How much do weddings cost in the Philippines? Ah, sweet bliss. Marriage marks the first day of ‘happy ever after’. Well, that is. If it won’t leave you broke. Here we explore the financial catastrophe involved in holy matrimony – Philippine edition.
“Many times couples have a specific wedding budget in mind and while some stick to it, the reality is that things add up quickly and often exceed the original plan,” in an article by My Bridesmaid. It adds, “Expenses and prices can vary widely. One should expect to pay, on average, 50% to 100%+ more when choosing well-experienced professionals, designer labels, popular event locations, unique or customized products and services.”
First off, what are the staples in a wedding?
My Bridesmaid listed seventeen: this includes the following: legal marriage documents, wedding planner, invitation, ceremony, reception and décor, catering, hair and makeup, event photographer and videographer, music, wedding dress, groom’s attire, cake, wedding ring, flowers, entourage attires, favours and gifts, and honeymoon.
According to the same website, a low-range wedding costs around Php 200,000; a mid range one Php 500,000; and a high-range one costs Php 900,000. So uh, technically, a million pesos?
“Weddings are typically an expensive affair. Prepare to fork out PHP 236,000 to PHP 1,268,000 for a wedding in the Philippines. Destination weddings may cost more depending on the venue and number of attendees. Big, lavish weddings can cost millions of pesos,” in an article by Money Max, a personal finance website.
The website also listed the ‘hidden costs’ that includes: meals for the family, crew meals, parking fees, corkage fees, extra catering services, overtime fees, accessories for the ceremony, tips for the event staff, sound and lighting, and stipend for the officiating priest.
Money Max also indicated that the most practical wedding is a civil wedding.
“The most practical and budget-friendly choice is to have a civil wedding. Expect to spend around Php 5,000 to Php 10,000 (Php 4,000 – Php 8,000 for the officiating fee plus Php 1,000+ for legal documents) on a simple, no-frills wedding in a city hall or municipal hall,” states the finance website.
Would a civil wedding be alright with you?
“Let’s just spend Php 300,000 and invite 100 guests! Granted, this could have been possible if we let go of a lot of things—but we both agreed we wanted the venue so much, and our next priority was the catering. Great ambience and food were on top of our list, and we weren’t going to settle on anything less. I ended up paying a little less than 200,000 for all my assignments, and my husband and his parents spent the bulk at roughly Php 1M,” states Daisy Ray in an article by Cosmo. Daisy had a garden wedding in Cavite and her wedding was roughly Php 1 million.
What are your thoughts? Would you splurge on a one day event?
