Wedding Prep: The Hunt for Churches

Finding a church was our top priority during our wedding preparations. Everything is dependent upon it that we didn't book other suppliers while we searched for the “perfect” wedding church. 

There are plenty of churches that we considered but one thing that My Beloved Wife required was that the church must have a beautiful altar.

Here are some of the churches that we considered:

Caleruega Church

The Transfiguration Chapel, or more popularly known either as Caleruega Church or Calaruega Church, is the most sought after when it comes to wedding. The first reason for its popularity is its being in Tagaytay. The second, I think, is the bandwagon effect: its popularity attracts more soon-to-be-wed to its door.

My Office Buddy personally saw the beauty of this church when they visited it. We had to drop this from our list because (1) it is far away because we both work in Metro Manila, (2) I heard that it is very expensive as wedding venue, and (3) the queue is very long and it should be booked one year before the wedding day to get the desired date.

Read more information about Calaruega or Caleruega at BridalBook.Ph.

San Agustin Church

Interior of San Agustin Church.

This is another popular church for weddings. It's altar and ceiling are beautiful. This church is also full of history and it is located inside Intramuros. Another plus point is its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We attended a Sunday mass at this church and also made a sort of “ocular inspection”. I personally liked this church. Unfortunately, we didn't chose this church because we think that it is also expensive. Also, the reception venues in its vicinity (and those inside Intramuros) are expensive as well.

Please read my post about San Agustin Church for more photos and info. You may also visit the San Agustin Church website. Average Jane had her wedding in San Agustin Church. You may visit her blog and ask her about her wedding experience in San Agustin Church.

St. Peter's Church 

This is a big church located along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. It is dedicated to the Apostle Peter and bears the weird name “Shrine of Leaders”.

I witnessed one wedding in this church. The priest that officiated that wedding gave a good homily. The wedding ceremony went well. I will talk about St. Peter's Church in next post.

I considered St. Peter's Church as our wedding venue because we attended a few masses here. Thus is has a sort of connection to us. I think that it didn't got the approval of my Beloved Wife that's why it didn't made the cut.

Binondo Church

I considered this church, which is dedicated to San Lorenzo Ruiz, because I frequent it. It is a big church and also has a beautiful altar. I know, however, that my Beloved Wife will not select it because the image of the crucified Christ is not at the center.

I observed that weddings are held in this church almost weekly. Most of those who wed here are of Chinese descent because it is located at Binondo Chinatown. This church is recommended for those who want to have their wedding officiated in the Chinese language. Binondo Church has priests that can speak Chinese.

Read more info and see more photos on my blog post about Binondo Church.

Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

The altar of the Shrine of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

My Beloved Wife instantly like this church the moment she saw its altar in the Internet.The crucified image of Jesus Christ is at the center and the dove image of the Holy Spirit is at the top. In short, this is the church that we  chose for our wedding.

This church, which is dedicated to St. Therese, is starting to become a popular venue for wedding. It is very big and can hold hundred of visitors. Some rich and famous people got married in this church. I heard from our florist that President Gloria attended a wedding in this church as ninang.

This church is also expensive. My Beloved Wife still want to get married in this church despite of that. Good thing that we chose this church. Reverend Smith, one of the admin of the shrine, was very helpful. A priest also helped us during the wedding ceremony even if he is not the one who will officiate it. Read more of our experiences by reading my post about the Shrine of St. Therese.

If you want to know more about weddings in the Shrine of St. Therese, please visit their website.

Hunting for the “perfect” wedding church is both challenging and fun but one thing you must not forget is the spiritual aspect of your hunt. The church is not an accessory but should be the centerpiece to your wedding. The wedding ceremony in the church is more important than the reception that will come after. This where the union of husband and wife is made holy and blessed by the Lord.
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