We've saved the date!

Hey, folks!

It is done. We've finally booked the church and the reception venue! Yay! :) And as usual, we had to go through certain drama before if happened. Haha!

Our original plan was to book the church and venue on the 29th of March, which was a Saturday. So the night before, I told Kelvin to sleep early as we were to have an early day the next day. But the night before Saturday, Kelvin had to go to a company dinner party where he got really drunk he barely was able to get home.

So to make the long story short, Kelvin had a terrible hangover that Saturday and couldn't make it to Batangas. Now, for those of you who know me, I get extremely upset when plans don't fall through. So I was frustrated and mad at Kelvin the whole day of Saturday. 

But not to worry, Kelvin made it up to me by coming to Batangas the next day and he spent the whole day with me and my family. He even came with us to Task Force Kalapati's 40th Anniversary Summer Reunion! :)

So there we were, in Batangas, on a Sunday, a day before Kelvin's birthday. We first went to the church, where the office was apparently closed. But Kelvin and I were with my persuasive mother, so we marched into the church office and requested the obviously pregnant office staff to help us in booking the church on our preferred date. 

The obviously surprised woman graciously assisted us in booking the church, and even informed us that they have not started booking reservations for 2015 yet. But nevertheless, she booked the date for us and gave us a checklist that we will need to furnish the church at least two months before our wedding date.

But wait, I haven’t gotten to the best part yet! When I asked the woman how much the reservation fee was, she told me there was NO RESERVATION fee! And it gets even better! We asked her how much the total fee was, (I was expecting the amount to be range between 8k to 10k), she told me the total fee was Php6,500.00! Oh yeah! Not only was the church important to me and my family, (and now to Kelvin), it was also immensely affordable!

Now on to the reception venue. We drove a few minutes to the venue and spoke to the friendly staff and discussed the reservation process. As usual, the place was lovely and it still had that romantic, serene feel to it.

Here are a few details regarding the reservation:

Total Fee:                     Php 20,000.00 / 6hrs | Php 1,000.00  / succeeding hour

Corkage Fee:                 Php 3,000.00

Whole lechon:                Php 500.00

Reservation Fee:            Php 5,000.00

50% of the total amount to be paid upon contract signing and 50% on the day of the event.

Yay! We’ve done it!

Now we’re back to finding the best photographer/videographer.

And the search continues!

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Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

Quirky Wedding Conversations #9

Me: I couldn't sleep last night so I worked on the checklists and budget tracker all night.

Kelvin: Hon, bad ka. It's OUR wedding. We should be working on those together. Next time intayin mo ako.

*Ayii...* There goes my stress buster!

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Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

WANTED: The Perfect Church

Hello, dear readers!

So as you know, Kelvin and I have decided to get married in Batangas. So last month we, along with my family, went around looking for the best church and reception venue.

Before we even hit the road in search of THE CHURCH, there were a number of things that Kelvin and I had taken into consideration. If you are reading this and you are planning your own wedding, you may find these tips helpful:

photocredit: http://www.socialplatform.org

1. The budget – I’ve looked and asked around and found out that church rates range from P5,000.00 to P30,000.00 depending on the location and size of the church. In Manila, some of the best places to get married in are St. John Bosco Parish, San Agustin Church, St. Therese Shrine, Malate Church, and Manila Cathedral. Obviously, the bigger the church is, the more expensive it is; these big churches' rates can range from P25,000.00 to P30,000.00. Some churches, depending on the number of reservations, will require that reservations are made at least 2 years before the wedding date. Churches in the provinces, are of course, way cheaper than the ones in Manila. Another popular place to get married in, is Tagaytay City. I’ve also asked around and found out that the churches in Tagaytay are more affordable than those in Manila, with prices ranging from P10,000.00 to P15,000.00. Churches outside Tagaytay are even more affordable, with rates dropping to as low as P5,000.00.  Since Kelvin and I are on a limited budget, we were sure that we wouldn’t want a church that would charge us more than Php 10,000.00.

photocredit: www.libbyjames.com 

2. Headcount – Couples who are planning to get married will also want to consider the church’s capability to hold their desired number of guests. You want to make sure that the church you've fallen in love with will be able to comfortably hold all of your guests. The last thing the couple wants to see on their wedding day is a horde of guests trying to get comfortable on the steps or sides of the church. Kelvin and I are looking at 150-200 guests for the wedding so we want to make sure that the church can accommodate about 200-300 guests.

3. Photos/Video Coverage – Make sure to ask the church about their protocols when it comes to photo and video coverage. I found out some time last year that some churches will not allow photographers and videographers to record from the altar as this compromises the solemnity of the altar.

photocredit: www.ulcweddingofficiants.com 

4. Church Amenities – Couples also have to make sure to ask about the parking, air conditioning, carpet, and other decorations.

• Parking - If most of your guests will be bringing their own vehicles, make sure to ask the church and check if there is ample space for your guests to park. You may also want to check the distance from the carpark to the church. Just think of all the ladies who will be wearing sky-high heels! You may want to consider getting a valet attendant if the parking area is a bit a ways from the church.
• Air Conditioning – If you’re planning to get married in the summer, you may want to consider getting a church with air-conditioning facilities. Just think of your enchanting entourage wearing their long gowns, dresses, suits, and elaborate ensembles. :)
• Carpet – If you are the fancy type of a bride and would want to walk down the aisle on a lovely shade of red carpet, make sure to ask the church if they have one of those, as not all churches have that fabulous red carpet most brides want to walk on.

5. Officiant – If you’re planning on inviting your favourite priest to bind you and your fiancé in the sacred bond of marriage, make sure to ask the church if you can bring your own priest. There are some churches who are quite strict when it comes to these things especially if the priest that you are inviting does not belong to the same ordinate (Franciscan, Benedictine, Capuchin, Military, etc.)

6. Vows – If you’re also thinking of reading your vows in the church, make sure to ask the church as not all churches allow the couple to read their vows during the ceremony

7. Music – make sure to also ask the church if they will allow you to play non-religious songs during the bridal procession and the communion.

8. Significance to the couple - As beautiful as the church may be, it's a huge bonus if the church holds a certain significance to the couple. In this case, the church that Kelvin and I chose has a strong significance to me. This is the church where my parents got married in. This was also where my mom's sisters got married in. This church saw me in my younger years spending my vacation months with my cousins. It witnessed my grandfather's devotion and dedication to the Lord. I've never met my maternal grandfather, you see. He passed away from a heart condition when my mom was twelve.  So the church serves as my only link to the grandfather I never met. This church is so dear to my heart as this church witnessed weddings, baptisms, confessions, and wakes of my family's dearly departed.

The moment Kelvin stepped inside this church, he fell in love with it. The church was not too big, nor too small. It was the perfect fit for an intimate wedding. 

The rate was not too bad, we might be able to book the church for as low as eight thousand; it can also comfortably accommodate a population of three hundred, and has air-conditioning, red carpet, and a lovely parking area!

Here are some pictures of us as we toured the church in Lipa. 

Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, Batangas

The interior

The altar

Hon and I outside the church (with theLittle Prince)

How about you? What else do you consider when choosing a church for your wedding?

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Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

Quirky Wedding Conversations #8

Topic: Wedding Gown

Kelvin: Hon, diba ang wedding gown pwede ipamana?

Ako: Oo, maybe pwede pa sakin ang wedding gown ni Mama! Sige, susukatin ko.

Kelvin: Magpapayat ka muna.

T.T

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Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

Quirky Wedding Conversations #7

Topic: Losing Weight

Me: Hon, help me lose a few inches off my waist. Let's do those abs exercises sa video na pinakita mo!

Kelvin: You won't do them naman...

Me: Push me, then!

Kelvin: Honey, if I push you, I'd die!

*I've taught my baby well.*evil laugh*

____________________________________

Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

Our Second Bridal Fair

At the Wedding Expo earlier today, I have lost count of the number of caterers, make up stylists, videographers, and other suppliers I have spoken to.

Who did Kelvin talk to? The gentlemen from the mobile bars; and even did a shot in one of the booths.

Now what does that tell me?




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Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng

Quirky Conversations #6

Wedding discussions with Hon...

Me: Hon, sa reception, kung may sayaw kaya? Sasayaw ka?

Kelvin: Me, dance?! CRAP NO!!! *turns away*

Me: *pouts* okay...

Hon then did a double take, turned back and spoke to me in a small voice.

Kelvin: But, baby, if that's what you really want, sige po.

After a few seconds, I saw beads of perspiration pooling on his forehead, and his hands were clammy. Hahahahah!

____________________________________

Hit me up!
Wedding Blog: http://ourroadtothealtar.blogspot.com/
My life's blog: http://www.sentimentsofleng.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliane.varias
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlinsesLeng