The Philippines is one country where weddings are a big deal. Weddings are not just a matter of fulfilling the couple’s dream event but also of wholeheartedly embracing the required paperwork and customs. Budgeting, planning and event organizing all come in, causing even the most systematic couple considerable stress in the preparation. Here is a bird’s eye view on what couples should expect from Catholic weddings in the Philippines:
Marrying Age: Maturity is key.
The marrying age of contemporary Filipinos has considerably gone up. Where before Filipinos marry early (in their teens), the 1998 revised Family Code of the Philippines now imposes higher age requirements for those planning to tie the knot.
Nobody younger than 18 is allowed to get married. Those aged 18 to 21 must present a written parental consent form, while those below age 25 must be able to submit a written “parental advice.” The latter is no more than a note wherein the parents express their awareness (and not necessarily approval) of their child’s wedding plans.
The age requirement is said to encourage maturity in the relationship.
Preparation: There’s no such thing as a whirlwind affair.
As with other countries, whirlwind romances do happen in the Philippines. Preparing for the wedding ceremony though is an entirely different matter.
Typically, couples need 4 to 12 months to prepare. Others can wing ceremonies in as short as 2 to 3 months. The first few months are for making reservations as reception venues and churches get booked very quickly, especially in January, April, May, June, and December.
The last remaining months are dedicated to securing a host of marriage documents. There’s plenty of paperwork and legwork involved.
Documentation, an Early Test of Faith
The barrage of documentation and required seminars is enough to discourage the doubtful. To top that, the Catholic church and the city have their own list of requirements, thereby multiplying the required documentation and legwork (plus fees) by two.
There are of course some paperwork which can be processed and paid for online. The catch is this: While the documents may be released early, it’s not advisable to obtain them earlier than 4 months before the wedding date.
Both the city and the Catholic church impose certain validity dates on their documents. For instance, the church will reject any marriage license issued by the city hall if the document is more than 120 days old. The city hall will also require you to secure the latest dated birth certificate and certificate of no marriage (CENOMAR) issued by the National Statistics Office.
Money Matters
Whoever said that money is the root of all evil does not understand that money is also one of the necessities in life. You simply cannot get married for free in the Philippines.
Whether couples choose to follow tradition or to try out the latest trend, budget is one aspect that cannot be overlooked in a Catholic wedding. Couples who cannot afford to pay for private church rites (causing at least thousands of pesos) may opt to avail of the church’s cheaper mass wedding rites (at a few hundreds).
For modern couples however, the typical cost of a “low-budget” wedding nowadays is between 40,000 and 150,000 pesos. Mid-range weddings and lavish celebrations can even amount to millions! The party accounts for the bulk of the expenses.
Catholic weddings in the Philippines have and will continue to be a cherished tradition which requires time, money and an unswerving commitment to the sacrament of marriage. The country’s predominantly Catholic population frowns upon divorce. In fact, divorce has never been legalized in the archipelago. Annulment meanwhile is seen as a last resort.
