Filipino Wedding Ceremony Script
This is the script we crafted for our secular Filipino wedding ceremony. Since we were in a wooded area,
we decided not to do the candle tradition. We also put our spin on the arras exchange.
Note: We did the Filipino ceremony at the beginning of the wedding; after having a moment of silence for those who were with us in spirit and before vows. The officiant of the Western ceremony then gave the mic to the officiant of the Filipino ceremony.
Transition to Filipino Wedding
Western Officiant: [Bride and Groom] have chosen to honor [Bride’s/Groom’s/ Their] Filipino heritage by including a traditional Veil, Cord, and Coin symbolic ceremony. [Filipino officiant] will walk us through it.
Filipino Officiant: The ceremonies you are about to witness, the Unity Veil, Unity Cord, and the Arras exchange are uniquely and traditionally a part of the Filipino wedding. A Veil symbolizes the oneness of marriage. A Cord symbolizes the unbreakable bond of marriage. And the Coins symbolize the stewardship of earthly possessions.
Veil Ceremony
Officiant: [Bride and Groom], I ask [Sponsor A] and [Sponsor B] to join us and to lay a veil over you to clothe you together.
Instruction: Sponsor A will pin the veil on Groom’s right shoulder while Sponsor B will drape the veil over Bride’s head and pin it on the left side of her veil.
Officiant: Let this be a symbol of the love you have for each other. Through the passing of the years, let the veil remind you that you belong to each other and to no one else.
Cord Ceremony
Officiant: [Bride and Groom], I invite [Sponsor C] and [Sponsor D] to place a cord over you.
Instruction: Sponsor C will twist the cord to create a figure 8. Sponsor D will place the cord over Bride’s head and rest it on her shoulders, while Sponsor C will place the cord over Groom’s head and rest it on his shoulders.
Officiant: This cord symbolizes an infinite bond of love you share that keeps your relationship strong in the face of adversity, as well as that you both are no longer two, but one in marriage.
May this cord remind you to face your life together courageously and to be mutual in support of each other in carrying out your duties and responsibilities as a couple.
And, may your love grow stronger and bind you closer together through the years.
Removal of Veil and Cord
Officiant: I would like to call on the Sponsors to remove the cord and veil.
Instruction: Sponsor C and Sponsor D remove the cord and return to their seats.
Instruction: Sponsor A and Sponsor B remove the veil and return to their seats.
Coin Ceremony
Officiant: Now let us do an exchange of the Arras, or coins.
Instruction: Best Man will present the main pouch to the Officiant and give Groom and Bride their individual coin pouches that contain 13 coins each. Traditionally, the coins are gold or silver, but we used coins from places we’ve been to.
Officiant: Originally, there was an understanding of husband as “bread winner” and wife as “home maker” so the coins were given and received not in a spirit of reciprocity but in a give/take relationship.
Nowadays the coins are a reminder of good stewardship for all couples; that they will mutually support each other, their children and the world around them. They will exchange 13 coins; 12 coins represent the 12 months of the year and prosperity for the newlyweds as they combine finances. The last coin symbolizes overabundance and reminds the couple that they should always try to give back to the less fortunate if they're blessed with more than they need.
Instruction: Officiant opens the main pouch.
Officiant: [Bride], repeat after me: [Groom] I give you these coins as a pledge of my dedication to you, the care of our home, and the welfare of our family.
Instruction: Bride puts her coins in the main pouch.
Officiant: [Groom], repeat after me: [Bride], I give you these coins as a pledge of my dedication to you, the care of our home, and the welfare of our family.
Instruction: Groom puts his coins in the main pouch.
Officiant: In exchanging these coins, [Bride] and [Groom] are essentially saying, "What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine."
Instruction: Officiant hands the coins and pouches back to Best Man for safe-keeping.
Officiant: We’ll now continue with the rest of the wedding.
Instruction: Filipino Officiant sits down and Western Officiant goes back up to the platform to continue the ceremony.