Wedding Favor Part 2: AdvoCafe

Second time we went looking for nice, cheap wedding favors but still to no avail.

How it looks inside

AdvoCafe offers a wide range of products that have been manufactured locally (by the indigenous peoples to be exact) but the prices just didn't meet our budget. =( We agreed on spending Php75 per favor for 150 guests but their products are priced at Php100 onwards. We would've wanted to source our favors from them since we highly support causes that help improve the lives of the Indigenous, but unfortunately, when I asked the person manning the cafe if they sell customized products, she said 'no'. Howell.

Anyway, here are some of their products that we thought of buying:

Calamansi concentrate -  Php 150 /500 ml bottle

Hibiscus nectar concentrate - Php 150 /500 ml bottle

Guava jelly - Php100 / 200ml bottle ; Pure honey - Php175 / 350ml bottle

Rice coffee and Sambong tea - Php100/pack

Pinaig na mais - don't know how much

Cordillera coffee - Php 250/bag

These products are mainly from Tugdaan. Other products offered by their indigenous partners include pineapple jam, herbal jelly, ginger tea, coco jam, virgin coconut oil, massage oil, laundry soaps, rattan baskets, beaded accessories, etc. Some are actually a lot pricier than those sold in the malls, but to think that 100% of the net income of the store goes to help the Mangyans and send indigenous children to school, I don't think it's that pricey at all.

I tried to contact Tugdaan but didn't get a reply. I'm hoping they could give customized products or special discounts for bulk orders.

----

ADVOCAFE

Ground Floor, Ramon Magsaysay Commercial Complex

Dr. F. Quintos Street

Malate, Metro Manila

E-mail: myadvocacy@advocafe.com

Telephone: +632 708-2366

Wedding Favor Part 1: Enchanted Farm Cafe, Quezon City

From custom-labeled wines, to coffee beans, to candies, and cupcakes, we’ve practically considered everything that we eat to use as our wedding souvenirs. Yes, there are lots of options out there, but one thing’s making choosing a little difficult---we don’t want those cheap-looking wedding figurines (wedding couple, dove, bells, whatnots) that guests would probably just throw out after the party. We want something that will perfectly go with a simple “thank you” note so we’re looking at the edible side.

We went to Enchanted Farm Cafe in Quezon City to check out some organic food items that we can consider. The cafe is a social enterprise led by Gawad Kalinga, which showcases home-grown products that aim at improving the lives of the poor. Since the restaurant is a hub of social entrepreneurs, there are plenty of things that look wedding favor-worthy. Here are some of their products:

One refreshing drink.

The Enchantea is really good. I just wish they sell this in concentrate form so the souvenir could last at least a week. This would be like giving C2 or Real Leaf as wedding favors. But it only costs Php 35 a bottle so still worth considering.

Would've been a nice wedding favor if only we liked salabat.:/

I didn't ask for the price of the salabatea because I've no plans of buying it. I like teas, except ginger. They should make a powdered matcha green tea instead. LOL.

I should've tried this one

 This crunch bar looks good. But I'm thinking of something bottled as wedding favor. There's just something vintage and rustic about bottles.

We'd love coffee in a burlap sack as favors, problem here is the price tag. Php 250 is waaaay too expensive.

pardon the blurry shot but I think we've found the winner in this feta cheese

These are gourmet feta cheese made from goat's milk and they taste super good. Unfortunately though, they cost Php 200 a bottle. I asked the store manager if they could customize the product and he said it's possible, we just have to tell the manufacturer our requirements. We need to see first if we're going for this one.

In the meantime, we're going to look for more options. We'll keep this in mind for now.

----

On a different note, the fiance and I ordered some of the items in their menu and everything's good! We need to go back soon!

What we ordered:

Pinoy pesto with lemongrass chicken

Salad with calamansi vinaigrette

Enchanted Burger--Jollibee should be ashamed of their lettuce size!

Cheese sticks using kesong puti--YUM!

Enchantea served in mason jars -- very refreshing!

Love everything about this store!

Enchanted Farm Cafe
Unit 2A, 463 Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

09328722427, 09178933003
enchantedfarm.cafe@gmail.com