

Supplier Update.V2

I am so happy with the progress of our wedding preps because we booked all the major suppliers before the end of this year. During the Christmas break, I'm planning to do some DIY stuff at home with my mom (bonding moment narin). Can't wait!

1. Ceremony & Reception Venue: Enderun
2. Gown and Suit Designer: Boy Kastner Santos
3. On-the-Day Coordinator: Kredin of Events Engineer
4. Videographer: Stephen Prado
5. Photographer: Alex Ruelo
6. Hair & Make-Up (HMUA): Rae Venturanza
7. Mothers & Siblings' Dresses: Boy Kastner Santos
8. LCD & Projector: Norvin Gumayagay
9. Ceremony Emcee: Xernan Balancio
10. Reception Emcee: Marlon Cantero & Gracie Cruz
11. Lights & Sounds - Cybersound Pro
12. Singers - Team up with Josh Capule & Divine Bote
13. Rings - Titanium Jewelry
14. Tents - Tentworld

Pencil-booked suppliers:

• Bouquet & Boutonniere - Dylan of Vatel Manila
• Flowers for the bridal march - Full Blooms by Inah

Do It Yourself items:

1. Save The Date & Invitation
2. Guestbook
3. Ceremony and Reception Program
4. Place Cards / House Rules
5. Tokens for principal sponsors & suppliers
6. Boutonniere / corsages for principal sponsors and guys in the family
7. Centerpieces
8. Couple's Table
9. Ceremony Set-up

To do:

• Visit Purple Oven for the cakes
• Ocular inspection for the wedding preps venue
• Decide on what to do with the bridal car (whether to borrow or rent)
• Finalize honeymoon details

A Sumptuous Lunch @ Enderun

Last Saturday, we had our food-tasting at Enderun. Since it's going to be our 4th anniversary on December 17th and we barely have time to celebrate, we decided to schedule a sit-down lunch instead. We chose Banquet #1 menu (to those who are Enderun brides, you know what I'm talking about) Of course, I won't publish the inclusions to surprise the guests, but here's a teaser of the menu:

Rating:
5 stars - Excellent
4 stars - Very Good
3 stars - Good
2 stars - Needs Improvement
1 star - Not Good

(Photos by Peejay)

Verdict: 5 stars
Although I am not a fan of cold food, Peejay and I like it especially the bread -- it has a different, crunchy taste.

Penne Pasta with Artichoke and Red Pepper, Rocket Pesto

yummy bread (it came with the penne pasta appetizer)

Verdict: Peejay - 5 stars; Dei - 3 stars
Peejay eats pumpkin soup so he finished his bowl; while I didn't. I think it's the first time I ate pumpkin soup and I just find it weird, that's all.

Lemongrass-scented Pumpkin Cream Soup with Coconut Milk

Verdict: 5 stars
The chicken meat is soft and the mushrooms are well-cooked. The sauce is not too salty and not too sweet.

Cajun-spiced Chicken Roulade with Forest Mushroom Ragout

Verdict: 5 stars
Being a fish lover, this is non-negotiable for me. I love this to bits! Peejay almost ate the "design veggie" he thought it was a side dish. LOL.

Steamed Whitefish Fillet Duglere-style

Verdict: 5 stars
We love cheesecake! And this dessert is not too sweet, which I LOVE. Peejay thought I ordered chocolate cake for dessert but I cannot eat the sweetest dessert yet. (been sick for a week now) but he finished his share.

Baked Mango Cheesecake

Overall, we are happy with Enderun's food. We booked the venue without food-tasting but it was all worth it. I'll be posting some pics of the venue when I get the pics from Peejay but we are already excited for the big day. I'm sure the guests will love the food! :)

SICK

I've been sick since Monday --- dry cough, clogged nose, and sore throat so I won't be posting stuff for the next coming days until I recover.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Random Thought: Summer Dresses

Since our wedding will happen in the summer, I'm thinking if I let the principal sponsors and the rest of the guests wear printed long dresses. Here are some of the pics grabbed from the internet.

What do you think? :)

Supplier Update.V1

Here are the major suppliers that we have booked so far:

1. Ceremony & Reception Venue: Enderun
2. Gown and Suit Designer: Boy Kastner Santos
3. On-the-Day Coordinator: Kredin of Events Engineer
4. Videographer: Stephen Prado
5. Photographer: Alex Ruelo
6. Hair & Make-Up (HMUA): Rae Venturanza
7. Mothers & Siblings' Dresses: Boy Kastner Santos
8. LCD & Projector: Norvin Gumayagay
9. Ceremony Emcee: Xernan Balancio
10. Reception Emcee: Marlon Cantero & Gracie Cruz


To Book:

1. Bouquet & Boutonniere - Dylan of Vatel Manila
2. Lights & Sounds - Rejectkrew or Cybersound Pro (?)
3. Rings - to order in the U.S.
4. Cake - Purple Oven
5. Bridal Car - (?)
6. Hotel Preps - The Luxe Residences (ocular muna)
7. Singers
8. Flowers for the bridal march - Full Blooms by Inah
9. Supplier Meals (for lunch)



Do It Yourself items:

1. Invitation
2. Guestbook
3. Ceremony and Reception Program
4. Place Cards / House Rules
5. Tokens
6. Boutonniere / corsages
7. Centerpieces
8. Couple's Table
9. Ceremony Set-up

Garden or Church?

Since yesterday, I have been worrying or thinking too much (?) about where to hold the ceremony. I've always wanted to have it in a garden, that's why we chose Enderun. Lately, I have been having problems in looking for tent and chair suppliers. Also, sound system is an additional cost. I looked at our budget tracker again and I realized that we are almost going over the budget.

One of the w@wies, Isa, suggested Fort Andres Bonifacio Evangelical Church (FABEC) for the ceremony. It is inside the Philippine Army base at The Fort and 5-10 minutes away from Enderun. I don't want to get married in a church simply because my dream wedding is at a beautiful garden. I also don't like the look of the white, shiny cloth at the altar. (although Isa reassured me that they are lenient in terms of decorating the aisle). But looking at the cost, I'm thinking , Is my dream wedding really worth it? It's true that not all your dreams come true. In my case, I'm trying to have a mind set that the most important thing is not the venue, but to get married with Peejay. 

So, I'm accepting the possibility that we might get married at FABEC. Peejay and I will visit the place sometime soon.