As of today, Feb 21

Momon and I officially started planning last Feb 8, 2009 when we had our ocular in Tagaytay. Here's where we are after one year of preps and 7 months before our wedding day.

Many things have changed from our original plan, all for the better, I trust. We've made wonderful progress in our decision making procedures and we feel very confident with where we currently are.

I wrote down even the littlest details.


PARTNERS BOOKED/ITEMS PURCHASED:

1. Church - Santuario de San Jose, Greenhills
2. Reception Venue and Caterer - Adarna Food and Culture
2. Photographer - Redsheep Photography
3. Videographer - Cinemaworks by John de Guzman
4. Party Favors - Bai Capture Photobooth (c/o Andrea)
5. HMUA for Ros and Moms - Chickoy Vistro
6. OTD Coordinator - Special Events by the Planner
7. Wedding Rings - Regina Santi
8. Lights and Sounds - Rejectkrew
9. Entourage Florist - Angel of Hearts
10. Reception Florist - Flowers of May
11. Invitations - Printed Matter
12. Pre-cana Seminar - Discovery Weekend
13. Wedding Cord - Beautiful Bonds
14. Entourage Favors - Vietnamese embroidery products
15. Honeymoon Flights
16. Earrings - Tiger Lilly
17. Reception decor - sari sari store set-up
18. Ros' shoes
19. Nail enamel for Ros

SHORTLISTED/READY TO BOOK:
If you have some comments or feedback on these, please let me know.

1. Gown - Our family seamstress, Gretchen Pichay for Ros
2. Barong - Kamuning textile market, Rhey Casedo
3. Cake - Estrel's Caramel Cake
4. Hotel Preparations - Astoria Plaza
5. Gift Registry - Rustan's and SM Department Store
6. Church Choir - Holy Family Parish choir
7. HMUA for Entourage - Angie dela Cerna or Darvs
8. Priest - from Santuario or from Discovery Weekend
9. Meals in hotel - our usual caterer
10. Projector - from Rejectkrew, or to be borrowed
11. Screen - Adarna

I also listed down other items needed, but which I might not necessarily acquire from any specific supplier. I just wanted to check with you if I missed anything.

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

1. Jewelry and Accessories
2. Shoes for Momon
3. Transportation
4. Choreographer

FROM FRIENDS:

1. Host - Jenny Orlina
2. Special Presentation - Abet Mesa

POSSIBLE DIY:

1. Printables - menu, table numbers, pew cards, missalettes
2. Save the Dates
3. Treats for guests en route to reception venue
4. Additional decor for stage

ONGOING/MONTHLY TASKS:

1. Fitness routine
2. Petitions to Sta. Clara and Pink Sisters (Dona Hemady)
3. Facials

Madami pang hindi nakalista dito. Sa ibang entry naman.

Attacking the MF 2

I guess it's inevitable. There will always be things that will go beyond your budget.
No matter how strong, how steadfast you are in your finances, it will not be perfect.

Utimately, it's your fault. Ikaw naman nagtakda ng mga numerong yan. Bakit kasi di mo nilagay, bakit mo kasi in-assume na ganito lang ang halaga? At ang pinakatanong, bakit kasi gusto mo yan kahit mahal at kahit wala naman nakalaan for that?

In all fairness to me, onting onting items pa lang ang over ako sa budget. At madami ang may savings. PERO, pagkakamali ko di ko is may mga items na hindi ko nilagay. Gaya na lang ng choir, at pre-cana seminar. I think as the date nears, may madadagdag pa.

So ngayon, meron akong bagong term: ATTACKING THE MF 2.
MF means MYMIE/MARRIAGE FUND. MF 2's are savings Momon and I separately have to prepare for married life. Iba pa sa savings namin together for the wedding. Halos lahat ng income ko, diretso sa MF 2. Yung Day to Day account ko, yun lang yun kung anong kailangan ko talaga, the rest MF 2 na.

But for cases like our oncoming trip to KL and Mekong, and like what I shared above, we have to dip into our MF 2. And as a way to desuade myself... I call this "dipping"... ATTACKING THE MF 2.

So far, wagi ako. Pag pumupunta sa bridal fair, I only look at things I need. I just breeze through the other items. I stay away from malls. I always remind myself, if I give in to the temptation, wala kaming kakainin. If I find something so pretty that somehow I just NEED to have it, I have to walk around and psyche myself out. I have to recite over and over that I'm ATTACKING THE MF 2.

I'm not feeling so good at the moment. Should I prepare for more attacks?
Hay.. ako lang naman gumagawa nito sa sarili ko.

RedSheep Photography

We have chosen Red Sheep Photography (Guj Tungpalan) as our photographer.

If you're a bride to be, I'm sure you've spent hours and hours online looking and drooling over wedding photos. And naturally so, when a certain album inspires you more about your perfect wedding day, you want the photographer to be part of your "dream team".

From what I've observed in W@W, choosing a photographer is second in importance to securing a ceremony and reception venue. I think this is because wedding websites always emphasize the importance of good documentation, stating that "this is once in a lifetime" and "moments will never be repeated" yadda yadda yadda. I also noticed that in bridal fairs, photographers are a natural stand out simply because photos are meant to be exhibited.

Further, like I explained in my entry about Cinemaworks, technical requirements for photography have become more accessible. New trends of retouching and post-processing also presented a new kind of art. All these contribute to a new definition of wedding photography--one that relies on the photographer's mastery of the instrument, talent and creativity.

So I guess,soon-to-weds (Ok, BRIDES only!) now have a mentality that the chosen wedding photographer needs to be top-notch, in order to immortalize and showcase in images all the wonderful things we experience in our weddings.

The Story:
Documentation was my non-negotiable. Duh, obvious naman. With my background in broadcast media production, my life revolved around recording things, making a presentation, etc. I am in fact a conference documenter. So, no brainer.

I started looking at wedding photography websites in Jan 2009. I don't need to warn you, alam mo na, nakaka-addict ito. Hindi sila nauubos, parating merong bagong photographer na pwedeng pag-aralan. Minsan alam mo na agad kung hindi mo gusto, minsan naman it takes a while bago ka ma-convince... may iba isang photo pa lang, in love ka na.

Tapos titingnan mo yung rate nila... biglang mahuhulog na lang ang shoulders mo. Ayun, wala na! Pero teka, baka naman pasok sa budget? So, ayun na, in denial ka kasi sabi mo yun ang non-negotiable mo e, so dapat pagkagastosan... hmmm... pa'no na?

In my case, sikat na sikat sa W@W sila Mimi and Karl. Magaling sila, there's no denying it. I searched all over the internet for their rates... hoping na mamakahanap ako ng info without asking them for their price range directly--- E WALA. So sige, email ako ng inquiry. Pagbalik... OK, OUT NA SILA. Ganon ka-simple, madaling madali ko lang natanggap.

So, hanapan na naman! This time very conscious na sa budget. Di na magpapadala sa kagandahan ng photos. After more lurking in W@W... I chanced upon Red Sheep Photography.

Initial reaction: UY! Promising... uy, ang ganda. Simple lang, pero glossy.

After further analysis: Ok to, walang ganong retouch, post processing. Natural ang look ng photos, onting vignetting here and there, ok na. Ang ganda ng kulay, matingkad.

After venturing into the RATES page: SHIYET! Lalo pang gumanda! Grabe, pano nangyari 'to? Email ko na s'ya, now na!

Initial Observations:
We met with Guj on May 2.

Prior to this we were in touch with him by emails. It was very relaxed talking to him. Parang magkaibigan agad kayo. Gusto ko yung fact that he answers everything promptly and very very clearly. Kasi ganon din ako mag-inquire e, talagang naka-number pa.

When we met with him, he was prepared. And I'm not talking about simpleng pagfo-folder lang ng mga photos. Naka-Front Row pa! He shared with us his concept of photography, he showed us how he covers the wedding, his style of post-processing, shots of details, and album layout. He even has a mock-up album that shows the different elements, para bang catalog. Ang contract nya, naka-Pages! E pano ba yan I love iLife!

One thing that I appreciated the most with Guj was that he didn't give our booking away. What happened was, we were already scheduled to meet, but there was also a bride who wanted to get our wedding date and pay ahead of us. Guj, the smart and professional guy that he is, didn't give the date away. Kasi nga naman, technically nauna pa rin kaming nag-inquire sa date and it was only because of scheduling matters why we were not able to meet with him to discuss. This one, I really really appreciate. I experienced first hand this similar experience with another supplier, but he gave the date to the one who paid first kahit na ako yung unang nag-inquire and we were just waiting for our meeting sked.

Needless to say, we were truly impressed. And the rate, the rate, the rate---it was a blessing.

Other Options:
Actually, we met first with Jeff and Lisa Photography.

I like their work, pero bottomline, it really wasn't fit for me. I think they specialize on the rustic, sepia feel. I also didn't like that when they met with us, they didn't have a presentation prepared. They just asked us to browse the album. I was even the one who asked them to show a sample of raw and edited photos, which they had to dig up from their computer.

We also considered Redefine Wedding by Jayson Arquiza and Photos by Ging by Ging Lorenzo. We did not proceed with the meetings because we already booked Red Sheep.


CLICK HERE to view some of their recent works.

Special Events by the Planner

We chose Special Events by the Planner as our On-the-day Coordinators.

The Story:
I don't want our families to be stressed during the wedding. Gusto ko para rin silang bisita, gusto ko wala silang aalalahanin. AT LALO NA AKO, AYOKONG MALOKA. Knowing myself, hanggang sa kadulu-duluhan, mage-effort pa rin ako sa pag-aayos. So, di ko na kailangan ng mega pagpapa-convince kung kukuha ba kami ng OTD Coordinator. Si Momon... go din sya!

After researching and tallying costs, feedback and other information, we chose to meet and book Love Daligdig of Special Events by the Planner. We met at Starbucks Zapote on May 31.

We prepared a set of questions, but by her presentation alone she was able to answer everything already. I guess ganon talaga dapat ang ma-feel mo pag kukuha ka ng coordinator. Kailangan ma-feel mo na they will take care of everything even before you ask them to. They will be on top of things, and you can just take a back seat.

Hmm... sasabihin ko na naman ba "because of my experience as a ______", in this case event coordinator. YAK! Parang lahat na lang yata may affinity ako, ang di ko pa lang yata nagawa is maging photobooth!

Pero sige na nga, dahil dati rin akong event coordinator, I know the demands of the job. Judging from our meeting with Love, I trust that she and her team will do a good job. Kahit ngayon nga pag nagco-consult ako sa kanya, she always responds promptly.

Other Options:
Wala, really. Hanggang online inquiry lang. We didn't meet up with anyone else.

Other Notes:
They honor the W@W Tag, and they have lots of partner suppliers who grant them discounts.

Rejectkrew

We booked Rejectkrew (Elmer Bautista) as our supplier for our Lights and Sounds.

The Story:
This is another no-brainer booking influenced by Weddings at Work. Elmer and his crew are one of the Top Ten Suppliers of 2009 and I’ve read numerous great reviews from other members. Di rin naman ako bago makipag-deal with lights and sounds supplier cause I used to work for events kaya alam ko na rin mga tatanungin ko. Nasagot rin n’ya lahat, syempre. Nagulat nga s’ya na tinatanong ko na yung mga ibang details like ingress and electricity requirements sa unang conversations pa lang namin. And of course, the most important, his rate is below our budget. So bakit pa namin papahirapan ang sarili namin… s’ya na.

Initial Observations:
As if this wasn’t enough, grabe, ang ganda ng attitude ni Elmer.

Una ko pa lang sya nakausap sa phone, na-feel ko kaagad ang enthusiasm n’ya sa trabaho at ang kasiyahan n’ya na s’ya ang napili namin. Sa lahat ng text, sobra s’yang magalang. Hanggang sa nagkita na kami… maayos s’yang kausap, marami s’yang ideas pero gusto n'ya malaman ang ideas ng couple para yun ang gagamitin n'yang inspiration. May “title” na nga s’ya para sa lighting na gagawin nya sa Adarna.

We also talked about things beyond his service. He shared his ideas about the whole reception program, mga crucial details that were truly helpful.

Soundbytes ni Elmer:

* Ako kasi Ma’am, hindi ko nililimitahan ang sarili ko sa trabaho ko lang. Na-experience ko na yung parang ako yung nagging coordinator. Ako yung tumatangap ng mga nagse-set-up na suppliers. Kasi naniniwala ako na para maging successful ang event, dapat lahat malinis, dapat nasa best form, at dapat magtulungan kami.
* Ang promise ko sa inyo Ma’am… actually hindi promise, guarantee. Ang guarantee ko sa inyo, hindi ako magpapatay ng ilaw at ng sounds hangga’t may bisita kayo.

So there, til October. Sana ma-experience rin namin ang mga na-experience ng mga nauna sakin. :)

Angel of Hearts

We booked Angel of Hearts (Lawrence and Lorry Jean Dela Rosa) as our supplier for our Entourage Bouquets.


The Story:
I honestly don't know how I feel about flowers... gusto ko ba sila, prioriy ko ba sila, or willing ba akong deadmahin lang sila? I ike flowers in general, yes. I arrange flowers in our house and I enjoy looking at them. Momon only gives me flowers for special occasions, so I guess di rin s'ya big on flowers. So, wala. Di ko alam kung nasaan sila sa rank ng mga priorities namin.

Pero for sure, kailangan namin ng flowers kasi ganon talaga. Alangan naman walang bouquet? Wala rin naman akong idea na pang-substitute.

I went to Dangwa/Manila Flower Center in Laong Laan for a meeting with Angel of Hearts. Although di ko pa sila nakaka-usap, wala pang anything, decided na kami ni Momon sa kanila. They were recently named one of Weddings @ Work’s Top Ten Suppliers, and the feedback of the members speaks volumes.

Initial Observations:
My meeting with them was quiet brief, walang ganong discussion except for me asking for the names of the flowers. They were very patient, kahit minsan umuulit na yung tanong ko, sinasagot pa rin nila. Ako na yung nagsasabing, “Ay natanong ko na pala yung kanina!” I felt Lorry Jean wanted to move forward already so I just listened to her after this.

Comment ko lang is sana mas maganda ang organization ng mga photos nila. When I saw the photos, they were classified according to use (ento, centerpiee, church, etc). Maybe they can bring it further and fix it by color and by kind of flower. Kasi for someone like me who doesn’t know a thing, it would have save a lot of time kung may ganong classification.

Napadali ang decision making because of one thing: COST.

Grabe, MY GAD ang mahal pala ng bulaklak. I mean… alam ko naman na hindi mura… pero na-shock pa rin ako. Imagine, isang bouquet ng cymbidium orchids P6000; yung tulips… P8000 ba? How can it be? Tapos after all that malalanta s'ya? Nyikes!

Buti naman yung favored flower ko ay kasama sa mga “cheap” flower selection. So, ganon ulit, dumali ang decision.

Grabe din ang quote for centerpieces, nakakalula! Ang simple centrepiece in a low vase – SIMPLE, TALAGANG NAKASPECIFY – ay P500. Pag tall vase, P800. And the vase is going to be pulled out, di mo maiuuwi. Couples Table is P4000; VIP Table is P5000.

Note that THIS IS NOT TO SAY that Angel of Hearts is expensive, it’s just that it took us by surprise, mainly because of our lack of knowledge of the price range and that flowers are not our priority.

Package Inclusions:

Flower Selection – roses, carnations, astromeria, statice and buttons

1 Bride
2 Mothers
2 Maids of Honor
3 Secondary Sponsors
3 Female Principal Sponsors

Package Cost: P8,000
Freebies (although I don’t think anything is really free, haha!): Tossing bouquet, car bouquet and petals

Next Steps:

We’ll have to come back around a month prior to the wedding to make the mock-up and finalize all the details.

I have to research some more and finalize my idea about my bouquet. Kasama na rin sa research and paghahanap ng simple and cheap centerpieces. Kung DIY, open rin kami dyan, pero kung for a small price may mao-offer ang Adarna, dun na lang.

Side Kwento:
Nung dumating ako sa shop may mga madre doon. Ang sweet nila. Bago sila umalis, mega greet sila saking ng best wishes, good luck. Yung isang madre, nag-kiss pa sakin. Hehe.

Ayan, for something na paulit-ulit kong sinabing wala akong true interest, ang dami ko pa ring sinabi no?

Grooms: The True Decision Makers

Sometimes I don't understand how I'm feeling about these wedding preps...

Minsan gusto ko nang magtuloy tuloy, ayusin na ang lahat... pero I also constantly remind myself that there is a time for everything. I have to prioritize my work and there are more urgent things to do.

Minsan din we read/hear/see something that seems so fabulous, so nice to have for our wedding... tapos sa moment na yun sobrang decided ka na, kahit pa mahal gusto mo pa rin, sinasabi mo sa sarili mo pasok sa budget, merong paraan!

Meron din namang time na wala kang gana, or simply wala kang time even to think about the wedding preps...


I always look to Momon in times of confusion, and he always quotes Michael Clayton, "I said to myself as clear as this may be, as potent a feeling as this is, as true a thing as I believe that I have witnessed today, it must wait. It must stand the test of time. (And Michael, the time is now.)" Madalas, when I'm completely stumped---wanting too many things at a time--Momon presents a decision that seems so logical I wonder why I never thought of it.

I guess grooms stand at a great vantage point. They are involved, no doubt. We may even be underestimating how much they think about the wedding. But they maintain a certain distance from all the details, therefore seeing things more objectively.

This is a bit unusual for my groom whose motto is "Indecision is the key to flexibility"--which I hate, by the way! But for this case, Momon has proven that he doesn't only tell me the things I want to hear, or agree to my suggestions for the sake of ending the discussion, but he truly helps me make a good decision.

So, I guess I'm not going to rant that my groom is not so involved with the preps. I'd say, he's involved enough--allowing me the freedom to plan my dream wedding with all the drama of doing so, and coming in during crucial times, like a rock I can always lean on to steady myself and keep me on track.

CINEMAWORKS by John De Guzman

Our Videographer:
CINEMAWORKS by John De Guzman

The Story:
Dati akala ko ayoko ng video coverage sa wedding. Minsan naiisip ko... sino bang manonood ng video? Yung mga video ko naman na nagba-ballet dati, inamag na; mga family travels, nanganganib nang amagin! Ganon din ba mangyayari sa video ng wedding namin?

Pero... iba na ngayon. Videos are uploaded, more easily accessible. You can easily replicate with a DVD burner. It's not just a documentation tool anymore, it's a tool for sharing your wedding to those who were not able to attend. Video equipment is now relatively cheaper, and getting a fabulous-quality video is no longer as expensive. Tapos may konsepto pa ng same-day edit/onsite video... ay iba na talaga. Dati editing suites are mounted in rooms, ngayon laptop at external drive, buo na!

Ay sus... all these coming from a person who works in video production. So, you can just expect how tedious my search was for our videographer. Sabi ko kay Momon, kung magpapa-video tayo, let's not get someone whose bread and butter is still photography--those two disciplines are definitely different. For me, pag photo, photo, pag video, video.

Ang tagal na nitong na-achieve. April and May when we started contacting and setting up meetings with them. We only met with two--Playback Productions by Pheoben Teocson and Cinemaworks by John De Guzman. It was July when we finalized our booking with the latter.

Other Option/s:

PLAYBACK BY PHEOBEN TEOCSON

PROs
1. Good clean lines, nice videos cut to the beat of the music.

2. Creative

CONs
1. I asked him if I can have a viewing of the output prior to him making it final, and if I have changes sa mga transitions, comments on the chosen videos, can he change it? He said no. Sabi nya ang pwede lang daw palitan is yung mga wrong spelling na pangalan, etc. Pero on the creative side, wala nang pwedeng gawin.

2. He does all the design of the album cover, and will also not revise.

3. I feel he does not capitalize on the natural sound.

4. Overuse of dolly and moving shots.


Our Choice:

CINEMAWORKS BY JOHN DE GUZMAN

1. Clean steady shots. - This is one of the primary reasons why I chose him. I'm not a big fan of handheld shots. I like the camera on the tripod cause it's easier on the eyes. This is the big difference with amateur and professional videogrpahers, they use the tripod.

2. Uses natural sound well. If you visit John's site, the SDE entitled "This Side" had a lot of the natural sound: the priest talking, people clapping, the guests laughing during the preps, etc. I think people tend to forget sometimes that in a video presentation, the audio is as important as the video. I find it really weird--irritating even-- when I see a person on screen, with his/her mouth opening but I can't hear the voice. I feel that a lot of emotions are lost when the voices of the people are muted.

If you watch docu's or the news you'll find that the audio is often two layered--the natural sound (voices, background, etc) and the music. Sometimes there are even sound effects, if needed.

3. Uses dolly and moving shots with purpose. This is my pet peeve. I watch some SDEs of W@W members, made by some other videographers, grabe... hilong hilo ako. Dolly (camera moves towards or away from the subject), tracking and other camera movements must be used with a purpose. Hindi lang for the sake of magamit. And this what I've seen in John's work. He's a filmmaker kasi e, and he knows the meaning of shots, and how to use them properly.

Additional things that swayed us to John's side:
1. The packaging of his video is a lot better than Pheoben's. He offers it in a leather or native case. Meron din crystal (plastic) case.

2. Time table of final video is also faster. Si Pheoben sometimes inaabot daw ng 6 mos kasi sa dami na rin ng kumukuha sa kanya.

3. John is open to revisions, basta lang hindi complete overhaul.

4. And of course, the cost. Pero at this point, the cost is just a bonus. More than enough na yung reasons I stated above.

***

Overall, they are both good videographers. They are very creative, have great composition of shots and very clean editing. What matters is how they tell the story, how they interpret the videos they gather into a clean narrative of your wedding. For me, this is where the natural sound/voices come in: to enrich the visual story.

The scenes we find on an SDE without voices is just like the scenes we'll find when we browse our photos.So para kalang nanood ng photos na gumagalaw. Our videos will have to go beyond that. Often times we just forget what we said, the vows we recited, the tone of voice, the laughter and reactions of the whole party. If the audio is in place in the videos, I believe that we can truly feel and relive that moment each time we watch our SDEs.


Here's a sample SDE by John.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW HIS WEBSITE.

Anna and Roddy / Same Day Edit from John de Guzman on Vimeo.

My Gown Inspirations

Ay Mym, grabe ang habang research nito!
Masaya pag nakakita ka na ng gown design na gusto mo talaga, kahit papano di ka na lost. Minsan kasi maganda pag nakikita mo sa model, pero pag iniisip mo naman kung OK ba yun sa katawan mo, naku, ewan ko na lang.

So, here are some of my wedding gown inspirations. Actually, halo halo. I labeled the photos here according to the item na gusto ko with that specific dress.

1. Neck and Back

Medyo favorite ko kasi sa pananamit itong si Jennifer Love. Lalo na sa mga outfit nya sa Ghost Whisperer, lagi s'yang fabulous don with the vintage lace, the very delicate designs, ang ganda. And I think we have a similar body type, somewhat, wide hips and small waist.

I like the design of the neck here, yun bang parang sort of popped collar. OK din sakin yung itsura ng sleeve, parang nakapatong lang. But the neckline, medyo itaas syempre kasi pupunta tayo sa simbahan. Haha.

The rest of the dress, OK lang sakin, pero hindi sya masyadong bongga for a bride.

2. Skirt

Sabi sa research, A-line daw ang bagay sa mga gaya kong vertically challenged. Tama ba? Haha!

So, ito below is like an interpretation na of the sort of same design as above, may mga slight changes lang. Pero what I'm looking at here is the skirt. I like the cinched waist because I want to emphasize my waist. I think the skirt here is nice, just enough grandeur, but still simple, and easy to walk with.

3. Train

I don't really want to have a long train, as in hindi talaga.
I'll need the help of my designer sa pagtranslate nitong train inspiration sa aking two thoughts sa taas. Hehe. Gusto ko kasi parang tie-in sa lace design sa taas.

4. Veil

I want a short veil lang, longest na yung sa waist, shortest is yung is sa between ng shoulder and elbow. I want a mantilla veil. :) Something like these two below.

5. Color

Gusto ko sana talaga is super pale pink. Pano ko kaya ipapasok?


Ayan, ang haba di ba?! Sana ma-achieve ko.

Adarna Food and Culture

We have chosen our reception venue:
ADARNA FOOD AND CULTURE, Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City

The story:
Like I said in my previous blog entry, we initially wanted Sonya's Garden for our wedding reception. Pero Adarna was really the thing that convinced us to move the wedding to Metro Manila. When we dined here, I somehow felt the same awe as I did when we went to Sonya's Garden.

I love love places that are themed, yung bang hindi half-baked. Both Adarna and Sonya's are like that. They have their personality, they have a character na lutang na lutang pero hindi naman nakakaumay. Every corner, every decor is well-thought of, and the execution is a work of art by its owners and managers.

"Adarna Food and Culture is a restaurant that celebrates Filipino culinary heritage by serving historical, regional and heirloom recipes in a warm, elegant and homey setting," says their FB fanpage.

The things we like:
For me, I just like the fact that it's not the usual wedding venue, a place na hindi lang ang bride and groom ang pwedeng makita, but also the things exhibited in the restaurant. I like the thought na "unique" kahit papano ang wedding namin.

The menu is not the usual that we see in buffets, something that we can really explore and play with.

Also, we don't have to hire an event stylist to make the place beautiful. It's already pretty on its own.

I'm thankful that we're dealing directly with the chef and the owners. I love how they share their artistry to make our wedding a success.

Finally, I like that this place is a bit known to be a haven for NGOs, progressive civil society workers, and the like, being that the owner is a women's and girl child's rights activist. Haha, the NGO worker in me!

Still to do:
Since it's not one of the more popular venues, we have to make an extra effort to bring our coordinator, florists and lights and sounds suppliers for an ocular. Hindi pwedeng masabi na nakagawa na sila ng wedding doon. No problem, though.

More photos: http://rmacachor.multiply.com/photos/album/6/Adarna_Food_and_Culture