Caterer: Booked!

The search for our wedding caterer is finally over. After having almost 15 food tastings with different caterers, we have finally found our perfect match in Richgold Weddings.

I first heard about Richgold in W@W after Ms. Benz posted a thread introducing them as the only caterer that offers crystal chairs—transparent chairs that seem to be made of glass—as part of their basic setup. What I liked about the crystal chairs is that they would capture the color of the light that hits them. So if the light is yellow, the chair is yellow. If the light is blue, the chair is blue. You get the picture. Hehe.

How the crystal chairs look like

Most caterers offer tiffany chairs as an upgrade to the usual monobloc chairs, and that usually costs P150 per chair, but Richgold provides crystal chairs for all their guests with no extra charge.

I was hesitant at first to inquire with Richgold because their wedding packages do not originally fit our budget. I was all set to booking Ma Del's for our wedding just to save money, but deep down, I was already having second thoughts. While I loved Ma Del's food and styling, I thought it was too similar to our usual homecooked meals. I guess I just wanted something a bit fancier for our big day.

So I took a chance and emailed Richgold  for their rates, and when I saw their wedding package, I suddenly had the urge to book them immediately because they were offering such a great deal. As in kinikilig talaga ako pag binabasa ko packages nila. I finally had the "this-is-it" feeling with a caterer! Think about it, for only P777 plus the 10% service charge, you would get:

• 4 appetizers
• 1 salad bar with two dressings
• 1 soup
• 1 pasta bar (two pastas, two sauces)
• 4 main courses (beef, chicken, pork and fish)
• 1 veggies
• 5 desserts

And not only would we be able to lock that rate if we would book them this year, we would also get the following freebies:

• Overnight stay at Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel
• Bridal Car (Benz E220 with driver, flowers and fuel for 3 hours)
• Photobooth for two hours
• Mobile bar for 50 pax
• 3-layer fondant cake or 100 cupcakes and 6" cutting cake
• Professional emcee

Yes, I would get not one, not two, not three, but ALL of these freebies if I'd book them within this year. Oh diba, sulit na sulit! If I'd get them as our caterer, I don't have to worry about the souvenirs since I'd already have a photobooth and cupcakes for the guests. I would also have a mobile bar, which usually costs around P15,000, for our drinkers, aside from the beer kegs that I plan to order. I wouldn't have to book an additional hotel room for our wedding night because we could just stay at the Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel for free! And best of all, we would have a bridal car! Before, I plan to use my own car, but now I could finally ride a real bridal car, and a Mercedez Benz pa! Sosyal! I already have an emcee included in my package with The One Exclusive, but I haggled with my AE for an extra hour for the photobooth and crystal chairs for our VIPs in exchange for the emcee.

That's not all, I could finally have the fancy food that I wanted, and more food for that matter. I'm sure that our guests would not complain about going hungry during our wedding. In fact, they'll probably be complaining about their full stomachs afterwards... or so I hope. Let's just cross our fingers. Haha!

Of course, I had to check out their food and setup in person to make sure that their food and styling are something to rave about. Sabi nga ni Mox, baka sa papel lang maganda eh. So when Jed, my AE, invited me to one of their weddings at Oasis Manila to see their setup and have a mini food tasting, I immediately convinced Mox to join me so that we can finally decide if we'd book them on the spot.

When we saw their setup at Oasis, we were speechless with awe. It was so beautiful! It was so simple, classy and elegant. Their client opted to get crystal chairs for all their guests, and I love its effect. We weren't able to take pictures because we were too shy, but here are some of the sample centerpieces they had during their grand food tasting. Pictures are from their Facebook account. :)

Mox and I also loved their couple's area. Instead of the usual couch or couple's table, there are two armchairs on the stage, just like the ones used in Oprah. Ang ganda lang! Mox and I even kept on arguing on who would get the chair with the armrests. Haha! Again, here are samples of their couple's backdrop courtesy from their Facebook account.

RichGold's package also includes thematic styling from their in-house event stylist. There are preset themes such as travel, zen, four seasons and beach that do not require any upgrades for the styling. For other themes, we would just coordinate with their stylist to get a quotation.

I'll probably write a new blog entry for the food tasting since I was too excited to take note of the food that we ate. All I could say is that I loved their food, especially their desserts! Winner lahat!

And so, after much deliberation, arguments and a few drama moments, Mox and I booked them on the spot. Mox just loved their setup, while I loved their food and the freebies. All the staff were so helpful too. And it didn't hurt that Jed is a cutie. Nastarstruck ako sa kagwapuhan niya eh! Mox said the only reason why I probably booked them was so that I could always talk to Jed. Nagselos pa talaga ang lolo mo. Well, at least I know he's happy with the choice we made. Baka daw kasi umabot pa ako ng 100 food tastings sa kakahanap ng caterer eh. Hmm, 100 food tastings? Now that's something to think about. Hehe.

RICHGOLD WEDDINGS
El Jardin del Zenaida, 34 Sgt. Esguerra, Quezon City
291-1111 / 415-6887
inquiry@richgoldweddings.com