Lia’s Baptism: Tramway and Other Suppliers

I was hesitant to book Sacred Heart initially because it looked old (Old, not quaint) in pictures and because they wouldn’t allow pre-baptism bookings. I was afraid that there may be too many parents who’ll be going for baptism the same day, we would end up not having any slots. Too, they offer only mass/ community baptism, which, based on experience, is total chaos. I liked Twin Hearts exterior and solo baptisms better. Sacred Heart, though, was only a block away from Tramway, which was a big advantage over Twin Hearts.

However, you will be spending the entire time in their dedicated baptistry anyway, not anywhere near or within the main church, which was a very small, not-so-picturesque room good for about 40 people, albeit air conditioned. For a room that drab, one will be a bit surprised why they charge that much  for baptismal services. Pero ika nga ng lector, many non-parishioners opt for their church kasi it’s near Kowloon House and other reception venues, so I guess that explains why.

I liked how the lector and the priest did the orientation and the rite itself. Very humorous, straightforward, yet informative. I learned a lot, lalo na yung dapat di pala sinusuotan muna ng magara yung bata pag baptism, dapat after na! Haha. The rite was quick and not boring. The priest was super cool and kind, and he seemed to like Lia a lot kasi nung huli sabi ng lector, no pictures anymore with Father because he’s in a hurry for a mass, but siya mismo nag-ask sa min to come forward and have his picture taken with Lia. We’re lucky, I guess.

I suppose the whole rite compensates for the not-so-nice baptistry,  and that’s the main purpose of baptisms anyway, so Sacred Heart’s a thumbs up for us, still.

Tramway is a superb choice if you have a restricted budget but want to overfeed your guests. Di ka mapapahiya talaga. I’ve dined here twice already and on both occassions, food quality remained consistent and above par (Actually, better pa during the baptism). For only P245 per head, our guests were able to enjoy unlimited rounds of about 8 main dishes, excluding rice, soup, sides and dessert. 

The venue also looked nice especially that we had some balloons added to it. Didn’t look cheap at all. The space was adequate enough to fit 50 guests as stated in the contract.

One of my main concerns though, was that they’re not too accommodating when it comes to small requests. Like they wouldn’t help you setup the tarp even if you beg for it. I was also surprised that it was our balloon stylist, Sarah, who set up the cake table itself when I specifically told Tramway na sila na. Walang extra mile kumbaga. 

Also, there’s only 1 server per function room and medyo kulang talaga, considering 50 ang guests per room and because the waitress still goes out of the room to serve in the main hall.  So if we need something, there are times we have to look for the server pa.

Lastly, we were charged extra for 1 kiddie buffet when only 42 guests arrived out of 50 (you still pay for 50 persons regardless of the actual number of attendees). I was just too preoccupied during the event that I only noticed the discrepancy when we were already at home.

Still, I reckon Tramway to be the best choice for parties in the QC area, in terms of cost, taste and quantity.

Jigs actually didn’t want balloon decorations for the event because it wasn’t a “necessity”. Eh tigas ulo ko, I really wanted to dress the venue up a little because it looked too plain. So yun na lang baptismal gift ko kay Lia, and it proved to be a good choice.

Compared to other budget balloon suppliers such as 10k Events, Mr. Balloonatix and Partygiggles, Stephensmom is way more affordable and has more variety. The package I got was the lowest and was supposed to include only 5 ceiling balloon clusters. When we got to Tramway, though, I saw about 8-10 flower decors on the wall and hung on the ceiling, which actually looked a lot nicer and closer to our sugar and spice and everything nice theme.

The decors look much better upfront than in pictures. One of the reasons why I got Sarah for the balloons was because her designs are not the usual stuff you see in other suppliers. Excellent quality, too. Ambait din ni Sarah. They were the ones who arranged the cake table, set up the tarp and put all the cupcake towel souvenirs in place even if those weren’t part of their job. Stephensmom really is a gem of a supplier, and I would choose them again for other events in a heartbeat.

We were supposed to have a guestbook from Artscow.com, which was ordered May pa. Unfortunately, I think it got lost in transit, so the night before the baptism I had to improvise. Cut out a few sheets of pink paper, then pasted a small picture of Lia on the right hand side. Distributed it to guests for signing, and sabi ko yun na lang didikit ko sa guestbook if ever dumating pa. Sa awa naman ng Diyos, hanggang ngayon wala pa yung guestbook. Hehe.

Super bait ni Jennie and to think we only knew each other through the blog and met for the first time during the baptism. She even brought a spotlight and her son to assist, plus she gave my nephew free photography lessons on the side and a ride to Tramway. I couldn’t thank her enough for being a life saver! Even the loot bags I gave her wouldn’t be enough to express our gratitude for the kindness she has shown us. 


CAKE: Goldilocks (Angel on a crib)

Pretty cake with an exquisite taste. Loved the chocolate chip filling in the middle and the soft sponge. And super laki niya! Ilang tao na nabigyan namin at lamon talaga ginawa ko di pa rin nauubos.
The figurine was different from the one posted in the brochure as it got broken during transport daw, but still, the cake looks amazing. Perfect for the theme. Thank you, Mama!

This particular favor can be opened, parang jewelry box and inside you’ll find similarly edible and cute baby stuff like baby bottle, booties, rattle. The chocolates are purely white milk and are very subtle in flavor. If you’ve a sweet tooth, you might find it bland, but okay siya for me 🙂

Medyo challenge lang yung meetup as she only does it sa ADB in Ortigas, in Binondo or thru JRS, but other than that, a good find.

Anyhoo, minor glitch lang naman yun and we’re still happy with the quality of the products. Naaliw lahat, akala talaga nila cupcake hehe. It’s a steal for P30! Maybe if you’re planning on ordering from them, just have it delivered to your place to prevent any hassles.