Choosing your perfect venue for wedding reception is a strenuous task, especially if both couple are overseas. Even though you can ask help to ocular the place from your families the final say is still yours in booking the venue. That's why it's really great to see and visit the place on your own if you have time, to decide properly. It should be part of the first phase in planning your wedding.

There are lots of good wedding venues in Quezon City. We had a mistake in choosing our first venue, so when we are choosing again for our final venue, we took time carefully to get honest feedback from family and friends, our emcee and coordinator and answered questions below.

1. Is the venue near to our chosen church?
2. Can we afford this venue?
3. Does this venue recommended by our families/friends?
4. Is the venue’s capacity fit our estimated guest list? Enough parking?
5. Is the venue air-conditioned? Picturesque? Appealing?

Sharing below are some of the venues we consider. Hope this helps for couple who are also looking for possible wedding venues around Quezon City.

Felicidad Mansion #2 Baler St. corner Roosevelt ave, San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City www.felicidadmansion.com	Paris and Venice / Capacity 250 Paris with Pool / Capacity 150 Venice / Capacity 130
Fernwood Gardens 69 Cenacle Drive, Sanville Subd, Quezon City www.fernwoodgarden.com	Venue 1 -Fernwood Gardens  / Capacity 270 Venue 2 -Courtyard Gardens / Capacity 200 Venue 3 -Cycad Garden / Capacity 250 Venue 4 - Coral Tree Garden / Capacity 300
Gazebo Royale Rona's Garden compound 29 Visayas Avenue, Quezon City www.gazeboroyale.com	Phoenix / Capacity 150-200 Champagne / Capacity 300++
Blue Gardens Wedding & Events Venue 28 Samonte St via North Zuzuaregui Road. Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City www.thebluegardens.blogspot.com	Venue with partner caterers complete wedding package
Hanging Gardens Events Venue Block 9 Lot 1 Belfast Ave. Neopolitan Business Park, Fairvew, Quezon City www.hanginggardensevents.com	Lafayette Garden 150-200 guests Paris Garden 150-200 guests Luxembourg Garden  150-200 guests
Light of Love Events Place 1163 Santol St, Quezon City www.lightoflove.com.ph	Atrium Capacity 180 Love Capacity 150 Trust Capacity 450 Integrity Capacity 150 Loyalty Capacity 300 Cherish Capacity 250
The Grand Terrace Events Venue #5 Villanueva Drive corner Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City www.facebook.com/thegrandterraceeventsvenue
Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan Robinsons Bridgetowne, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City 1110 www.theblueleaf.com	Monet, Picasso and Matisse can accommodate 330 guest
Ibarra's Garden No. 77 Timog Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City www.ibarraspartyvenues.com.ph
Verandas de San Vicente Events Venue 221 Tandang Sora Avenue, Quezon City www.facebook.com/verandasdesanvicente
Bulwagang Recoletos    81 Alondras St. Mira- Nila Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City	Vision 21- 200pax all aircon Veranda de Toledo- 200pax Cassiciacum Gardens- 300pax
Cities Events Place 30 Sgt. Esguerra St. , Brgy South Triangle, Quezon City www.citieseventsplace.com	Main Hall 180 pax aircon Deck 200 pax open hall
Casa Español Wedding Venue 28 Francies Drive, Mindanao Avenue. Quezon City www.facebook.com/casaespanol/
Le Reve (Events and Pool Party Venue) 28 Sgt. Esguerra St. South Triangle, Quezon City www.facebook.com/lereve.eventsvenue www.lereve-venue.com	Main Hall (200 or more people)
The Skydeck at Barrington Place 31 Congressional Avenue, Quezon City www.facebook.com/BarringtonSkydeck	Whole function room (max 200 pax) rental for first 3 hours PHP 19,500 (Venue Rates as of January 2016)
55 Events Place 55 Scout Rallos St., Brgy Laging Handa, Quezon City www.55eventsplace.com	Venue Rental for January – November: Whole Ballroom (Max 250 pax) = PHP 70,000 December: PHP 80,000 (Venue Rates as of January 2016)
Elements at Centris Eton Centris, Edsa cor.Quezon Ave. Quezon City www.facebook.com/CentrisElements	Function halls prices depend on the lean months. 1 Hall – 350 guest 2 halls – 700 guest
Venue 142 Penthouse, L Building, 142 Katipunan Extension Avenue, Saint Ignatius, Quezon City www.facebook.com/Venue142	Venue for Weddings & Debuts PHP 45,000 - Capacity 200 Corporate/Kiddie Party PHP 25,000 - Capacity 250 (Venue Rates as of January 2016)
Circle Events Place #1 Timog Ave. cor. Quezon Ave. Quezon City www.circleeventsplace.com	The Gala Hall with capacity of up to 250pax, rental package is at 58k; The Premiere Hall can accommodate up to 120pax, rental package is at 38k; Half of the Premiere Hall rents out for 20k, rental package is at 28k (Venue Rates as of January 2016)
Secret Garden 7 Seiko st. Interville 3, Novaliches, Quezon City www.facebook.com/secretgardenph
Solea Gardens #10 Baler St., San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City
Quezon City Sports Club E. Rodriguez Sr. Blvd., Quezon City www.quezoncitysportsclub.com	Quezon Hall (Max 500 pax) with minimum food consumable for 4 hours, PHP 130,000
Don Jose Clubhouse Dona Carmen St Cor. Pantaleona St, Commonwealth Ave, Quezon City www.facebook.com/DonJoseClubhouse2015	All inclusive of: 5-hr use of aircon, ceiling swags, eElectricity charge included, NO CORKAGE FEE, Ample parking area ONE EVENT PER DAY POLICY, early set up is possible. PHP 20,000 Weedays, PHP 25,000 Weekends and holidays. PHP 5,000 to block off the date.
Windmills & Rainforest 60 Scout Borromeo Street South Triangle, Quezon City www.facebook.com/windmillsevents
Oasis Manila 169 Aurora Blvd, San Juan (near Quezon City) www.facebook.com/TheOasisManila	Pavilion (Garden) - Max capacity 400 guests Verandah - Max capacity 350 guest Orchard - Max capacity 200 guest (Venue Rates as of January 2016)

Some tips: If you're looking for venue ask if they have albums ready. When we went at Gazebo Royale, they had several real wedding albums to look through at our first walk.

Before booking the reservation fee to blocked your date, don't forget to ask if there's any other charges, corkage fees and taxes. Some staff will not tell you those things upfront, you wouldn't want to be surprised later.

A fancy venue is optional depends on your preference as you can have your wedding venue simple but memorable without breaking your finances. Some couples choose the venue with caterer package or restaurant option because it's less expensive and less hassle.

*** Update ***
We've visited our chosen venue yesterday, it was rainy morning and there was no AE yet to accommodate us around but the Caretaker was very helpful he allowed us to see the venue entirely. We were impressed with the spaciousness of both floors. What a great restoration. We booked the venue simply from seeing it's Facebook fanpage and from our Mother's recommendation, they told us seeing it with actual wedding day makes it stand out even more. The venue also has a large bridal suite perfect for getting ready and the location is easy to find (infront of Mcdonalds).

EJ and I fell in love with our venue, it is perfect for us as we are looking for simple and classical venue set-up.

We will visit again this coming October! :)

xoxo,

1. Certified True Copy of Birth Certificate or Baptismal Certificate of both applicants
2. Community Tax Certificates/Cedula of both applicants - You can get a Cedula from any Barangay Office or City Hall
3. One photo ID (colored or black and white) of each applicant
4. 25 years old and above – Family Planning
   24 years old and below – Family Planning and Counseling, Health Department Office, Social Service and Development (SSDD)
5. CENOMAR – Certificate of No Marriage 
6. Valid ID with the address

Application Form	PHP 50.00
Filing Fee	PHP 100.00
Marriage License	PHP 100.00

We just applied online today for the Birth Certificate and CENOMAR.

For the Birth Certificate, we paid PHP 350.00 and CENOMAR PHP 450.00.

Payments can be made online via Credit Card or Bancnet ATMs and over-the-counter via Metrobank and Bayad Centers. Please visit nsohelpline.com for more information.

Even though we will be coming home this weekend, we might not be around, so we will prepare our valid ID together with Letter of Authorization (LOA) to our mother. Representatives need to present a valid ID as well.

Acceptable IDs are:

• Company ID with photo and visible signature
• Driver's License
• GSIS ID
• NBI Clearance
• Passport
• Police Clearance
• PRC
• School ID
• Senior Citizen
• SSS
• Voter's ID
• PVC/latest PhilHealth ID
• Digitized Postal ID

xoxo,

EJ and I are getting married in 125 days! Wohoooo! Can't wait!

We will be on a short vacation in the Philippines this coming weekend and we are checking our documents to keep us on the track. Because every time, we are asking each other, what are the documents, how many pieces, is now the best time to get those, is there other requirements or anything else. And each time, I needed to check my folder to pull out the list of documents. And so I decided to put it here on the blog to make it more accessible for us two.

Below is the list of basic requirements for our Catholic wedding. This is not a complete list. Each diocese also has its own wedding rules and regulation. Moreover, you will need to check with your parish for details about any of these additional requirements.

Church Requirements
All the required documents should be original and up-to-date until the day of the wedding.

1. Baptismal Certificate - need a copy dated within six months before the wedding date, obtainable from the parish where you were baptized and annotated "For Marriage Purposes Only".
2. Kumpil or Confirmation Certificate - Sacrament of Confirmation need to be secured no more than 3 months before the wedding date and annotated "For Marriage Purposes Only".
   
   We are planning to have our Kumpil near Malacañang.
   
   

   Confirmation (Thursday and Sunday) 8:00AM Registration 9:30AM Catechesis 10:00AM Confirmation National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels 1000 J.P. Laurel corner General Solano St. San Miguel, Manila Tel: 734-1271

   Reminders: PHP 600 Original and photocopy of Baptismal certificate with indication for Marriage Purposes Copy of Birth certificate Sponsors/Witness (Ninong/Ninang) - at least one witness Prepare for half day Proper attire, Sunday dress

3. Canonical Investigation - The couple shall personally see the Parish Priest. The schedule of the interview will be given upon signing of the application form.
4. Pre-marriage seminar or pre-cana - Both groom and bride has to attend this seminar. A Certification of attendance in the Pre-Cana Seminar or Marriage Preparation Program or other programs related tomarriage. If based abroad, a Parish certification that youattended a Pre-Cana seminar in your own parish abroad.
5. Permission and banns - Banns have to be immediately brought to the respective parishes of the bride and groom for posting. They have to be returned to the Parish Office after three consecutive Sundays.
6. Confession - The couple will have their sacrament of penance at least 1 day before the date of matrimony.

Civil Requirements

1. ID Picture - 2 sets of 2x2 pictures both groom and bride
2. Marriage License/CTC of Civil Contract - Marriage License can be secured from the bride or the groom's municipality.
3. CENOMAR-  Certificate of No Marriage to be secure from the NSO
4. Birth Certificate - Valid 6 months, to be secure from the NSO
5. Principal Sponsors - The list of names and addresses of the principal sponsors a minimum of 1 pair and a maximum of 6 pairs are only allowed. If there are more than 6 pairs, all sponsors will occupy first pew. It has to be summited two weeks before the wedding date.
6. Certificate of Freedom to Marry - Optional but this is also a requirement for those who are working abroad.

General regulation on our wedding requirements

• Reservations are accepted at least 2 months before the planned date of wedding. They will be best served if done in person by visiting parish office. The reservation becomes official when a deposit of PHP 5,000 is duly paid and receipted by the office. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• All the required documents are to be submitted to the office two weeks before the wedding date. The remaining balances of the wedding fees are to be paid in full two weeks before the wedding date. Checks are not accepted.
• Punctuality is a must.The ceremony starts exactly at the scheduled time. The parties concerned and the entourage must arrive in advance. Bride will march on time, five minutes before the mass starts with bridal entourage, complete or incomplete. Time limit is 45 minutes only for the ceremony and the 15 minutes for picture taking.
• Wedding Music - only the liturgical songs are allowed during the mass. Non-liturgical song maybe sung during processional and after the mass. Guest singers and organist have to coordinate with the Sacristans on duty at least thirty minutes before the wedding.
• Wedding decoration - the church will provide the decorations, fresh flowers for the aisle and altar and red carpet. If the couple has their own florist they are required to get the lowest package since the church florist will still.

We're done with Canonical Interview and Pre-Cana, more to go!

xoxo,

Last Sunday, we had our Graduation Day at the Catholic Junior College. We've finally come to the moment we've all been looking forward to. We were very thankful and blessed that with all the activities made to complete the 6 weeks journey -  we have made an effort to be punctual, meet new friends and learned a lot.

In each exercise, we have been given time to write and express ourselves to our partner, share our thoughts and feelings and practice positive affirmations. We have some fun doing the activities. It gives us the opportunity to stop, be present with each other, and look deeper into marriage instead of just planning our wedding day.

The group sharing is wonderful, we may have some differences, our group consist of Catholic and non-Catholic friends, sharing opinions depends on each other's background and culture but everyone is open and our course facilitator Steve & Louisa were a very good listener and gentle loving couple.

We have learned love as a decision and not as a feeling. Feelings come and go but love that is chosen, love that is a decision is a committed love. Pledging myself to my partner that in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, I am committed and will love him unconditionally.

The MPC help us a lot to reflect heart-to-heart how to grow healthy marriage relationship. By sticking with each other, keeping each other as our first priority, listening for love, willingness to work on our relationship, by practicing loving communication and revealing ourselves to be open in marriage and much more.

This past week we have grown together. We recognise the need to trust, to focus on changing yourself rather than your partner, speaking gently and work together to resolve conflicts, listen and do the act of reconciliation by showing thankfulness and forgiveness with each other.

Characteristics of Marital Love
Come FREELY to this union, give yourself TOTALLY for better or for worse, be FAITHFUL till death and FRUITFUL to pledge to have the children that God blesses you with.

Two elements of Forgiveness

1. Reconciliation - We are hurt and distant from each other. We need to get together, share and discuss.
2. Healing - Disappearance of guilt feelings, mistrust and hurt. This is replaced by feelings of inner peace, joy and greater love

Week 1:	Difference between Man & Woman Decision to love
Week 2:	Communication in Marriage Faithfulness & Decision Making Forgiveness
Week 3:	God & Sex - The nuptial meaning of the body Sanctity of life / Abortion Natural Family Planning
Week 4:	Sacrament of Matrimony Covenant of Marriage Marriage as a vocation
Week 5:	Divorce Three major areas of conflict: Religious differences, In-laws, Career vs Children
Week 6:	Breastfeeding Sharing Graduation Day

Overall, it was a great experience to prepare as we enter married life. We got to learn and hear stories from married and engaged couples. Good marriages don't just happen. Relationship and love need constant decision to love and sacrifice and putting God in the center of our relationship.

It was a good way to reflect and understand that receiving the Sacrament of Matrimony is not just for formalities but accepting marriage as a vocation.

We both really enjoyed our Pre-Cana session and for OFW couple in Singapore who are considering doing it here, I’d highly suggest it. It brings up all kinds of questions and issues that couples might not have been through before, things that all couples should probably address prior to getting married.


Although, our pre-cana took us 6 weeks, the sessions are longer than back home, we were very thankful we sign up and that we were able to get through and open up some valuable lessons we didn't imagine before.


xoxo,

We went at Kasalang Tagaytay Bridal Fair last July 31 at Marina Bay Sands, we met Kenneth Uy, randomly we asked him, what is the advantage of having printed invitations and he told us one point that we didn't think before, "Ang matatanda kapag walang invitation hindi sila pupunta, hindi nila mafefeel na invited sila".

A few days later, I asked W@W December Brides support group for suggestions if they have their Save The Date cards printed, some have it printed at least 20 pieces, some just send it through Facebook, Whatsapp, etc.

Then, EJ and I talked about it, our main invitation is scheduled in October. And since we will have a 2 days vacation in Pinas this month, we thought of giving them a Save The Date cards printed first, especially to our Ninong/Ninang and immediate family. My cousin Sheryl can bring some cards too as she will be back in Bohol end of August.

I knew from the start that we wanted to make our own wedding website and invitations. Not because we can do these stuffs, but because this is the only DIY we can do to add personal touch.

Layout, brainstorming, choosing fonts and browsing designs inspiration were very time-consuming. All is beautiful. All cards are perfect. You can't get away from feeling overwhelmed.

xoxo,