It's a month now since Radney and I got married, and for the past few months, we were both occupied with planning, preparations and errands. Even if we had enough time to prepare, 1 year and 2 months of engagement to be exact, I cannot say that we were totally 'chill'. Somehow, we've felt the stress, pressure and the nerves. We had nightmares too, such as epic fail suppliers, typhoon, flood, hundred guest absences on the wedding day, etc. But thank God, none of those bad scenarios happened in real life as we were able to pull-off our dream outdoor ceremony. It was at The Mango Farm (TMF) in Antipolo, Rizal, our top choice for a garden wedding venue.. in actuality, it really is a mango farm! :)  

Initially, we were aiming for a Tagaytay venue, but out of the blue, we had this "Are you thinking what I am thinking" moment when Radney said, "Why don't we consider Antipolo instead?". And then I replied, "Actually, I'm browsing about The Mango Farm Antipolo now, I like it! It's beautiful!". I consider that time as a coincidence because he was eyeing the same place too. Just by looking at the photos online, we already felt this "This is it!" feeling.

We've booked the venue (the air conditioned glass pavilion + garden) as early as September 2016 because we wanted to secure our wedding date and we knew how in demand this place was for special events such as weddings and debuts. It's nice to know that they only cater one event per day and we can use the entire venue exclusively for 7 hours (excluding preparation time and egress of suppliers). Not just once but we've done multiple oculars to see the changes in the place, as we noticed there were minor constructions happening most of the time. It was very relaxing at TMF, when there's no event, this 2.5 hectare land with around 200 mango trees is very quiet, it is well-maintained, the whole farm is clean and green. Aside from the plants and trees, every corner is to love especially the brick walls and the patios.


The Administration Office - during our first ocular, we were assisted by Dylan Gozum of Vatel Manila as he is also the Operations Manager of The Mango Farm. Inside the office is where they welcome guests and give the brochures. Most of our inquiries and contract signing were exchanged through emails. The farm's rules and regulations are well-stated in the contract and their staff gave us prompt replies as well.


The Avenida - this area of the farm with healthy grass and lined mango trees on both sides is considered as the main outdoor ceremony venue. However, in case of weather disturbances, the farm follows Plan A to D protocols:

Plan A: As Is. (The ceremony will be held here at the Avenida)
Plan B (Wet Grounds, but Sunny Day): Ceremony is moved to the paved Plaza.
Plan C (Rainy): Plaza, but tent needs to be rented.
Plan D (Typhoon): Everything inside the Glass Pavilion.

Note: The soil can be soft sometimes so it is better for the bride and guests (ladies) to wear block heels or flat shoes instead of stilettos. This area can be muddy on rainy days.






Plaza Gat Tayaw - this is another wedding ceremony venue at the farm with paved aisle and flooring but is still surrounded with lush mango trees. As I mentioned above, for couples choosing Avenida as ceremony venue, if in case the soil is wet and muddy, this will be the Plan B location. But as I've noticed, even if the weather is perfectly sunny, several couples still prefer this area over the Avenida.

By the way, this was where our ceremony took place as we had no choice but to go on Plan B. Typhoon Paolo then had left PAR only a day before our wedding, there were still occasional rainshowers. Nonetheless, we were still very happy with the set-up at the plaza, no regrets! We still had our photo shoot at the Avenida after the ceremony together with our entourage, they were so game and we didn't care about the mud anymore. :)



The Chapel - the farm has a beautiful chapel with transparent glass walls but is only for the farm owner's family use. It cannot be rented as ceremony area.




La Carmen Lanai - for me, this area has the most beautiful patio. The bench with throw pillows is a picture perfect spot. Cocktails are usually served here.

Bohemian style is one of the top themes for birthday/wedding parties, photoshoots, musical events and other festivities. According to Wikipedia, "Bohemian" is a term applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. It can sometimes be synonymous to gypsy (free-spirited person) and hippie, a.k.a. hipster which means uncertain fashion."Boho" for short as what millennials use to call it, is most of the time used to describe colorful and artistic things, which beauty is beyond ordinary, thus, very eye-catching and remarkable. Try to search "Bohemian" on Pinterest and you'll see different colorful things such as laces, teepees, roundies, dreamcatchers, feathers, wreaths, fairy lights and other stuffs.

We went to Tagaytay to see this trending cafe because of its unique style, it is called Dreamland Arts and Crafts Cafe. It is a perfect place to hang-out for "wanderers" like me. All those beautiful things I mentioned above are displayed in this 2-storey restaurant and you can buy items from them too. Board games at the counter can be borrowed by customers who would like to play. They serve healthy smoothies, coolers, liquors and burgers which are all made from scratch so have some patience while waiting for orders.

We took a lot of photos as there are many beautiful spots here mostly on the second floor. The second level has a roof, with wooden railings on edges, but still very open. Instead of walls, they placed nets made of dreamcatchers in different design, colors and sizes. It was so beautiful and very creative idea! It is located beside the main Tagaytay-Calamba Road that we could actually watch the vehicles passing by while sipping on our drinks. Customers can feel the Tagaytay breeze although I'm not sure how the situation will be during rainy days.

Just some reminders for those "wanderers" who would like to drop by:

First, if you will bring a car, I would like to tell you guys that they only have a small parking space in front of the cafe, probably only around 3 cars can fit. Actually, we had 3 parking attempts before we were able to catch a free slot! While the spaces are full, we just went to other Tagaytay tourist spots. Even the cafe's neighboring establishment owner seems annoyed with customers trying to park in front of their shop. 

Second, I already mentioned above to be patient while waiting for orders. Make sure you are not totally hungry!

And lastly, check their social media sites (Facebook and Instagram) for announcements. We went there not knowing that second floor was already reserved for a birthday party. We were only given a chance to stay there for an hour to eat and take photos.

My father was raised in the town of Tayabas and I consider Quezon as my second home province. Yearly, I visit my Tayabasin relatives for our annual family reunion and sometimes on occasions such as Pahiyas and Mayohan festivals. Last September 29, on the feast day of St. Michael Archangel and the town's fiesta, Radney and I went there to see my dad's siblings and my cousins. It was the perfect time to distribute the invitations for our upcoming October wedding, everybody was there plus a buffet lunch welcomed us. We intended to just have a quick visit and planned to go back to Manila at night but suddenly we felt very tired for another 5-hour drive so we decided to find a place to spend the night. Through google search, we were able to find a nearby place to stay and it was at Samkara Restaurant and Garden Resort in the town of Lucban. It is a Bali-inspired resort where the nipa huts and the pool are overlooking a wide rice field and numerous coconut trees. Long time ago, I've been wanting to blog something about Quezon Province and finally I have this entry.

It was such a breath-taking, fresh and peaceful sanctuary where guests can eat, relax and meditate. I cannot take my eyes off the rice terraces with actual hardworking farmers doing their day-to-day job.  

For the accommodation, each room is located uphill, made of finest nipa hut materials and windows are made of capiz. We stayed in their "Kalawili" room. It may look vintage but it has comfortable features. It was airconditioned, there was an LED TV with cable channels, the bathroom was clean with toiletries and has water heater (much needed for naturally cold water). The bed with stylish kulambo (mosquito net) was so inviting. The rattan rocking chair near the large sliding glass door was very nostalgic, it reminds me of our grandparents. Opening the sliding glass leads to the veranda with another perspective of the yellow-green rice fields.




The restaurant was tidy and has a relaxing Filipino atmosphere. As our complimentary breakfast, they served the famous and delicious Lucban longganisa and Pancit Habhab and even gave us free watermelon shakes. Instrumental music of OPM love songs was playing on the background while we were eating. I can consider this as one of the best breakfasts of my life!



The pool area was my favorite, it is actually the resort's main attraction. Unlike any other pools, it is chlorine-free! It is not tiled and looks like a natural basin of fresh water coming from Mt. Banahaw. It was not a big pool but we savored every moment of peace and tranquility while swimming, we were not sharing it with anyone as there were only few guests at that time. As we stand in the middle, the 360 degree view surrounding the pool was more than perfection! At the edge of the pool was a closer view of the rice fields. We got caught in the rain but that didn't stop us from having fun, instead we enjoyed it even more! It was a one of a kind provincial experience. Just notice how unexpected this trip was, I wasn't prepared to bring a proper swimming attire.