The Marriage License

Last Thursday, after spending a good deal of the morning at the civil registry of the LB municipal hall and just when we were about to get to the second to the last step of applying for a marriage license (the last being payment), Dong and I were told that we should be applying at the municipality of either Bay or Pasig, Dong and my place of residence respectively. Not LB, the venue of our wedding). This after having previously gone there twice already (one for inquiry and the other for the family planning certificate)! So for those getting married, heads up:



1. You apply for marriage license in the city where one of you resides, not in the city where you're going to get married. Do not believe anyone who tells you otherwise.

2. You'll need the following to apply for a marriage license:
    - 1 photocopy each of the bride's and the groom's CENOMARs - Don't ask me how you can get this
       because we just got ours from my mother. :)
    - 1 photocopy each of the bride's and the groom's birth certificates
    - Premarital counseling certificate. Ours was issued by our officiating pastor. I think another way to get
       this is to attend a seminar organized by the municipality.
    - Family planning certificate - You may be needing a signature from one of the offices at the
      municipal hall for the family planning certificate. My tip - secure all other requirements first, so when it's
      time for you to have your family planning certificate signed, you can go straight to the civil registry right
      after and submit the requirements for your marriage license.
   - Parents' consent if you're 21 and below; parental advice if you're below 25.

3. The marriage license expires in 120 days, so don't be too excited to get one or it might go stale.

4. But don't be such a crammer because it takes some time before you can claim it. Ours is going to take nine days.

5. Examine the stuff they'd ask you to pay for the license. Our "bill" had premarital counseling even if we didn't attend theirs.

Fix this one together with your future spouse; both of you would need to sign papers. Plus, the municipal hall may turn out to be a good date place - a break from the usual resto/moviehouse/coffee house dates. :))