What to put on a Filipino wedding website: a practical checklist

Filipino weddings are generous by design. There are often sponsors to honour, more than one ceremony or event, relatives arriving from across the islands and from abroad, and family group chats where every question gets asked at least twice. Knowing what to put on a Filipino wedding website means answering those questions once, clearly, in one place everyone can find.

This checklist works whether you are marrying in Manila, Cebu, a province your family comes from, or overseas with Filipino relatives travelling to join you.

Start with the essentials

Before anything else, the home page should answer five questions within a few seconds:

• Who is getting married?
• On what date?
• In which city or province?
• Where do I reply, and by when?
• Where do I find the rest of the details?

Everything below builds on that foundation. Our general guide to what to put on a wedding website covers the core sections; this page adds what Filipino families tend to need.

Ceremony and reception details

Many Filipino weddings have a church ceremony and a separate reception venue, sometimes a drive apart. List each with:

• the full venue name and address;
• the start time, and when guests should arrive;
• a map link and a short note on parking or drop-off;
• the travel time between ceremony and reception, especially in city traffic.

If the church has rules on dress, photography or punctuality, say so politely. Guests would rather know before they arrive.

What to put on a Filipino wedding website for sponsors and the entourage

Sponsors deserve their own section. Principal sponsors, your ninongs and ninangs, often want to know their role, where to sit and when to arrive. Secondary sponsors for the candle, veil and cord, and bearers for the rings, coins and Bible, need similar clarity.

A simple approach is a dedicated page that lists:

• the roles in your ceremony, with a one-line explanation of each for guests who are new to the traditions;
• call times for the entourage, separate from general guest times;
• any attire guidance specific to sponsors or the entourage;
• a contact person for entourage questions.

You do not need to publish everyone's name publicly. If you prefer privacy, describe the roles on a public page and share names directly with the people involved.

Attire guidance guests can follow

Filipino formal attire is beautiful and sometimes unfamiliar to guests from other backgrounds. Explain what you mean in plain words. If you ask for Filipiniana, say whether that means a barong for men and a Filipiniana dress or terno for women, or whether modern interpretations are welcome. If there is a colour motif, show it with a few swatches rather than a single colour name, because "dusty rose" means different things to different people.

Add practical advice for the climate: light fabrics, comfortable shoes for a garden or beach, and something for an air-conditioned reception hall.

Travel and accommodation for balikbayan and out-of-town guests

Relatives flying home from abroad, and guests travelling from other provinces, need more than an address. A good travel section includes:

• the nearest airports and how long it takes to reach the venue;
• suggested areas to stay and any hotel arrangements you have made;
• typical ground transport options;
• notes on weather and the season;
• reminders for overseas guests to check passport validity and entry requirements with official sources well before travel.

Our guide to a wedding website travel guide for overseas guests goes into more detail.

Schedule for every event

Many families add events around the wedding day, such as a despedida, a pamamanhikan dinner, a church rehearsal or a post-wedding gathering. If guests are invited to different events, make it clear who is invited to what. Personalised invitations or separate pages for close family can prevent confusion, and our guide to multiple wedding events online RSVP wording explains how.

Traditions guests may see

A short, warm explanation of the customs in your ceremony helps every guest feel included. You might describe:

• the veil and cord, symbolising unity;
• the arrhae, or wedding coins, as a pledge of shared welfare;
• the candles lit by the sponsors;
• the money dance at the reception, if you are including it, and how guests can take part.

Keep each description to a sentence or two. The aim is understanding, not a lecture.

Gifts and money gifts

Be gracious and direct. Many couples prefer cash gifts, and many guests prefer to give them. If you have a preference, state it kindly, explain any practical arrangement, such as a box at the reception, and avoid sounding demanding. Our guide to wedding gift registry etiquette has wording examples.

Frequently asked questions

Collect the questions your parents and titas are already fielding. Common ones include:

• Can I bring my children?
• Is there parking at the church?
• What time will the reception end?
• Can I post photos online?
• Who do I contact on the day if I am lost?

Our list of wedding website FAQ questions for guests is a good starting point.

Language and tone

Write in the language your guests read most comfortably. Many Filipino couples mix English and Tagalog naturally; others add a second language for relatives abroad or for a partner's family. Whatever you choose, keep the practical details, such as dates, times and addresses, identical in every version.

A final check

Ask one older relative and one friend from outside the family to read the site on their phones. If both can find the venue, the reply page and the dress code without asking you, your Filipino wedding website is doing its job.