Tagaytay Wedding Reception Venues for the Nth Time

Inhale.. Exhale.. Relax.. Waaaaaaaahh!! Panic mode na agad.

The year just started and I'm already getting worried. I got a bit busy at work and didn't have time to decide on our reception venue. And now, it's 2013 na! In less than a year we'll be getting married. So excited!! But no place booked yet. T.T

H2B and I are thinking to go to China for our honeymoon. I'd love to go there lalo na it'll be winter that time. I'll get to wear boots. Hihi. ;) The catch is, we now have to slightly cut our wedding budget so we can have the money for the trip... Deep breathing currently ongoing...

Kaya ngayon, venue hunting pa din ang drama ko! I'm having a hard time choosing the place because of my "incompatible" requirements:
a. cheap = meaning not expensive; costs less than most but has potential to be tasteful and elegant
b. view = a place overlooking taal, close to nature, better if semi-outdoor type

My sister/coordinator said that it'll be better if we'll consider having:
a. a fancy hotel for preps with taal view + a cheaper reception venue, or
b. a cheap but nice inn or BnB + a reception place with taal view

And so for the nth time, here are my latest finds:

1. Amber Garden Tagaytay - according to their emails, rent is 10k with additional fees for electricity worth 1,500 and up. I really like this place. Seems very private and the wedding celebration may be more intimate. However, when my sister went for ocular last week, she wasn't able to find the place dahil hindi nya macontact ang manager thru phone that day. :( I said we'll try again when I go on vacation soon! *fingers crossed* :D

photo from ambergardentagaytay.blogspot.com

2. Sta Rosa Heights Clubhouse - 10k rent also. This place is also nice but I'm a bit worried about the heavy traffic in StaRosa-Silang Road kapag weekend afternoons.. >.<

photo from starosaheights.webs.com

3. SotoGrande Clubhouse - 10k rent as well. Medyo 50-50 pa ko sa place na 'to. But since it made my list, may chance pa din talaga itong mapili ko. Hehe.

both photos from sulit.com.ph

4. Tagaytay Clubhouse and Suites - a.k.a. Pacific Grove, costs 18k according to my WC. This venue is very fine din but my problem is hindi neutral ang color ng windows. Yellow! At ang motif pa naman namin ay red. *imagine eye.sore*

photo from sulit.com.ph

Naubos ko na yata lahat ng venues sa Tagaytay. Meron na sanang napili if only I'm not so kuripot and oc-oc.. Hehe.

For the hotel/bnb choices, we have:
1. Joaquins Bed & Breakfast - my sister went here last week and fell in love with the place! She said the view is really breathtaking at worth it ang rooms which cost around 5k-6k per night. Not bad.
2. TwinPines Suites - this is our choice if ever hotel-without-the-view + reception-with-the-view ang manalong wedding combo. Hehe. The owners are very accommodating sabi ng sister ko at magaganda din ang rooms which cost 3k-5k per night.

I wasn't going to resume my search yet until my sister told me that the venues are nearly fully booked for weddings on December this year. Stress, stress go away. Pati si H2B nalilito na sa akin. He's saying to just get the hotel and venue that I want and don't think about cutting the budget anymore dahil kaya naman daw namin bayadan. Ayaw nya daw na mapilitan lang ako pumili. Which is ayaw ko din naman. But... I really, really want to save and be practical kahit na gusto ko matupad ang dream wedding ko.

So, good luck to my Habibi and me..
My venue hunting goes on.. To be continued..

*You hold my every moment, You calm my raging seas, You walk with me through fire.. guide us in making the best decision*

More Reception Venues.. AGAIN!! ;)

Thank God, love at first sight has no effect on me. Hihi. At buti na lang matagal pa ang aming wedding. I have the luxury to be fickleminded. :D

We would've booked Rosemont Garden because H2B and I loved the place and my father also liked it when they went for the ocular visit.
But just recently, my sister/wedding coordinator suggested that we should have the reception somewhere near the church. Kasi medyo malayo ang Rosemont from Lourdes Church and madami daw busy streets = moderate traffic na dadaanan just like nung nag ocular sila last month. And sa Pamana, crowded daw pero okay ang food. 60 guests lang ang kasya sa dining area nila so cannot be talaga.
So, here I am again.. Looking for a better venue. Eto na po ang latest list ko na malapit sa church:

1) Lake Hotel - garden with very nice view of taal pero out na sa budget. :P the package they sent me costs 165k for the ballroom + catering for 100 pax + other amenities, etc. May additional 50k if you want sa garden ang reception.. T.T

photo from tagaytayplace.blogspot

2) Bella Vista - this place is near picnic grove. I considered this before at based sa email ni Ms. Sandee (owner) last July, 38k ang rent ng garden + ground floor suite. Medyo 1st choice ko na ito, AS OF POSTING. hehe.

photos from Bella Vista FB page

3) RestHouse - I already exchanged emails with the owner of this house back in July. Ang rent nung place ay 35k including ang whole house at garden. I super love this also. However, hindi daw sya sure if they will be renting out the place by December next year. huhu! He said I just have to keep in touch so he can update me if ever. I'd like to reserve the place na nga kaya mag follow up ako soon. ;)

vacationtagaytay.multiply.com

4) Celina's Cafe - I think same ang owner nila ng Tagaytay Weddings & Events. The packages they sent me are affordable and almost complete na nga. I like the venue which is the plaza in Vista Point. The problem is, open sya sa public. I mean, may surrounding establishments ang plaza like Bo's Coffee and other restaurants na open sa madlang pipol even if may wedding in the middle of the place. Sayang ang perfect view.

facebook page: Tagaytay WeddingandEvents

@ Celina's Cafe

I'm also thinking if we could consider Lake Garden Hotel again (nasa 1st post ko about reception venues). Yung garden lang, ggamitin for the reception kasi yung mismong hotel hindi din gusto ng kapatid ko dahil old na daw & not so nice to look at. Pero 15k lang. Hehe. So we can just check in sa isang nice hotel na malapit sa Lourdes Church like Theodore Hotel, Wingate Manor or Kimberly for the wedding preps.

H2B told me not be stressed out masyado at this point. I'm having nightmares kasi lately about our wedding being a disaster. Hehe. Matagal pa naman daw kaya relax lang daw ako. I'm trying. Maybe, I will calm down eventually if we'll find and book the reception venue soon. Naghahabol lang kasi ako sa price lock for this year. Dami kasi mag iincrease ng rates nila by 2013.


I hope we'll finally find the perfect place for us. Sooner rather than later. ;)

Alert! Alert! The "Kuripot" strikes again! (MoRe ReCePtiOn VeNueS OptiOnS)

And without a doubt, I'm a woman.. Who changes her mind every now and then. Sometimes sooner than later. Hehe.

Because our wedding day's not yet "abot-kamay", H2B and I are often discussing how we can stick to our original budget. Kasi po we still have over a year to plan plus we just booked two suppliers only and yet according to my "Excel File of Wedding Cost", we'd be exceeding our target budget by almost 25%! Scary! :P

That's why, I'm on the look out again for cheaper reception venues so we'll have a Plan B. Our current option a.k.a. Plan A is Rosemont Gardens for wedding preps and reception + outside Caterer. Plan B would be affordable Hotel rooms for preps + Restaurant package for reception. Plan B is supposedly cheaper than our current plan but I'm having a hard time finding a reasonably priced restaurant with my type of ambiance. I've just recently decided that the theme for our wedding is Spanish-Filipino. Before kasi confused pa ko kung chinese ba, zen or travel inspired sya. Hehe. I'm also considering pala renting a vacation house with a large garden.

So, I've made a new list. I don't have their rates yet but I'll be getting in touch with them soon. Most probably I'll ask H2B to call them. Hehe. Here are my latest finds:

1. Pamana Restaurant
Because of the limited space, we, or shall I say, "I" need to make bawas sa share ko sa guest list namin if we'll choose this venue. Also, no traditional wedding program, etc. It's fine with me as long as makapag salo-salo at mag enjoy ang families and friends namin with us to celebrate our marriage.

photos c/o ourawesomeplanet :)

2. Vanilla Suites
I love this! Yun lang. No idea pa how much ang package nila at saan ang exact location. H2B said he'll call their office tomorrow AM. :)

photos c/o vanillasuites.multiply.com

3. Tagaytay Houses for Rent
I'm usually not loving the bedrooms. Not good for picture taking. Hehe. But cheaper talaga pag house with garden na lang ni-rent. Like 10k-30k php for 24hrs. I'm hoping I'll find something nicer.

photos c/o tagaytayvacation.multiply

Well, mag ocular ang sister/wedding coordinator ko this weekend. Sana may good news! ;)
I know we shouldn't rush things kasi baka may iba pang better na makita by next year, but I'm after the price lock kasi. Hehe. Sa KuboKubo Restaurant kasi ang package daw nila ay until November this year na lang para ma-price lock then mag increase na sila for the 2013-2014 package.

Hay, stress, stress go away! >.<
Pray na lang for the best. Whatever choices we will have, we'll decide from there.
Cross the bridge when you get there na lang kasi. hihi.

Good vibes! ♥