Civil Wedding Program Flow Philippines: Ceremony to Reception

A civil wedding is short, and the law fixes only a few parts of it. This guide gives you the ceremony in order with the legal basis for each step, what is optional, what one city hall lists as the time for the officiating step, a simple reception run sheet and a checklist of whom to brief. It does not give you an officiant's script, because the law prescribes none.

The ceremony, step by step

Legal steps come from the Family Code. Minutes are our own planning allotments, not a rule.

#	Step	What happens	Basis	Our min
1	Arrive and hand over the license	You, both witnesses and the officer meet. The officer keeps the original license afterwards	Art. 23; arrival time is our advice	10
2	Opening	The officer begins. Wording is the officer's; the law prescribes none	Practice; no prescribed form (Art. 6)	3
3	Appear in person	Both of you stand before the officer	Arts. 3(3) and 6	1
4	Declaration	You declare before at least two witnesses of legal age that you take each other as husband and wife	Arts. 3(3) and 6	3
5	Your own words (optional)	Vows or a ring exchange, if your officer allows	Custom; not in Arts. 3 or 6	0 to 8
6	Signing	You and the witnesses sign the certificate	Art. 6	5
7	Attestation	The officer attests the certificate and gives one of you the original	Arts. 6 and 23	2
8	Photos	Couple, witnesses, family	Our suggestion	15
9	Afterwards	The officer sends copies to the civil registrar. For the PSA copy, see PSA marriage certificate	Art. 23	0

Article 6 says: "No prescribed form or religious rite for the solemnization of the marriage is required. It shall be necessary, however, for the contracting parties to appear personally before the solemnizing officer and declare in the presence of not less than two witnesses of legal age that they take each other as husband and wife." Article 23 sets the filing deadline: the officer must "send the duplicate and triplicate copies of the certificate not later than fifteen days after the marriage, to the local civil registrar". GMA News describes the same flow: the couple exchanges vows and signs with their witnesses and the officiant.

How long it takes

Steps 2 to 7 without the optional extras add up to 14 minutes in our allotments, or up to 22 with them. The only official duration we found is on one city's service page. The City of Balanga's page lists the step "Officiate civil wedding rites" at "45 minute", and says the service "allows the couple to pick the location, date and time depending on the availability and schedule of the City Mayor". That is one city's allowance for a mayor's ceremony, not a national figure. Ask your hall or court how long your slot is.

What the law requires and what is custom

Item	Required?	Basis
Valid marriage license	Yes	Art. 3(2); see the license checklist
An authorized solemnizing officer	Yes	Art. 3(1); see who can officiate
Personal appearance and declaration before two witnesses	Yes	Arts. 3(3) and 6
Certificate signed by you and the witnesses, attested by the officer	Yes	Art. 6
A script or religious rite	No	Art. 6
Vows, rings, music, readings	Your choice	Not in Arts. 3 or 6; see writing your own vows
Principal sponsors	Not in the Family Code	Balanga lists a "List of Principal Sponsors (1 Copy)" among its requirements; ask your city
Reception	No	Not a legal requirement

Your two witnesses are not your sponsors. The law asks for two signers; sponsors are a custom, and at least one city hall asks you to list them.

Where the ceremony can happen

Venue	Officer	What to check
Judge's chambers or open court	A judge within the court's jurisdiction	Named in Art. 8
City or municipal hall	A mayor	Art. 8 does not list a mayor's office; ask the registrar. Officer rules: wedding officiant guide
A place you designate, such as a garden, restaurant or house	A judge or mayor who agrees to travel	Both of you request it in writing and name the place in a sworn statement (Art. 8)

Article 8 says the marriage is "solemnized publicly". For a restaurant venue, see restaurant wedding receptions.

A simple reception program after a civil wedding

We found no published run sheet for a civil reception from a source we could rely on, so this one is ours. We trimmed the full reception program and left out the entourage entrance, parent dances, slideshow, money dance, games, parents' message and same-day edit. Add them back and it grows toward three hours.

Start	Min	Segment
12:00 PM	15	Guests seated, welcome drinks
12:15 PM	5	Welcome and a short prayer
12:20 PM	5	Parents and witnesses acknowledged
12:25 PM	5	Couple's entrance
12:30 PM	5	First dance (optional)
12:35 PM	10	Cake cutting and toast
12:45 PM	45	Lunch
1:30 PM	15	Speeches
1:45 PM	5	Couple's thank-you
1:50 PM	10	Closing and group photo

Who to brief

Who	Tell them
Two witnesses	Date, time and venue; they sign the certificate
Officer	Date, venue and fee; ask who files the certificate
Sponsors, if any	Whether your hall wants their names ahead of time
Photographer	Ask the hall where photos are allowed during the ceremony
Host or emcee	They run the reception only; see the emcee script
Guests	Start time, dress code and parking

BRING TO THE CEREMONY
[ ] Marriage license (the officer keeps the original)
[ ] Both witnesses, of legal age
[ ] Sponsors list, if your hall asked for one
[ ] Rings or vows, if you are adding them
[ ] Written request and sworn statement, if outside chambers
[ ] Ask: how long is our slot, and who files the certificate?

Both events on one digital invitation

In Imbitasyon Ko, each event is its own card: a title, date, start and end time, venue, address, an optional dress code line and a map link. The presets include Wedding Ceremony and Reception. Guests see "View Location" and can save each event to Google Calendar or an Apple or Outlook calendar. A separate Dress Code section takes a note and up to six motif colors. For outfit ideas see our civil wedding attire guide, and for the layouts see themes.

The ceremony is the legal part and short; the reception is the party you shape. Fix the slot with your officer first, then size the program to the venue.