In most cases, newly-engaged couples in the process of planning their wedding find it best to decide on a venue immediately. Every other wedding detail should, naturally, fall into place right after. If you're looking for a unique chapel for that one special day, outside of Metro Manila, we list down the most stunning, heck, even out-of-the-box, options we've seen across our archipelago.
Here are 10 beautiful wedding chapels and churches in the Philippines:
1. Tukon Chapel
Basco, Batanes
Tukon Chapel, also called Mt. Carmel Chapel, gets its uniqueness because of what material the structure is made with. Similar to the houses of Batanes, the Tukon Chapel is an Ivatan-inspired stone house that is made by stacking and bonding boulders to create the walls. The inside is equally charming with the painted images of patron saints, stained glass windows, and hardwood pews.
The chapel is perched on top of a grassy hill and has a view of Mt. Iraya, the Pacific Ocean, and the West Philippine Sea. The place will make for a picturesque wedding, no matter the weather.
2. Casa Grande Flora
Silang, Cavite
Somewhere that's a little closer to Metro Manila is the gorgeous Casa Grande Flora. This event venue has a namesake chapel within the property, with a simple but striking structure that has an LED crucifix at the roof ridge.
The chapel has a front garden landscape with a bricked pathway and arcs covered in leafy vines. This can be used for the bridal entrance or simply for a garden-themed photoshoot with the bride and groom, family, and entourage.
3. Mountain Chapel of the Holy Trinity
San Isidro, Pamplona, Negros Oriental
Mountain Chapel of the Holy Trinity gives off this New Zealand-esque vibe as it stands on top of a hill and overlooks the neighboring tree-covered hills. The glass chapel has an overall white motif-from the chairs, ceiling, and pillars-which makes the stained glass window right by the altar stand out.
4. Lagen Island Chapel
El Nido, Palawan
Lagen Island was awarded the "Best Resorts in Asia" by the 2020 Reader's Choice Awards, and that fact alone is alluring enough to consider a beach wedding at their private chapel. The added grandeur of the chapel is that it's on a white sand cove near a lagoon and is enclosed within limestone walls.
5. Chapel on the Hill
Tagaytay
Chapel on the Hill, also called Don Bosco Church, is a small, intimate chapel that's quite the popular option for those wanting to get hitched somewhere more accessible from the Metro.
The chapel is a cylindrical gazebo and has a conical roof, with a part of it used as a stained glass window right above the altar. The walls of the chapel are made with glass panels that show a 360-degree view of the Tagaytay landscape and the sky.
6. La Virgen Milagrosa Chapel
Badoc, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos has many historical churches and chapels, but the La Virgen Milagrosa in Ilocos Norte is one of the more unique chapels known for its structure and for the fact that it houses the La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc statue.
This is an open-air chapel built on a cove separating Ilocos Norte from Ilocos Sur. The altar is made of stone and seashells while the pews look like they're made from driftwood. The natural materials used for the chapel tie in together with the location as it's right along the beach.
7. Montecito Chapel
Calamba, Laguna
The Montecito Chapel, or Our Lady of Guadalupe, a coffee-colored chapel with red brick accents proves that there is indeed beauty in simplicity. One of the more striking details of this quaint church is that its high ceiling is adorned with antique chandeliers that give the space more grandeur.
The chapel has an outdoor lawn that can be used for a photoshoot. It can also be used for the wedding reception so that there's no need to transfer from one venue to another.
8. Stella Maris
Misibis Bay, Albay
The Stella Maris chapel has a tent-shaped structure with extremely high floor-to-ceiling glass windows and gigantic crystal chandeliers hung above the aisle where the bride walks through. And once at the altar and exchanging vows, the chapel's window serves as the perfect backdrop as these display the neighboring beach, the gradient sunset, and the magnificent Mayon Volcano.
9. Chapel of All Blessed
Malay, Aklan
The Chapel of All Blessed is located inside The Auhana Resort in Boracay. This chapel has an old-school design from the outside but has a more modern design inside that has two focal points-aside from the bride and groom, of course.
First, there's the stained glass window that portrays a vibrant sunset. Second, the adjacent plain windows display the panoramic view of a real sunset in Boracay.
10. Alphaland Baguio Mountain Lodges
Itogon, Benguet
If you could imagine Mines View Observation Deck as a wedding venue, you'll get the Alphaland Baguio Mountain Lodges. This open-air chapel has no walls, but it does have a panoramic view of the pine-covered Cordillera mountains.
The chapel itself perfectly fits the Baguio aesthetic. The main structure uses wood and even the pews are made of chopped wood, too. This use of wood gives it an old Baguio feel, but with certain touches of the new, current Baguio.
