The
first thing we wanted to cross out in our long checklist is the church.
Crossing this item out means finalizing the date of our wedding. So armed with
our target dates, a full tank of gas, and the ever reliable Google maps and
GPS, we head out to have oculars on our prospective churches within Metro Manila. This is sort of like doing a "Visita Iglesia" but instead of
during the Lenten season we did it at the start of the year.
Santuario
de San Jose Parish
Location: East Greenhills, Mandaluyong City
This
is the first time for us to visit this church. It is located inside a
sub-division so it is encapsulated from the busy streets of the city. It is
definitely spacious inside, I think enough for more than 200
persons/parishioners. The aisle is long enough for the bride to savour her
moment but not too long that she'll end up catching her breath when she reached
the altar. The interior has a mixture of gold and wooden accents and has many
stained glass windows which I think is perfect for wedding photos. The church
is air-conditioned so no need to worry about the humidity of the city. We like
this church but we are not ready to book it yet. So we moved on to the next
church on our list.
Christ the King Parish
Location: Greenmeadows , Quezon City
We
are lucky when we arrived at the church because there's an ongoing wedding. This
gives us the opportunity to catch the environment of the church during actual
weddings. Since the church is big, we noticed that it looks so empty when there
are only few guests attending the ceremony. The interior of the church is
beautiful, there's a huge Christ the king image at the center of the altar and
a pipe organ at the side. Although the interior of the church is beautiful and
air-conditioned, there is no "this is it" moment for us. The entrance
of the church is a sliding glass door so there is no "suspense"
moment when the bride enters the church. We are looking for a church with
wooden/non-transparent doors which has a nice effect when the bride enters the
church.
Nuestra Senora de Gracia
Location: Makati City
The moment we got out of the car and saw the church, we were
amazed by its beauty. The facade of the church under a blue sky was enough for
us to say "this can be our church". The steps leading to the entrance
looks grand and perfect for photo ops. When we went inside, the interior has a
dramatic feel with its nice ceiling and chandelier. The church is small and is
perfect for couples with limited guests. We are greatly considering this church
so we pencil booked it for January 26.
Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish
Location: Quezon City
We
visited this church weeks after we pencil booked Nuestra Senora de Gracia. This
church was not originally on our list and we stumble upon it when we were
looking for our reception venue. Since we are highly considering Elements
Centris located at the corner of EDSA and Quezon Ave. as our reception venue,
we searched the internet for nearby churches and the hearts of Jesus and Mary parish
was on top of the list. The church is small but it is very charming. Just like
Santuario de San Jose, it is also located inside a sub-division so we don't
have to worry about noise. The interior of the church is very neat and well
lit. Although it is not air-conditioned, the sides of the church were open so
fresh air can easily come in and out. One thing that catches our attention was
the fire truck beside the church since it is adjacent to the fire department of
the sub-division. I think the fire truck was the main reason why we immediately
booked this church for February 2, 2013. :D
