By Hermes Joy Tunac
For couples who want to get married in the new normal sans the hassle of finding the perfect reception venue, this local bistro-turned-events restaurant could be the place for them.
Organizing wedding receptions in the new normal has its equal share of pros and cons. For many, it’s an advantage since event venues nowadays are restricted to less than 50 percent of their total capacity, making wedding parties more intimate than ever. But even with fewer guests to host, planning weddings in the middle of a pandemic is much more stressful for the couple. For one, they need to abide by several health protocols–from the church to the reception venue–before and during the actual ceremony and party to keep themselves and their guests safe.
In response to these circumstances, Sandee Masigan, the brains behind XO 46 Heritage Bistro, took the opportunity to make her restaurant a wedding venue for soon-to-be husbands and wives. This time, size does matter! When it comes to hosting and attending events, opt for small. “It’s the trend now. The smaller the event is, the better,” Sandee tells PeopleAsia.
In case you didn’t know, XO 46 Heritage Bistro—named for having an “extraordinary” cuisine and 1946, the year when the Philippines became a self-governing sovereign nation—is a local restaurant highlighting Filipino cuisine with recipes dating back from 30 to 40 years ago.
After weeks of planning, Sandee initiated XO 46’s first-ever bridal fair earlier this month to gather the best suppliers and organizers she has worked with before. The bridal fair aimed to help couples who have expressed interest in hosting their receptions at XO 46.
“To make the event controlled and protocol-compliant, we invited less than 10 suppliers to showcase their products and services in the restaurant last June 3. The couples also had their timeslots,” Sandee shares.
The XO 46 Bistro in S Maison is a crowd favorite for weddings, given that the location has an al fresco area that can accommodate more people, aside from the main space inside the restaurant. “We have three venues at S Maison. The restaurant [XO 46], our veranda and the cinema lobby, which boasts of a glam Hollywood aesthetic,” Sandee adds. The S Maison branch can accommodate a total of 120 people. But with current restrictions, XO 46 only allows more or less 40 individuals inside the resto.
To those who won’t be able to attend the actual wedding, XO 46 also offers couples several food packages, such as the fiesta boxes and the salo-salo sets, which can be delivered to houses of guests who have acknowledged their intentions to virtually attend the wedding ceremony over Zoom.
“We’re not wedding organizers, that’s for sure, but we call ourselves enablers. We make the decision-making easier for couples by presenting them with lots of great options instead of them having to go to different places to find suppliers,” Sandee assures.
Are you planning to get married soon? You may contact XO 46 on Facebook and Instagram.
