The Time For Receiving – of Cash and Registries at Wedding Receptions

by Dino Santos

The Mango Farm venue has been witness to many wedding receptions, and the gift-giving that comes along with it. A wedding is one of the few occasions in life where people shower you with gifts of unusual value, and you have to know the precise way of asking for them. One rarely needs a second set of silverware, or a third microwave oven for that matter, and this can happen with wedding gifts, as has happened before.

Organize the gift giving. This is a delicate matter, where even the most innocent suggestion can seem crude, tactless and vulgar. Avoid this at all costs – and there you have an intricate puzzle that needs to be solved, unless you really want that fourth refrigerator in your kitchen.

Your presence is your gift.

 

Cash

Asking for cash instead of gifts gives the suggestion that your wedding guests have no idea of what you really need. However, if, as newlyweds, you really have no idea what you will need first, cash is the better option. Then the time-honored tradition of the Chinese can kick in.

As Filipinos, most of us have Chinese blood anyway, so it is a great fall back. The red envelope given during Chinese weddings carries a wealth of customs with it though. For example, the newlyweds must give back more money in the wedding of a currently unmarried guest. Counting the money in front of the gift giver is in good taste too, for accounting purposes. Amounts with the number four in it are frowned upon, whereas 8's are in great demand.

The Chinese may not have everything right, but a lot of it sure is.

Event sweeteners in pickle jars

Wedding Registries

The Mango Farm Venue has also witnessed many wedding registries. For couples who know exactly what they want, a wedding registry is the perfect choice. Assigning a store, or several stores for that matter, for guests to buy outright or chip in assures the couple that there will be no overlapping of gifts, and that each gift will be useful one way or the other.

Online wedding registries are the rage at the moment. Some registries even offer to create a website just for the newlyweds, complete with all the information about the wedding. For one thing, this saves the couple from the embarrassing occasion where they tell their guests what they want. With the freedom, cash instead of gifts can even be possible.

 You could create the website yourself if you are up to the task.

But supposing the online wedding registries are out of the question, an easy way out to inform your guests that there is a wedding registry is to course it through the best man or the maid of honor. Through word of mouth, the registry is publicized without being tactless about the whole gift-giving topic.

Plants as give-aways.

Remember to Say Thank You

Saying thank you for that splendid oven toaster is too real to be handwritten on your thank you note. As much as possible avoid even hints of gifts being too generous – it is better to say that the presence of your guests in the most important day of your life is much appreciated, rather than the exact value of the gift.

This just about covers the more important parts of gift-giving in weddings. On to the next thousand steps of your wedding, because the road goes ever on.

Hoolah skurts in the breeze.

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Sit-Downs and Buffets at the Mango Farm Venue

by Dino Santos

A wedding is a thousand and one decisions -- no, make it a thousand and two. You may have forgotten all about the wedding feast, but your guests surely won't. Of course, you always have the option of letting your caterers do their job, because after, all, it is their job, but you may want to have a hand in the arrangements too. From food selection to the style of serving, these all count towards a wedding celebration that is truly yours.

And so the question -- are you going to have a sit down dinner or a buffet? Try to look back at all the weddings the two of you have ever attended, and you come closer to a decision. Although your budget is a factor, it does not tip the scales. The cost of your menu determines the price of your catering service, but it does not tell you which is better for you, if it is really going to be a sit down dinner or a buffet.

 Peach pinwheels on powderblue 

Formal or Casual in the Mango Farm Atmosphere?

The main difference between the two is the ambiance. Being seated throughout the whole dinner gives a sense of being slightly pampered and spoiled, while standing up to fill up your plate feels slightly more casual, even if you are dressed up to the nines for both scenarios.

Now, think of your guests. If your more youthful guests need some reminders to behave during the reception, you may want to go formal. If most of the people you have invited are of the older generation, they may appreciate the pampering.

The Mango Farm venue can accommodate both atmospheres. This difference between sit-downs and buffets points you in the right direction, but you need a couple more things before the final decision.

Moroccan lamps, amorphous chopping blocks, Mexican votive holders, chipped faux pewter, moss, hydrangea

Of RSVP's, Seating Arrangements, Menus and Waiters

One characteristic of sit downs is attendance. Formally turning down the wedding invitation becomes terribly important, or else your companions at the table will be one seat short at the table. Some on the spot thinking may be needed from your maid of honor or best man, should a problem come up in this area.

You have to be precise with your seating arrangements for sit down dinners, especially if you have to think of some of your guests with special dietary requirements. With a buffet, people only choose the food they like, so this isn't much of a problem. Buffets are also easier on seating arrangements – you can probably get away with table assignments.

Finally, for sit-downs, make sure you have enough waiters at the event. There is nothing worse at a wedding reception than having to wait a long time for your turn to be served. With buffets, you should also consider several stations instead of one long buffet table – the lines will be shorter, and your guests get to dinner faster.

Topiaries - they still work! (Styling by Gids Hermosa)

A Mango Farm Wedding Reception to Remember

Most Mango Farm accredited caterers can deal with both scenarios -- however, you still have to answer the real question, which is, if this is the way you really want to celebrate your wedding. That is all you really to answer. Great company, good food, and a fantastic venue for your wedding reception. Whichever way you go, with these ingredients, you are all set to celebrate your wedding the way you want. Make it as memorable as you can. The celebration should last you a lifetime.

Driftwood (locally known as kakawate) and cymbidiums (Styling by Vatel Manila)

Uhm... well, just enjoy the scene! (too many elements to list)

White folding chairs. Now, guess what? There are hard-plastic versions of these wooden chairs! And picture-wise, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference!

So who's invited?

Who's invited at the Mango Farm Venue? Are We Really Obliged to Fill Up the Town Hall? One question a would-be couple should always be prepared to answer is the guest list. In the course of each one's life, many people become important – however, the seats are few. While the Mango Farm venue is large enough to accommodate as many people that can fit in the two and a half hectare property, it is still a good idea to start with a definite number of people invited to the wedding reception, and work at the guest list from there. You have many different points of view regarding this. These are the three different cases. Both bride and groom only wish to have a few friends invited in the first place. Second, one of them is networked to the hilt. The third scenario is that both of them can run for mayor in their respective home towns, and it is mainly that last scenario that poses the problem of numbers. How many guests, especially when the Mango Farm venue can probably hold a small town gathering?

Remember the Budget 

The number of guests defines the budget. If you are willing to spend only so much for the wedding reception at the Mango Farm, then the question is answered. However, if both really are going to run for some elective position in the next general elections and money is no object, then sky's the limit. (Ok, that's quite a stretch - but apt for the current politically charged moment :). Open the doors of the Mango Farm, and welcome the whole world to witness and celebrate your nuptials. In some cases, though, privacy is an issue. Still, the Mango Farm is bordered by thick vegetation and perimeter trees that assure privacy to the newlyweds.

The Dreaded Guest List

How perfect the world would be if the final guest list of the couple fit the budget with room to spare. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. Several days of hemming and hawing may take place before the final guest list is done, and more because the wedding is ready to take place than it is because of any agreement from the two. The seating arrangement is another issue entirely. Four Weddings and a Funeral has a delightful spiel on the subject – about singles in a huge romantic celebration, or being old and out of place in a setting full of promise, plus a huge serving of dry British humor.

 

You never really know what can happen in a wedding, in spite of all your preparations. Except that you are going to get married.

Celebrate Your Marriage

True love comes rarely, and when it does, it is cause for a celebration. Don't let the little details get to you! After the wedding banquet, carry on your wedding celebration just you and your one love for as long as you live :)