Puerto Princesa, Palawan

how we got there. buses make a daily run from 7/8/9am from El Nido to Puerto Princesa. don’t expect a luxury bus, though, else you will be in for a shock. it’s an 8 hour journey along very dusty roads in an old, rickety,no a/c bus. they make 2 rest stops along the way for food and toilet breaks. we book our seats a few days before at the bus terminal in el nido. they would require full payment and give you the tickets. it is possible that they change the schedules and the time on the signs outside is not always correct, so make sure to ask. and yes, sometimes the bus failed to arrive and/or breaks down.

Lagen Island Resort, El Nido, Palawan

Lagen Island Resort. P12,500/person/night at the water cottage inclusive of meals and activities. slightly cheaper accomodations available. One of the more exclusive resorts in the country (meaning expensive). some people actually prefer staying in Miniloc, same resort, different look, a bit cheaper. Lagen offers a little bit more luxury.

El Nido, Palawan

how we got there. boats make the journey to el nido from coron twice a week (wednesday and saturdays, but this can change, so ask!). Boats leave from Seadive resort and you have to get registered there at least the day before. it’s a 7-8 hour ride away, so bring food with you. prepare to get wet and maybe seasick. and even if the boat gets there the night before, don’t expect them to leave on time. our boat even had to make the run back into town because it wouldn’t start and had to get a new battery!

Coron, Palawan

how we got there. fly via SeaAir to Busuanga. Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga is a small airport with only a hut and not much staff. don’t expect to get travel information here. there are a few leaflets lying about and a number of people from different resorts trying to get your attention. you can ask the people unloading your baggage for information or the jeepney driver. From Busuanga, take a jeepney outside the airport which will take you to your resort’s doorstep and help you with your luggage. Fare P150/person and takes roughly an hour.Coron. we were impressed with the town’s cleanliness. hardly any rubbish on the roads. small town. quiet streets. hardly any vehicles save from the motorcycles and tricycles. a good number of tourists. people go here primarily for wreck diving and not much else. we really didn’t go anywhere outside of Coron. i planned this to be a quiet time after all the stresses of the wedding. didn’t really planned to go here but getting tickets to Palawan had been a nightmare. and so we managed to get the last 2 tickets to busuanga the day after the wedding.

Sea Dive Resort. from P650 room/night for a room with fan. room is what i thought it would look like in a seedy motel in manila (not that i’ve been to one!). i was thankful we had our sleeping bags to drape over the bed. view from the roofdeck overlooks nearby coron island. great place to take a nap. we transferred to an aircon room (P950) the following night and room was slightly better (though we still prefer to use the sleeping bag). this is a great start off point to go wreck diving as this is a primarily a diving centre (with decompression facilities). Restaurant serves good food. staff are helpful. Boats going to El Nido leaves from here.

L&M Pe Restaurant. great if you’re only out for drinking. food wasn’t that great. lighting not adequate.

The Old House. popular meeting place for a drink or two i was told. but not really great for a meal. we were here at lunch time and it was just us eating. disinterested waitress/owner/cook misunderstood our order and so we had to wait some more time for the other meal to be served. it came too quickly – chicken was undercooked.

for the w@w community: supplier’s ratings

lessons learned. many people believe that it’s all in the details. truth is, nobody else but you will remember the details! don’t sweat the small stuff. prepare early but don’t be obsessive about that one-day event. i’m all for making it the most beautiful wedding ever. but don’t expect everybody else to have the same definition of elegance and grandeur as you. make sure that you look back at your preparations as a joyful not a stressful event.

I’d rather not use ratings as I’m not sure where to gauge the ratings from. So I just asked ourselves the question, would i recommend them to my dearest friends who are about to tie the knot?

wedding coordinator. Weddings By Victoria.

invitations. CraftMaster.

church. San Agustin Church, Intramuros.

reception venue. Coconut Palace, CCP Complex.

caterer. Via Mare.

photo. Lito Sy, Inc.

video. Imacron.

event stylist/florist. Tropical Blooms.

bouquets/boutonnieres. April and Karen Yu.

harpist. Holly Paraiso.

strings. Sonata Strings.

sounds and lights. Sound Syndrome.

projectors. Brain.

groom’s suit. Veluz.

bride’s gown and wedding accessories. Veluz.

mothers’ and entourage’s gowns. Veluz.

groomsmen’s suits. Edwin Valerio.

van rentals. not sure which company, got contacts from Buy & Sell.

bridal car. Adeb.

hair and makeup. Jessy(sic) and Steve – Madge Lejano’s second team.

hotel for bridal and groom preps. G Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

DIYs. misalettes, reception invitation, arrhae (from coin collection from various countries we’ve visited).

bride’s bible.