If
you are still confused over what kind of wedding venue you would want for
your wedding, this article is for you.
Wedding Venues - there are endless
options to choose from. In Davao City, I must admit I do have some favorites.
But in order for you to reach the right decision, you need some bits of
enlightening on how to course your thoughts amidst the gazillion ideas
running through your head.
How to choose the perfect wedding
venue for your big day?
Visualization
You need to give yourself alone
time to think through the activities that will happen during your wedding day. Close
your eyes and imagine yourself in your wedding day. You wake up early, the
makeup artists have arrived and you are on the makeup chair. Later on the
day, you pose with your wedding gown. How do you want your wedding gown to
be? Imagine yourself walking down the aisle, how do you picture the
ceremony venue? Is it going to be in a church, in a garden, at the beach,
at the mountains, inside the hotel venue? Imagine vividly. Include
the details. How do you want the surrounding to be?
Find in your heart what you really
want, how you really want it. Be clear with your vision. This will
determine what you would like to have at your wedding and if that
particular place is readily available in your locality or nearby towns.
Canvass
List the top 3 venues that you have
imagined yourself with. Start researching local venues that will bring you that
ambiance you wanted. Look for recommendations, ask friends, family, and
relatives.
Conceptualize
After determining local venues and their
packages prices, cross match to the number of guests you are expecting.
Ask yourself, can the venue accommodate the number of guests attending? How far
or near is the reception venue to the ceremony venue? Will out of town guests
have a place to stay near or in the wedding venue? Is it accessible to
commute and transportation for guests to come in?
Package Inclusions
Consider the venue's package
inclusions. Do they have room accommodation included? How many nights? Do they
have inhouse caterer? What are other inclusions in the wedding venue
package?
Budget
Budget is usually the first factor
that most couple would consider. How much are you willing to spend for the
entire wedding? How much are you willing to stretch to be able to afford the
venue?
If budget is not an issue, the wedding
of your dreams will surely unfold before your eyes.
My Favorite Wedding Venues
Well as a wedding planner, I know a
lot of venues and I would be very biased in my judgment because this is
my preference and personal point of view. I do have favorite wedding
venues in Davao City, in Gensan and nearby cities, here are some of my
recommended venues:
- 1.
The Royal Mandaya Hotel
Number 1 in my favorite venue list
is The Royal Mandaya Hotel. This is my favorite wedding and events venue
and hotel in Davao City. Here are my reasons:
·
As decorator, we decorate the venue on late nights, until early morning,
especially if there is an event on that day. This hotel allows us to set up
after 10pm and until wee hours in the morning. My team members are also
allowed to bring in coffee and food to give us a boost during our set up. The
ceiling is not that high and they have built-in bars to hold our drapes and
prevent the ceiling from decor abuse.
·
The hotel staff. Compared to other hotels, they have the most courteous staff I
have encountered. They will help you in acheiving the client's wishes and
requests.
·
The food is delish! I would really be happy, eccentric and delighted if the
client invites me and my team to their buffet. The food is incomparable. I
usually give thanks to the chef. They are superb!
·
The Location. It is situated downtown and very accessible to commuters. It is
very near to all sorts of churches.
 |
| The Royal Mandaya Hotel |
- 2.
Fernwood Clubhouse, Eden Ridge Clubhouse and Loleng's Mountain
Resort
My second most favorite venues are situated
in a place called Barangay Eden in Toril. Fernwood, Eden Ridge and Loleng's are
situated on top of the mountain ovelooking downtown Davao. Here are my reasons
for picking these places:
·
The Ambiance. What i really love about these places is the serenity of the
place. It is so exclusive that you can hear your partner's breathing. Nature is
a beautiful backdrop for weddings. Because it is located on the mountains and
trees are a plenty, expect cold shudders and chilly winds especially at night.
·
Exclusivity. These places are hard to reach, I must admit. It needs
transportation for guests to arrive in the place. But it is well worth it. You
can have a very solemn wedding ceremony and intimate wedding reception. It is
away from the noise of passing cars or curious eyes of passersby.
·
The set-up. I also love setting up the place. The ceilings are made of solid
wood beams that are already beautiful as it is. I love the cool air coming in
and out of the place that makes it enjoyable for us to decorate the
place.
·
Except for Loleng's who has their own inhouse caterer, with the other two
venues, you can choose your prefered caterer for your guests to feast
on.
 |
| Fernwood Clubhouse |
- 3.
Davao Convention and Trade Center
This is my 3rd most favorite of Davao
venues. It is located at Torres Street. Here are my reasons:
·
Spacious. If you want space, this is the place. From side to side , top to
bottom, there is so much space. Your guests will not have a difficult time
moving around. You can have a production dance with your entire entourage here
without fuss.
·
Food delish. They have their own inhouse chef that serves a variety of
satisfying buffet delicacies.
·
Friendly staff. They have honest, efficient and friendly management here. They
securely kept my set of decors that we forgot to bring along while restoration.
·
Decor and Set up. Although they have very high ceiling, they provide the
decorators with a scaffolding to work around with. What I consider challenging
in this venue is beacuse of the high ceiling, I needed more staff to
finish the ceiling drapes on time and it becomes increasingly difficult if
there are events the night before.
 |
| Davao Convention and Trade Center |
How about venues in Gensan? What
can I recommend?
Would you believe that I've
decorated venues in Lake Sebu, Koronadal, Polomolok but not yet in Gensan City.
Yes. I haven't had a Gensan client willing to hire me to design their wedding.
But I've been a wedding coordinator in Gensan since 2012. And here are my most
preferred venues for weddings:
Most couples consider this hotel a bit
pricey when it comes to their wedding package but this hotel has similar
standards and ambiance with the 3 and 4 star hotels in Davao City.
 |
| Greenleaf Hotel |
|
This events venue has been evolving.
They now have suites and rooms to accommodate wedding preparations which is
great. They have function halls for smaller groups and they can also accommodate
a large crowd. They are accessible to commute and they also offer a variety of
wedding and events packages to choose from.
 |
| Venue 88 and Suites |
This event venue can accommodate 500
guests. They have inhouse caterer to satisfy your guests. Because of their spacious
venue, you can incorporate selfie booths, cocktail station, photobooth - all
inside the vicinity.
 |
| Phela Grande Hotel |
There are more venues in Gensan but
they have complete all-in package that an independent wedding planner like me could
not penetrate. So I cannot give a review to their venues since they have
inhouse exclusive wedding coordinator among others. There are also other
venues that I haven't had an event with.
If you happen to be in Polomolok,
South Cotabato I can recommend Esma Restaurant. They have a
spacious function hall that can accommodate upto 250 guests. They have friendly
staff as well as budget-friendly wedding packages.
So there, the cat is out! These are my
favorites. Im not saying other hotels have lesser quality or amenities, what im
trying to point out is that based on my experience with them, i felt happier
and enjoyed working as an event planner in these venues.
