Batanes Weddings: Only for the Brave

“Ang mahal naman! Pamasahe pa lang, mamumulubi na kami niyan. Bakit niyo naman naisipan sa Batanes ikasal? Ayaw niyo yatang magpapunta.”

That was the most frequently asked question to my sister and her groom before they even gave out invites; it’s also a good one: Why get married in Batanes?

Why not?
Located on the northern tip of the Philippines, Batanes is a picture of idyll: stone houses, rolling hills, old churches, charming lighthouses. While it’s used mainly as a reference point for incoming typhoons to the country, the place remains on every Pinoy traveler’s bucket list. The lure of the Philippines’ “Scotland” easily overcomes the prospect of flying for two hours—the same flying time as Manila-Hong Kong flights—and braving 20-foot waves when you go island-hopping. If it’s the perfect destination for traveling, then it must be the perfect destination for weddings, too, right? Yes and no. Batanes is postcard-pretty: there is absolutely nothing you could do to a hotel or fancy restaurant in Metro Manila that would rival the beauty of this place. The stunning views from the lighthouses in Basco and Mahatao provide the perfect decor, and the rugged hills of Sabtang look straight out of Middle Earth. Photographers could do no wrong in this place.

The catch?
Travelers are right—Batanes is expensive. The airfare alone would rob you of some PHP 12,000, on the average. Accommodations are reasonably priced, ranging from PHP 1,000-4,000 per night; so is food. If you want to wake up to the best views on Batan island, the largest of three inhabited islands in Batanes, be prepared to fork over PHP 14,000 per night at the Fundacion Pacita in Tukon.
Batanes is also far, far away, which means you may not have access to things that you want. For example, you can’t have that 12-tiered wedding cake you’ve always dreamed of. One bride who insisted on setting up four layers of wedding cake, we were told, ended up with a smudged tower that nearly fell off the table because of the strong winds. You also don’t have all the ingredients for, say, an exotic cuisine you might want to serve at the reception. Sources of food are limited in Batanes; fancy ingredients are hard, if not impossible, to come by. The weather in Batanes is unpredictable. On rainy months, even local guides would not confirm tours until two or three days before the scheduled date because, they say, the winds change all the time. Summer months are more reliable, if you want to hold an outdoor wedding but the “winter” months of December-January offer a nice kind of cold. Either way, do an ocular at least six months before the wedding date. So how do you seal a union in this awesome place?

The Venue
First, you must limit the number of your guests: Batanes does not have sophisticated venues that can hold more than 150 people. Then decide where in Batanes exactly you want to have your wedding. Catholic couples have several gorgeous, vintage-looking churches in different municipalities to choose from for their ceremony. Most couples, though, opt for the small chapel on Tukon Hill because of its indigenous Ivatan architecture and proximity to Fundacion Pacita, the lone option for couples who want to have a stylish reception with good, picture-worthy food, which, of course, does not come cheap. Non-Catholic couples usually hold their weddings on the grounds of the Basco lighthouse, which sits atop a hill with great sunset views. It’s the default choice because it’s convenient: there is power supply and a toilet nearby. It’s also free. None of the municipal governments in Batanes charge any fees for use of their public areas, such as the lighthouses and grasslands. Couples simply need to secure permits from the mayor’s office or the local civil office, and clean up the premises afterwards. My sister and her groom held their ceremony at Racuh a Payaman, the pastureland in Mahatao that overlooks the Pacific Ocean and has a commanding view of Mt. Iraya. There is no electricity in Racuh, so they had to rent a generator for the sound system. They also had to hire people to clear the land of any poop from the grazing animals. Thankfully, Racuh is a long patch of grassland, and it’s possible to go as far out to the edge of the cliff for the wedding ceremony. This minimizes distractions from tourists and cattle. Just remember that the land is uneven and therefore is not ideal for a huge wedding party. The set-up for 60 people nearly reached the slopes.

The Suppliers
It’s not easy to find videographers, photographers, event stylists, cake-makers or florists in Batanes. Most couples have to fly in suppliers from Manila. However, there are now a few make-up artists in Basco who can do surprisingly good bridal make-up; in fact, one can even do airbrush. They use branded cosmetics as well and have done work for TV networks in Manila. Wedding cakes have to be hand-carried on the flight, preferably on the wedding day itself, so if you want to get married in Batanes, you’ll have to give up those lifesize cakes for your reception. What you can do is bring several single-layer cakes for either a cake bar or a satellite cakes set-up. Flowers/bouquets are flown from Manila as well, but if your wedding falls in the summer months and you have creative friends, you can just pick wildflowers on the sidewalks and make your own bouquets, like what one couple did. Others use fabric bouquets.

The Way
Travel fairs are the answer to the huge cost of traveling to Batanes. If you have a year to prepare for your wedding, there are at least two travel expos you can attend. Book your suppliers’ and guests’ flights here: round-trip airfares can go as low as PHP 3,000. Philippine Airlines flies to Basco twice daily. Batanes hotels and tours are also discounted. Hotel owners and staff in Basco are nice, friendly people. You can negotiate the room prices if you can assure them a certain number of booked rooms. They can also refer you to some local caterers for any pre-wedding dinners. They will help you with tours and transportation, if you ask them. What Batanes lacks in sophistication, it makes up for in the kindness of locals.