Wedding Costs in the Philippines

I have seen a lot of wedding themes and attended to some of the simple elegant to the extreme elegant wedding events. With the extremely elegant type, all I can ever say is that this couple is filthy rich! I researched the internet for a detailed cost of weddings in the Philippines and found very few informative sources about it. So I decided to help many of the wandering brides-to-be on preparing their wedding budget without draining their life savings.

For the majority of people in the middle class with meager income, weddings are sure disaster to the finances. Weddings in the Philippines will cost  as affordable as P50,000 pesos (USD $1163)* to as much as 1Million or more! Of course, it will depend much on the choices of the couple on their ideas for their wedding. The more intricate their ideas, the more expensive it would take.

The cost of weddings in the Philippines in this present year has tripled in the last 10 years. If your idea of a beautiful wedding is holding it in the first class hotel function rooms then prepare yourself for a snowball of expenses in the wedding reception. The most affordable rate for a first class hotel reception would probably be P550 pesos (USD$13)* per head count to as much as P1200 pesos (USD$28)* per guest. However, it is customary that the groom will shoulder most, if not all, of the costs in Philippine weddings. Nowadays, the couple usually decides to split the wedding costs or to assign to which side will the expenses be shouldered.

As a wedding and events planner, my belief is that people don't have to spend so much on extra wedding details because THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEDDING EVENT IS THE  CEREMONY OF COMMITMENT and not the decorations and other stuff. The essence of every wedding is the celebration of union of two lovers who willingly and decisively commit to each other.

Not that decorations and other stuff are not important anymore, sometimes, the real purpose of the wedding is diverted to how the families have spent on outside things to IMPRESS THIER GUESTS AND IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL STANDING IN THE SOCIETY instead of being present in the occasion and enjoying the celebration of love. But still, I leave that to the couple and their families who will spend their hard-earned money on things they want to do in their wedding.

You don't have to end up a poor rat after the wedding. There are many ways to achieve your ideal wedding event without breaking the bank. Keep in mind that the true essence of the wedding event is your commitment to each other. All else are negligible details. But if you have that extra cash, you can always indulge your fancy how ever you may please. After all, it's your money and you alone can decide how to spend it.

So here's an estimate of the expenses that wedding costs in the Philippines:

Gowns and Tux Rental - 2,500 - 8,500

Wedding Officiate (Pastor or Priest) - 1,000 - 3,000 

Photo/Video Coverage - 10,000 - 35,000

Food (100 guests) - 45,000 (450/head)

Florist/Decorator - 30,000 +

Wedding Planner - 20,000+

Cake (5layers) - 5,000 - 10,000

Souvenirs (80 pieces) - 10,000 - 12,000

Invitation Cards (80 pieces) - 8,500 - 12,000

Emcee - 2,500

Wedding Singer - 1,500

Wedding Singer with band - 3,500

Van Rental - 3,500/day

Hotel Accommodation - 1,500 - 2,500 / night

The wedding costs in the Philippines is an estimate of the possible expenses. Actual wedding costs may vary depending on wedding supplier and location.

I hope this article has helped you and would help a lot of couples planning to tie the knot this year and the future lovers in the years to come.


For a detailed costing on your ideal wedding in the Philippines, email me at leahjacobe@gmail.com.




*(USD$1=PhP43)