Marrying in the Philippines .. What are the steps and costs?

Please clarify- are you marrying a Filipina?

I will assume you're marrying a Filipina. I will share based on experience and observations.

First, you will have to show that you have LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE, i.e, you are single. Obtain this certificate from your country or at your country's embassy or consular office in the Philippines.

Your fiancee has to obtain these certificates from the National Statistics Office: birth and/or baptismal certificate, and CENOMAR (certificate of no marriage). If your fiancee is below 21 years old, you have to get written parental consent. You will be required to attend some marriage counselling, after which you will be given certificate of attendance. You will show these documents, including one you obtain, to apply for a marriage license at the city or municipality where your fiancee resides. Your engagement will be announced in a publication. Depending on how involved you and your fiancee are, it will take about two months.

You can arrange to be married by the Mayor, the local judge, or a religious leader authorized to solemnize marriages. This is cheaper, faster, and more straightforward. Estimated cost, including document processing mentioned earlier, is Php 30,000.00.

Here are suggestions for the wedding itself, and the reception. (I think 'big table' or 'long table' is an expression for 'getting married', whether or not you literally have a feast.) I will leave you to work out who and how many people you want to share this occasion. The cost depends on how much you are willing to spend and how you want the occasion to be like. Could be between Php 20,000 to hundreds of thousands of pesos, depending on how simple or how elaborate you want the wedding to be:

* Civil wedding at the office of the Mayor, a judge, or a solemnizing officer. Bring at least two witnesses. Reception to follow at a restaurant or anywhere you fancy, where most of your guests already await.

* Church wedding by a priest. (Make a booking beforehand). Wedding gowns, formal attire and entourage are expected. All your guests can attend and proceed to another place to celebrate.

* Beach wedding, garden wedding, or any other themed wedding at a hotel or resort. You dont need to go far for reception. You can invite the solemnizing officer to be there to officiate your marriage vows, and have a party at the same place afterwards.

IF there is any nagging doubt in your gut about being tied to a Filipina and her family, but you want to marry her anyway, a pre-nup is a good idea. There is no divorce in the Philippines, but there's annulment, where reasons might be harder to establish. However, you, as a foreign spouse, can petition for divorce in your country if it is allowed. You will be single again, but your Filipina spouse is not as free unless your divorce is judicially recognized in the Philippine court. Costs the same and takes as long as annulment.

Around 700 peso up for the marrage.  If you do a civil wedding and catch mass wedding day at the park.  As for the reception a small pig catered is 600 peso cooked and served + extras up. You may wish to do more than have the paper work and slip a hammered down 1 peso coin on her finger here.  But there is info on line as to how to turn the 1 peso coin into a wedding ring here.

These are the costs based on the "Guidelines on Judicial Solemnization of a Marriage"

Sec. 18. Fees for the Solemnization of Marriages. — For the performance of marriage ceremony and issuance of marriage certificate and subject further to the provisions of AM No. 04-2-04-SC (16 August 2004) the legal fees in the following amounts shall be collected:

(a) For marriages solemnized by Justices of the Supreme Court and other appellate courts – Three hundred (P300.00) pesos;

(b) For marriages solemnized by Judges of the Regional Trial Courts and Shari'a District Courts – Three hundred (P300.00) pesos; and