Supplier Review: Venue/Caterer

It's been 53 days since our wedding and until now, we're still in the process of establishing routines. Now, I'm getting acquainted with a lot of things especially the wifey side of me that it's been a busy time ever since. Initially, it was really my plan to write reviews about our suppliers days after the wedding but everything else took over.

Now, I finally decided to put some reviews up thinking that maybe I could give out help to whoever might need it. I'll be using a 10-point grading system with 10 as the highest and will be dividing my reviews in a per supplier basis. So, here we go ;)

VENUE/CATERER: Bella Ibarra/Ibarra's Catering
GRADE: 9/10

When we started to look for venues we never initially considered Ibarra's party venues. Looking back, I really don't know why but maybe it's partly because the venue is tied with a caterer and somehow, we wanted freedom. When we decided to book Bella Ibarra, it was after we realized we wanted to prioritize the food more than the venue. Ibarra the caterer has been around for years and judging from the way their business grew, you could say they were doing something great to have grown that way.

The deal with Ibarra was really more of a hassle-free package. When you get them, you get catering, place setup, bridal car, cake, photobooth, LCD projector, mobile and other such details. O and I decided to book them because they're sulit. For people who are too critical about details, they'd probably advise you to avoid hassle-free packages for weddings as you would end up sacrificing the quality. Ibarra's hassle-free package is no such thing except for one outsourced supplier thus, the grade of 9.

We had the ceremony at the rooftop of Bella Ibarra while the reception was held at the 2nd floor function hall. On the day itself (and looking at the pictures after), the place was elegantly setup that you could actually say that weddings are really their business. But maybe, for these, I think pictures could articulate it more.

Ceremony Setup

Reception Setup

The food was without a doubt, masarap. All our guests craved about it even weeks after the wedding. O and I liked this fact very much as we were very particular about this. As wedding guests before, it's really the food that you would remember (good or bad) and hearing the good feedback was a breather. This made the sulit package of Ibarra more sulit.  

Some of the food during the reception

The Misadventures of O and J : Surigao

We just came from our supposed-honeymoon from Surigao. Supposed, because it never pushed through right after the wedding due to bagyong Pablo. As a background, we elected Surigao as our supposed-honeymoon destination because of this deal. We wanted to experience the over-the-water bungalows ala El Nido but didn't want to splurge thus, Surigao. 

The trip to Surigao was a pleasant surprise. We ended up exploring Sohoton, which is actually, a national park. In truth, we didn't know what to expect from the place until about a week or two before we got there. The experience was all about eco-tourism and admittedly, it was quite new for both O and I. While it would be nice to share every experience we had, this is not really why I wanted to write. 

The trip to Sohoton is composed of a 2 hour van ride from Surigao Airport to Hayanggabon Port and a 40-minute boat ride from Hayanggabon Port. The site going to Sohoton was very much a disappointment as opposed to when you are actually in Sohoton. About 2 or 3 kilometers from the Hayanggabon port, you'll start encountering muddy roads with the coastline surrounded by brown waters. The rivers you'll be passing by are also brown in color. The mountain was stripped bare of trees that you'll actually mistake it for a rather large heap of reddish brown soil. O and I were curious about the sight but innocently enough, I thought the sight was simply because of the rain.

On Hayanggabon port, we boarded our boat to Sohoton and our tour guide satisfied our curiosity. He told us (without our asking) that the waters and the land is as what we see because of mining. I'm not much of an environmentalist but hearing what our tour guide said, I could not help but think about what's the government actually doing and if the government knows this large of a damage. It was really a bothersome sight that on our way home, I wanted to write about this before anything else. Hoping that in this way, I could do my share (no matter how little).

  

The so-called Red "Mountain"

The water in Hayanggabon Port

The Misadventures of O and J : Best Laid Plans

O and I just booked our 2nd to the last supplier today. Booking them left me amused. See, this planning of ours has a recurring theme that leaves me amused and somehow, relieved.

Whenever O and I gear up to find a wedding supplier, we do extensive research. Of course, it's always our goal to find what fits our budget but delivers the best quality that fits our taste. Then, after weeks of research, we narrow it down to the top two or three suppliers that we think best. We further our research and try to decide among our choices BUT at the last minute that we're about to decide, we give each other bouts of second thoughts and end up finding another supplier in a much shorter time that fits our criteria to a T. 

Yes, this was how we were able to book our place, our caterer, our preps venue as well as how we found our house.

On our way home, I mentioned this to O and how I found it amusing. He, on the other hand, pointed out how everything shows God's workmanship and how God always makes His best plans prevail.

Amazing! God is surely amazing!   

Redeemed

More than being victorious, I would like to be called redeemed.

I have always been reminded that as a Christian I have been made victorious. In the course of its repetition, I realized the danger this statement contains. In hearing this again and again, I have reduced its interpretation by running after the successes in life believing that the promise of victory is Christ's way of beckoning people to follow Him.

But, the Christian way of life is not of pure victories. Any Christians' story is a story of redemption. I am not victorious but rather I was redeemed by a victorious God. Christ invites us to follow Him because only He is victorious and that in Him we will find our redemption. 

More than being victorious, I would like to be called redeemed because I would like to be reminded over and over again that I cannot be anything of value apart from the victorious God who saved me. 

Graciousness

There are a lot of inspirational books out there that effectively teaches us how to really follow Christ and without a doubt, I would love to read them all. I have actually encountered some that are so powerful I know reading them have really changed my life. I have always been a curious individual and as Christ's follower, I have always wanted to get to know more of Him and His teachings.

Now, my journey has brought me to search for a faith that matters. A faith that does not stop at knowing but also applying. If you've ever heard of the term "analysis-paralysis", my quest for more of God has a somewhat similar concept. I love to read books and sometimes find myself amazed at the revelations I get all the while thinking that I would be needing all these knowledge later.

But, God was never a God of later. God is a here and now God. And in the middle of this search, God made me realize that in order to act, it's really not about the theories. In order to act, it's really just about remembering and realizing that as someone who has been redeemed, God has transformed me to be a dispenser of His grace.

Random Conversations

My mind is full of conversations with random strangers I "meet" in my daily commute to and fro office.     I never do say them out loud lest I might get misunderstood. But as this is my turf, maybe letting it out here won't be such a hassle:

To the MMDA people who thought of the new traffic scheme in EDSA

"Gusto ko pong matuwa sa thought na at least kayo may tina-try to improve the traffic situation pero di nyo po ba talaga napapansin ang epekto ng scheme nyo sa commuters... para po kasing na-prioritize nyo masyado ang mga can afford ng kotse"

To MRT management

"Really? Ganito na naman? Hanggang kelan po ba? Wala ba talaga kayong paki sa amin?"

To the guy who offered his seat to me sa MRT

"Kuya, maraming salamat po. Hindi mo lang alam anong nagawa nito sa buong araw ko."

To the hot-headed person announcing his woes but still going to take the MRT

"Araw-araw naman pong ganito, hindi pa po ba kayo napapagod sa kakareklamo?"

To the people in the train who just won't budge to give space to others

"Sana na-ge-gets nyo na tulad nyo, ung mga taong nasa platform, may pupuntahan din."

To MRT riders that hates being pushed to and fro

"Can't you just be thankful that you're on your way already?"

To the Buendia MRT - Washington barkers

"Kaunting concern naman po sa trabaho ninyo... pwede naman natin pagbutihin e... wag naman po sahod lang ng sahod ng barya..."

To those people who like cutting in the line

"Seriously?! Di nyo ba talaga kami nakikita?"

To the long-haired girl in the jeep sitting beside me

"Ate, I admire your hair pero di ko naman sya gusto mapunta sa face ko lalo na sa bibig ko"

To God

"Sorry po sa mga naiisip ko. Kayo na po bahalang magturo sa kanila at sa akin."

Mindfulness

Today, God reminded me to be mindful of my actions. He came to the world bearing the message of love and He expects me to bear this news in my thoughts, words and actions.

Naisip nyo na ba itong katagang ito “Grabe… parang di kristiyano to… “? Ako, first time ever ko naisip yan today at the moment naisip ko sya inisip ko kaagad kung ano kayang naiisip ng ibang tao sa akin, Christian man o hindi.

I’m far from being the good Christ’s follower that people usually expects. But, with God’s grace, I strive to be one. I just hope I don’t cause anyone to stumble or think bad of God, Christ or Christians in general.

THIS is what I understand from this verse:

“I no longer live, but Christ lives in me “ - (Gal. 2:20)

I pray that when people meet and see me, they really do see the Christ that’s living in me.