Getting Married in the Philippines - The Best Churches To Get Married In Cebu

Not a lot of people know this, but some years ago, the Catholic Church in the Philippines banned getting married outside of church walls, causing some Filipino women to remark how boring Catholic weddings would be moving forward.

But there really is no way to get around the Catholic Church in the Philippines - even divorce laws are non-existent because the church is so strongly against it. (On that note, you can only get un-married to your Filipino wife if you go through the lengthy annulment process.)

So, if you're planning to get married to your Filipino girlfriend, forget about doing something fancy like a beach wedding if she's Catholic. The only way you'll be able to marry her is inside a church, and nowhere else (if you want a beach wedding, talk to her about doing a civil wedding ceremony. In a civil wedding, a court judge or the city mayor marries you instead).

But church weddings aren't so bad. Most churches in Cebu, and in the Philippines in general, are well-maintained thanks to the population's support. And there are special churches in Cebu that are well-known for hosting weddings all-year round. Here are the top three "wedding" churches in Cebu:

Archbishop's Palace

                1. Archbishop's Palace

As the name implies, this is the residence of the Cebu archdiocese's archbishop. Within its gates you can find a small gorgeous chapel where you can get married in. It can seat around 20 people and is perfect for intimate weddings.

If you want to get married here, you will need to ask book early because a lot of couples get married there.

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

                2. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

After it was renovated, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral became a haven for marrying couples, for good reason. It has a gorgeous, arched interior that makes picture-taking really enjoyable. You can expect good wedding pictures when you get married there, and really gorgeous pictures if you hire a professional photographer.

St. Therese Church

                3. St.Therese Church

This one is a rather small church compared to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral but is larger than the chapel at the Archbishop's Palace. Also, its interior isn't as fancy, but what it lacks it makes up for in its location. It's the one nearest to restaurants known for hosting wedding receptions like the Chateau de Busay in Nivel Hills, and the Grand Convention Center of Cebu, which is a walking distance away from the Ayala shopping mall.

You can't go wrong if you get married to your Filipino girlfriend from Cebu at one of these churches.