Final Ceremony and Reception Venues

Final Church! :)
San Agustin Church, Intramuros, Manila

San Agustin Church : From Google Images

Cost: PhP 24,000.00
Inclusions:
- Wedding Mass and Marriage ceremony (One Hour Only: 45 minutes Ceremony and 15 minutes Picture Taking)
- Simple Flower Decoration 
- Royal Red Carpet 
- Organist and singer
- Usher/Usherettes and Altar Server
- Use of 18th century chandeliers
- 6 Units Evaporative Air Conditioners
- Use of Parking Lot for 40 cars
- Documentation (Registration of Marriage Contract)

* Couple may request the use of the 18th Century (AD 1762) Church's Pipe Organ. (I'm not sure if this one's included in the package)

Additional Charges (Optional)
PhP 4000 - Upgraded Flower Decoration
PhP 1000 - Use of Electricity (for Video)
PhP 1000 - Use of Choir Balcony (If you want to have an aerial photo)
PhP 1000 - Use of Museum for Pictorial after the wedding (limited) (I'm not sure if this one's already included in the use of choir balcony)
PhP 400 per pair - If the couple wishes to have more than six pairs of Sponsors
PhP 5000 - Excess of 30 mins, this is only allowed if there's no scheduled wedding or mass on the following time
PhP 50 - If you want to have a soft copy of the Missalette (CD)

Notes:
- You are advised to put the wedding time in the invitation card, 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. The entourage will be called to assemble at the Church entrance 15 minutes before the time
- The ring, coin bearers and flower girls must be at least four (4) years old
- Reservation fee: PhP 8,000

San Agustin with Simple Flower Decoration

San Agustin with Upgraded Flower Decoration

San Agustin : Aerial Photo

Even with all the possible extra charges I still want to get married at San Agustin :)

Final Reception Venue :)
La Castellana

La Castellana

We think La Castellana is the best choice for all the venues near San Agustin that can accommodate 200-250 guests. 

We chose La Castellana's Year III Package, Queen Isabella! :)

This package includes:
- Venue
- Choice from 4 Caterers: Hizon's Catering, Ilustrado, VS&F Classic Food International and Center Table Catering
- Bridal Car OR Cake
- Sounds and Lights OR String Quartet
- Photobooth
- LCD Projector with Screen
- On the Day Coordination with Hosting OR RSVP Services OR Upgraded Mobile Bar
And we got the following Freebies:
- Free Floral Arrangement for Foyers 1 and 2
- 1 Hour Free
- Waived Lechon Fee (but we have to pay for the choppers)
- No Corkage Fee for Beers and Wines (Maximum of 3 Cans per Guest)

Reservation : PhP 20,000

Deliberations / Additional Charges
- We're thinking of choosing Sounds and Lights instead of String Quartet because there's a minimum charge of PhP 1,500 if you're getting a different supplier. This charge depends on the sets equipment you will be using.
- PhP 500 in case you're getting a non-accredited Photobooth Supplier
- PhP 1,500 for non-accredited Drapings Supplier
- PhP 1,500 each for non-accredited bars (eg. Candy Bar, Mobile Bar, Starbucks, etc)
- Refundable Security Deposit of PhP 10,000

Btw. I took a video of La Castellana. Haha! might have turned the camera too fast! :)

Low Quality Upload: You should visit La Castellana :)

Look how easy it is to get to the reception after the ceremony :)

Map from San Agustin to La Castellana : Driving Directions

Map from San Agustin to La Castellana : Walking Directions

=) Yey for San Agustin and La Castellana! :)

Ocular Visit: Intramuros Area

24 November 2012

Since we dropped SSJ and Glass Garden, we limited our ocular visit to Intramuros and Quezon City. Together with my future sisters-in-law, we explored Intramuros for possible venues :)

Our itinerary:
1. San Agustin Church
2. Casa Blanca
3. Teatrillo
4. La Castellana
5. The Pergola
6. Ibarra's Garden

First Stop : Villa Immaculada
On our way to San Agustin, we passed by Tamayo's. We took our chance of checking out Tamayo's Villa Immaculada. Good thing they're setting the place up for a wedding event in the afternoon.

Villa Immaculada's Interior

Villa Immaculada's Exterior

I like the vines and capiz in front but I feel like the place would be cramped for 200-250 persons. I'm also into high ceiling, so, this one might not pass.

Second Stop: San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church


San Agustin Church : From Google Images

Okay. This IS going to be our church :)

Third Stop: Barbara's

Barbara's

Babara's right across San Agustin. This place would definitely suit those events with Filipiniana theme, but I feel like this one's too old for me. Haha! And, 200-250 guests wouldn't fit in here. The place is U-shaped, I think, there's a possibility that guests seated at the corner wouldn't see the couple upfront.

Fourth Stop: Casa Blanca / Patio Manila

Casa Blanca
Failed to take a photo of Patio Manila :/

Casa Blanca and Patio Manila's just behind Barbara's. 

Too much column and it does have the "old" smell. :/

Fifth Stop: Teatrillo

Teatrillo

Teatrillo's located at the basement of Patio Manila. It feels a bit creepy though. :| Ceiling height is a bit low and the management forbids setting up drapes. Plus, there's a fake water well before you enter Teatrillo. Totally reminds me of Sadako (from The Ring series). Haha! 

Photo from: http://myblog.kitakitts.com/2010_07_01_archive.html

Sixth Stop: La Castellana

La Castellana Exterior

La Castellana Interior

Ha! La Castellana's two or three blocks from San Agustin. After seeing all the other venues, La Castellana would be a refreshing sight. The place can accommodate up to 350 persons, so this is so far the best reception venue for us.

I'm a bit hesitant about the ceiling though. You can still see the framing and insulation. I guess drapes would be the best solution for this one.

Christian toured us around La Castellana. He showed us the bridal room, comfort room for guests, preparation and comfort room for the staff, etc.

I still wanted to visit The Pergola but it might be a bit far from San Agustin. Therefore, after La Castellana, we stopped looking for venues with a happy feeling inside. :)

Brainstorming for Church and Reception Venues :)

Church and Venue Considerations

A day after Meg proposed, we started looking for churches and venues within our budget. =)

OPTION#1
Since we can't have Fernwood or Fernbrook, next in line would be Glass Garden! :) 

We've looked for churches near Glass Garden and immediately called up Christ the King, sad to say, the only available slots are at 10:00am and 1:00pm. Next church we have considered is Sanctuario de San Jose in Greenhills. Taking into account the possible traffic in the afternoon from SSJ to Glass Garden, we've decided to drop SSJ and Glass Garden.

Map from Sanctuario de San Jose to Glass Garden

OPTION #2
Next would be venues and churches in Quezon City. We've also asked for packages from Ibarra's Garden, Gazebo Royale, Blue Gardens, The Oasis, etc.

OPTION #3
We thought of having a Filipiniana wedding, therefore, Intramuros! :) I called up San Agustin Church and all slots are free! :) For the reception (indoor), we've considered, Barbara's, Ilustrado, Casa Blanca, Teatrillo and La Castellana.

OPTION #4
We've also considered The Pergola (CCP) in case we'll have San Agustin. :)

Next post, ocular for ceremony and reception venues! :)

Whew. First post!

Meg and I are engaged!!! <3

Anyway, we've decided to create this blog so we could help future couples during their planning stage. Reviews and blogs really helped us a lot =)