How to plan your wedding budget in the Philippines
Updated October 2026
Every wedding costs something different, so the useful question is not “how much does a wedding cost” but “how do we decide where our money goes”. This is a simple method that works whatever your total is.
1. Agree the total first
Decide together — and with any family contributing — the most you will spend. Write it down. Every later decision is a trade-off against this one number, so it has to be real.
2. Your guest count is your biggest lever
Catering is usually priced per head, and venue size, souvenirs and invitations follow the guest count too. Trimming the list moves your budget more than any single supplier choice.
3. List every category
- Church or ceremony venue, and the reception venue
- Catering and the cake
- Coordinator
- Photo and video
- Attire: gown, suit, and the entourage
- Rings
- Flowers and styling
- Lights, sound and a host
- Invitations and souvenirs
- Hair and make-up
- Transport
- A contingency line — commonly around a tenth of the total — for what you have not thought of
4. Pick your top three
Choose the three things that matter most to you both — the food, the photos, the venue, the dress. Spend there, and look for simpler options everywhere else. It is the most reliable way to feel the money went where you wanted it.
5. Get written quotes
Ask each supplier for a quote against your actual guest count and date, with what is included. Compare like with like: a package that includes service staff and tables is not the same as one that does not.
6. Track estimate, actual and paid
For each line keep three numbers: what you planned, what it actually costs, and what you have already paid (deposits included). It is the only way to know, three months out, whether you are still inside your total.