Donations

My fiance and I originally decided on having a garden wedding ceremony but when we talked to his parents, his mom requested us to have the ceremony in a Catholic church so we can have our wedding blessed with a Mass. I’m not Catholic and my fiance hasn’t heard mass in years. To be honest, the type of ceremony doesn’t really matter to me as long as it’s simple and solemn, so I didn’t voice any protest. Having the wedding in a church is not a big deal…besides, I get to have that “closed door” dramatic effect for my entrance.

Imagine my surprise when I started researching on how we can get married in a church. I expected the paperwork and the seminars but what surprised me was the amount of money these churches ask for weddings. The prices ranged from 10 to 28 thousand pesos! I understand there are expenses incurred for electricity and flowers but doesn’t P28 THOUSAND PESOS seem too much for a venue that you’ll be using for less than two hours?

What I found more disturbing was that these churches claim that this compulsary amount is but a “donation”. Forgive me, but I always assumed that “donations” are voluntary. A donation is a gift, a contribution. If I can’t “donate” the necessary amount they’re asking for, I can’t get married in a church.  Why don’t they call it as it is? They’re rental fees, not donations. 

Oh. I suddenly remembered. The church is not an income-generating institution. If it was, the government would be taxing them. Right?

Add this to the list of things that I don’t like nor understand about the goings-on in the Catholic church. I’m not against paying for my wedding–heck, some venues charge as much as P120 thousand for just four hours. My only complaint is that they should stop hiding behind the guise of and protection of “donations”. Call it as it is. A compulsary amount for the use of a venue is not a donation. It’s RENT.

Second Food Tasting – MANILA CATERING

After literally walking through trash on Saturday morning for the coastal cleanup, my mom and I went to the Manila Catering food tasting at the Manila Ocean Park. I dropped by the OC office to shower, change and nap. Mac couldn’t come with me to the food tasting because of work so I brought my mom instead. We decided we wanted to book a caterer before the year ends so we can get a good price. I really, really don’t want to scrimp on our food budget–I’m willing to cut back on everything else but not on the food–which is why we’re seriously canvassing for caterers this early.

We arrived at the Manila Ocean Park a little before 6pm. I thought we were going to be directed to a restaurant or reception venue but instead, we were handed two complimentary tickets for the ocean park tour. My mom was completely psyched!

It was very similar to the Underwater World in Sentosa, Singapore but the tickets were less expensive. I remember paying around 20 SGD (roughly P700) for the Underwater World tour while an Ocean Park ticket sold for P400. It was an added bonus since we didn’t really expect the freebie tour. Fortunately, I brought my digital camera for the cleanup and I was able to get good pictures this time.

Manila Catering had their set ups in two different areas within the tour. I would have loved to have my wedding reception there but the price is just too steep. Aside from paying for the venue (which is already expensive), I would have to pay for my guests’ tickets. In short: unnecessary expense. Unless I win the lotto or something, the Manila Ocean Park is off of our list.

We finally reached the actual venue for the food tasting. Compared to the first food tasting I went to, this one was a breeze. Here’s a round down of the positive points:

1. The food was good. I specially loved their salads and their pasta.
2. Service was great. We were immediately given a table and drinks.
3. The venue was nice. It provided a great view of the bay.

Not-so-good points:

1. I never liked the smell of Manila Bay. Since they were also selling the venue as part of the package, I was a little turned off that I had to smell the bay before getting inside.
2. No AE from the Manila Catering approached us. As in NO ONE. The only person who talked to us was this nice girl from the Manila Ocean Park. Although I had no intentions of booking that day, it would have been nice if I got to talk to someone and asked about their packages.

Bottom line, their food was good and the price range isn’t that much different from Hizon’s. I told Mac about my misgivings with the venue but he said that if ever we decide on Manila Catering, we could easily scout for other venues. I liked their food and presentation but as I mentioned in a previous post, I’m easy to please–Mac is more picky. I realized that it’s no use going to these things without him since these are the kinds of stuff that we should both decide on.

I’m all for recommending the Manila Ocean Park tour–it’s not too pricey and it’s really worth a visit. As for Manila Catering, I’ll be reserving judgment. They delivered during the food tasting–service and food were both A+. They made the list.

First Food Tasting – Hizon’s

My heart was set on getting Hizon’s as the caterer for our wedding so when I got an invitation for their food tasting event at the Gazebo Royale, I persuaded my fiancé to go with me. Things didn’t turn out exactly as I’d hoped but I’m crossing my fingers that things will turn out well in the end.

But let me start at the beginning.

My fiancé and I arrived at Gazebo Royale a little after 4pm. The place was buzzing with activity. Stacey, our AE, wasn’t able to attend to us immediately (which was ok) but Mac was a little irked about the service. Busy or not, we were prospective clients and we were a little turned off that we had to wait for quite a while before getting served. While waiting for our plates, I decided to get a small serving of roast beef with gravy (which was yummy!) but we couldn’t find a fork anywhere. We tried to get the attention of some of the waiters but without success. Mac was getting pissed at this time.

Finally, Stacey came around to our table, apologized and made sure that our plates were served (with utensils). Mac was dismayed to find that the spoon given to him wasn’t too clean. He didn’t bother asking for another one but instead ate with his fork na lang. We were both a little disappointed with the food. Considering the good reviews I heard about Hizon’s, I was really surprised. I only liked two of the dishes served (Mac liked one) but there was no “wow” factor.

Finally, Stacey sat down with us and presented their promo package. Mac was already decided on dropping Hizon’s but I talked him into at least listening to the offer. I finally told Stacey that we didn’t like the food and mentioned the lack of service plus the dirty spoon. I was actually preparing my “thanks, but no thanks” speech in my head when Stacey started apologizing profusely and offered an exlusive food tasting for us to make up for today’s fiasco. This is on top of the attractive package they were offering that day.

Mac wasn’t entirely sold on the idea but he agreed to give Hizon’s a second chance. I think the food didn’t taste so well since we arrived late (the food tasting started at 10am). There was no excuse for the poor service though, but since it seemed they were willing to make up for it, there’s no harm in giving them another try.

We are yet to set the schedule for the food tasting at Hizon’s and I persuaded my fiancé to go with an open mind. We’ll be bringing my parents and his brother as back up. I just hope the next time will be better than what happened today.

PS (09/21/2008): Mac and I confirmed our next food tasting at Hizon’s on the 27th at their QC office. Hope things will turn out better this time around.

Wedding Expo Bliss

My fiancé and I finally decided on a date: April 17, 2010.

I get mixed reactions about planning things this early since our wedding is about two years from now but considering our circumstances and the many hurdles in our future plans, we thought it prudent to set a fixed date rather than just leave it to chance. Being the compulsive planner that I am, I excitedly undertook the task of preparing the budget for the big day. I want to be a hands-on bride; I want to book and arrange everything myself. I’d probably just get a day-coordinator so I won’t be harrassed on my wedding day.

I went to my first wedding expo at the PICC today. I wanted to go to this particular expo since it was the biggest this year and would feature a ton of suppliers. My fiancé and I didn’t really plan to book anyone yet but merely wanted to “window shop.”

I was totally floored. I never realized that weddings can be such a lucrative business.

Everything and everyone I needed to plan my wedding were there. Venues, caterers, event stylists, coordinators, photographers, videographers, hair and make up artists, couturiers and even entertainers all had their booths set up. I also met suppliers for invitations, wedding cakes, souvenirs, flower arrangements, bridal cars and wedding rings! Needless to say, we had a thick bunch of brochures when we left.

We pretty much now have an idea about how much these suppliers charge. I can now compute for a realistic budget for my wedding day. I can be really stingy and I’m not really into the idea of spending loads of money on a one-day affair. But I’m also vain enough to want my wedding day to be just perfect for me and my groom.

I found out the price of my dream venue today—-let me just say that dream venue is now out of the list. It’s just too expensive. (I’m not posting what it is here since I don’t really want comments that might try to convince me otherwise or would just gush at how beautiful the place really is). Fortunately, we found another reception venue at the expo that we like and coincidentally, the venue also has a beautiful church nearby just in case we decide on a Catholic ceremony (I’m not Catholic but fiancé’s family is). I’ll post more about it when we book them early next year.

As for the other things, I’ve only just finished sorting through the big pile of brochures. They’re now organized according to service/product in a big envelope for easier access.

I need to get back to the present for now. I still have papers due for school and pending workload at the office. Must focus. More concrete wedding plans can wait for a few more months.