Supplier Rating: Christ the King Church

After being married for a month now, I'm slowly starting to get the hang of married life. But I'm still on a wedding high, it's time to give thanks to our suppliers for a job well done. Hopefully, my ratings will be helpful to other brides-to-be out there. :)

I'll be doing my supplier ratings differently today. I'll separate the hits and misses for each supplier so that it would be easier to see how each of them fared before, during, and after our wedding day. :)

Now, let's begin with our chosen church, Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City.

CHURCH: Christ the King Church
Peso Power: P25,000
Package Inclusions: flowers, use of aircondition units, soloist/organist

MY EXPERIENCE:

At first, Christ the King was not part of our choices because I felt that the church would be too big for us. We plan to only have 150 guests, and because of the church's structure, baka magmukhang aalog-alog mga tao dun. But since we plan to book their function hall anyway, booking the church was the most practical thing to do.

HITS

• The church is so bright and, for the lack of a better term, maaliwalas. I'm not a fan of old churches because they give me the creeps. Feeling ko may multo sa bawat sulok. Haha! So the modern architecture of Christ the King was a big plus for us.
• I like how spacious the altar is. It's perfect for big family pictures. :)
• It's airconditioned! This is a must because ours was a summer wedding, so just imagine how hot it was during the day.
• It's aisle is just right, not so short and not so long. I didn't want to walk down a very long aisle because I'm too scared that I'll trip. At least pag maikli ang aisle, mas mababawasan ang chances na madapa ako.
• There are a lot of parking spaces available.
• They have a  garden where you can have your postnup pictures taken. It was a bit of a climb, but at least we were able to go to a picturesque location without having to travel so far away.

Here are some pictures of the church during our wedding. :)

 

MISSES

• Our officiating priest didn't follow our misalette. There were some parts where he added words and phrases so we had a difficult time following the flow of the mass. Even our commentator missed some of her cues because of the priest's different wordings.
• I liked our priest's homily, but then I learned that he gave a similar homily during one of my friend's wedding. It may not be a big deal, but I just wanted our homily to be a little more personalized. Kaya siguro, it's really better to bring your own priest so that you have an idea how he conducts homilies before your wedding.
• No wooden doors for a dramatic entrance. You can cover up their glass doors with curtains for a fee, but it's just not the same.
• Mox finds Ms. Dodo a bit strict and masungit. Hehe.

RATING: 9 out of 10

Despite the small booboo with our priest, Christ the King is still HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. :)
 

Church: Booked!

After almost 10 months of being engaged, we have finally booked our church and, in turn, made our wedding date official. Here's where we will exchange "I Do's" in front of our family, friends and God. :)

Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City

Ironically, Christ the King was not part of our original choices for our ceremony venue. I never bothered to do an ocular here because I have been hearing feedbacks that this church is great for big weddings, which was not what I wanted. I wanted a small, intimate chapel since a big church would probably look too empty in the pictures with only 150 guests. But since I wanted to check out the adjacent social hall for our reception venue (more on that on the later post), I decided to peek into the church out of curiosity's sake.

All I can say was WOW. The grand altar was just amazing. I could just imagine myself walking down the aisle towards Mox, towards the huge Jesus at the altar. Even though the church is big, I didn't get the whole pucha mawawala ata ako dito feeling that I got during our Mt. Carmel ocular. On the contrary, it still had that cozy, intimate atmosphere that I liked. Maybe the circular structure of the church was able to give an illusion of coziness? Haha, don't mind me. Nagfefeeling lang ako na may alam sa architecture.

Another plus point for me was its aisle. Surprisingly, CTK's aisle was shorter than average, considering its size. But I don't care; I liked it that way! Haha! And since there was a baptism in the church during my ocular, I was able to experience firsthand the church's airconditioning. Ang lamig ng aircon nila, in fairness. I'm happy to note that my guests would definitely feel comfortable during our ceremony despite the summer heat. :)

The church's interior

Close-up of the altar

Stained glass windows

Musicians' loft

CTK holds three weddings a day: one at 10am, one at 1pm and one at 3pm. The church's package rate is P25,000, which is inclusive of the aisle decors and flowers, organist, soloist and use of airconditioning. They also have a P15,000 package, which has the same inclusions as the former but without the use of aircon. A P5,000 downpayment is required to lock your date and you must pay the rest of the balance in full three months before your wedding.

I was a bit reluctant at first to let go of Santuario de San Jose as our church of choice because my mind was already set on booking them come December. Plus, I want a dramatic entrance for my wedding, and the glass doors of CTK kinda removes that element of surprise. But after giving it some thought, I concluded that booking CTK would be more pratical, both for Mox and I and for our guests. One, it would be right next our chosen reception venue, so less hassle for our guests with no transportion to travel to our reception. Two, its rate is actually cheaper than SSJ's 2014 rate. And three, they're already accepting 2014 bookings, so I can finally crossed that off our checklist. So there, after paying the downpayment, we finally secured our date. Idadaan ko na lang siguro sa kurtina ang dramatic entrance ko.

Church Hunt # 4: Mary the Queen Parish

After my trip to Santuario de San Jose, my next agenda for the day was to visit Mary the Queen Parish in Madison Street, also in Greenhills.

In honor of Mama Mary, everything in the church is in blue and white—from its facade to its altar and even to the stained glass windows on the side. The color scheme gives the church a serene vibe that makes everyone inside feel calm and relaxed. I love how it even fits with our motif. Hehe. It has a very simple altar, but the blue background and high ceiling makes everything seem larger and more open. The sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows provides the perfect lighting for great, natural pictures. The church has no airconditioning though, and I don't know if the doors on the side can be opened to allow some air to pass through. Although for some reason, it was cooler and more comfortable in Mary the Queen than in Santuario de San Jose when I went there.

The church is located near the main road, between Xavier School and Immaculate Concepcion Academy, two exclusive schools for boys and girls, respectively. But I'm not worried about students milling around the church because our wedding will be held during their summer vacation. I'm more worried about the traffic noise and gatecrashers because the church is more open to the public than Santuario de San Jose. Also, there aren't that many picturesque locations to have our post-ceremony pictures taken.

The wedding package costs P15,000, half the price of Santuario de San Jose. However, it is only inclusive of the priest's stipend, flowers and red carpet. You have to provide your own musicians or choir, and even the microphones and organ that they will use! Mary the Queen is also notorious for its strict policy for punctualness. You are given only one hour for the whole ceremony, including the procession of the entourage up to the recessional. Every minute outside that period merits a P300 penalty. Yes, that is per minute! So imagine the pressure to follow the timeline to the dot to avoid any extra fees. One bride from W@W even said she walked too fast during her bridal march because she was afraid to be late. Di man lang na-enjoy ang moment. :(

To reserve your date, you have to pay a P5,000 downpayment. But this will serve as a security deposit in case you go beyond the alloted time. You will have to pay P15,000 on the wedding day itself. If you don't go beyond the one hour period, the church administration will return the P5,000 deposit to you.

VERDICT: Mary the Queen was originally my first choice because of I love the natural lighting and the blue facade. At first, I thought I could handle a summer wedding in a non-airconditioned church, but I had to consider how our guests, especially the oldies, would feel. My mom usually have dizzy spells whenever it's too hot and I don't want to risk that happening during our wedding. Also, I don't want to rush our ceremony just to avoid the P300-a-minute penalty for overtime. We want to savor every moment of the ceremony, and not be stressed over the timeline of the event. And even if the package rate is half of SSJ's rate, I still think SSJ's package is more worth your money because it already includes musicians, unlike in Mary the Queen where you have to shell out more money to book musicians and rent a microphone and organ.

So we have finally made our decision: We will book Santuario de San Jose when its 2014 logbook will open in December.

MARY THE QUEEN PARISH
Madison St., San Juan
722-9711

Church Hunt # 3: Santuario de San Jose

After our failed church hunting adventure more than a week ago, I finally found the time to visit our top two options last Friday to help us decide which one we would choose for our ceremony venue.

First stop was Santuario de San Jose in East Greenhills, San Juan. SSJ is becoming one of the top choices for couples because of its elegant ambiance. The interior is a mixture of red, gold and wooden accents, while stained glass windows depicting the Way of the Cross adorned the sides of the church. There are also mini chandeliers on the ceiling, which will be turned on during weddings as part of their package. Outside, the church’s pale green and cream façade serves as the perfect backdrop for photos. There is also a small garden by the entrance that can be used as a waiting area for the guests and entourage.

The church can easily fit around 100 to 150 people; it’s not too big that the pews would seem empty if you plan to have an intimate wedding, but it’s not too small that it would feel cramped. The aisle is also the perfect length for brides who wish to enjoy their bridal march but are too daunted to walk down a long, long aisle (like me. Hehe.)

The church is located inside an exclusive subdivision in Greenhills, so the solemnity of the ceremony will not be disrupted by the traffic outside and other city noises. There are also marked parking spaces near the vicinity of the church for the convenience of guests with cars.

The wedding package for 2012 is P25,000, which is inclusive of the priest’s stipend, flowers, red carpet, use of the air-conditioners for 1 ½ hours, electricity for videos, lighted chandeliers, and a soloist and organist. To block off the date, you have to deposit P5,000. Each year though, the rates increase as well as the required downpayments. The wedding rate for 2013 is P28,000 with a reservation fee of P6,000, while the wedding rate for 2014 is P30,000 with a reservation fee of P7,000.

VERDICT: I always liked to be married in a chapel, or at least a small church, because I felt it would make my wedding more solemn and personal, and SSJ has the perfect size to hold the small and intimate wedding that I dreamed about. And best of all, it’s air-conditioned! This was the deciding factor for us because our wedding will be held in April, which is one of the HOTTEST months. We wanted our guests to be cool and comfortable during the ceremony despite the stifling heat so an air-conditioned church is definitely a must.

However, I was dismayed over their wedding rates. Their current rate of P25,000 is already over our budget, so what more if it's P30,000? Their rates are only applicable for the year the wedding will be held so even though I'd pay the reservation fee this year, I wouldn't be able to lock the price. Right now, I'm still thinking whether it's worth paying more than half of our alloted budget for the church, but the lure of using air-conditioners on a hot summer day is sorely tempting.

SANTUARIO DE SAN JOSE
Buffalo cor. Duke Streets, East Greenhills, San Juan
725-2044 / 721-3842

Wedding Dilemma Part 1: Air-conditioned Church or Not?

The only downside of a long engagement is that we would often change our minds during the wedding preps whenever we would see something that is supposedly better than what we've chosen. The fickle-mindedness of brides (and even grooms) has already bitten me because lately I've been second-guessing some of our decisions regarding our prospective supplier.

The first wedding dilemma is with our church. Ever since we've started planning, I never really thought of holding our wedding in an air-conditioned church because I felt that it was not a necessity to begin with. We've already set a specific budget for our church and an air-conditioned church would cost more than what we could pay for.

At first, we were pretty set on booking Mary the Queen Parish in Greenhills.

But now, I am having second thoughts of booking a non air-conditioned church. Our wedding will be held in the summer, and if today is any indication of how hot  it would be on our wedding, then we would have a problem. Grabe lang sa init ah! I want everyone to be comfortable on our wedding day, without having to worry about sweat stains on their outfits, body odor and crankiness brought by the scorching summer heat. I want everyone to be cool even though it's almost 36 degrees outside.

And because of that, we've thought of having our wedding at Santuario de San Jose, a church in Greenhills that offers air-conditioning.

However, the rate of SSJ costs P10,000 more than Mary the Queen, which is way out of our budget. Mox told me that he's okay with a non air-conditioned church, but I'm still not convinced. We would visit both churches on May 1, so I guess I just have to rely on our "This is it" feeling for our decision.

What about you, which church would you choose?

Church Hunt # 2: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Despite our busy schedule with the food tastings, Mox and I were able to squeeze in a few hours to scout for possible churches. On top of our list was Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine in New Manila, which was five minutes away from Oasis, where we had our food tasting with Lina Vitan.

Mt. Carmel is a favored choice for weddings because of its large, ornate array of stained glass windows, giving the church a romantic and serene atmosphere. Another major plus is its long aisle, where brides can truly savor the moment of walking down the aisle. Meanwhile, the reception can be held in their function hall, which is just behind the church, so it is very convenient for guests who do not have their own transportation. 

Photo from Blissful Wedding

The wedding rate is P15,000, but you have to hire their in-house choir for an additional P4,000. If you want to use your own choir, you must pay a P1,000 penalty. They also offer a stress-free wedding package that includes the use of their function hall. The package also comes with most of the amenities that a couple needs like photo/video and caterer.

VERDICT: Unfortunately, Mt. Carmel did not hold the same appeal to me as it did with other brides. It was my first time visiting the church and I was blown away by how large it was... and not in a good way. Sure, it is a beautiful and majestic church, but there is no "This is it!" feeling for me. I only want a small and intimate wedding, and Mt. Carmel is too grand for my taste. Also, I'm scared the church might look empty with only 130 guests. Baka kailangang pa naming humatak ng mga random people para magmukhang puno ang simbahan! Haha.

Another thing that I didn't like was its long aisle. Unlike most brides, I am scared to walk down a long aisle with everyone's eyes on me. Nakakapressure kaya yun at nakakatense! I'm very shy so the thought of being the center of attention for the day makes me nervous. Yes, I'm the bride that doesn't want to be the star. Weird right? I'm also notoriously clumsy. Expect me to trip at least once while walking, and to think I'm already wearing ballet flats or flipflops for that matter. What more if I'm wearing a long gown with a train and high heels? The chances of me tripping will double! Nakakahiya kung madapa naman ako sa gitna ng paglalakad diba? Added stress pa yun! So to minimize the risk of any unwanted accidents, I would rather have my wedding on a church with a short aisle. At least, ilang steps lang ang kailangan para marating ang altar. Haha!

Still, Mt. Carmel remains on our shortlist because it is  located near Mox and me (he's from Pasig and I'm from Marikina), and it has its own function hall, which is a non-negotiable for me. We will search for other churches, but if we still don't like them, then Mt. Carmel will be our church of choice. Basta ang importante, sa simbahan ako ikasal. Hehe.

OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL SHRINE
Broadway, New Manila Quezon City
348-4291 / 724-5938 / 725-1508

Church Hunt # 1 : Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish

*Wow, five blog posts in three days! I'm getting the hang of this blogging thing again. Hehe.*

To be honest, I rather much have a wedding on a beach than at a church, but since my parents and future in-laws are very religious and traditional, then a church wedding is a must. Still, I really do not have any preference on where our wedding would be held, except I don't like a big church with a long aisle. Shy type ako eh at saka ayokong madapa noh! Our only requirement is that the church MUST have a reception venue next to it so that it would be convenient for the guests, especially for those without any cars. It must also be within our budget. Ang mahal na kaya magpakasal sa simbahan ngayon.

On top of our list is Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in Philam Homes, Quezon City. Even before I got engaged, I've been hearing raves about the church from brides and newlyweds. My mom even told me that if only she could get married again, it would be held in this church. So we decided to visit it, along with some other potential reception venues.

Thanks to Google Maps, we found Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish easily and it is indeed beautiful. The church has a cozy atmosphere and can fit around 70-100 people, perfect for those who want a small and intimate wedding. The stained glass in the middle of the church is also quite a nice touch. :) Because it is located inside a subdivision, it is very private and solemn so no need to worry about the blaring car horns disrupting your ceremony.

The stained glass and fountain (Photo from Flickriver)

The wedding package costs P15,000 (2011 rate) and is inclusive of priest's stipend, flowers, carpet use, soloist, electricity consumption and marriage registration fee. To reserve your chosen date and time, a P1,000 deposit is required. 

Verdict: We fell in love with its stained glass, cozy feel and short aisle. :) It is also within our set budget for the church. Best of all, the Philam Clubhouse is right next to it so guests do not have to travel far to go to the reception. But sadly, when we visited the clubhouse, we didn't find it aesthetically pleasing (more on that on the next post). So I guess we had to let go of this church and find a new one, preferably with a better reception venue.

STA. RITA DE CASCIA PARISH
South Lawin Avenue, Philam Homes, Q.C.
928-8930 / 929-8280