​How to Get Married in the Philippines

If you assume that getting married in the Philippines is an easy process, you are mistaken. There are quite a few hoops to jump through to get married in the Philippines, especially if you are under age 25. Don't let the marriage license laws of the Republic of the Philippines put a dent in your wedding plans, though. Here's what you need to know and what documents to bring with you before you apply for a Philippines marriage license. We recommend getting this legal aspect of your wedding out of the way about a month before your wedding date. Requirements may vary as each county in the Republic of the Philippines could have their own requirements.

Required Documents and Information

If this is your first marriage, the local civil registrar will ask to see your original birth certificates or your baptismal certificates. Certified copies may be accepted. You need to provide the full name, residence, and citizenship of your parents or guardians. If either of you is not a citizen of the Philippines, you have to provide your passport and a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage. An affidavit in lieu of the certificate may also be accepted. You need to check with a U.S. consular officer to make sure they are providing the affidavit.

Age Requirements, Parental Consent, and Parental Advice

If you are under the age of 18, you cannot get married in the Philippines even if your parents are OK with the marriage. Individuals must be at least 21 years old to get married in the Philippines without written parental consent. If your parents cannot appear with you before the local civil registrar, a legal affidavit with the signatures of two witnesses may be accepted. Individuals between the age of 21 and 25, must (... ask their parents or guardian for advice upon the intended marriage. If they do not obtain such advice, or if it is unfavorable, the marriage license shall not be issued until after three months following the completion of the publication of the application therefor. A sworn statement by the contracting parties to the effect that such advice has been sought, together with the written advice given, if any, shall be attached to the application for a marriage license. Should the parents or guardian refuse to give any advice, this fact shall be stated in the sworn statement.)

Waiting Period

There is a waiting period of 10 consecutive days while notice of the marriage application is posted on a bulletin board outside the local civil registrar's office.

Fees

Check with the local civil registrar for the fees charged for a marriage license. Fees for a marriage license may be waived if the couple applying has no visible means of income or has insufficient income.

Pre-Marital Counseling and Family Planning Seminar

If either of you is between the ages of 18 and 25, you will need to show proof to the local civil registrar that you have received marriage counseling. If you do not receive marriage counseling, your marriage license will not be issued for three months.

Previous Marriages

If you have been previously married, you will need to provide the death certificate of your deceased spouse or the judicial decree of your absolute divorce or the judicial decree of your annulment or declaration of nullity of your previous marriage.

Witnesses

Two witnesses are required. Witnesses must be of legal age.

Officiants

Members of the local judiciary; priests, rabbis, imams, ministers of registered churches or religious sects; consul generals, consuls, vice-consuls. Military commanders in the absence of a chaplain and ship captains and airplane chiefs can solemnize a marriage in articulo mortis. If you use a religious officiant, one of you must belong to the officiant's church or religious sect.

Wedding Locations

Marriages must be solemnized publicly in a church, chapel, temple, judicial chambers or offices of consuls. The only time a wedding can take place elsewhere is if the wedding is articulo mortis, in a remote location, or if the officiant receives a request for a different location.

Proxy Marriage

The Republic of The Philippines does not allow marriage by proxy.

Cousin Marriages

Cousin marriages are not allowed. "Section 1, Article 38 of the Family Code prohibits marriage of relatives up to the fourth civil degree (first cousins)."

Common-Law Marriage

The Family Code of The Republic of The Philippines states: "No license shall be necessary for the marriage of a man and a woman who have lived together as husband and wife for at least five years and without any legal impediment to marry each other. The contracting parties shall state the foregoing facts in an affidavit before any person authorized by law to administer oaths. The solemnizing officer shall also state under oath that he ascertained the qualifications of the contracting parties are found no legal impediment to the marriage. (76a)"

Miscellaneous

The marriage license in the Philippines is valid for 120 days from the date of issue.
​Planning a wedding involves endless details, pressing deadlines, decisions to make and even family drama. We believe that every detail counts and we provide the planning and organization of your unforgettable day. We hope that you will allow us to use our energy, vision and years of experience to help you start your own path down the aisle while staying calm. ​The importance of having someone in charge on the wedding day cannot be overlooked. Organization and efficiency is key. This is what we do best.

When you’re deeply in love with someone, you may want nothing more than to marry them one day. You might think about spending the rest of your lives together and growing old as a couple, but how do you know if you should actually get married in the first place? If you want to make sure you're choosing the right person and aren't just caught up in the lust and passion of your current relationship, make sure you consider these five reasons for getting married.
Read on for five key reasons that can help clue you in that you should marry your partner.

Ready to Tie the Knot? 5 Reasons to Get Married

• 01 of 05. You Deeply Trust Your Partner. ...
• 02 of 05. You Fight Fair. ...
• 03 of 05. You've Spent a Lot of Time Together. ...
• 04 of 05. You Know This Person on a Deeper Level. ...
• 05 of 05. You Want the Same Things.

You Deeply Trust Your Partner One of the most important aspects of a strong, happy, and successful marriage is trust. It’s important that you and your partner fully trust each other, support each other, and have each other’s backs. If you’re worried that your partner may be unfaithful and are hoping that getting married will prevent them from cheating on you, take a step back. Getting married is only going to exacerbate any lingering trust issues, so if you have doubts about your partner's fidelity and aren’t sure if they're capable of fully committing to you, the major takeaway is that it’s not the right time to get married. On the flip side, if you wholeheartedly trust this person and know that you can count on them through thick and thin, then it might be time to take the next step.

You Fight Fair Conflict plays a role in all healthy and thriving relationships, and in order for you and your partner to be able to have a successful marriage, you have to know how to fight fair, resolve arguments, and come away stronger as a couple.
If you’ve never truly had a disagreement with your partner because your conversations stay on a superficial level, or you’re always in a constant state of conflict with your partner and can't agree on anything, you’re probably not ready to get married because you aren’t able to manage arguments in a productive way. Before you get married, make sure you and your partner have argued in the past, have found common ground, and have come out with a deeper understanding, empathy, and respect for their point of view.

You’ve Spent a Lot of Time Together Another reason to get married is that you and your partner have spent a lot of time together as a couple and are fully comfortable around each other. If you and your partner have moved in together and enjoy it, that's a good indication of whether you should get married and if your marriage will succeed. After all, living with someone is much different than just seeing them on the weekends for brunch. Make sure you’ve been around each other enough to be completely comfortable and content with one another.​

You Know This Person on a Deeper Level Have you and your partner truly opened up to each other? Before you consider getting married, make sure you and your partner have confided in one another and are completely open about your thoughts, your past, and your hopes and dreams. When you and your partner are emotionally available and open with one another, it will help make a marriage even stronger because you’re both comfortable being your authentic selves. If you know each other fully and are willing and able to share what’s truly on your mind, it's a great reason to take the next step and walk down the aisle. However, if you don't really know that much about your partner or find that you're acting a certain way around them rather than being your true self, you might want to reconsider getting married until you're able to be more open.

You Want the Same Things Before getting married, it's important that you and your partner agree about what you want in the future. Consider if you want to have kids, where you want to live, and what your plans are for managing finances. You should be able to talk about the future in an open and honest way so that there are no surprises down the road. Even if you feel ready, consider having a few sessions of pre-marital counseling with a therapist before actually tying the knot. It'll help start your marriage off in a strong way and give you the tools for a successful and lasting relationship.

​How to Have the 'I'm Ready to Get Engaged' Conversation

Deciding to start talking about marriage with your fiancé is a big step
​Like with anything in life, relationships have stages. And although a guidebook that pinpoints the exact right moment for every milestone would be mega helpful, the truth is, every duo moves at a pace that’s right for them. That’s why it can be a very tricky situation when you’re ready to cement your lifelong commitment with an engagement—and your partner isn't quite there yet. The healthiest and happiest of relationships thrive off of communication and the willingness to discuss every nook and cranny of your mind and heart. But even if you and your number one are incredibly open with one another, bringing up the, "Hey, should we put a ring on it?" discussion can cause jitters in anyone. Psychologists weigh in on how to navigate this chat, so couples don't have to stress.

Why the Conversation Is Difficult

You and your person have been together for so many years, you both lose count. Or you’ve only shared one lap around the sun together—but it feels like you’ve known one another forever. Whatever the case, when you move from being boyfriend-girlfriend (or BF-BF and GF-GF) to engaged, you up the ante on intimacy. And that’s scary.
As a licensed professional counselor specializing in couples therapy, Crystal Bradshaw explains, the concept itself comes with built-in vulnerability and the possibility of rejection. “You're laying it all out there and your partner may not feel the same. What if you don't see eye to eye? What if your partner wants something different? What if they have a different vision of what the future looks like?” she continues. “You might discover you are not as ready as you thought. In having a conversation about getting engaged, there is the possibility of disappointment because you both may discover you are not on the same page after all.” ​No matter how anxious it may make you—or that person you wake up to every morning—Bradshaw deems the convo as healthy. And having conversations about the future is something to practice time and time again—think of it as a check-in. “It's not a one-and-done thing, it's many conversations over time,” she says. “You'll be confident in your future together once you've discussed engagement and marriage thoroughly and clearly define where you both stand on the subject and see how you view your future together.”

Be Mindful of the Timing

No, Bradshaw doesn’t mean a certain number of years or months of dating, but rather, your surroundings and what’s happening in your personal lives. As she puts it, a dinner party isn’t the smartest setting for a super-serious, are-we-going-to-get-hitched discussion. She also suggests easing into the topic by having a candid chat about where you both see your future is heading. After all, marriage at its core is about joining two lives together—not just a sparkly diamond or big party.
“Maybe you're ready to plant roots and want to move out of your apartment and into a house that's in a good neighborhood with a great school. Maybe you want to ditch the two-door sports car and get something more practical for a life that is evolving. Maybe you want to take that trip that you know will not be practical if you have kids, so perhaps discussing that dream trip is how you start that conversation,” she says. “The bottom line is that timing will help you, as well as the entry point you choose to bring up the conversation.”

Talk About Your Relationship Dreams

Or in other words: Express your love. The desire to get engaged really boils down to the fact that you can’t imagine your life with anyone else. Especially if you fret over coming across as clingy or naggy, being straightforward about how deeply you love your partner can send the right message and illustrate how well you work as a team.
“Share your dreams with your partner. Those dreams can be visions of vacations, where you'll live, how you'll celebrate special occasions and holidays, how you envision spending your free time together, things you want to do together that you have yet to do, and things you are looking forward to doing,” she says. “By talking about your dreams, you are indirectly stating that you see both of you together for the long haul, and that can segue into a conversation about marriage.”

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Since you’re fishing around to better understand where your partner is on your relationship journey, open-ended questions can help you arrive at answers. But Bradshaw warns against being hypersensitive toward their answers, since sometimes, it doesn’t have anything to do with you, but a notion your partner has come up with all by themselves.
“Seek to understand their reasons for it versus taking it personally. It's just a different opinion at the moment of discussion and is not necessarily a reflection of the status of the future of your relationship, nor is it necessarily a direct reflection of you as a partner,” she adds. You want to be able to directly communicate your reasons for wanting to get married, why taking your relationship to the next level is important, and why it feels right to you. If you are able to clearly express your reasons for this, your partner is more likely to be open to hearing your thoughts on the subject.”
Here are some questions Bradshaw suggests to get the chat flowing:

1. What does marriage mean to me/you?
2. Why is marriage important to me/you?
3. How does our experience from our own families and childhood shape our views of marriage?
4. How will we keep our relationship strong through the years?
5. What areas are we aligned on?
6. What areas do we differ on? How will we negotiate/reconcile those differences?
7. What do you want our marriage to look like?

​How Long Should You Date Before Getting Engaged?

Whether you’ve been officially dating “the one” for a few months or the better part of the last decade, you might be wondering how you’ll know when you’ve entered the “sweet spot,” that is the right time to get engaged. When folks on your Facebook feed start flaunting a diamond ring after seeing someone for under a year, while high school sweethearts you know stay ringless for decades, it’s no surprise you’re confused. And experts agree that there is no magic number. “There are some couples who know on the first date that they’ve found the one and get engaged quickly, while others take the time to get to know someone well before putting a ring on it,” says online dating expert and digital matchmaker Julie Spira.
Spira is of the opinion, however, that a couple should go through all seasons together at the very least so that they surpass the honeymoon stage before determining whether or not to stay together for life. “Everyone puts their best foot forward during the courting stage, which is typically the first three months of the relationship,” she says. “When your relationship is brand new, you haven’t gone through the bumps on the road together, traveled on vacation together, or gone through a traumatic event such as the death of a family member or loss of a job.”

Each couple is different depending on age and circumstances, but a reasonable amount of time to be engaged is one to three years.

Research supports this theory. One study published by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta found that couples who’d been together at least three years before they got engaged were 39 percent less likely to get divorced than couples who got engaged within the first year of dating.1
Clearly, time is on a couple’s side when it comes to the longevity of their marriage. But experts agree, there’s more to a happy marriage than just years spent side-by-side. Here, they share the most fundamental aspects of a relationship that matter the most when determining whether a future marriage will last.

How You Communicate and Resolve Conflict

According to Grant H. Brenner, M.D., co-author of Irrelationship: How We Use Dysfunctional Relationships to Hide from Intimacy, couples that have the tools to address the inevitable challenges marriage presents will not only be able to stay together but enjoy themselves more. Dr. Michael agrees, adding that how a couple resolves their disagreements is one of the biggest factors in determining whether or not they will be able to resolve issues in their marriage. “Do they get in nasty fights? Does it ultimately get resolved? Does one person bully the other person? Does one person push [the] problem under the carpet? Is one person passive-aggressive?” she asks. “The idea is to know that couples will disagree, but how the disagreement is handled and resolved is what matters.”

Your Shared Interests and Values

While couples don’t have to have all the same interests, Colleen Mullen, Psy.D., L.M.F.T., founder of Coaching Through Chaos, says they should share some, as well as a shared value system. This includes being on the same page in regards to what family means to you, spiritual beliefs, etc. “You don’t have to have the same religious beliefs, but if you are a devout Christian and your beloved is an atheist, that might lead to some complicated situations,” she says. “It comes down to having enough similarities in what you hold dear to your heart on how you live in the world that is important.”

How You Handle Finances

The manner in which you and your significant other are able to save, spend, and handle bills is another important factor. “If one is a shopaholic and the other wants to save for the future, a discussion on a family budget is imperative,” says Spira. “Many marriages dissolve due to financial problems, so having a savings and retirement plan from the onset is critical for a successful marriage.”

Your Level of Sexual Satisfaction

Experts agree that a healthy and active sex life is an integral part of a happy and healthy marriage—at any age. “Married couples who make the effort to keep their sex life good are likely to enjoy greater relationship satisfaction,” says Dr. Brenner.

How You Balance Work and Family Life

Ensuring that both of you make your marriage and family life a priority over work is another key to a happy, long marriage. “More often than not, a marriage has two working spouses to keep up with living expenses,” says Spira. “If one of you decides to be the breadwinner, while the other watches the household and children, take the time to discuss how you will spend your time when you’re not working.”
The bottom line: Marriage is hard work. While you might not be able to measure marital success on a scale in terms of time, the same effort (and tons of it) has to be there if two people intend to stay married for life. This won’t always be easy, experts say. “As you go through life, your relationship will need emotional touch-ups, but it should not have emotional struggles or overhauls that last for years,” adds Dr. Mullen. If you’re not able to resolve and make updates in an emotionally efficient way, she suggests seeking out relationship counseling so that a professional can see where the broken beam lies and help you repair it before you decide you need to tear it down and rebuild from scratch.