A Memorable Wedding in Tagaytay

Tagaytay is a beautiful city located just about 60 kilometers from Metro Manila that is a popular location for weddings in the Philippines. So when my friend and ex-colleague Pao got married, it isn't a surprise that he and his now-wife Alyssa decided to have their wedding in Tagaytay.

Pao and Alyssa get married

Actually, Pao and Alyssa are already married. They actually got married last year in the US where they now live (Pao moved there early last year). Since a lot of their family is still in the Philippines, they wanted to have a church wedding and a reception in the country so that they can celebrate their union with their family and friends here

Reception venue was Fernwood Gardens Tagaytay

The church ceremony was held in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. While I originally planned to go, I remembered that the last time I attended a destination wedding where the dress code for men was suits, I got soaked in sweat for a prolonged period of time and I ended up getting sick shortly after. Pao told me that the church was not air conditioned so I told him that I would just attend the reception because I couldn't risk getting sick again. (Yes, Tagaytay is cooler than Metro Manila most of the time but during the summer months, it gets pretty hot as well.)

The reception venue was Fernwoods Garden, which is near Breakfast at Antonio's. I didn't know there was a Fernwoods in Tagaytay; I only previously knew of Fernwood Gardens in Quezon City and Fernbrook Gardens in Alabang (and I had attended weddings at both these venues.) All these venues share the same design and style, making any of them a great choice for a wedding. Being in Fernwoods Tagaytay feels like you are in a fantasy, fairy tale forest. It really was lovely.

Fernwoods Garden Tagaytay

The venue was also very stunningly and elegantly decorated. As you enter, you are greeted by a beautiful display of the photos from Pao and Alyssa's wedding in the US.

Photos from Pao and Alyssa's wedding in the US

There was also a selfie op here, with a full-sized mirror enabling guests to take photos of themselves. Naturally, I did.

This wedding also featured one of the coolest ideas I've seen: a LEGO guest book. Instead of having attendees write a dedication along their names in a traditional guest book, we got to pick our own LEGO mini-figure, attach it anywhere on the board, and write our name underneath it. I loved this concept a whole lot!

Super cool LEGO wedding guest book!

The main reception area was absolutely gorgeous. It was grand and resplendent and tasteful and very festive and celebratory.

Reception area

I also loved the food. It was served buffet style and I think I ended up going back for seconds. I also thought the menu was really cute. Their fur-baby Chopper was left behind in the US so if he couldn't be here physically, then maybe by featuring him on the menu card, he could be here in spirit.

Dinner menu card

Pao and Alyssa also hired Bar on the Run to provide drinks that evening and these drinks were served in a really cool car!

Bar on the Run

I knew that Fernwood was also not air-conditioned so I made sure to bring my Jisulife, which I got as a gift for my birthday last year. It really was such a blessing to have. I wasn't the only one with that idea, though. Everyone else in my table had one of these portable electric fans.

Making use of my Jisulife

One of the most poignant moments that evening was the dance of Pao and his mom. It felt quite emotional, probably because Pao's dad passed away a couple of years ago. While his dad wasn't there, you could feel his presence and you could tell how much he is still loved, remembered, and revered by his family. Maybe a bit of the emotion is also because Pao lives in the US now so he doesn't get to spend a lot of time with his mom anymore. Whatever the reason, this dance really tugged at the heartstrings.

Mother and son dance

At some point that evening, everyone in the reception was asked to head out for the fireworks display. It was fantastic! (Also, since it was the evening already, it was very cool. In fact, it was a lot cooler outside the reception area than it was inside!)

Fireworks display

I also have to write about our table, which was a cornucopia of Pao's friends. I was the only one from the team that Pao and I were a part of in my previous company but there were also a couple of other people from that same company but from a different team. Also in our table were Pao's friends from online gaming and some of his roommates in Manila. You'd think that we would all have ended up not talking to each other and maybe just all being on our phones but somehow, everyone was really friendly and we clicked. By the end of the night, we were all talking with each other, sharing stories, and laughing as if we'd all known each other for a long time already. We clearly enjoyed each other's company because we ended up staying even past the end of the program. We were in fact the third to the last table to leave the party.

The party favors also deserve a mention as they were very special. Everyone got to take home two items. I got a jewelry box and a bottle of perfume! It was a pretty good scent too!

Wedding party favors

I'm really honored to have been invited to this wedding and I'm very happy that I attended. I got to see and catch up a bit with Pao, who I haven't seen since he left for the US, and I got to be there for him and his wife for this very special moment in his life.

*****

As is my usual practice, I stayed overnight in Tagaytay after the wedding since I didn't want a long drive late at night. Once again, I stayed at my go-to place: Lee Boutique Hotel.

Lee Boutique Hotel

After checking out very early the next day, my plan was to have breakfast at Charito's but it was Mother's Day so the parking was full! I went instead to my other go-to breakfast/brunch place: Bag of Beans Athena. Thankfully, I arrived when I did - which was around 8am - because shortly after that, all the tables were filled. I was so surprised that there were so many early morning people in Tagaytay that weekend!

Breakfast Sampler at Bag of Beans Athena

I bought some barako coffee and raisin bread from Bag of Beans Athena before leaving. On my way back to Manila, I also got some ube jam and a few bottles of pickled mango from Good Shepherd. And of course buko pie from Cecilia's. It really was such a superb weekend.