Penang Wedding Venues

A week after my wedding, my bridesmaid, Anis, who is my good friend since Form 1, announced that she is getting engaged. I was so shocked, how dare she kept it a secret from me until the very last minute!! But she being my good friend, of course I could not stay mad at her for so long. Her engagement took place on 10.01.10. Nice date!

Anyway we went scouting for venues for her reception, which is going to be either June or August. But as we went from one venue to the other, the date no longer matters. Book aja whenever dates yang ada kosong! *sedih kan*

So below are the popular venues for majlis kahwin yang sederhana kosnya. Minta maaf, kami tak pergi survey hotel-hotel sebab memang tidak termasuk di dalam budget.

DEWAN SRI PINANG

PLUS:

1. Sewa murah; RM800 untuk 4 jam, siang atau malam. Tapi yang slacknya harga tu hanya untuk sewa ruang legar saja (not the auditorium, tapaknya yang kat ruang legar di groundfloor yang memang takda air-cond. But I kind of like it sebab rasa lapang dan luas)

2. Parking untuk guests agak banyak

3. One of Penang's landmarks, hampir 100% orang Penang tahu dewan ni kat mana. Right smack in the town, tak yah nak sesat2

MINUS:

1. Kalau nak tambah kerusi atau meja kena tambah duit, per set table dan kerusi 10 biji harga bermula dari RM15 dan ke atas. RM15 tu untuk meja bulat dengan lapik meja plastik dan kerusi plastik. We asked for banquet chairs tapi officer tu cakap banquet chairs memang takda.

2. Anis ruled out the venue sebab dia open air (panas katanya) dan kerusi dan meja yang plastik.

3. Oh ya, setiap facility akan dicaj. Pemasangan lampu chandelier, PA system, red carpet, even orang nak datang pasang pelamin pun akan dicaj RM50 per hour. In the end, we calculated that we have to pay about RM2k kalau nak sewa situ. Na ah, not worth it, considering what we will get.


FORT CORNWALLIS (PADANG KOTA)

PLUS:

1. A great venue for a garden wedding. Very beautiful and scenic, with the remnants of the historic British colonialisation. They will provide a venue inside the walls of the Fort Cornwallis, and they will close the place from the visitors if you hold the wedding there.

MINUS:

1. Memang la garden wedding sangat menjadi idaman ramai orang, tapi bear in mind, holding such event in Malaysia and its weather, boleh berpeluh satu hari. Tambah pula Penang is way up North, lagi panas tau!

2. Kedudukan Fort Cornwallis yang tengah2 bandar, di Padang Kota yang menjadi kunjungan orang ramai tak kira cuti sekolah atau tidak. Parking hanya lah limited parking meter di tepi2 jalan, kena bayar dari 9am-12am setiap hari termasuk Sabtu dan Ahad.

3. Sewa agak mahal, dalam RM2k. Tapak saja.


RECSAM (TEA GARDEN)

PLUS:

1. Sewa murah; RM400 untuk 3 jam pertama. Subsequent hour, RM50. Termasuk meja, kerusi dengan lapik meja.

MINUS:

1. Not much of a garden, more like a canteen


SETIA PEARL ISLAND

PLUS:

1. Ample parking space, multi-level carpark.

2. Very nice grand ballroom! Fully-carpeted (masih nampak baru), beautiful chandeliers. Nice lobby, wonderful view as it is atop of a small hill overlooking Penang International Airport.

3. Professional people managing the place, which is owned by SP Setia Bhd.

4. Complimentary VIP room, spacious balcony annexed to the grand ballroom where you can have your buffett lines laid out (if you opt for buffett) and it feels like you have an indoor-outdoor wedding ceremony.

5. They also rent out "The View", an open-air restaurant which has the similar great view.

6. 2010 price: RM3,500 for the Grand Ballroom and RM2,500 for The View

MINUS:

1. A bit far, and the drive uphill could be a bit too much for Penangites who are so used to have everything and everywhere within reach

2. Can opt for their in-house caterer, but if you wish to bring outside caterer need to pay RM300


KOMPLEKS TABUNG HAJI BAYAN LEPAS, PENANG

PLUS:

1. Tetamu dari luar kawasan boleh menyewa bilik2 dekat Kompleks Tabung Haji ni, starts from RM110 if I'm not mistaken

2. Complimentary 1 room for a night's stay

3. Fully air-conditioned hall

4. Sewa dalam RM1,300 for 4 hours. But yesterday the officer told us that they are revising the rental charge, and to come up with packages which includes catering, pelamin, deco, etc.

MINUS:

1. The location is a bit far, way in Bayan Lepas (5-min drive from the previous Setia Pearl Island)

2. Kena choose daripada panel caterers (tak boleh bawa masuk caterer luar)


KOMPLEKS MASYARAKAT PENYAYANG

PLUS:

1. Cheap, around RM700 for 4 hours, inclusive PA system and other facilities and tables and chairs for 500pax.

2. Good location, in the town

3. Ample parking space for guests

4. Good news - the flooring yang bertampal2 dengan cellotape sudah ditukar! Now is a nice and clean wooden flooring.

MINUS:

1. Need to choose catering from their panel caterers

2. The management is a bit "kerek", we dealt with this very unhelpful and unfriendly lady, who suggested we go find other places when there are no suitable dates available

3. Sometimes when there are other functions at the other rooms, the parking lots can be insufficient

Tu je kot. Will write more if I come across other good venues.