Our Epic Wedding Review : IMP Sea Breeze Resort

As I have said in a previous post, finding the venue is one of the first steps in wedding planning. Almost everything will adjust according to your chosen venue.

DO NOT PLAN ANYTHING ELSE unless the venue is FINAL!

We already set our sights on another venue, but it was just too pricey!

The Search (READ HERE)

And to give you an idea of how overwhelming married life can be - not to discourage you, of course.
Our Epic Wedding Review : Introduction

In the attempt to sway me to practicality, my hubby and mother-in-law brought me to IMP Sea Breeze Resort in Taguig City. I've only known the resort from some friends (mostly teachers and students who went there for outings). I never knew it as an events place so I googled the place plus the word "wedding." The results showed several videos of a wedding which did nothing to convince me yet.

FIRST IMPRESSION: Concrete desert with several pools

We immediately noticed that the stamped concrete surrounding the resort produces a heat island effect. Maybe it doesn't matter if you're there just to swim, but for event guests the heat could be a bit of a problem.

If the resort can replace some of the concrete areas with additional landscaped areas, the temperature within the complex will be much more forgiving.

THE PRICE: More value for money

Standard Services included in the package:

• rental of the venue
• catering (buffet setup) for 100 pax
• dressed tables and chairs
• wedding backdrop
• wine (or grape juice, if you're anti-booze like us)
• doves
• wedding coordination**

Package Availed:

• use of poolside area
• limited souvenirs
• wedding cake
• P/A sound system
• Emcee for reception
• 24 hours room accommodation
• bridal car

Additional/Outsourced:

• food for 50 more people
• lights and sounds
• flowers for the aisle and altar
• flowers for the entourage
• photo booth
• fireworks display

IMP Sea Breeze Resort is very reasonably priced for the services it offers. And because they already have accredited suppliers and contacts, we didn't have to go looking for them.

The private pool area (3) can easily fit around 200 people. Just in case the weather will not permit an outdoor wedding, they can move the setup to the event hall (2) where the bedrooms are located.

The preparations went really well. We had only one key person to follow up from the planning process to the big day which made it easier for us to track everything. We went to the resort about four or five times to finalize everything before the day. Although we were shown samples of the setup, and tasted the food, we could only hope that nothing goes wrong on the wedding day itself and that almost everything will go as planned.

The Big Day

THE SETUP: Exceeded my expectations

Often, the simpler the concept is, the harder it is to execute. "Simple, relaxed, casual, green and white" are the only clues the resort staff can base the setup from. The rest is up to them.

I can say that the outdoor setup is better than the indoor setup. It's less formal, and more inviting of spontaneity. From the poolside, we saw the sky changed colors, the clouds moved, rain showers threatened to fall but didn't... Then, as sunset ended, torches were lit and the place gave off a new vibe.

We provided some tea lights to define the edge of the pool. The staff kept lighting them but it was so windy that night we told them to give up. It was great anyway. We have enough light so everybody can see everybody.

THE FOOD

FACT: When you're the one getting married, there isn't really a chance to eat.

We had to escape in the middle of the reception to eat dinner. We were served plated meals which we had to consume right away. I could not complain with the taste or the serving portion. I was just happy to eat at that very moment because we were starving and my hypoglycemia was about to take effect.

I asked some of the guests and they said they were satisfied with the food. Some of the guests loitered around the chocolate fountain area. If I were a guest, I'd do that too!

ACCOMMODATION

We had one room which we assigned for the make-up preparations and another room for our accommodation that night. Both rooms are air-conditioned. It's definitely more convenient having the preparations near the event place.

The room we stayed in for the night was very spacious. It has a more cozy feel to it compared to a hotel room.

One of the problem we encountered with the room is that the tap water was "rusty." The water was clear. It's just that when you gargle it, there's a metallic aftertaste to it. Maybe the resort should consider replacing pipes or installing filters.

Also, we would have stayed longer if coffee or tea or at least an electric kettle was available. I remember waking up and there's no way for us to make coffee.

If they could improve in these aspects, I'm sure future guests will extend their stay. I just found out today that they're doing renovations. I'm hoping for the best!


OUR RECOMMENDATION:

If our wedding happened in another event venue, we will be spending almost twice as much for half the number of guests.

If you want a hassle-free wedding or birthday or any other event FOR A REASONABLE BUDGET, check out the packages IMP Sea Breeze Resort has for you.


For more information about the IMP Sea Breeze Resort
Visit IMP Sea Breeze Resort and Restaurant | Facebook Page
Or Call (02) 8381002

Next in our review:
The people who helped make our wedding possible.