ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Asia: East and PacificQuestion regarding Philippines pre-marriage seminar

I've read on several web sites, and this question has probably been asked here before, too, but I've been told that the "Pre-marriage seminar" that must be attended by the bride and groom prior to marriage really only applies to Catholics in the Philippines. My fiancé was "born Catholic" but before Jacki was 16, she and her family left the Catholic church and started attending an Evangelical Protestant church and have done so ever since. I also, for the record, am not Catholic. My question is basically this: is there anyone out there with or who is a Filipina fiancé/wife AND who is Protestant, and were you not required to attend the pre-marriage seminar?

I read that both parties generally have to attend, but if our case gets to the Manila embassy by mid-summer, I still would not be able to travel to the Philippines again for this 10-day thing. And when I go there to bring Jacki home hopefully early next year, we won't have time to deal with a 10-day seminar in Manila...we'll both be in her hometown saying goodbye to friends and family.


Hi guys!I don't know if i can still help you or I might be late already to share our experience to you.But first of all I want to ask you if when is your plan to have a wedding ceremony in Philippines? Right now I'm here in Colorado already and i got my greencard already. But I just got married last year April 9.2006 and we had our wedding ceremony too. It's not legal because of our K1 Visa application, and we just do that for the sake of my family there cause they can't be able to attend my wedding here in USA and at the same time my husband's family coundn't be able to attend on our wedding ceremony in Philippines too, that's why we come up with that idea. But on our case we didn't attend a seminar anymore since its not a legal wedding. Since my husband is Catholic and me is Seventhday Adventist we just come up with an idea to have a Christian Garden/Beach Wedding,not a catholic or adventist wedding. I talked to a Pastor which is a family friend and explained to him the situation and the real reason why it's not a legal wedding and why we want to have a ceremony and he understood it. Usually legal weddiing in PHil required a seminar but since its not legal so we don't have to go through with that. And also my husband that time couldn't be able to fly there just for that because of his work. But our wedding turns out ok and with no problem.So I think that best thing I can suggest to you and your fiance, Is to talk and come up with a plan that you and your fiance agreed on. Since both of you had a different religion why not just come up with a christian wedding or any idea you both agreed on like what we did and explain to the Minister the reasons why you want to have a wedding ceremony & why it's not legal. It's good if your fiance could find a minister she & family knew & a good friend of her family sometimes it's easy. But if your fiance still want a catholic wedding and if it is ok with you that tell your fiance to find a priest that she knew and explain the situation.i'm sure they will understand it.So goodluck & hope it will give you some idea.


ann/bob
annbobcronch3000Not TellingPhilippines2007-04-13 12:21:00