Wedding Supplies

Filipinos are known to have some of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies in the world.  Because their culture so strongly believes in the sanctity of marriage, they make sure the wedding is an unforgettable event.

This sacred bond between the bride and groom begins with the “pamamanhikan,” or “the meeting of the two families.”  Traditionally the groom and his family pay a visit to the bride’s family to “collectively” ask for her hand in marriage.  Pamamanhikan is the event where two sets of parents come together to make plans for the future.  Guest list, budget, and food choices are just some of the topics that will be discussed at this meeting.

 Many years ago, the traditional ceremony would last for three days.  Although this custom has changed drastically over the centuries others remain the same.  These days there are special guests asked to act as witnesses to the marriage.  People like godparents, aunts, and uncles or even a parent might be amongst those asked to honor this request.  Sometimes there are even secondary sponsors, who handle a specific task.  A veil sponsor is someone who places a veil over the bride’s head and the groom’s shoulder.  This act is done to “clothe” them as one.  Another sponsor will light the candles that the couple uses to light one single candle to symbolize their union. A final custom, needing the assistance of a sponsor, is the draping of the cord or “yugal.”  In this tradition, a decorative silk cord is draped over the shoulders of the couple.  It is tied into a figure eight shape, which is believed to yield eternal fidelity.  One particular tradition specific to the couple is driven by the groom. He gives his bride thirteen coins blessed by the priest.  These coins symbolize the groom’s dedication to his bride and their future children.  This sign of respect is to let her know that he will provide for her and their children.

 Now, what to wear…  Well, Western culture has once again influenced fashion and white gowns are a very popular choice amongst most Filipino brides.  Historically brides wore dresses with festive designs or one reflective of a certain season.  For the groom, the traditional formal wear is called a Barong Tagalog.  This is worn, un-tucked, with a white shirt underneath and a pair of black pants.

The absolute best part of the entire affair is the feast afterwards.  This elaborate event consists of soups, a variety of meats, vegetables, fruits and desserts.  Make sure you bring your appetite because you certainly won’t go home hungry.     

Filipino Cord and Veil Ceremony

Capture the spirit of the season you marry in

Winter time weddings usually breed winter themed weddings, including location, (probably indoors), decorations and possibly your selection of a favor. I went to a December wedding once where the couple gave each female guest two ornate glass Christmas ornaments. I suspect they were pricy because they were in boxes from an upscale department store. I certainly understand the relevancy here, but if the majority of your guests don’t celebrate Christmas, (and you are aware of this fact), then I’d suggest something else; something more appropriate for the general public.

Spring weddings tend to lend themselves to a few more options than winter weddings. Depending on the month, you can have a portion or all of wedding reception outdoors. You’ll have a variety of flowers to choose from. You can find lots of wedding supplies geared towards the spring months, including holidays like St. Patrick’s Day. You may also get a better turn out of out of town guests. People are less averse to traveling if in climate weather isn’t an issue.

Daytime or nighttime weddings are both good choices in the summer. I would suggest lighter colors and lighter weight dresses for the bridesmaids. People will get antsy quickly if they have to spend an hour on formal pictures outside in a black gown in the middle of August! If your reception is going to be outside, make sure the tables are under tents or that there is some form of shade. If it’s going to be indoors, make sure the reception hall has air conditioning.

Fall and harvest type themes speak volumes in the fall months. If you’re into the yellows, oranges and browns, then fall is the right season for you. It should be relatively easy to provide an elegant setting or whatever setting you want with the changing of leaf colors. Corn stalks and scarecrows are great if they’re utilized in the proper setting. If your wedding is early enough in the fall season, you may be able to have cocktail hour outside.

No matter what month you pick to marry in, just try to make sure that you are in sync with the season. You can certainly do what you want to do, but if your hearts’ desire is to have a clambake for the food, I’d stick with the summer months. It might seem a little odd to eat steamers and lobster in many places in January. Of course you could always have a destination wedding to the Caribbean or some other exotic place where it’s pretty much always summer.  Ah, but that’s a whole separate topic!

Let the unity candle light the way to your marriage

The internet has really opened up a lot of creative options for today’s wedding planner.  The traditional wedding has been adapted in many forms thanks to the ideas and ease of research on the internet.  Take the lighting of the unity candle, for example.  There was a time when this tradition was automatically part of the ceremony.  Lighting these three candles, in the presence of the guests at the ceremony, symbolizes the unity of the couple from individuals, into one.

In today’s world, this tradition still goes on, in many different formats.  For a more formal unity candle lighting, with a slight twist, you may want to involve the parents or families of the couple.  This would not only symbolize the union of the wedding couple but also the joining of the two families.  If you’d like to involve your guests, you can provide an unlit candle to each guest as they arrive.  After the couple lights the unity candle, they can have the guests come forward to light their candles off of the newly lit unity candle.  This involves the guests in your ceremony and represents their support of the marriage.  Doing this can be time consuming, not to mention a little dangerous.  It may be something to consider with a smaller guest list or toward the end of the ceremony as guests are leaving.  The candles can also serve as a keepsake for the guests.

 Another less traditional idea is to incorporate the unity candle lighting into the reception.  This would be a great way to tie in centerpieces and or favors.  Upon arriving at the reception, the couple could light the unity candle, then go around to each table and light a pre-set votive centerpiece.  It’s a great ice breaker, a way to say hello to your guests, a way to incorporate a special tradition and an easy centerpiece idea.   Although this tradition is not new nor is it necessary, there are certainly ways to make it a unique and special part of your wedding day.

How about an Ensemble?  Wedding ensembles are all inclusive sets that feature all the beautiful pieces you need, packaged together in one bundle.  Because accessories are bundled together, ensembles will save you time and money.  They are ideal for one stop shopping and cost less than if you purchased all the items separately!

Ensembles are available in many different styles, colors, and themes.  They include matching items like the wedding guest book, ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket, and unity candle.  Ensembles are a convenient, cost-effective way to make your wedding complete.

If there was ever a time to succumb to pomp and circumstance, it’s at a wedding. Guests have come to expect extravagant decadence from a wedding ceremony, and much of that is because of time-honored traditions. We’re all familiar with the bride tossing her bouquet to a hopeful bridesmaid, symbolizing that it will be her turn to marry next. And of course the bride and groom are usually showered with rice on their way out of the chapel.

But one of the most important traditions – the lighting of the unity candle – takes place during the ceremony proper. Unity candle sets feature three candles, two of which are smaller than the third. The bride and groom each hold the smaller candles and light the larger one to symbolize the new life they are creating as a married couple.

There are a huge number of traditions within a wedding ceremony. In fact, just about every action is indicative of some kind of tradition, and as such, almost everything is filled with symbolism and import. This is particularly true of the lighting of the unity candle. Unity candles are relatively new in the world of weddings, and their use remains most popular in the United States. But this ceremony very clearly represents the joining of two separate entities into one stronger end result.

A unity candle ceremony starts by one representative of each family lighting a tapered candle. These representatives are usually the mother or father of the bride and groom. Then after the formal vows have been exchanged, the bride takes a lit pillar candle and the groom takes his lit pillar candle, and they use these smaller pillar candles to light a larger candle in the middle of the table. Some couples choose to save the unity candle and relight it on their anniversaries.