Mabuhay! You’re the lover of the Pearl of the Orient Seas, or the Filipino culture.  Your wedding can be composed of a solemn, religious ceremony and a fiesta kind of a reception. After all, fiestas are common in the Philippines and there’s hardly a week without one somewhere in the country.


Colors:
You can opt to use the colors of the Philippine flag which are blue, red, white and yellow. Or you can really choose any color you wish.

Bridal attire:

As a bride of this wedding theme, you have many options. You can wear the traditional Maria Clara attire, which is the usual attire of the women of the upper class during the Spanish colonial era, in white or ivory.


(from BarongsRus)

Or you can choose to wear a Balintawak terno, or the simple narrow skirted or A-line dress with butterfly sleeves. Or you can also opt to get a more modern version of either of these inspirations. Use light fabrics, which is appropriate for the tropical country, and modest designs, to reference the values of this culture. For accessories, pearls are the most becoming and popular, as the country of origin is an archipelago surrounded by seas, where the pearls are from..

Groom’s attire:

Two words: Barong Tagalog. This very Filipino attire comes in white or ivory, and recently, has become available in various colors too. Because of this, you now have the option of having the groom wear it in white or ivory, while the groomsmen wear barongs in your wedding colors. Or the groomsmen in ivory barongs and the groom in the wedding color barong. This latter option would help the groom be more distinguishable in a formal event where many other important guests may also be donning this popular outfit..

Attendants:

You can observe similar general characteristics to the couple’s attires, but in colors.

(from BarongsRus)

Invitations:

Use materials and designs native to the country. Your invites can be wrapped with abaca or sinamay accents.

Reception Ideas:

For your grand entrance, you can have a torch parade or mini version of the Flores de Mayo parade. For your entertainment, have some present folk dances such as Tinikling, Carinosa, Sayaw Sa Bangko, etc. Hang some banderitas, or small triangular flags or banners across your reception hall. If you can hire a brass band, they can play lively Filipino fiesta music to celebrate your big event.

Foods:

Have local culinary dishes, and bear in mind that any feast will never be truly Filipino themed without the ever popular lechon, or the roasted pig. And if it is going to be a dinner reception, rice is a must, to go with a variety of Filipino meat, fish or vegetable dishes, such as adobo, kare-kare, bangus, sinigang, sisig, pancit, etc. Also serve local fruits in season, such as mangoes, bananas, lanzones, guyabano, etc. Desserts could be leche flan, pastillas, buko pandan, etc.

Favors:

Native trinkets, folding hand fans, little figurines made of various shells, etc. They can be packed in small sinamay or abaca gift bags

Music :

Original Filipino music popularized by modern artists, or you can go very Filipino and play some of those folk songs from various provinces.

Other ideas:

Instead of a bridal car, ride on a caritela or a horse-drawn carriage.