If you’re currently scouting for your dream wedding church and don’t know what to ask during your appointment, you can use this list as your guide to help you in your wedding preps journey. The list is applicable for Catholic weddings since this is based from our own experience, though some information found below can also be useful for Christian weddings. But before you ask your church, be sure you have these information at hand.

• prospective date of ceremony
• prospective time of ceremony

During your meeting, these are the things that you should ask..

• availability of your prospective wedding date
• availability of your prospective wedding time
• package rate
• inclusions of the package
  • total minutes of the ceremony
  • flowers for decors
  • officiating priest and priest stipend
  • choir
  • in-house church Coordinators
  • red carpet
  • offertory items or offertory candles
  • electrical fee
  • with AC or no AC
  • parking space
  • other facilities that can be used usually for post-nup pictorial
• Are wedding rehearsals allowed? If yes, what are the details?
• maximum capacity of the church
• church restrictions and limitations during the wedding
  • dress code (no scandalous outfit, showing of cleavage, etc)
  • number of minutes allowed for wedding pictorial
  • are poppers, confetti, petals allowed inside the church premises?
  • if you want to avail an outside florist, is that possible? if yes, will there be corkage fees? What is the set-up?
  • can we have our own priest? if yes, what are the requirements and when do we need to submit these documents?
  • if we have our own coordinator, will they be allowed to work alongside the in-house church coordinator if there is any?
  • is photo shoot allowed in the choir loft (top view)? If yes, will there be a fee?
  • is closed door ceremony allowed?
  • is closed door bridal march allowed?
  • is aerial video allowed? if not, what are the things required?
• payment terms (full payment or cash)
• preferred payment type (cash, remittance or through bank deposit)
• church legal requirements (see our link below)
  • list of all the documents needed for submission (church and civil requirements)
  • if mixed marriage, what are the other requirements needed?
  • timeline based on your preferred wedding date
    • submission of marriage license (once civil docs is completed)
    • submission of church documents
    • marriage banns application and submission
• church schedule for –
  • confirmation (if not yet confirmed)
  • Pre-Cana seminar
  • canonical interview
• wedding entourage details
  • max number of Principal Sponsors allowed
  • max number of female and male entourage allowed
  • is banner bearer allowed?
• other fees (for the seminar, banns etc.)

TIPS:

1. Learn more about the documents that you need to prepare from this post Wedding Legal Requirements in the Philippines
2. If you are based overseas, know how you can obtain your Certificate of Freedom to Marry
3. Familiarize yourself with the Filipino Wedding Church Restrictions