Who Pays?

Q: “I’m getting married this year and would like to know if there is a rule about footing the bill for my entire male entourage’s outfit.”
- Patrick, San Juan

A: No real rule for this. It all boils down to your budget. Ideally, so you can have control over what your entourage uniformly wears and how you can set yourself apart from them, you pay for everything. In which case, the more economical but still elegant option is to go with barongs. Now, if Daddy ain’t helping with the bill, just provide the fabric and have them pay for the labor cost. It would be good to insist for them to all go to your tailor, though, so you still maintain control over the styles; ensuring that your suit or barong stands out vis-à-vis your entourage’s.

Barong or Suit?

Q: “I’m going to get married this year and have not decided on whether I should wear a barong or a suit. What do you think?”
- Vince, Pasig City

A: I’ve always liked the elegance of a well tailored piña barong Tagalog and how it pairs perfectly with any bride’s wedding gown. The barong tagalong is also better on pictures because the style is more timeless and less trendy vs. suits or tuxedos. If you don’t believe me, look at your Dad’s wedding picture. He was most likely wearing a suit and see how obviously old the picture looks just by the style of the suit (not to mention the hair). That’s how your wedding picture will look like 10 years down the road. On the practical side, a really nice barong tagalong will still cost much less than a suit. It will also make it easier for the rest of your male entourage to stay in theme.