Weddings in the Philippines: What makes it extraordinary?
People tend to go all out on their wedding day most especially so for Filipinos. It is etched in their core values to honor and love their family and for that very reason, couples won’t hold back into planning the perfect wedding that will bring their families closer together.
If you ever been to a wedding in the Philippines, possibly, you may be aware of Filipinos not only inviting their immediate family members but also relatives from all parts of the country along with some neighbors and family friends. Filipinos value the ties they have with other people, and that is why they wish for them to witness and be a part of the most important day of their lives. They believe that weddings are much more meaningful if you are surrounded by all the people you love and cherish.
For couples who just got engaged, you must be over the moon about it! You must be excited to plan out your wedding day and finally start your married life. However, before you start planning, you must take one thing into consideration – the budget for the wedding. Couples will have a lot of decisions to make considering the budget and first on the list would be choosing between having a civil wedding, or a church wedding.
Usually, most couples in the Philippines often go for a church wedding. For starters, they need a lot of saving up to do to be able to afford a fairy-tale church wedding they wish to have. As of now, the typical cost of a traditional church wedding in the Philippines ranges from PHP 200,000 to PHP 1,000,000 or even more depending on how extravagant the wedding will be.
Once a couple is already sure about their budget, they can start planning and deciding about the location of the wedding, how much guests they will invite, the wedding menu, — up to the decorations of the venue and the wardrobe. The couple can also plan and sort out these things all by themselves or they may choose to hire a wedding coordinator so that planning and wedding logistics will be coordinated by them not only before the wedding but also until after the event.
Weddings are expensive and that’s a fact. So for couples that are in a low budget, they may opt to have a simpler wedding instead that won’t cost them way too much. On the other hand, if couples choose to have a civil wedding, they will be able to save a lot more as the cost of civil weddings in the Philippines is relatively low. Additionally, they may also choose to get married in Hong Kong on a budget and have their marriage recognized internationally. But if couples insist on having a church wedding with a tight budget, they may still do so but they have to keep their budget in mind.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to how much the couple are willing to spend for their wedding. For most of us, getting married only happens once in a lifetime so it is understandable if people wish to make the most out of it. However, having a simpler wedding is also fine especially for those couples that are already contented with it. The true essence of a wedding of course is not on how extravagant it will be, rather, the union of two families — witnessing the genuine love of two people as they start a new chapter of their lives together.
