Reception Woes

We are currently looking for an alternative reception venue. I love to have the reception at the Villa Familia Garden Resort but it seems it is not meant to be. The place is beautiful but the people working on booking the venue are difficult and confusing to talk with. Sad, but true.

September 2009
Inay and I visited the venue to see it for the first time. We were mesmerized and immediately liked the place. See post here. I told the resort staff that I want to use it for a wedding reception and she suggested alot of things like I can use the Master Bedroom during my pre-wedding photos, I can put the cake on the mini pool, etc. She said the rate in P6,000 for 12 hours of use. Affordable, right?

October 2009
The Cook and I went back to the resort for him to see the place and finally make the downpayment and book it for the wedding. The staff that I talked with before (Resort Staff 1) was on leave so we talked with another staff (Resort Staff 2). She called the owner of the resort to ask for the rates. She said it is now P8,000. Eight thousand?! A P2,000 increase from the previous month. I was taken aback by this since we budgeted P6,000 for venue rentals. We didn't book the place and will go back and talk to Resort Staff 1 in another time.

November 2009
We modified our budget to include the rental fee increase. I called the resort to see if Resort Staff 1 (RS1) is there. She isn't. The Cook and I went to the venue, hoping to finally book the place at P8,000. But lo and behold! Resort Staff 2 (RS2) said that their rate is P10,000. She said Resort Staff 1 thought that the event was for a birthday that's why she gave the P6,000 rate. I told her that it was impossible for RS1 to mistook the event as a birthday since I clearly told her that it was for a wedding. But RS2 insisted that there was a misunderstanding between me and RS1. And she gave other nonsense reasons why the rate is P10k (the guests are too many, they will have to pay more for the cleaning staff, etc). All bulls**t!

We were irritated by this constant changes in rental fees. They were booking the venue for other events, don't they know their rates that they keep on increasing it everytime we go there?! And this claim that there was a misunderstanding about what event the venue will be used, that's obviously a lie.

So now, that resort is off the list. I told Cheps not to start printing the invites since the reception venue is not yet final.