Venue Hunt for a Picnic-Themed Wedding

Rye and I are aiming for a farm-style wedding but farms will most definitely be outside Manila. The thing with out-of-town venues is the added costs which I am not so keen on including in the budget. The next option then is to settle for garden venues or resort-type places within Metro Manila. I am somehow appeased with the thought that instead of a farm-style wedding, we will just have a picnic-themed event.

For the coming weekend, we have arranged to do an ocular of the following venues:

• Parks & Wildlife in Quezon City, which is very near our place of residence; 
•  Makati Parks since I’ve read a  few blogs suggesting it as a viable wedding venue;
• La Mesa Ecopark in Fairview
• Aquaboy Resort, Fairview
• Maria Luisa Events Place, Novaliches

Venue Hunt: Sitio de Amor

Sitio de Amor is a multi-hectare farm resort in San Pablo, Laguna lovingly designed and built by owners Jorge and Amor. We haven’t been to the farm but I am so rooting for the treehouse and infinity pool I saw on their website.

Photo credits to Sitio de Amor's website

Photo credits to Sitio de Amor's website

The place has a well-manicured lawn. I can already picture the arrangement for the ceremony on a cool December afternoon, just a few moments before sunset. Or an early dinner affair around this infinity pool.

And then, there’s this pavilion with wooden tables and chairs that will just be perfect for the picnic theme reception that we are planning to pursue.

Photo credits to Sitio de Amor's website

Photo credits to Sitio de Amor's website

I am not sure if I mentioned it previously but I prefer benches over Tiffany chairs. This set-up is just perfect for what I have in mind.

Photo credits to Sitio de Amor's website

Package:

When I inquired about the rates, my heart sank… P60,000 for venue alone. Plus out of town fee of suppliers, our transportation cost, accommodation and food expenses. That seems like P100,000 additional for all these. I don’t think I am willing to spend that much. The guests may not also be amenable to traveling all the way to San Pablo. Sigh… Another sigh… 

Rye's Thoughts
Too far and too pricey. He did like the pavilion though.

My Thoughts
I so want something like this... But I am not willing to let go of an additional P100K for the venue... I wish Manila is hiding a gem like this. I definitely need to continue searching for venues.

Verdict:
Mrs. Amor seemed like a sweet lady as we spoke over the phone but at this point it wouldn’t be wise to spend so much on venue alone. We might try visiting the place for a short vacation though.

Food Taste Date Reloaded Part 2: Manila Catering and CVJ Catering

Manila Catering

This is the same group behind FISH, Our Kitchen, and Azaya Resort so I expected a bit more from them given their background in the industry.

I was searching for to-go food for the baptismal party of Baby Yo when I chanced upon Manila Catering and decided to attend their Food Tasting event at the Gazebo Royale last Sunday. We live very near the venue so I also invited my two sisters K and G to come along, to which they excitedly agreed of course. I was excited for them too as it was their first food tasting event.

We got to the venue a little after lunch time and K and G were eager to start off with the food tasting as they haven’t eaten yet… only to be disappointed after. This was my plate. Forgive the plating, a little messy I know. But I wouldn’t have minded had the food tasted good. Sad to say, nothing excited my palate. 

                From pasta, clockwise: Penne in Pomodoro, Carbonara, Korean Beef Stew, Beef Curry, Pork belly,                    Chicken Teriyaki, Baked Chicken

If I really had to choose, the chicken teriyaki would have to be the best dish on this lot. I got only a very small portion, it doesn't even seem visible on my plate. I know my messy plating is to blame for that. Anyway, nothing tasted really special and I thought the dishes were just glorified carinderia meals. Definitely not the type I will serve on my wedding. Most were too salty for my liking. Forgive me if I sound mean, but I'm just trying to describe the taste as honestly as I can.

There was also a salad bar but I was running low on tummy space so I decided to skip that part. Desserts were fruit tarts, mini silvana balls, and choco mousse. All tasted fine, with the mousse being extra sweet for my liking.  

Drinks came in two flavors: dalandan and four seasons. They also have mocktails and we got to try all three: Mango, Watermelon, and Citrus. Of the three, I enjoyed only the citrus variant. The other two tasted strongly of powdered juice with slices of lime or watermelon mixed in.

Package:

Their highest package was priced at P930/head plus VAT. This already includes a 3-layer cake, doves, bridal car or emcee, wine, tables, chairs, linens, centrepieces, and basic styling. 

Rye's Thoughts:
He enjoyed the citrus mocktail but he wasn't paying P930 for that alone. 

My Thoughts:
Price-wise, they are cheaper than Shekinah. The problem is, I wasn’t that excited with their dishes. My sisters weren’t also. We couldn’t remember a single dish we seriously enjoyed.

We also didn't connect with our AE. He was able to address most of our concerns but there was just something that felt off. It didn't take long for us to decide Manila Catering wasn't for us. After the meeting with our AE, we hurried off to our next destination.

Verdict:

Not for us

CVJ Catering

We were actually scheduled for an ocular of Light of Love events place but CVJ happened to have a food tasting event at the time so we were invited to sample their dishes as well. We came in a little before 3pm and the event was about to close so some dishes were no longer available, much to the dismay of my sister G. She said we should have just visited Light of Love first instead of Manila Catering. 

Having been to two food tasting events already, I was no longer keen on trying more dishes. CVJ was also not among our options. But since we were already there and our AE was still not available for discussion, I got myself small portions of the remaining dishes.

Service was already slow. Maybe because the event was drawing to a close already and they were exhausted by the time we came. I was a bit turned off though. Imagine some waiters sleeping on the buffet spread during your event. This was just a food tasting event. I’m sure an actual wedding will even be more demanding. If this was how their servers worked, CVJ is definitely off the list.

As to taste, I couldn’t comment much except that none of those I tried caught my attention. My sister G who loves to eat didn’t enjoy the dishes either. We liked the iced tea though. It tasted like pineapple juice was mixed in. desserts came in a number of pastel-colored sponge cakes, cake pops, and silvannas. The colors were cute but that’s just it. Nothing really tickled my fancy.

I didn’t get their rates anymore.

Food Taste Date Reloaded: Part 1 Shekinah Dishes

And so we resume with our search for wedding suppliers. And what fun way to begin than with three rounds of food tasting! The best part is we get to take Baby Yo with us. Well, at least for the morning event since it gets really hot in the afternoons so we had to bring Baby Yo home before heading on to the second caterer.

I have booked a food tasting session with Shekinah as early as November of 2014. However, due to my pregnancy, we had to put off wedding preps. I was suffering from morning sickness all throughout my pregnancy so food tastings were temporarily off my list. But looking back, I didn’t really want to do anything back then. I was soooo lazy. I’m just so lucky I didn’t grow so big.

Our AE Jayson turned out to be really nice and accommodating. If it weren’t for budget constraints, I would have booked them just because I liked the way he entertained us. Reservation fee was supposedly P10,000 but he allowed us to just pay P1,000 and pay the rest in a week should we decide to reserve with them. At least, if I change my mind or find a better caterer, I only had to let go of P1,000. In exchange for the reservation fee, he offered us 10% discount on any package we choose.

We were at the venue early which was good since we were the first guests and service was real quick. The event was set-up in the Cycad Garden of Fernwood Gardens. I liked the effect and mood created by the hanging ferns and vines from the domed ceiling as well as the pond and staircase so I made a mental note to inquire with Fernwoods about their rates. 

This was what the waiters served us.

              From top clockwise: Fish fillet in Mango-Mayo Dip, Vegetable Au Gratin, Pork Oriental, Fisza O'La,  Grilled Herbed Chicken, Roast Pork with Fruit Compote,

Center: Pasta Pomodoro; Not in photo: Roast Beef and Korean Beef Stew

 

I am a pork-fan but both pork dishes were leaning towards the chewy side, which was a letdown for me. I like my meat very tender, as in fall-off-the-bones tender. Good thing they also served us a separate plate of Roast Beef in Mushroom Gravy and Korean Beef Stew, which I immensely enjoyed. I never thought Korean Beef Stew could taste as heavenly and elegant. I actually never considered serving it in my wedding. However, after one glorious bite of Shekinah’s Korean Beef Stew, I had a change of heart (and menu). My taste buds are actually craving the taste as I write this post. Also my favourite is the Fisza O’La. First time to hear of and taste such dish. It was fish fillet in white sauce with mushroom and red bell peppers. Nothing really fancy but I found myself enjoying the dish. I preferred it over the Fish Fillet in Mango Mayo dip. Nothing can still beat the Baked Salmon we got to sample from The Old Bonifacio Grill. I have yet to check with Shekinah if they have the same on their food choices.

Pasta was linguine and came in two sauces: Carbonara and Pomodoro. Rye was served Carbonara and I, Pomodoro. We both preferred the latter. Personally, I think we can just forego the pasta. I don’t eat rice and pasta together plus most of my guests are big on rice. However, Jayson is not sure if we can just replace the pasta dish with another entrée. Sad. I’ll try to request this again if ever we push through with booking them. 

Then came the desserts:

Creme Brulee, Cream Puff, Cheesecake Square, Nutty Caramel, Mango Square, Not in Photo: Choco Loco

Of the bunch, it was the Choco Loco and Cheese Squares I enjoyed the most. Choco Loco didn't last long enough for the photo to be taken. It immediately found its way to my very eager taste buds. The mango square was dry and bland. The crème brulee, cream puff, and nutty caramel bar were just okay. Hopefully, they have more dessert options to offer or they will allow us to source our dessert bar elsewhere. A mediocre dessert bar will break my heart as I am big on sweets.

For refreshments, it was a choice between iced tea and softdrinks. Nothing special about their iced tea. It tasted more of the powder versions and not of freshly brewed tea that I expect from high-end caterers. I wish a more sophisticated line of drinks can be offered, like mocktails, or their special blend of iced tea. However, drinks are free-flowing which is a plus point since other caterers offer only single-serve drinks. Coffee and tea come with higher packages.

Package: 

As to rates, Shekinah have Standard and Thematic packages. Standard Packages start at P98,000 net, for 150 guests. That’s like P650 per head. Thematic Packages on the other hand begin at P166,000 net for 150 pax also or P1,100 per head. Rates already include tables, chairs, linens, centrepieces, backdrops, 3-layer cake, sparkling wine, styling (depending on the package availed of), VAT and service charge. Jayson also assured me that their wait staff are very professional and that I wouldn’t have to worry about any of them stealing food. This is one of my worries as I often read reviews of other caterer’s waiters stealing or hiding food for themselves. 

For the styling, Jayson showed us a number of arrangements they have previously done for their clients. We saw a few that we liked and were informed that they can customize designs based on our preferences if we get the thematic packages. Since we were rooting for a picnic-style wedding, Jayson said they can easily have it done or we can email our inspiration boards for their guidance.

Below is a sample of the stage/backdrop that Shekinah sets up for the couple. 

Rye's Thoughts:

He enjoyed the food that he wouldn't mind if we book them right there and then. He also liked the fact that the thematic packages were more affordable compared to other caterers.

My Thoughts:

Honestly, what I liked about Shekinah is the packages are already net of tax and service charge. Plus, for the service and food they offer, the package rates are reasonable. In fact, I enjoyed their food more than Hizon’s, Josiah’s, and Ibarra’s, all of which are big names in the catering and wedding industry. Shekinah may be a baby in the wedding scene but they have serviced celebrities already, which makes me feel like they will be increasing rates soon. 

Verdict:

Another potential caterer. We paid P1,000 reservation fee, to be completed in a week's time should we decide to book them. I don't think we're done shopping for caterers yet but we paid just the same just to lock in the 10% discount.