The wedding month of June couldn't pass without its “weddingness” being included as a blog post.  Admit it, Philippine weddings are such soulful celebrations that are not to be taken lightly. If you’re a Pinoy, you yourself may readily agree that Filipinos’ love for family obviously translates to this country’s passion for creating beautiful Philippine wedding events.  Apparently, this could be the very reason that’s also turning the Philippines into one strong contender for destination weddings. From the soon-to-wed couple to family and friends, everyone’s seemingly ready to share a piece of themselves to bridal preparations for crafting the most memorable occasion deemed to be cherished in a lifetime.  It’s not surprising then to find this love for weddings even present in showbiz actress Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez. Cristina’s entrepreneurial trace found its way in putting up a lovely wedding venue, the Patio Victoria. 

Old World Charm from Patio Victoria
Photo courtesy by Judgefloro via Wikimedia Commons

The now Mayor-elect of Tacloban, after her landslide victory in the May 2016 elections, hasn’t ran out of zest for work. Before the call of marriage in 1998, Cristina Gonzales was a popular actress of the 80s and 90s. Alongside marriage and family, she has also gotten her hands into business with the start of Patio Victoria in 2001. With her untiring energy, it isn’t hard to see why Patio Victoria has been in business for more than a decade now. But apart from that, below are several reasons which could be behind Patio Victoria’s enduring appeal to the weddings-events industry that you may also find agreeable, too.

1.  Seamless Offering

Patio Victoria definitely knows how to stand for its “old world charm” offering.  From its location to amenities, you’ll be taken back to a different setting from a time past. The venue is located within the heart of the historic Spanish walled city of Intramuros, near Manila Cathedral, and just across San Agustin Church.  Inside it are cobblestone paths, old wooden gateways, fountains, flowering foliage, and tall trees to complete the old world ambience.  Even the food menu, which includes callos, lengua, and paella, is reminiscent of old Spanish cuisine.

2.  Venue Choices

Customers are also treated to several venue options in Patio Victoria.  There are the two elegant garden venues named after Cristina’s daughters – Sofia and Diana Gardens.  For more private events, the Sofia Banquet Hall presents an indoor venue with air-condition facility that comes ideal for corporate events and more intimate personal occasions.

3.  Full Service

A hassle-free event is what every party host prays for. Patio Victoria realizes this client need such that from merely just being an events venue, it has expanded itself to offer a full-serviced venue with catering and styling amenities. For those with thematic weddings and events, venue theme styling at Patio Victoria ranges from Black and White, Iridescent, Victorian, Bordeaux, to Town and Country.  

4.  Reasonable Pricing

For all its offerings, Patio Victoria’s venue rental rates and special packages for its clients may be considered reasonable. After all, the experience of an old world vibe for one-day could be even worth more. 

A casual encounter turned into a sweet enterprise.  That was how celebrity entrepinay, LJ Moreno-Alapag founded her business, "The Lollicake Factory", located at Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig.  Out of craving when she got back to Manila for her favorite dessert she bumped into during her US wedding planning meet-ups, LJ was quick to spot a missed opportunity in the local market for lolli cakes - delicious, rounded, chocolate-covered cakes set on lollipop sticks.

  

Cake pops caught LJ's eyes for her local business venture.
Photo courtesy of Hans via Pixabay

Thereafter, she went head-on with research and continuous product experimenting until finally perfecting the cake ball concept. As what she has envisioned her business to be, The Lollicake Factory these days stands as a cozy breakfast and dessert cafe serving not only lollicakes in various designs and character forms, but also cupcakes, specialty cakes, mini desserts and brunch menus.   

Doting MOM + Celebrity Entrepinay = MOMtrepinay Jodi Sta. Maria.  

The two descriptions above may best explain how the Kapamilya Primetime actress was led to her latest business venture, The Happy Barn Milkshake Factory.  It opened its first branch at Rustan’s Evia, Las Pinas in May 2013, and additional branches at SM South Mall, Rockwell Powerplant Mall and Market, Market, BGC a little after one year later.   

Be Careful With My Heart star and Happy Barn celebrity entrepinay, Jodi Sta. Maria
Photo courtesy of Tilly Holland via Flickr, Creative Commons

Jodi, who isn't totally new to the business world with her Rue Bourbon Bar and Restaurant started back in 2011, also attends to her newest enterprise with such seemingly detailed attention and untiring energy. But this time, Jodi admits it was her son's love for milkshakes that inspired her on the idea. 

Owing perhaps to her entrepreneurial senses, Jodi is proud to say that the Happy Barn presents the first milkshake bar concept in the country.  Aside from its regular best-sellers such as Oreo Overjoy, Cookie Butter and Tickled Pink Berry, The Happy Barn also has more offerings which allow customers to concoct their own milkshakes, too. For starters, there's Cowie's Favorites for basic milkshake flavors like Chocolate and Vanilla. For more options, there's also Cowie's Specials which blends in sweet goodies like Oreo cookies and bananas.  And finally, there's Cowie's Shake and Bake that combines cake desserts with your milkshake. Price starts from Php 85 but you may also want to hype your milkshake drinking experience with extra toppings and mix-ins for just an additional Php 15-20. 

And what’s more? Apart from wonderful flavors, The Happy Barn also comes with health value to beverage consumers via its own ice-cream. Jodi utilizes their exclusively prepared ice-cream that's low-sugar, low- fat and made with prebiotics to facilitate easy digestion and absorption of calcium.     

With so much going on for Jodi aside from her current impressive showbiz career, she admits it’s no easy task having a business of your own.  But with her entrepreneurial insights kept intact, Jodi surely has gotten more surprises tucked in her sleeves for the future.    

It seems Kapuso star Sheryl Cruz has her hands definitely full.  Aside from starring in GMA-7's current teledrama, Buena Familia, she has gotten also a paper weaving business to keep herself busy with.  Started back in 2012, Sheryl landed into this business when she bumped one time into paper-woven shopping bags sold on display and bought them for Christmas gifts to friends. Eventually, she was smitten with the idea of learning the craft and the passion of designing her own pieces. 

Aside from style, she's also at the helm of ensuring durability for her products through the use of bag lining and double lamination to keep the paper-based bags from being wet. From brand tags down to other bag materials and accessories, Sheryl appears to be pretty much hands-on with selection and production activities, too. 

      Photo courtesy of Rachel Biel via Flickr Creative Commons

Photo courtesy of Rachel Biel via Flickr Creative Commons
Woven bag samples from recycled paper present noble causes and strong marketability. 

Named as Paper For Now, her business presently produces bags and wallets made from recycled newspapers that are woven intricately with bare hands of women workers, while lending to the noble cause of preserving the environment.  As Sheryl finds her recycled- paper bag business a way of expressing her art, she's also happy with providing jobs to women, especially mothers, through it.  

And while having the business operations lean and simple, her bags have now found their way to retail outlets like Kultura and Cash & Carry, and to trade exhibit, Manila FAME, in 2012. With combined passion and advocacy as driving forces for her business, Paper For Now certainly weaves a bright picture ahead. Hats off to you, Ms. Sheryl Cruz!

Even local celebrities find it wise to start up and invest in their own enterprise! Here, we take a peek at our Celebrity Entrepinay Feature Kim Chiu and her venture into ready-to-wear (RTW) wedding gowns business.  

Bride For Rent star Kim Chiu also with her bridal gown shop, Adorata Weddings+.
Photo courtesy of Tilly Holland via Flickr Creative Commons. 

Called Adorata Weddings+, the bridal gowns shop is a partnership with Manila's leading fashion designers namely Pepsi Herrera and Edwin Tan. What the boutique definitely promises to deliver are convenience and affordability vs. traditional made-to-orders (MTOs) when shopping for the ultimate wedding gown of one's choice. Aside from bridal clothing, it also offers tuxedo wear for the male counterpart.