How To "I Do": D & S style

As what we normally hear, marriage is the union of two persons, formed into one unit -- a day where couples exchange their vows and "I do's" in front of special people in their life. It could be as beautiful and as dramatic as one may opt. After all, it's THE day.

What's even better is that you can do it at a fraction of the cost of a Church wedding!

In the Philippines, one would think that a civil wedding it as easy as just exchanging vows and the whole shebang. There are a lot of things to consider when planning -- the time, budget, number of heads, and a other minor details that you'd like to include.

You could just sit and wonder, "where do I start?"

Careful planning and organization is the key. Never miss or skip steps in the process. You may think for a second that skipping a part of the process shortens it, when in fact it could be an essential element that could prolong your agony if missed.

Being hands-on with this "project", I was able to learn a lot about how civil weddings work, particularly here in Mandaluyong. I will just be enumerating steps of what we did before.

1. We got an application from for the marriage license from the Office of the Civil Registrar (OCR, new building, 2nd floor, left side). The staff are very friendly and accommodating to any questions you may have along the way! Go Mandaluyong! For the requirements and other details, click here.

• You may also inquire through Mandaluyong City's trunk line, 532-5001 local 234. The line could be busy most of the time, so patience here my friends. 

2. Prepared PhP170 for the notarial services, registration and filing fees.

3. While waiting for the marriage license, we attended the pre-marriage seminar. Details are here.

4. After getting the marriage license, we proceed to the Office of the Court of Clerk (OCC). This can be found at the Mandaluyong City Hall of Justice, ground floor. Prepared PhP330 for processing.

5. Attended the "raffle" to determine which judge will officiate the wedding. In our case, we had Hon. Carlos A. Valenzuela from branch 213.

Hon. Carlos A. Valenzuela: A very nice and good-natured person

6. After the raffle, we proceeded to branch 213 to get "your honor's" schedule. We booked October 26, since my family had to fly to New Zealand on the 27th. The only available time was 10:30 am. So we took it!

After all the steps, this was the only time when we started to book the hotel reception, the photographer, and the other stuff. In other words, the rest would be garnishes of the main course, or the icing of the cake!

Stuff you STILL need to know about civil weddings:

1. If you have a wedding date in mind, do not fully commit to it. You will have to book the date with the judge's secretary before making any reservations to your suppliers.

2. Couples should always be flexible with the schedule, instead of running into a hectic "hearing" date where you have to wait for your turn before you get inside. What is this, waiting for a Jollibee Kiddie party to finish before you can start yours? Or maybe unless you would prefer a distraught, haggard judge officiating the rites. Yes, on YOUR day!
 
3. Civil weddings are now strictly held in the judge's "sala" (court), so forget about out-of-town weddings, unless you are holding it in a provincial court.
 
4. The Mandaluyong City Mayor can officiate a wedding every Tuesday. 

5. There are NO weddings held on a weekend, just only during business hours. 

6. It takes about 7-10 business days before claiming the marriage license. You have to think of other things to do, like attending the pre-wed seminar than to sit around waiting for it. More information here. 

7. "Raffling" of judges are only held every Thursday at 1PM.
 
8. There is NO fee after the wedding although it is customary for us Filipinos to give a small token of gratitude for the judge and his staff, for accommodating such a special event. Besides, even if you invite them to your reception, most would not make it because of the office hours. In our case, we provided them with food and simple gifts. 

9. Getting the NSO copy of the marriage certificate may take long, depending on your municipality. In my case, I was able to get it in less than 3 months after my wedding date. Other municipalities may take longer.

What were the steps that you took on your wedding day? Was it the same as what we did here in Mandaluyong?