My HS Best Friend's Wedding: Amorita Resort Bohol | Barkada Getaway

The last time I went on a trip with my high school barkada was about 4 years ago in Boracay. So when my best friend from high school announced that she'll hold a big wedding in Bohol (she's already married civil in Belgium, where she also currently resides with the hubby), everyone's so excited!



We booked our rooms in advance, followed by our flights, and then eventually spent time shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories to wear for the festivities. Medyo nakakatawa, we were comparing all our pre-trip gastos, and sobrang quota talaga lalo na sa shoppingan hahaha!

I under-researched for this trip since we really had no other plans aside from making the most out of our expensive resort (Amorita). At first I was eyeing an island hopping since it's the only touristy activity I haven't done in Bohol, and about 2 to 3 travel writers I talked with said that Bohol is their favorite island hopping destination. But when our travels dates arrived, we still opted to just chill.

Finally, nakapag relax ako knowing that I do not have any posting requirements for this. It was a much needed "documentation break". But even with less Instagram posts and stories, of course I still took time to photograph and video our moments there. Just the thought that I don't have to edit a pic or think of a caption on the spot was a big relief and refreshing for me!

So anyway, back to the trip!

ARRIVAL

Since we're a big barkada, naturally small groups were formed and we booked our hotel rooms and airfares separately. I was with Ana, Reg, Me-an, and Cheeno (roomies!). I think we were the second batch to arrive in Amorita.

I was worrying about my luggage weight since I already brought my Marinduque stuff (sunod sunod na sya). But luckily, first weight of my bag was only 17.2 kilos--may room pa for pasalubong! Hehe!

We booked our 2-bedroom suite waaay back, so I was feeling the perks when we arrived at the new Bohol airport in Panglao. Free airport shuttle bus from Amorita Resort? Check!

We received the usual welcome drinks and hot hand towels, but what amused me most was this sign by the entrance bearing the names of our friends. Ang special nemen!

First meal in Amorita was in their main restaurant called Saffron. We also had our buffet breakfasts here, happy hour drinks, and actually most of our other meals!

Medyo pricey sa Saffron, ranging from 300-500 per head per meal. But when I received my total bill (since a friend just swiped with her card all the room charges), I only paid about Php 2000 for this whole trip's meals and massage! Di ko talaga alam paano nangyari yun haha, but thank you talaga for pre-travel allotment and budgeting hindi ko na naramdaman the rest of our trip's gastos! 😁






OUR ROOM IN AMORITA RESORT BOHOL

As mentioned earlier, we booked our room waaay in advance. It's a good thing because at least we weren't able to feel the bulk of expenses in one seating. We got the 2BR Seaview Suit, a package included in a cost sheet sent to us by the bride (special rates, I guess).

Here's the price list sent to us:

March 29-31   |   Price Per Night in USD   |   Maximum Guests Per Room

Junior Suite - USD 418 | 3 Guests
1-Bedroom Suite - USD 531 | 4 Guests
1BR Seaview Suite | USD 469 | 4 Guests
2-Bedroom Seaview Suite | USD 966 | 6 Guests

We were able to reserve the highlighted one, which we assumed is the "best room" in Amorita (lol). True enough, I was out of words the moment we entered our suite!


Here's the HUGE living room! It has 2 sofa beds at the center, a dining area, a side table area, and a veranda. It is so spacious, it can house the whole barkada ... sa totoo lang! Hahaha!








Go straight to the left side from the doorway, and you'll be in a tiny corner for the pantry. I wasn't able to take a picture but on the other side facing this counter is a mini fridge and sink. In photo, we have a coffee maker (Nespresso), glasses and mugs, and bottles of drinking water. Everything here is refillable (even the soda and juices inside the ref), we just have to call room service!



On to the bedrooms!

First room has a king sized bed and its own bathroom with bath tub and double sink vanity:





Second room aka my room with Ana and Reg has 2 double beds and the same spacious bathroom!


It was easy to prep before the festivities, sharing this to my 2 other friends:



WHITE WELCOME PARTY

On our first night in Amorita, the couple hosted a welcome party for all the guests. It was an intimate gathering of about 100, and you'll see doon palang how the wedding will just be with the closest families and friends.

Since we have two parties for this trip, I decided to bring my new Remington Air 3D hair dryer! This tool was just perfect, it cuts drying time in half, lightweight so it was easy to pack, and helps rid of hair frizz without drying my hair.





Made sure to lend it also to my roomies:


Here's my look for the White Welcome Party. I bought the dress in SM Woman's Coco Cabana for only Php 1000, which I think worked well with the theme (white), the venue (outdoors, overlooking the beach), and my personal style!

I also bought this pair of rattan mules from Payless at the last minute, but sulit naman as they are very comfortable and in-theme.



The sunset was so pretty that night. It lent us a backdrop of pinks, purples, and blues so I made sure to take lots of photos! We had cocktails, picas, a cool ambiance and chill music, then by past 7pm, the group dispersed for dinner.





Just to try something different, we went to the 2nd floor resto from Saffron Amorita called Tomar Tapas x Bar. I remembered this from my first time in this resort for an event, but it tastes twice as good when you're with friends!

For the vegetarians, I had two potato dishes that filled me up quickly. They also serve tapas and paellas. Best with wine, of course!



Spain trip next, yes!??

THE WEDDING DAY

The morning of the wedding day, we woke up to a special alarm called Me-an's "GOOD MORNING!", as she bursts loudly to our room! Hahaha!

As promised, the roomies were dedicated to get up and avail the free yoga class (must sign up in advance) offered by the resort. When we got there, our teacher was already setting up our mats overlooking the beach!

I was active in hot yoga before here in Alabang, but haven't done it in YEARS! Nakakamiss din pala. It has its own benefits that the gym never satisfied me with. I guess it is because yoga, more than losing weight, is all about listening to your body as if you're in a moving meditation.

Everyone's in a yoga high after that 1.5 hours class! Haha!





Alam nyo anong pinaka masarap? Breakfast buffet after a morning yoga class!!!



It was still early to prepare for the wedding, so we had a few hours of swimming time before heading back to our own rooms to change. We saw the wedding reception set-up on our way to our room. Ang lapit lang, yey!

Btw, the only downside of our 2BR Suite is that SUPER LAYO nya from the amenities. Nakakatamad na to go down (or go back) if you're staying here, it's asa third floor pa!


And of course, the highlight of the whole trip and why we all made an effort to be there!





Everyone looked A+ that day! It's amazing that people were on time, so buti nalang we rushed with our preps and went straight to the venue which is right in front of the beach. The set-up is so dreamy, the weather cooperated too. I can go on and on but in short ang gusto ko lang sabihin is that everything's PERFECT!

My OOTD for the wedding day! Their color palette includes charcoal gray--thus this Simone's Closet dress. I wore the same accessories I used for the white party.


We only had a few minutes of waiting time on our seats before the ceremony started. I was feeling anxious the whole time, hindi ako mapakali and thought it was because I wanted a better seat so I can take better photos (sakit ko talaga documentation haha). Yun pala it's because I was just about to witness my high school best friend walk down the aisle!

When that moment happened, I was teary eyed! We may have drifted apart since college and work, but all our good memories during high school came rushing back on that split second when I saw her in a white dress--standing solo at the end of the aisle. After going through so much frustrations and heart aches, she looks so beautiful and glowing carrying all these experiences with her til this beautiful moment in her life with people she loves.

I was truly, genuinely happy for her!








Everyone transferred to a cocktails area for some sangria and picas, and then eventually moved to the actual reception area (the one nearest our room, hehe). The set-up is also pretty, I love the touch of lanterns stringed above our tables!



They have several "wedding souvenirs", but my favorite is the couple's business which is a Theo & Brom Tableya Round:



Justin Quirino as the party's host. My friends in the table have nothing but good words, hehe! It was a fun night, no cringe-y singles games (lol), and we also learned more about the couple! Oh, and I love their SDE, ang galing it's different from what I've seen so far!



Last Full Day!

With all the parties done and did, it was a more chill last full day in the resort! Kung may yoga lang ulit, we would have taken the class again! Haha!

Instead, we had breakfast and then went straight for the pool. I think dito na ako umitim ng tuluyan, hehehe!



Again, you get what you pay for, which is best in service! Every time we're in the pool they'll hand unli mango popsicles for free! Ang saya!





Since we haven't had "sand in our toes" for the whole trip, we decided to go down to the Alona Beach for lunch. Forgot where we dined in, but I ordered cheese pizza and I think a fruit shake.



We also had dessert in Bohol's popular Buzz Cafe. Ice cream break + the perfect view of the beach from the second floor. I ordered the Salted Honey ice cream flavor and it's so goood!








This is the last activity I had for the day and for the whole trip, since I'll be flying earlier the next day to catch my Marinduque flight. The roomies booked for slots in Amorita's Sea Tree Spa, and true enough we're lucky since fully booked na sila if you just walked in that night.

We picked our services (massage) on-the-spot, and I am not sure why at the last minute I changed my massage from Hilot to Sikatuna or their deep massage. Mas mahal na nga siya at Php 1700, and it hurts like hell--I was close to tears during the massage haha! Deep massage pa more! 😭

I was already in Marinduque when my friends sent me a photo inside the plane showing my supposed seat, but empty! Hahaha, sweet din pala kayo guys hehehe!

Annnd that's it! I really enjoyed this trip! You'll see how very different we were from our early travels na sobrang tipid kaya siksikan in one room. Tipong patakas pa yung iba para maka mura, haha! Talk about life upgrades.



Now about those 16 girls I grew up with, who would have known! One just got married in Bohol in a very dreamy beach resort. Some have kids na, some are not yet married but enjoying the single life, and a few chose to live abroad. Career wise, I think everyone's doing well in their own fields (from doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc... and a blogger HAHA). I like that this phase in our lives is actually something that we might have dreamt and wrote down in our high school year book. It can also be 180° different, and that's okay!

Hopefully on the day when we are gray and wrinkly, having brunches instead of nightouts, this trip will be one of those classic travel stories that will constantly pop during our tea times. But before that happens, more travels, weddings, kids, and personal achievements in between--pls!

Watch more of our trip here: