Huwes or Mayor Wedding Philippines: Requirements and Fees

How Much Is a Huwes or Mayor Wedding?

A huwes wedding, a civil wedding before a judge, costs ₱300 in solemnization fees. The Supreme Court fixes that amount for every level of court, and it is paid against an official receipt. A mayor's fee is set by each city or municipality: of the official charters we checked, Tagaytay lists none and the City of Ilagan lists ₱300. The requirements are the same for both: a marriage license from the civil registrar where one of you lives, valid IDs, and two witnesses aged 18 or older.

The license is where costs really differ by place, from ₱250 in Quezon City to ₱952 in Tagaytay. Every fee and rule below links to the law itself or to the city's own published charter, so you can check it yourself.

Who Can Officiate a Civil Wedding

For a civil ceremony, couples book either a judge or a mayor.

• A judge (huwes) can solemnize a marriage only "within the court's jurisdiction" (Family Code, Article 7). In practice, that means a judge whose court covers the place where your ceremony happens.
• A city or municipal mayor has the power to "solemnize marriages" under the Local Government Code, Sections 444 and 455. The Code names the mayor. If the office offers a vice mayor instead, ask them to confirm that person's authority on your date.

A priest, pastor, imam or minister can also marry you, but that is a religious ceremony, not a civil one. The Family Code allows it only when the minister is registered with the civil registrar general and at least one of you belongs to their church (Article 7). If that is your route, our church vs civil wedding comparison walks through the differences.

Marrying under Muslim law? The Nikah follows its own rules and is registered with the Shari'a Circuit Court. See our Muslim wedding requirements.

Huwes Wedding Fee: ₱300 at Every Court

The Supreme Court's guidelines on solemnization by judges, Administrative Order No. 125-2007, set one fee for every level of court:

Three details from the same order are worth knowing before you book:

• It goes to the court, not the judge. Fees accrue to the Judiciary Development Fund (Section 18) and must be "properly officially receipted" (Section 19).
• More is not allowed. Demanding, collecting or receiving more than the stated amount violates the guidelines and exposes the judge to disciplinary action (Section 20).
• Ask for the receipt. If anyone quotes you more for the judge's part, ask for the official receipt for the ₱300 and what any other amount is for.

Mayor Wedding Fee: Set by Your City

There is no national fee for a mayor's solemnization. Each local government sets its own and publishes it in its Citizen's Charter. Two of the charters we checked list it:

Quezon City, Davao City and Santa Barbara, Iloilo do not list a separate solemnization fee on their marriage license pages. That is not the same as there never being one, so ask the mayor's office when you book.

Marriage License Fees by City

Whoever officiates, your marriage license comes first, and it is the cost that changes most from place to place. Here are the fees five offices publish, one from each part of the country, checked in November 2026:

Offices bundle these differently, so confirm the total and what it covers with your civil registrar before you go.

Marrying somewhere you don't live? Then you don't pay that city's license fees. The license comes from the civil registrar where either of you "habitually resides" (Article 9), and it is "valid in any part of the Philippines" for 120 days (Article 20). A Quezon City couple marrying in Tagaytay gets their license in Quezon City and brings it to their Tagaytay officiant. Our marriage paperwork timeline shows when to apply so the license doesn't lapse before the date.

Where the Ceremony Can Happen

The Family Code's default is that a marriage is solemnized publicly "in the chambers of the judge or in open court," in a church, chapel or temple, or in a consular office, "and not elsewhere" (Article 8).

There is one exception that matters for garden, restaurant and at-home weddings. The ceremony can happen at "a house or place designated by" the two of you if both of you request it in writing, in a sworn statement (Article 8). The Supreme Court's guidelines for judges repeat the same rule (A.O. No. 125-2007, Section 3).

For a civil ceremony outside the courtroom or city hall:

1. Ask your officiant first whether they solemnize off-site and, for a judge, whether their court covers the venue.
2. Prepare the sworn statement naming the place, signed by both of you. Ask the officiant's office which form they accept.
3. Then book the venue. Not the other way around.

What to Bring on the Day

Your witnesses can be your ninong and ninang, friends or family. After the ceremony, the officiant sends copies of your marriage certificate to the local civil registrar "not later than fifteen days after the marriage" (Article 23). Our guide to the marriage certificate after the wedding covers what happens next.

Huwes or Mayor: Side by Side

Questions to Ask Before You Book

The judge's office: Does your court's jurisdiction cover our venue? Can we pay the ₱300 against an official receipt? How far ahead do you schedule?

The mayor's office: Is there a solemnization fee, and where is it paid? Does the mayor officiate outside city hall? Who solemnizes if the mayor is unavailable on our date?

The civil registrar: What is the total license fee, and what does it include? Is counseling done here or at the population office? Do you need a cedula?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much is a huwes wedding in the Philippines? The judge's solemnization fee is ₱300 at every level of court, set by the Supreme Court in A.O. No. 125-2007 and paid against an official receipt. Add your marriage license (₱250 to ₱952 at the offices above) and your PSA documents. Our civil wedding requirements guide adds up the full cost.

Q: Is a mayor wedding free? Sometimes. Tagaytay's charter lists no fee for the mayor's solemnization, while the City of Ilagan lists ₱300. Each city sets its own, so ask the mayor's office.

Q: Can a judge marry us at a garden or a restaurant? Only if both of you request it in a sworn statement naming the place (Article 8), and only within the judge's court jurisdiction. Confirm with the court before you book the venue.

Q: Can a vice mayor officiate our wedding? The Local Government Code gives the power to the mayor. If a vice mayor is offered, ask the office to confirm their authority on your date.

Q: How old do our witnesses need to be? The Family Code requires two witnesses "of legal age," which is 18 under RA 6809. Confirm with your officiant in case their office prefers otherwise.

Q: We live in Manila but want to marry in Tagaytay. Where do we get the license? From the civil registrar where either of you lives (Article 9). It is valid anywhere in the Philippines for 120 days (Article 20), so you bring it to your Tagaytay officiant.

Plan the Rest of It

The ceremony is the smallest line in a civil wedding budget. The reception, the guest list and the feel of the day are where the bigger decisions sit, and our budget wedding guide shows realistic costs for each.

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Sources: Family Code of the Philippines, Executive Order No. 209 (Articles 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 23), Local Government Code, Republic Act No. 7160 (Sections 444 and 455), Republic Act No. 6809 (age of majority), Supreme Court, A.O. No. 125-2007, Guidelines on the Solemnization of Marriage by the Members of the Judiciary, Quezon City, City Civil Registry Department, Davao City, Marriage Licenses, City of Ilagan, Citizen's Charter: Application for Marriage License, City Government of Tagaytay, Citizen's Charter 2025, Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Municipal Civil Registrar. Fees were checked on 3 November 2026 and can change by local ordinance. This guide explains the rules; it is not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your local civil registrar and your solemnizing officer.