The Veil, Cord and Coins at a Filipino Wedding

A Filipino Catholic wedding includes a sequence of symbolic acts performed within the Mass, each carried out by a designated pair of sponsors. The people doing them matter as much as the objects.

The veil covers two people as one household

A white veil is pinned over the bride's head and across the groom's shoulder, draping both, while they kneel during the ceremony.

The image is of a single covering over two people, which is read as the household they now share and as clothing them in one protection.

It is placed by the veil sponsors, a married couple chosen by the family, and their marriage is part of what is being invoked.

The cord ties the covering into a shape

Over the veil, a cord is placed in a figure-eight loop across the couple's shoulders, usually by a second sponsoring pair.

The loop has no beginning and no end, and the figure-eight also reads as a sign of unending union. It stays in place through prayers and is removed together with the veil.

Cords vary from simple white rope to elaborate pieces made from rosary beads or flowers, and many families keep the cord afterwards as a household object.

The arrhae are coins with an obligation attached

Thirteen coins are blessed and passed between the couple, presented by the coin sponsors, signifying provision and the promise to share what the household has.

Traditionally passed from groom to bride, they are now frequently passed in both directions, reflecting how couples describe the commitment to each other.

The coins are kept, and in some families the same set is used at successive weddings, which turns a symbol of provision into a piece of family continuity.

Sponsors are a large and deliberate group

Principal sponsors, the ninong and ninang, are the senior figures, often numerous, standing as witnesses and as ongoing advisors to the marriage.

Secondary sponsors carry out the veil, cord and candle rituals, and being asked is an honor that also implies a continuing relationship with the couple.

The size of the sponsor group has practical consequences for seating, processional length and the ceremony program, and it is planned rather than improvised.

The candles and the practicalities

Two candles are lit by the candle sponsors and used by the couple to light a single one, a unity gesture placed early in the ceremony.

Open flame, long veils and a crowded sanctuary need a moment of thought, particularly outdoors, where wind makes the candle ritual unreliable.

Parishes have their own requirements about preparation and documentation, and these vary between parishes. The parish office is the place to confirm what applies before a date is fixed.