On Choosing a Restaurant for your Reception

For most newlyweds, having the reception at a restaurant is the most practical solution. From grills with wonderful outdoor views to great Chinese restaurants. But what should you look for when looking at a restaurant for your Wedding's Reception.

Firstly, and probably quite obviously, the restaurant should offer food that is to your taste. Primarily, since these are restaurants, the food should be good and on time. One good thing about most restaurants is that they are usually pretty accessible, with good parking and public transport. Most restaurants with the resources to handle weddings have packages and be sure to check these out as they are mostly cheaper than trying to put together everything yourself. One often overlooked feature is that the restaurant should have at least pretty good looking interiors. I've been to some very nice restaurants in the most unusual surroundings but it's what is inside that matters most. With that in mind you should also look for a restaurant which has good security, you would not want any of your guests getting robbed outside or by bystanders inside the restaurant, of course reputation of the restaurant is also an important consideration.

The absolute best part about having your reception at a restaurant is that you know all the food already, you may have eaten there before, and you know what is good and what is just okay. And if there some unexpected guests, it is easy for the restaurant to adjust, since everything is right there. And more often than not, it is also the cheapest option. Some even offer eat all you can and drink all you can. Having a restaurant as a reception venue does satisfy completely the food aspect of the reception, as there is very limited privacy in restaurants and also even the most beautiful function rooms cannot begin to match that of a hotel's ballroom or the ambiance of that garden venue. Pound for pound though having your reception at a restaurant makes a lot of sense especially in these trying times.

The Bellevue

This is the first hotel that I will be including in my reviews, since hotels packages also include bridal suites, I will also comment on this whenever doing a hotel review. Located in Alabang, Muntinlupa, it seems to be the only multi star hotel in the immediate vicinity. It is the logical (only) choice for business people who need to do some business in and around the south.

Firstly, the bridal suite is an executive suite, complete with a king sized bed, living area and kitchen. It is by no means big (actually looks pretty small for a suite), it is nicely put together with great attention to detail. Problems arise when the bride comes from a big family and everybody wants in on the bridal suite, needless to say it can get pretty crowded very quickly. But again if it can be helped that only a maximum of 5 people stay in the bridal suite (not including the makeup artists, dress maker, photographers and videographers) it can be pretty comfortable in there.

The Bridal suite

The Bellevue has a very large ballroom that can be divided into 3 smaller ballrooms each capable of handling an event for 150 guests on their own, but combined the huge ballroom can accommodate a good 600 guests easily. Aesthetically it is one of the most modern and beautifully crafted ballrooms. The best part about the Bellevue ballroom is that there is an entirely different entrance exclusively for your guests. This includes your very own (at least for the night) private atrium that can serve as a cocktail area for your guests or just lounging around. My biggest bash on the ballroom would have to be the fact that it is on the second floor which is not exactly odd but the restrooms are located on the ground floor. There are escalators and an elevator though that cater to this design flaw. The food is also great and plentiful and the service is nothing less than one would expect from a 5 star hotel. Also the Bellevue has a small and unique swimming pool area, which is great for photo shoots and the like. All in all, the Bellevue is one outstanding venue, that can provide for a very classy and comfortable experience on your wedding day.

Link to the official Bellevue Website
North Bridgeway, Filinvest, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Tel. 771-8181

Oasis Manila

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, emerges The Oasis Manila, located along Aurora Boulevard, makes it really very much in the middle of things. It is also located very near the church I attend mass in, Mt. Carmel Church. The Pavillion as they call it, is quite roomy, and looks a lot like an overgrown but very nice looking gazebo or clubhouse. The facility is cooled by misting fans spread along its perimeter, so those sitting near the perimeter should expect to get wet or at least moist. The Venue sports a very high ceiling lit by beautiful chandeliers and alternatively for a fee, they can also place drapes as well. For the bride to be there is a small bridal suite but as with most venues that do offer a bridal suite, use is limited to 3-4 hours only. The Venue does have ample parking space and is very secure. The Pavillion is surrounded by landscaped gardens with small koi ponds. There are lots of accredited caterers to choose from and some suppliers even use the Oasis Manila front office as a store front and they even have created budget wedding packages with these suppliers, so check it out, great value for money and a wide open and beautiful, albeit a slightly damp environment.

Link to The Oasis Manila Official Website
169 Aurora Blvd, San Juan, Metro Manila
7214585/7245016/468 9959

C3 Events Place

Situated in the middle of the Metro in Greenhills, C3 Events Place is one place that is very conveniently located. But this excellent location might also be its downfall, as it is well known that it is very hard to find parking in Greenhills and surely the alloted 20 parking spaces for C3 will not suffice for most events. C3 Events place offers very sumptuous menus prepared by their chefs. The food is excellent and the ambiance is very modern as can easily be seen in their architecture. Also they prepare some of the best desert station around, so go on and try out C3 Events Place for your next event, the food is great, the ambiance is always sophisticated but for the parking and traffic, C3 is one of the most complete events places around.

C3 Events Place Official Website

18 Missouri St. Greenhills West, San Juan, Metro Manila
(2) 726.2712,

Paradiso Terrestre

Just past the edge of Daang Hari, which stretches from Alabang all the way to Bacoor, Cavite, a new wedding and events place has emerged. Upon entering the nice gates you will immediately notice the elegance and class that the place emits. With dozens of life sized sculptures and fountains all around its lush gardens, and yet behind the facade lies a family oriented resort with a swimming pool. Mainly an events place, Paradiso Terrestre has its own restaurant which employs a chef. To be honest looking at their package, it seems to be one of the most complete packages for weddings, even including a sound system, and duet singers. It's about a one hour drive from Metro Manila just past the famous Fernbrook Gardens. Not only are their packages cheap (cheaper than most other wedding venues in Manila at least) but the food is also very nice and tasty, this is because they also have a professional chef preparing the dishes. They can afford to do this because they also have a fine dining restaurant in one of the adjacent buildings near their Ballroom. If you live anywhere near Alabang and are searching for an alternative reception venue, Paradiso Terrestre is certainly worth a look.

Paradiso Terrestre Official Website
Lot 1 - A&B Pad - 04 170933, National Road, Molino Highway, Bacoor, Cavite
(02) 529-8875 / (046) 477-1097 / (02) 906-2506

Creating a Budget

It is very easy to get carried away in spending for your wedding, you want the best and the most perfect things for your perfect day. But it is also important to remember that the best need not be the most expensive, you have to be creative and set your budget. Here's a list I've made which contains some expenses on a typical wedding.

1. Church. (10,000-20,000 pesos) Some air conditioned churches go up to about 25,000
2. Hotel Stay. (2,000-8,000 pesos/night) It is recommended that you stay in a hotel the night before your wedding so when you get your makeup done the room will be cool and you don't have to fix it after making a mess.
3. Reception Venue (15,000-150,000 pesos) This is for the rental of the place only, though some Venues will have pre-built packages with food, cake and most of the things you might want or need.
4. Hotel Reception (200,000-500,000 pesos) Hotels package their food, accommodation, Bridal car and lots more things to make them more attractive, recently we have seen some price cuts on hotel wedding packages this might be due to the emergence of a lot of new wedding reception venues springing all over the country.
5. Invitations (50-200 pesos/pc) From the plain to the outright spectacular invitations have gone a long way from being just a piece of paper you hand out to somebody. They say that how beautiful your invitation is, that's how expensive a gift you get. So, make sure your invites look really nice.
6. Catering. (250-1,200 pesos/head) If you get a reception venue and decide not to go with any of their packages you will need to find yourself a caterer that suites your style and tastes. Caterers are the ones responsible not only for the food but the way that all your tables will be decorated and what type of chairs will be used.
7. Wedding Planner. (15,000-50,000 pesos) A good wedding planner will be able to save you a lot of time and energy and in some great cases, money. For your wedding planning needs, please call Mrs. Tani at 0917-8162134.
8. Event Stylist. (50,000-100,000 pesos) Want a themed wedding, beautiful backdrops, elegant centerpieces? Hire an event stylist to transform even the most ordinary wedding venue into a most unique concept like a fairytale, beach or even bringing a garden (yes an entire garden) into your ballroom.
9. Makeup Artist. (7,000-15,000 pesos) It is important that you see eye to eye with your makeup artist, after all you will live with the pictures reminding you how good you looked during your wedding day for the rest of your life.
10. Wedding Gown. (15,000-100,000 pesos) The cost really depends on how well-known the designer is and what type of fabric and design you choose.
11. Entourage and Groom's clothes (20,000-80,000 pesos) Again the budget depends on the designer, the design and the materials.
12. Flowers. (15,000-30,000) Basically the same price all across different suppliers difference in arrangement and types of flowers to be used.
13. Giveaways. (25-50pesos/hd) There are tons of giveaway ideas out there, a quick trip to Divisoria is always good for this.
14. Entertainers. (8,000-30,000 pesos) This includes; singer/s, bands and a host.
15. Sound system. (10,000-25,000 pesos) Seriously a PA system is not good enough. A good sound system package would include 4-6 speakers, 2 monitor speakers, 4 wired mics, 2 wireless mics, a band setup, a couple of smart lights, a fog machine or a bubble machine, a spotlight and around 8 pars.
16. Photographer and Videographer. (30,000-90,000 pesos) Once the party has ended all you have are the memories, hire a photographer that you can trust, it is always good to hire a small company or individual photographer that can personally do the service for you, with large companies weddings are often sub-contracted to individuals who do not have anything to lose so quality suffers quite a lot. For your Wedding Photography needs please check out my site.