The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed that December was the most preferred month for marriage, with 55,599 registered marriages, accounting for 12.4% of the total in 2022.
February followed closely with 52,426 marriages (11.7% share), and April had 44,600 marriages (9.9% share).
November recorded the lowest number of marriages at 23,862 (5.3% share).
June, often associated with weddings, ranked fourth with 44,043 registered marriages, comprising 9.8% of the total.
Wedding planner Mrs. S observed that Filipinos tend to favor December weddings over the traditional June weddings from Western culture.
She said that the start of the rainy season in June makes it less common for couples to choose this month for their weddings.
Mrs. S pointed out that December is attractive for weddings due to the holiday bonuses many people receive during that time.
PSA reports December as Filipinos' most preferred month to get married
At a glance
Despite the common notion that June weddings bring fortune and happiness, official data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicated that December is the most preferred month for marriage among Filipinos.
In 2022, the final month of the year saw the highest number of registered marriages at 55,599, making up 12.4 percent of the total marriages in the country.
Following closely, February ranked second with 52,426 marriages (11.7 percent share), and April followed with 44,600 marriages (9.9 percent share).
November, however, recorded the lowest number of registered marriages at 23,862 (5.3 percent share).
Surprisingly, June, often associated with weddings, only ranked fourth with a 9.8 percent share, totaling 44,043 registered marriages, according to PSA data.
Sphag “Mrs. S” Pascual-Revisa, the owner of The S Events by Spaghetti 88 Revisa and a seasoned wedding planner, said the PSA data came as no surprise, as many couples indeed show a preference for getting married in December.
"It's truly interesting how the tradition of a June wedding, stemming from Western culture, has become intertwined with Filipino customs,” Pascual-Revisa said.
But with June marking the start of the rainy season in the country, Pascual-Revisa said it is less common for couples to opt for this month to celebrate their nuptials.
She added that December is also preferred because it is when many people receive extra money from holiday bonuses.
The tradition of marrying in June is not specifically Filipino or Catholic, but rather originates from ancient Roman customs.
In ancient times, weddings were held during the festival of Jupiter and Juno, with couples marrying in June believed to receive blessings and enjoy good fortune and happiness.
As a result, June became a special month for traditional wedding vows, coinciding with the flower season in the Roman Empire.
PSA reported that the the country posted a substantial rise in registered marriages in 2022, with a total of 449,428, a 25.9 percent rise from the 2021 figure of 356,839.
In comparison to the pre-pandemic numbers, there was a four percent increase in marriages from 2019 to 2022.
Out of the 17 regions, CALABARZON recorded the highest number of registered marriages at 63,838, constituting 14.2 percent of the total.
The National Capital Region (NCR) came in second with 54,629 marriages, accounting for 12.2 oercent of the total, followed by Central Luzon with 50,633 marriages, or 11.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) had the lowest number of registered marriages, with only 3,432, representing 0.8 percent of the total.