Frequently Asked Questions on Average Wedding Cost in the Philippines

The most crucial part in planning a wedding is the BUDGET. It is the most frequently asked question by couples to wed. Each year, the cost of getting married is ever rising and expanding as more and more brides and grooms are presented with limitless options on how their ideal wedding should be. It is by far the single most  factor on how the wedding outcome will be.


Frequently Asked Questions on Average Wedding Cost in the Philippines

Here is a quick run down of questions regarding the budget for Philippine Weddings and how much do they really cost in actual:

1. How much is the entire wedding?

There are apparently different levels of wedding. Class A++, A, B, C.

In Class A++ weddings, couple-to-wed could afford and choose to hire only the best among the best in the entire country. These weddings are usually featured on TV and other media outlets. They create buzz in the social media and yes, they are the famous people in the country and rich powerful giants in business sectors. A++ weddings are extravagant, lavish, highly attended by the elite population. Expect their weddings to cost as much as well as much as you can possibly imagine. The least I can estimate is 7 million. That is even an under estimated value in actual. YES, there is also  a 30 million pesos wedding. Ring a ding dong bell?

(Photo credits: www.niceprintphoto.com | http://www.showbiz-portal.com/)

In Class A weddings, these are couples who can afford a lavish, extravagant wedding but opt to stay under 1 million pesos budget. They get the best and most quality according to what they perceive as fair value. They choose the best option without over boarding their budget but still getting their ideal vision and the quality of products and services they expected.

(Photo Credits: VA San Diego Photography)

Class B weddings, these are the average practical weddings. The ceiling budget for these weddings is as much as 300-500 thousand pesos. Couple-to-wed would usually opt for whatever gives them best for money value at the price ceiling they are willing to spend.



Class C weddings are very budgeted weddings. The couples want to spend every cent according to what is readily available to them. These weddings can range from 100,000 pesos to 300,000 pesos the maximum. With these types of weddings, you cannot expect much of the quality of other wedding supplies.


2. How much is the cost of hiring a wedding planner / wedding coordinator?

Different coordinators have different levels of skills when it comes to wedding coordination and planning. You are paying for the coordinator's skills and experiences so you will have to really get to know first their experiences and track record. Set an appointment to meet with them and ask as many questions as you can regarding their services. You have to expect that the longer the wedding planner or coordinator in the business, the higher value he/she has. By the way, a wedding coordinator may not be a wedding planner. Sometimes, a wedding coordinator comes in a handy after the couple has planned, booked and hired all the wedding suppliers and the coordinator will take care of the wedding details at least two weeks leading to the day of the wedding. The wedding planner is also a wedding coordinator. He/She designs the wedding according to the couple's vision and together they create a beautiful unforgettable wedding by going through each wedding planning process.

The cost of the wedding coordinator will range from 10,000 - 15,000 pesos. The wedding planner's professional handling fee will start from 25,000 to as much as 60,000 in planning your wedding.



3. Do you give discounts?

This is also a very common question among budget conscious couple-to-wed. There is nothing wrong in asking for a discount but from a point of view of wedding suppliers, asking for a discount is like not giving enough importance to the hard work we put into making your wedding beautiful and as much as possible, problem-free. You put your money to what you value the most. Sometimes, you may not see it, the act of asking for a discount implicitly say "I don't see you or your work very valuable." But it is still okay to ask, most wedding suppliers are very considerate to clients who have very limited resources. So go ahead and try to work things out with your wedding planner. Compromise with the cost, I am sure there is something you can come to an agreement.



I hope I cleared most of your queries on Philippine Wedding Costs. Budgeting is an integral part in every day living and not just planning your wedding. How much does a wedding cost depends on how much you are willing to spend and how much you can actually spend.


For more personal and one-on-one wedding budget inquiries, you can email me your queries. My email address is:

leahjacobe@gmail.com

Happy Wedding Planning and Congratulations to Your Happily Ever After!!!

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)