It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time again to share cultural wedding traditions and feature another fantastic couple. Jhoanna, a Filipino bride, was generous to share beautiful images from her wedding for us to enjoy.

I have to note immediately, when the bride sent me these pictures, I fell in love with her veil. She is a wispy cloud of beauty beneath all that sheer fabric! The groom was also quite dapper in his full tuxedo tails.

The moments captured by the photographer are stunning.  At the present, I don’t have the photographer’s name, but as soon as I do I will share it with you.

Since the bride and groom shared catholic religious values, it was easy to incorporate the traditional Filipino wedding customs into their catholic ceremony. Filipino weddings incorporate strong Catholic roots, symbolism and reflect the strong traditions of family (& extended family). Thus, Filipino wedding ceremonies typically involve many people, and the wedding rituals typically “speak” to the couple personally.

Beyond the usual bridal party, Filipino weddings involve significant people in the couple’s life: the Principal Sponsors and the Secondary Sponsors.

The Principal Sponsors (aka Ninang and Ninong) are women and men whom the bride and groom respect & admire. They are, as in the early days of the Church, sponsors of the couple attesting to their readiness for marriage and freedom to marry. These are often aunts and uncles or close friends of the family. In the Philippines, they are the official witnesses of the state and they sign the marriage license. Worldwide, their participation is symbolic of the wisdom & support they shall offer the new couple. The number of sponsors can vary from a single couple to many couples. The Principal sponsors are part of the bridal procession. At the nuptial blessing, they may also be invited to come up with the celebrant and to extend their right hands to join in the prayer of blessing. In doing so, they are fulfilling their roles as sponsors.

There are four sets of Secondary Sponsors whom the couple chooses to involve in their ceremony because of their affinity or friendship with them. They are typically relatives or close friends.

The Candle Sponsors light the candles on the altar. The Candle Ceremony is first and last. As soon as all the primary and secondary sponsors have been seated, the Candle Sponsors proceed to the altar where they light the two side candles beside the middle and larger (unity) candle. This represents the two lives and two spirits who will be joined together. The candles symbolize the Light of Christ, the same light they received at Baptism and now receive again to lead them in their new life as a couple. Some couples choose to have their mothers or fathers light the candles in this ritual.

The Coin Sponsors present the Unity Coins/Arras. You may remember Sandra and Nick (the Spanish wedding) also shared this tradition. They share the same symbolism in both cultures, being a sign of prosperity to be shared by the new couple and the groom’s promise to provide for the welfare of the new family. A more contemporary view on the coin ceremony is the couple’s commitment to the mutual contributions to their relationship, children and their community.

The Veil Sponsors pin a veil from the groom’s shoulders, extending it to cover the bride’s head and shoulders. The Couple’s Veil has come to be a symbol of purity. Its original meaning was the symbol of the presence of the Lord, as the cloud was a symbol of His presence. Placing it over the shoulders of the couple symbolizes their union and being “clothed as one” in unity. The contemporary symbolism is the groom pledging his strength and protection to his bride – the wife who he promises to take care of, from this day forward.

The Cord Sponsors place a knotted cord over the heads of the couple, to lay on their shoulders. The Cord Sponsors approach the kneeling couple, creating a figure eight with the cord, and place it over the veil, head and shoulders of the Bride and Groom. This cord symbolizes unity and infinity – a love together, forever!

Too many attendants? Make some of them sponsors and give them specific roles during the ceremony, such as the veil or cord sponsor. Or maybe you have a friend who doesn’t want to be a part of the wedding party, but does want to be involved; making them a sponsor is a great alternative as well. So if you have a large family or circle of friends and looking for ways to incorporate all of them, adding a few traditions from the Filipino culture will get many people involved and make everyone happy!

Kisses

Lia