I have a few questions I'm hoping I can get some assistance with.. I'm a British guy living in the UK and my fiancee is a Filipino citizen also living and working in the UK for almost 5 years now. We became engaged earlier this year and we're hoping to get married in the Philippines before the end of next year; potentially within the month of November. After some discussion, we are considering undertaking a very minor Civil Wedding in the UK in advance of our more "grand" wedding in the Philippines as we understand this may help to simplify any complications later on down the line. What we're pretty clueless about is all the documentation and potential interviews needed to make this work. Firstly, I would presume the documentation my fiancee needs for our Civil Wedding in the UK will be minimal? Birth certificate, proof of permanent residency, etc? Will she need any specific documentation from the Filipino Embassy? More importantly, I really need to know the checklist for our Church wedding in the Philippines (Mactan/Cebu). I was christened as a baby but that was in an Anglican/CoE establishment rather than Catholic. Will I need to have some kind of approval from a Catholic Church or Priest in the UK to take to the Philippines? Money will be tight over the next year so if at all possible its hoped we will not return to the Philippines until around 10 days before the wedding.. will it be possible to resolve any advanced documentation via post and e-mail these days or are interviews etc still required within the Philippines significantly in advance of the Wedding? The vast majority of her family are in the Philippines to assist and we have recruited a "Wedding planner" for the day itself. As I say, at this stage we're really a bit unsure about the whole process but I want to get things moving and start to organise and plan everything. Just need that checklist/to do list to get started! Any help or advice anyone can provide would be much appreciated. Many thanks
If you have a civil wedding in the UK, you can not legally have another wedding anywhere else since you are already married But you can have a Church Blessing subject to the approval of the Catholic Bishop in Cebu who will, naturally, welcome a donation to his favourite charity, as will the Parish Priest. I would suggest that you go an talk with your local RC Priest who may be able to advise and assist. You will probably need a letter of reference from him, countersigned by his Bishop and that letter taken personally to the priest who will perform the Blessing for him to consider your request. You may, or may not, be required to attend an interview with the Priest and/or his Bishop. If your wedding planner's name is Paul Whiteway, a British Australian dual-national based in Cebu City, then I know he's arranged events that are almost identical to yours and will know all the various procedures and requirements.
@Adam 1985 you say your fiancee is working in the UK for nearly 5 years if this is the case I assume she on a Tier 2 work visa (or other work visa), is this correct? if so this link will help https://immigrationlawyers-london.com/blog/getting-married-in-the-uk-on-a-tier-2-general-visa.php here is a link to how to get married in the Philippines has various checklists and things to watch out for you may need to check that the church is prepared to marry you or as an alternative bless the marriage https://filipiknow.net/how-to-get-married-in-the-philippines/ This link maybe useful for the Filipino already in the UK https://mrandmrshowe.com/lifestyle-blog/marriage-visa-uk Bear in mind that as far as I can see you are ok to marry on a work visa but as her visa comes to an end, you may have to convert to a spouse visa and follow that path, or your wifes time in the UK already may qualify her for ILR
She may already be eligible for ILR/Citizenship which would save all the effort of spousal requirements.
Thanks for the warm welcome and the quick responses. To respond to the question a few of you have asked involving my partner's visa situation; she's currently on a Tier 2 working visa but has recently passed her 'Life in the UK' test and will be going through the ILR process in the next month or two. So indeed, before we actually get married whether it be in the UK or the Philippines she will have ILR status. As she'll have ILR status, would she need to provide anything for the Civil Ceremony other than proof of ILR? I'm quite liking the idea of the Church "Blessing" in the Philippines as it sounds like it could streamline a lot of the paperwork difficulties and interviews we would otherwise face. Of course, we'll have to wait and see how her family respond to the suggestion as they're quite a traditional bunch! With regards to the wedding planner, we're utilising a friend of her family who planned wedding's for her sisters.. although I must admit I'm not overly impressed so far and it appears he'll need significant encouragement along the way.
as she will have ILR but not British citizenship ( unless you get that done aswell) prior too follow the rules for a Filipino passport holder. Church blessings often just as much fun as a wedding some times better! money talks with wedding planners family friend or not!
As a non-Catholic you will encounter considerable stumbling blocks along the path to a Catholic church wedding. You will certainly need to be baptised and, depending on the Bishop of Cebu, Confirmed and/or to have received a given number of hours of religious instruction from your own Parish Priest. Bear in mind also that it will take up to around three months for you to receive your Church Marriage Certificate and the official PSA version which you will need to prove your marital status.
