Boracay & Palawan Destination Wedding Cost (permits, logistics)

Boracay and Palawan look effortless—white sand, teal water, golden hour portraits—but their budgets move with permits, boat transfers, crew rooms, and power plans. The secret is to price the paperwork first, then build logistics around tides, curfews, and realistic travel windows.

What moves island budgets

• Venue format: resort packages bundle basics; private coves and sandbars need tents, power, and security.
• Transfers: flights, land vans, banca or speedboat; add buffers for weather holds.
• Crew costs: supplier travel, rooms, per diems, waiting time, and overtime.
• Production: wind-smart staging, clean speech mics, front wash for dusk programs.
• Permits: beach use, barangay clearances, environmental fees, drone permissions.

If you’d rather have a single owner for routes, boat manifests, and buffer math, work with ops-led partners who treat movement as mission-critical: tap a coordination team that’s calm under island timelines.

Permits in plain language

• Shoreline activity: beach-use or foreshore clearance, usually via the LGU plus resort rules.
• Ceremony specifics: amplified sound, tents, arches, and fireworks (often restricted).
• Documentation: marriage license timing + any church paperwork if you’re doing chapel rites.
  For step-by-step timing and offices to visit, keep a cheat sheet handy from a practical approvals FAQ that covers both destinations: skim this concise explainer of forms and waiting windows at this permits and license guide.

Logistics that actually hold up

• Boat windows: publish the last safe crossing for elders and kids; add a weather reserve.
• Load zones: name a covered bay for gowns and fragile pieces.
• Power plan: separate audio from lights/LED; confirm amperage and fuel.
• Crew meals & rooms: day-before check-ins for dawn builds; hot meals before showtime.
  When your map spans long distances or ferries, normalize travel math with a field-tested model for distance, rooms, and OT—your wallet will thank you; see a supplier travel playbook at this logistics deep-dive.

Beach vs garden by the water

• Wind & salt favor modular décor you can lift and re-pin; candles need shields.
• Sound travels oddly outdoors—favor intelligibility over volume.
• Plan B means real shade or tent lips, not just umbrellas.
  If you’re deciding between shoreline and lawn, compare terrain, power distance, and guest comfort with a side-by-side that keeps spend honest: check a setting comparison at this outdoor trade-offs guide.

For night mood that reads on camera without overbuild, book production crews who keep speech first and wash flattering: line up tech partners comfortable with sea breeze and sand.

Sample budget shapes (adapt to headcount)

Lean island core, ~80–100 pax
Resort package with beach rite + alfresco dinner, focused florals, clean front wash + handhelds, DJ, one shuttle/boat loop for elders, dessert + coffee cart instead of long program.

Balanced cove or cays, 120–150 pax
Private shoreline section, chef-led menu, band for entrances + DJ close, modular pillars/meadows flipped to stage, twin side screens, dedicated boat manifests, day-before power check.

Elevated private lawn + shoreline portraits, 150–200 pax
Full rentals, layered lighting looks, sculptural aisle, content corners, convoy + speedboat windows, rooms for core crews, weather reserve for tenting.

Styling that travels

• Palette discipline: two tones + metallic photograph richer than many mismatched stems.
• Mechanics: weights, sand-friendly bases, quick-lift modules for the flip.
• Glow: pinspots + protected candles beat extra florals after dark.
  Pair design with image makers who thrive in salt air and dusk—ask for low-light proof and wind-aware posing: shortlist shooters with steady color and ceremony audio.

Timeline (island-savvy starter)

• T-8 to 6 months: lock venue block and core vendors; pencil boat windows and curfews.
• T-3 to 2 months: guest hub with maps and arrival windows; file permits.
• T-10 days: confirm manifests, plate tests for first dance/SDE timing.
• Event week: day-before power test; publish last-boat times; brief Emcee on wind plan.

Hidden fees to clarify early

• Outside supplier charges at resorts (AV, cake, bars).
• Security and engineering standby, power drops, genset fuel.
• Boat overtime, night-differential for crews, marina or jetty fees.
• Cleaning after fireworks or confetti (often disallowed on beaches).

Quick placement map

• Ceremony: upwind of speakers; aisle parallel to breeze if possible.
• Dinner: kitchen path behind the stage; coffee and dessert near exit flow.
• Photo corners: away from sand drifts and tide creep; reinforce bases.

Contracts and backups

Put clock start/stop, weather triggers, substitutions, and OT tiers in writing. Name who calls the rain plan and by what time. Keep a spare mic, extra fuel, and a small lighting scene that works under tents.

Big-picture fit

Island fees protect the moments: ceremony, audio, and guest comfort. Keep them beside venue, food, visuals, and entertainment—not as afterthoughts. For category percentages that flex by region and guest count, anchor choices to a countrywide baseline at this PH budget map.

Next steps
Choose shoreline vs lawn, pencil boat windows, and request apples-to-apples quotes with travel, rooms, meals, and power listed. Hand radios and manifests to an ops lead, secure tech crews who respect wind and salt, and book image teams built for dusk and breeze before diving into décor: book AV partners who keep speeches clear in open air · lock a coordination lead for boats, bays, and buffers · line up photographers with proof under beach light.