We drove up to Tagtaytay last Saturday (June 13, 2009) to visit all our prospective wedding venues. After a long but very productive day, we've come up with our top 3 choices (Balai Taal, Antonio's and Midlands Veranda).
Balai Taal
Pictures (left-right, top-bottom):(1) The drop-off point to the venue
(2) One of the stairway entrances to the garden (there are a few surrounding the garden)
(3) The gazebo / venue for the wedding ceremony and cocktails
(4) Inside the gazebo (although we may not want to use this since you wont have a good view of it from the outside)
(5) Main garden (reception)
(6) Extended garden (reception)
(7) View of all gardens from the main house
(8) Inside the main house (there is a large dining table, a well-equipped kitchen, and an area where we can put additional tables)
(9) The view from the bridal bedroom (Taken from the 3rd floor, the main entrance leads to this floor making it easy for the bridal team to access. The floor has a mini-bar, a small sala and 2 bedrooms with a bathroom each!)
(10) The breath-taking view!
What we love about Balai Taal:
- Near and easy to get to. Its a few kms before Highlands.
- Nelson, the caretaker, seems very responsible, capable, and easy to talk to.
- The venues for the ceremony, cocktails, dinner and after party are all in close proximity and they're all really pretty! The view of Taal from every garden is breathtaking!
- There are 2 fully-equipped houses we can rent! One for our family and the other for friends (perfect!!!) There are at least 5 large rooms in each house. Our guests can easily stay over, less chances they'll start spilling out early.
- There are loads of staging areas for our guests on the wedding day and even the day after!
- Each house has 3 floors, each floor has a mini-bar, a lounge area and a great view! I love the houses...
- The houses have large airconditioned dining rooms we can use for the older folks and kids.
- There is no corkage for anything! And there is no curfew or extra charges.
What we're iffy about:
- Parking is inconvenient for those without drivers. We'll probably have to provide some sort of valet
- The garden is not as big as we'd hoped. However, it can make for a very intimate gathering.
- There's no covered area large enough to accommodate our guests in case it rains hard. Even if we put tents, the rain will make the grass soggy and uncomfortable. This is our biggest worry about Balai.
Antonio's
Pictures (left-right, top-bottom):(1) Walkway from the parking to the main entrance
(2) The main entrance (it gives off the feeling of an old Spanish house)
(3) The side driveway to the garden where the ceremony and cocktails will be held (perfect for the elderly!)
(4) The entrance to the aisle for the ceremony (I love the big door that'll give s surprise effect for when the bride walks in!)
(5) The garden for the ceremony. There is a surrounding brick walkway where we can have cocktails
(6) The top floor (for the band)
(7) The view from the top to the main hall
(8) Dining area (for suppliers and kids)
(9) The main dining hall (presidential table)
(10) Airconditioned dining area (for VIPs and adults)
What we love about Antonios:
- The food is sure to be awesome!!! (Drool...drool...drool...5 stars!)
- There's not much we have to fix up in the place, it looks pretty as is and it really matches our theme (elegant, classy, relaxed).
- It quite friendly to the older guests. They can be dropped off directly to the wedding ceremony area without having to walk much. Plus there's a separate airconditioned room!
- The venues for the ceremony, cocktails, dinner and after party are all in close proximity. The ceremony can be by the garden, we can put tables on the side for the cocktails, dinner and dancing can be in the main dining hall. There's even a perfect spot for the band in top elevated area.
- The linens and chairs are beautiful!
- The area for the reception and after-party is covered, no need to worry about rain (well, except for the garden ceremony and cocktails. We probably have to tent that)
- There is enough parking
What we're iffy about:
- There is no lodging nearby, guests still have to drive far to get to where they're staying for the night. Whether they're staying in Tags for the night or not, guests will probably start leaving early...
- The area is divided, so you dont really get to see all your guests.
- Corkage for drinks, extra payment for using the garden, extra payment for extra hours...
- They usually dont allow events on the weekends, unless youre willing and able to cover the profit they earn on those days
Midlands Veranda
Pictures (left-right, top-bottom):(1) The driveway to the entrance of the venue (very spacious and parking wont be a problem)
(2) The receiving area (the ceremony location is at the bottom and the reception at the end) we can have the photobooth here and escort cards here
(3) The ceremony location (its got a beautiful view, but we may have to tent it in case it rains)
(4) The view! We can have fireworks from the 18th hole right in front
(5) The reception venue, its got a garden feel to it
(6) Tiffany chairs, table numbers, linens
(7) The elevated area where we can have the presidential table or band and dancing area
(8) The outdoor terrace where we can hold the cocktails. If it rains, we can opt to have the cocktails in the receiving area instead
What we love about Midlands Veranda:
- There is a small garden below the veranda overlooking the golf course where we can have our ceremony. We may still have to cover this up with a tent in case it rains.
- The cocktails can be by the terrace, just beside the reception area.
- The area is open but covered. It is secluded, but still very spacious.
- There is no curfew in the venue, but we might have to pay extra if we go overtime
- There is lodging nearby so guests can sleep over and not have to leave early.
- Parking is no problem at all.
- Welm, the organizer, seems competent and well-experienced
- We get to use the Tiffany chairs (thank goodness, I never liked the covered monoblocks...)
What we're iffy about:
- It gives off this country club feel that we're not really fond of. Eyebrows practically lives in a country club, getting married in one kinda doesnt make it feel so special? Does that make sense?
- The venue doesnt really give off the vibe we're looking for (intimate, private...)
So far, there has not been one venue that fits perfectly. So we're still on the lookout...
