Venue Hunting in Intramuros

I haven't been keeping this blog as up-to-date as I want it to be, but Aleq and I have been a pretty busy couple! Honestly, we're feeling exhausted now, but we want to finalize some key things before we can relax on the wedding planning for a few months. A few weeks ago, on June 30, his family offered to go venue-hunting with us in Intramuros, so we jumped at the chance. (Thank you Medinas!) As it was a Saturday, we encountered a lot of traffic, so when we got there it was already evening. Still, we were able to visit a couple of places in the area, and were even able to talk to the venue people.

Patio Victoria

First up was Patio Victoria. This venue actually has some relation to me and Aleq because it is where we had an acquaintance party back in college junior year - before we got together. We were actually let in even if there was a wedding happening! It was totally awkward, but at least we were able to get their rates packages and we got a bit of a tour around the venue. 

The indoor hall

Patio Victoria actually has two outdoor venues and one indoor hall. We were interested in the indoor hall because we're getting married in the summer so we don't want to have to worry about the heat, and we also don't want to worry about any freak April showers that is a common thing in this tropical country. We actually walked into the indoor hall just as the bride and groom of the wedding we sort of crashed were having their pics taken in there (their reception was outside in one of the outdoor areas). We thought the place was pretty quaint, but it was a bit dark and small for us. 

Tamayo's

Next up was Tamayo's. It's a pretty well-known reception venue and catering service. We were pretty impressed by the large parking space and the fact that the place was pretty spacious. Their banquet hall was very roomy, and the garden with its flowers and lanterns was lovely. 

The banquet hall

Cool pathways

We found the place set up for a huge event. However their decorations weren't right for the theme we had in mind. We asked them if they had other options for some things, but they didn't. It's a great venue, just not for us. 

Though we didn't find our venue on this trip, we learned a lot about what we wanted. We realized that Intramuros wouldn't jive with our idea of a contemporary wedding, because the venues are more for Filipiniana-type weddings. The places have that ancient, colonial Spanish feel to them, because that's what Intramuros is all about. It's the oldest historic place in Manila, having been the seat of government during the Spanish Colonial Period. It's best for weddings that have an old-world theme. And so I'm ending this blog with that tidbit of a history lesson. See ya next time.