The road to forever does not come cheap, because before you finally exchange wedding vows with the love of your life, you have to spend a serious amount of money just to celebrate this momentous occasion. If you’re thinking of having a simple and intimate wedding for about 150 guests, prepare to spend around ₱300,000, or more, you should be financially prepared. Whether you like it or not, you’ll be spending a small amount of fortune even for the simplest wedding. That’s why this is an occasion you’re better off preparing long before your desired date, so that you can accomplish the following without putting excessive strain on your pockets.
Marriage license
This is the most important document that you need to secure before getting married, otherwise you will not be allowed to hold a church or civil wedding anywhere in the country. It only cost ₱100 and must be applied personally both by the groom and the bride 120 days or less before the planned marriage. However, the documentary requirements might cost as much as ₱3,000 to ₱5,000 collectively for both parties.
These are the documentary requirements for marriage license application:
- Certified true copy of you and your partner’s NSO birth certificates (1 original and 2 photocopies).
- Affidavit of parental consent or advice for those who are between 18 and 21 years old.
- Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) or Certificate of Singleness (1 original and 1 photocopy). This document will prove that neither of the marrying party have been married before.
- Certificate of Attendance in a pre-marriage counseling, family planning, and responsible parenthood seminar.
- Community Tax Certificate or Cedula (1 original and 2 photocopies).
- Barangay Clearance (1 original and 1 photocopy).
- At least 2 valid IDs.
- Recent 1 x 1 photo (colored or black and white).
- Marriage license application form (issues by the LCR office).
Other requirements for application for marriage license in the Philippines (in addition to above)
If annulled, Certificate of Finality of Annulment from the Court (1 original and 2 photocopies) and Certificate of Registration from the Local Civil Registrar (1 original and 2 photocopies).
If widowed, Death Certificate of deceased spouse
Wedding ceremony
Most churches charge a fee from about ₱5,000 to ₱20,000 for weddings. Special discounts are provided if you’re a parishioner, or if you decide to hold the wedding on a weekday. Air-conditioned churches will also charge extra to cover electricity and other operational costs.
Wedding reception
If you will hold your wedding ceremony and reception in the same venue, you can save thousands of pesos. At the Mango Farm in Antipolo, Rizal, an exclusive use of their garden venue for 200 guests will cost around ₱84,000 for seven hours. Should you wish to use the air-conditioned glass pavilion and garden, seven hours will cost you around ₱94,000.
However, for just ₱17,000, you can have the Old World charm and the elegant intimacy of the Casa Manila patio in Intramuros. It can accommodate as much as 200 guests, and the view at night is particularly spectacular.
Before you sign the contract for your wedding reception, it really pays to go through the items one by one to avoid extra charges and surprises after your wedding reception. Make sure that you are well aware of the extra charges that might come up post wedding.
Catering
For your wedding, you want your guests to enjoy the sights and sounds, but most importantly the food! There are plenty of caterers that offer sumptuous dishes that can fit your budget. Josiah’s Catering, for example, offers catering packages that start at ₱150,000 for 150 guests. Passion Cooks Catering has catering packages starting at ₱160,000. Queensland Catering has packages worth ₱50,000 for 150 guests. Also take note that the wedding cake is still not included.
Some wedding reception venues also offer catering services and are included in their package.
Photo and video coverage
Your wedding is one of the most unforgettable events in your life. Of course you want to capture the moment forever by hiring the best people to do the job of shooting and photographing everything on that day. Prepare to spend as much as ₱150,000 for a complete package, including extras like wedding proposal video, pre-nup video, and same-day editing.
Wedding rings
Of course, don’t forget the wedding rings. Depending on your taste and your budget, you can buy an elegant and exquisite pair of wedding rings for as low as ₱15,000. If you feel like splurging, you can get diamond encrusted ones and spend at least ₱20,000 on each.
Wedding attire
This includes the wedding dress, the suit, and what the wedding entourage will wear, including hair and makeup. A complete wedding package can cost about ₱20,000 to ₱50,000, depending on the stylist and the number of people he or she will be styling.
Miscellaneous expenses
Some of the other things that you also need to pay for are wedding invites, souvenirs, flowers, music, planner and host, transportation for your guests and accommodation for your immediate family. You may want to hold a bridal shower and a bachelor’s party before your wedding day, too. If you want to go on your honeymoon right after the wedding, you will have to book for that as well.
It’s very easy to lose track of your budget, especially when wedding planning hits fever pitch. Your original ₱300,000 budget can balloon to a million if you’re not careful. If you do your research and plan your wedding early, you can avail of early bird discounts and special packages.
Taking out loans isn’t unheard of, and there are a few ways to go about getting a personal loan to help cover wedding costs. However, this is a decision to make with your partner, as it will effect the financial decisions you’ll have to make on your marriage later on. It’s important to talk about whether or not that financial burden is something you want to deal with after your honeymoon.
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