The bride and groom each pour some of their favorite drink into a single glass.

Thus, the bride and groom from two become one, inseparable. The symbolism is that once these two separate vials of sand were brought together, it would be incredibly difficult to separate individual grains of sand to get each color back into it’s separated vial. Together and simultaneously, they slowly pour the sand from their vials into a larger glass container, combining the sand into a beautiful multi-color display of art. The bride has one color and the groom has the other. It involves two glass vials/flasks of sand, each a different color. This one shouldn’t really count as an alternative because it’s almost as popular as the unity candle. Either way, they ask us about alternatives. Plus, many of our clients are concerned that maybe the unity candle ceremony is becoming too overdone. It’s a beautiful part of the ceremony, but sometimes it can get tough when - during outdoor weddings - the wind picks up. Two families are joined together as one as a result of the marriage. Thus, two become one. A bride and groom become one person. Together, they light the new candle and once lit, blow out their respective candles, leaving one candle. Basically the way it works is that a representative (usually one or both parents) bring a lit candle together to a non-lit candle. Ready to access the guide? Sign up to our email newsletter below and you’ll get the guide straight to your inbox.The Unity Candle is a tradition we see at a lot of the wedding ceremonies we perform. Frequently asked questions, answered of course.

Sample scripts for Catholic and non-denominational weddings.

The flow of a traditional Filipino wedding ceremony.

Info on significance & symbolism of Filipino wedding rituals.

We put together the Ultimate Guide To A Filipino Wedding to help you! That’s cool… but how do I actually include them in my Filipino wedding? Regardless of your religious background, we encourage you to consider incorporating these into your big day. While traditionally the candle, cord, coins and veil are a Catholic custom, couples have adapted it for non-religious ceremonies too. Ideally, these would be tied in a figure eight, which looks similar to the infinity sign. Here, sponsors clothe the couple as one, placing the veil on the shoulders of the groom and on the bride’s head.įor the tying of the nuptial cord (also known as the Yugal), two sponsors would help bind the couple together, placing a silk lasso (or flower strands or a special rosary) over the couple’s heads. Then would come the veiling ceremony, which in itself signifies humility, that God will help them shoulder any burdens they might encounter during their marriage. In a traditional FIlipino wedding ceremony, a Veil is placed over the couple to symbolize their unity as they face the world as one.

Here, sponsors would present the wedding officiator with 13 coins (also called Las Arras or Arrhae), which represent Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles, then trickling them into the hands of both partners. The coin ceremony meanwhile represents the couple’s sharing of worldly goods, for richer or poorer. The three candles, on the other hand, are a reminder that this commitment takes 3 to be complete - the 2 partners and God. Catholic in origin, it signifies Jesus Christ as the Light of The World, ever-present during the couple’s marriage. These introduced the Unity Coins, Candle, Cord and Veil Ceremony as an essential part of our traditional weddings!Įach ritual within the ceremony bears symbolism and significance.ĭuring the candle ceremony, the ninong and ninang would light the couple's candles, who then light up a larger, middle candle as a sign of unity. Widely speaking, Filipino weddings are a blend of religious and cultural influences: Christian (specifically, Catholic), Spanish, Chinese, and American. Photo credit Jessica Hoang First, what ARE the Filipino candle, cord, veil and coins? We incorporated the candle, cord, veil, and coins tradition into our own Filipino ceremony! You can do it, too. You can shop for the Filipino cord, veil and coins right here on Sinta & Co.! For the rest, there’s a bit more explaining to do. “Where do I find Filipino ceremony items for my wedding?” “How many sponsors do I need? And do they have to be Filipino?” “How do I incorporate the candle, cord, coins, and veil into my Filipino wedding?” When it comes to celebrating Filiipino culture on your wedding day, there are few things more iconic than a traditional Filipino ceremony with the candle, cord, coins, and veil.īut with so little information available online, we tend to get a lot of questions like these:

Lighting of unity candle