Since 83% of the population is Roman Catholic, most weddings are held in Catholic churches whose wedding ceremony is a mass that runs about an hour or more.

The couple to be wed don' t arrive in the ceremony venue at the same time.

The groom is expected to arrive before the set time of the wedding to receive guests while the filipino bride on the other hand, stays in the bridal car until the wedding march.

The groom walks down the aisle alone or with his parent/s before the principal sponsors (ninongs and ninangs or godparents) and the filipino bride.

A coin bearer, who carries the "arrhae" or thirteen coins, marches with the ring bearer during the processional.

The flowergirls march next in line, then the bridesmaids and groomsmen, then the Maid of Honor and Best Man.

Filipino brides prefer a custom-made gown than buying in off the rack.

Some wedding gown shops make or design gowns of your choice for rent, which means you get to be the first user.

Aside from the exchange of rings, the giving of arrhae (13 pieces of coins) is a part of the wedding which symbolizes the groom's pledge of his dedication to the welfare of his filipino wife and children.

Most couples prefer to say their own wedding vows than read the standard vows provided by the church.

Three pairs of wedding attendants act as secondary sponsors who facilitate the wedding candle, veil and cord ceremonies held during the nuptial mass.

The candle sponsors light the wedding candles located at each side of the couple.

The flames from the candles symbolize the presence of the Almighty God within the union. Veil sponsors drape and pin the veil, which is a long while tulle, on the groom's shoulder and over the filipino bride's head.

This symbolizes the union of the couple itself.

The cord which symbolizes the infinite bond of marriage, is either a silk rope, links of coins, or a string of flowers, and in a form of a figure eight.

Each loop is loosely placed around the neck-shoulder area of the couple by the cord sponsors.

Ceremony and reception venues are a major concern for the convenience of the guests. Reception cards are uncommon since it's usually expected that a wedding invitation covers both the ceremony and the reception.

Some of the guests might bring some more guests, so expect a whole lot of people.

Money dance is a part of the ceremonial dance at the reception.

Guests pin peso or dollar bills on either the bride or the groom in return for a dance with them.

Here are a few...

A filipino bride to be should not try on her wedding dress until the day of the wedding or else the wedding will not be pushed through.

Couples to be married are accident-prone and therefore must avoid traveling before their wedding day.

The side of the couple whose candle is unlit, will die ahead of the other.

Two siblings should not marry on the same year since it is considered bad luck.

Dropping the wedding ring, arrhae or veil conveys unhappiness to the filipino bride and groom.

More specifically, you must decide whether to marry your fiancée in the Philippines, or in your country, or perhaps even in a third-party country.

You must also decide whether you and your fiancée would prefer a religious or civil ceremony.

If it’s to be a religious ceremony, and you have different faiths, in which church will the ceremony be held, yours or hers?

Given the importance of family in the Philippines, and the fact that your new filipino wife will be leaving her family to go live in a foreign land, allowing your fiancée’s family to attend the ceremony and partake in the festivities is a chivalrous thing to do.

Of course, your family will probably not be able to attend.

You can have a really nice wedding in the Philippines for much less money than a wedding of equal extravagance would cost you in your home country.

On the other hand, don’t look for a bounty of wedding presents, and expect to pay for almost everything.

The idea that the father of the filipino bride must pay for the wedding is a western tradition, not a Filipino one, and the presumption is normally that any guy who can buy a ticket to the Philippines can afford to pay for a wedding.

Filipinos love to party and celebrate, and a wedding in the Philippines can be a LOT of fun.

Even if you were willing to buy every member of your filipino fiancée’s family tickets (congratulations on winning the lottery, by the way), it would be impossible to get them the tourist visas that they would need to make the trip.

You can obtain a fiancée visa faster than a spousal visa.

Consequently, you’ll spend less time away from your wife if the wedding takes place in your country.

You can immediately go on your honeymoon and afterwards set up your new home together.

Allegedly, it is easier get a Catholic priest outside the Philippines to perform a ceremony between a Catholic and non-Catholic than it would be inside the Philippines, due to the stricter practices of the Church in the islands.

Both her family and your family can thereby attend a wedding, though only one of them is technically legitimate.

Which comes first is something you’d have to discuss with your fiancée, of course.

You can have both a religious and a civil ceremony.

Perhaps you’d prefer to have a civil ceremony to expedite things, then a religious ceremony a few months later to cement your union and give your bride the “dream wedding” she cherishes.

Or you could have an “unofficial” religious ceremony in the Philippines followed by an official religious or civil ceremony in your homeland.

That would allow your fiancée’s family to attend a wedding in the Philippines, but would not prevent you from petitioning for the quicker-to-obtain fiancée visa.

This is tricky, though.

Religious weddings can be beautiful, highly emotional affairs that you, your wife, and your families will remember fondly for the rest of your lives.

Some filipino women revel in preparing for a wedding – inviting guest, selecting a dress, writing vows, etc.

Normally, civil ceremonies do not require any such preparation, which may not sit well with some brides-to-be.

Religious weddings usually cater better to large congregations of family and friends.

Participants at religious ceremonies can relax and chat in the pews prior to the wedding, and they get to watch and sniffle as the bride walk down the aisle, and they get to toss rice or bird seed at the bride and groom’s car afterwards.

Any foreigner who wishes to marry in the Philippines is required by the Philippine government to obtain a "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage" from his Embassy before filing an application for a marriage license.

The Government also accepts an "Affidavit in lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage."

A westerner may execute this affidavit at his Embassy in Manila, or at the Consular Agency in Cebu.

The foreigner must present his passport, and there is a fee for executing the affidavit.

Philippine authorities will not accept any other document initiated as a substitute.

Once a foreigner obtained the "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage" or "Affidavit in lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage.", he can file for a marriage license at the Civil Registrar's Office in the town or city where one of the parties resides.

A foreigner applicant needs to present the following:

-the Affidavit -documents to verify civil status and legal capacity to contract marriage – divorce decree or death certificate

-Passport