Summit Ridge hotel, Tagaytay

Our family went up to Tagaytay this weekend to savor the cool breeze and stayed at Summit Ridge hotel.We enjoyed our stay here because of its modern amenities (free wifi!) and the scenic view of Taal volcano from our fourth floor balcony. Summit Ridge is the newest hotel building to rise in Tagaytay and its advantage from competitors like Taal Vista is the mall-promenade beside it. No need to go far because everything is beside your hotel – restaurants, coffeeshops, boutiques, even a hardware store and supermarket. Parking is also very convenient.

Because of its big space, the ten-storey Summit Ridge makes for an ideal wedding venue. In fact, it has three ballrooms and three function rooms for special celebrations like anniversaries, birthdays and weddings. The biggest ballroom, Raintree A, can accommodate 240 persons while Raintree B & C, can seat up to 150 people each. All three ballrooms combined has space for 400 to 500 people.

On the other hand, the three function rooms Hazelnut, Walnut and Chestnut, can accommodate 100 people when combined.

I think the advantage of Summit Ridge as a venue for your dream Tagaytay wedding is the expertise of its caterer which is the Cravings Group – the same people behind the Center for Culinary Arts, The Coffee Beanery and C2 Classic Cuisine. I say advantage because nothing is more important for your special day than the quality of the food served during the reception which your guests will savor and remember long after the ceremony has passed.

Then, there’s the whole romantic idea of getting wed in Tagaytay which is a famed honeymoon destination. Holding your reception in a venue like Summit Ridge takes away the hassle of planning for your hotel room and breakfast in bed the morning after since this is included in the wedding package itself.

Anyway, here’s the Summit Ridge wedding package rates for 2010:

International menu, unless otherwise stated
Package Set A – P123,000 (minimum of 100 pax)
Package Set B – P144,000
Package Set C – P172,000
Package Set D – P180,000
Package (Local Flair, using local dishes) – P158,000

inclusive of the following:

Overnight stay for two in a Standard King room
Breakfast in bed for two
Use of function room for five hours
Complimentary food tasting for 4 persons
one day event management services
three-layered fondant cake
doves in a decorate cage
complimentary one round of iced tea or softdrinks
standard individual table centerpieces
personalized menu card
elegant floral arrangement for couple’s table
presidential table arrangement with personalized place cards
elegant floral arrangement for buffet table
complete PSA and sound system
guest book and signature frame
one bottle champagne for toasting
waived corkage for two wine bottles (750 ml)
gift for couple
10% discount for published hotel rates for friends and relatives attending the wedding, plus 30% discount for published room rates during the couple’s first wedding anniversary

For inquiries, call the Sales Office or the Events Team
Tel. No. (632) 240-6888 or 0922-8526800
or email reservations@summitridgehotel.com

“A basic wedding in the US costs around $ 50,000, while in the Philippines you can hold weddings for less than half of that, with a honeymoon holiday thrown in the package,” Richard Markel, President of the L.A.-based Association for Wedding Professionals International, was quoted as saying.

Outside of the US continent, Hawaii is a popular wedding location for Americans, but still expensive. With the recession in full swing, either people are cancelling weddings or holding it in other locales.

Distance notwithstanding, I do believe the Philippines has got what it takes to be a cheap, affordable wedding destination for the following reasons:

1. Availability of inexpensive talents who can do all the work. Be it a singer, a band, a florist or even a fire dancer, labor is relatively cheap in these parts. The choices are simply diverse and impressive too.

2. Existence of all-in-one packages which can make tying the knot relatively hassle-free. Major cities have professional organizers and coordinators, or if you don’t want to hire one, there are one-stop shops for this purpose where you can get everything you need – from gowns to catering to wedding accessories – in one roof. Okay, don’t forget the one who will take care of your wedding papers too.

3. Bargain havens. Those who want to organize their wedding from scratch can skip the malls and do the dirty work in places like Baclaran and Divisoria. These areas are quite rough, but it is also here where you can haggle and cut costs by more than 50 per cent.

4. Cheap catering. Competition among caterers has made it possible to have delectable yet reasonably-priced food during your wedding, and it can go as low as P150 (roughly $3).

5. Ambiance without the high price. Couples based abroad would want to choose the Philippines because they want history and a touch of the exotic.Nothing’s more appealing than exchanging vows amid a backdrop of a white, powdery sand beach and coconut trees. Here, it’s made possible without making a dent in your wallet.