"...life makes love look hard.
The stakes are high, the water's rough.
But this love is ours."
"What makes relationships last?
And what kind of work are we looking at to make them work in the long run?"
The first line is a timely reminder from Taylor Swift as I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness upon reading that her long-term relationship has already ended.
The questions that follow are the things that I ask myself in my boring moments. I can feel the wedding high slowly wearing off but I plan to bring it back to life by looking at our wedding photos and sharing our wedding details here on Hive. We've covered the first part that gave much of our wedding details and the second part that narrated what went on in the church ceremony. This time, we're going to dive into our choice of locations and the decision-making process that went with it.
Tambuli Resort is as beautiful as it is serene. It was also where my High School friends had their pre-nuptial shoots, reception, and ultimately, our very own dress-up. I initially intended to have our wedding reception here as well but no matter how much we calculated it, the wedding budget would not permit it.
The place has been at the top of my list because it has scenic landscapes and their food is crazy good. Thinking also about our core as a couple, Fred and I really enjoy going to beach resorts. It was our "thing." He proposed to me at JPark Island Resort and Waterpark and we had quarterly trips at Cebu White Sands Resort and Spa, Ibabaw Mountain Resort, Danao Coco Palms and a few others. Happy memories were made and we were keen on making happier memories at this resort.
Their function room packages started at 1500 pesos per head pre-Odette times. A very good friend who worked there gave us this really good deal. However, my partner and I missed that opportunity because right after the typhoon hit, the resort increased its package rate per head and it made me regret missing out a little. Now, their packages start at 2000 pesos per head and Fred thinks that it is now way too expensive.
Closer to the wedding day, Fred and I came to a decision. He always said that the wedding details didn't matter to him as much as being wed to me did. He also said that he doesn't care much about pleasing other people, just that our families were happy and that we were happy. So, I let go of Tambuli as our reception venue and retained it as our Dress-Up venue instead. That way, our families would get to enjoy the resort experience and our videographers could still capture its scenic landscapes in our wedding video.
We got two 2-Bedroom Premiere Suite at 16,022 pesos per night each. It was to be occupied by 6 persons each with breakfast buffet and usage of resort amenities throughout our stay. It was the most expensive one night stay that I've ever spent on in my life. I'm still wondering if it was worth it. Should I have went the more affordable option, instead? Looking at our pictures makes me feel a little relieved. What also made me giddy was the fact that our families enjoyed their stay. They took many photos at the resort and they enjoyed the complimentary breakfast buffet too.
This church has a special place in our hearts. This was where we had our first healing mass as a couple. The church also looked majestic and beautiful, there was no doubt in my head that Fred and I will be wed there.
However, things started to get a bit complicated when we realized how strict the church was. That was one of the worries that our team of coordinators had when they learned of our choice. The church had strict protocols that they had to follow and sometimes, it can be hard to collaborate with them. However, I asked our team to be friendly with them and just go with what they wanted to do so that things will go smoothly. Thankfully, things did :)
I've always wanted spaces that are wide and high since it provides adequate room for everyone else to move on about. I wasn't keen on keeping the event to ourselves so I didn't mind having bystanders and passersby attend our wedding ceremony.
A friend then asked me how it felt to have walked down the aisle. I answered, "I really don't remember." Must be because I was fixated on my mom crying and my dad not being on good terms with her at that time. What I remembered vividly was Fred not crying. Hahaha, there's this infamous meme in Filipino pop culture that when a groom cries when his bride walks down the aisle, the groom will eventually cheat. He must have had that on his mind the whole time.
Our first experience with this place as a family was far from good. We were served late and the food that was offered to us did not taste that good as well. However, we took another chance on them and gave them the benefit of the doubt. During the food tasting, the foods served were fresh from the kitchen and everything tasted really good. The place was undoubtedly scenic as it was facing the sea and yachts were parked near the harbor.
However, when we got there, I immediately felt that the place was hotter than usual. They turned the AC off to accommodate the low-lying fog that would be used for the post-nuptial pictorials. The place was transformed beautifully by our stylists but Fred could sense that I was a tad disappointed. There were things that I wished could have happened differently starting with the post-nuptial photo shoot. The food also wasn't as good as how they were during the food tasting. Nevertheless, these little things didn't matter anymore the moment Fred acknowledged what I was feeling. For me, that was the most important thing.
Thank you for reading all the way through! In the next parts, I will be sharing a glimpse of our reception and our financials! I hope you'll still stick around 😉
She is on a mission to become better than who she was yesterday. A candidate for Masters in Business Administration, a Financial Advisor, and now, a wife, she hopes to give value to this space as a motivated individual. She found the perfect marriage between what she wants to do in life and her mission in financial advising. She balances her work and life in the comforts of her home, co-working spaces, and cafes. She loves to meet like-minded people and live her life to the fullest. Watch this space for tales of self-improvement and self-acceptance, per Mark Manson, "the philosophical tightrope."
Being in the crypto blogging space since 2018, she believes that the community is the greatest asset of any crypto-based project. So far, the Hive Community is her favorite.
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