We’re booking the venue this week!!!

That’s the grand staircase at the lobby…

In the past weeks, I had been contacting hotels and asking them about their wedding packages. It’s usually easier and less stressful to just get a package, because each package usually includes free use of venue for about 4 hours, either a buffet or plated meal for at least 100 people, a room at the hotel for an overnight stay and discounts for other rooms, free assistance of spinner for music, free use of a bridal car for about 3 hours, etc.

At first, I inquired at this hotel which has a brand new extension, with a brand new ballroom and a roof deck swimming pool. I was interested with this hotel because I was part of the architectural team who prepared the building plans of the new extension, but I haven’t seen the finished product in person because I have already moved away when it was finished.

The package they had was wonderful and less expensive than others, and the place was luxurious and popular choice of many rich-and-famous folks of the city. However, they had one fault: they failed to reply to my email (containing several questions about the package)… and I had been waiting for one month already for their reply! Then, thinking they must have missed my email, I sent the same email again to them. Still, no reply.

A week later, I got tired of waiting for them. Of course, I cannot wait forever for them, because I can’t start working on my STDs and invitations unless I make the date sure by booking the venue.

While waiting for them, I had emailed other hotels and asked them about their packages. One hotel in particular, caught my interest. It’s also a new hotel, and I was also part of the architectural team that built it a couple of years ago, so I’ve been to almost every corner of that hotel, from the reception lobby to the elevator machine room. What particularly impressed me was their promptness in replying to my emails, which they answer in less than 24 hours!

Then, there’s also their wedding package, which turned out to be a lot cheaper than the other hotel, but has almost the same inclusions, and a couple of items which weren’t in the other hotel’s package.

Last week, I emailed my mom instructions and sent her the money, so she can book it in person, on my behalf. This week, she’s going there to book it. I’m excited!!!

Here are pictures I have collected of the hall we have chosen:

(okay, that’s me, clowning around with a colleague,
before the hotel officially opened to the public)

(the construction guys from our office, showing us around)

(how it looked with the lights on, on opening day)