An Ocular Trip in Bohol

I went to Bohol for an ocular inspection in conjunction with the wedding of Remar Balatero and Joelene Sarmiento in January 2009. Aside from the team of Events! Events!, top Manila wedding suppliers will be flown to Bohol—Mimi and Karl of Fotogra Weddings; Jason Magbanua; and Madge Lejano of The Make-up Studio. Unfortunately, exquisite gown designer Veluz Reyes wouldn’t able to make it to the wedding since she has prior commitments in Manila. The occasion is touted as one of the biggest destination weddings all of us would be handling—with 300 anticipated guests, and still counting.

At the top of my to-do list during my three-day trip was the inspection of the venue for the dinner reception—checking and measuring the tables, dimensions of the room, cutlery, buffet set-up, pre-function area, and other relevant details. Since the couple is based abroad, I would be their proverbial eyes and ears for the wedding planning.

Armed with my ever reliable camera, I traveled all over Bohol to check out possible tourist spots—museums, shopping areas, old churches and white-sand beach resorts—where we could bring guests from Manila and abroad.

Some activities we will seriously consider include swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, parasailing, island-hopping, banana boat ride, and even jet skiing in Panglao Island. Some attractions we visited were the famous Chocolate Hills—considered one of the Philippines’ natural wonders, the Tarsier’s Visitors Center that features up close one of the world’s smallest primates and definitely the cutest, and the Baclayon Church, an old colonial stone church where Remar and Joelene will exchange vows. We also have the option of arranging a lunch buffet on the Loboc River—a unique experience which took us up and down the Loboc River on a floating restaurant. We might end up renting the entire boat for all the wedding guests. We checked out a number of resorts/hotels where guests and wedding suppliers could be billeted. Around 100 guests from Manila and abroad are expected to attend.

An entire day activity could also be planned at the Bohol Beach Club, the largest resort located in a 60-hectare seaside patch of land on the island of Panglao. A set of activities can be scheduled including a day tour of the resort, a rehearsal lunch, and a free time for guests to enjoy the resort’s facilities and amenities. The Peacock Garden Luxury Resort and Spa which boasts of its European design is a welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Overlooking the sea, Bohol’s newest crown jewel features beautiful, well-manicured English gardens and a fabulous, tiered fountain.

I will return to Bohol in October, this time, to finalize the arrangements for the hotel, accommodations, guided tours and other requisites for the wedding. Kudos and many thanks to Auntie Bettie, aunt of Remar, for helping me out with the observation tour—this lady is a real trooper.All pictures except for the last picture were lifted from Paul Borromeo's Photo Stream.