Home Culture and Etiquettes Lets get married, The Philippines

Lets get married, The Philippines

Weddings in the Philippines have remained to be always a “talk of the town” celebration. The long time preparation and rich tradition make it a unique tale of love and romance for the couples. Passing through stages of courtship up to marriage proposal is a hard work for the groom in order to get the sweet sweet “Yes, Let’s get married” response from the girl.

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1. A guy tells the girl that he wants to marry her or simply say, “Let’s get married” or “It’s about time to get married.” Once a guy proposed – they knew it’s going to be a long time commitment.
2. After the proposal, when the girl said , “ Yes, let’s get married.”, the “Pamanhikan” stage follows. The groom together with his family, including the old folks will come to the house of his bride-to-be to ask for her parents’ consent to marry their daughter. Both parents along with their grandparents will also talk about the wedding plans.

Some rites during the wedding:

• At the beginning of the ceremony, there is the lighting of candles. It symbolizes God’s presence in the union.
• Just before the exchange of vows, the groom gives wedding coins called “Arras” to the bride. It symbolizes his pledge to support his family.
• The veil ceremony follows after the exchange of rings. While kneeling, the secondary sponsors will put the veil over the head of the bride and clothe it over to the groom’s shoulder. It tells oneness – they are dressed for the world as one.
• The cord is placed over the couple’s shoulder, forming an eight figure – which symbolizes infinity or long and lasting fidelity.
• It is also common that after the wedding ceremony, the couple holds a white pigeon and releases it. White pigeons symbolize peace. In that way , like the pigeons, all the problems and hardships will just fly away from the newlywed couple’s life.
It’s always enchanting and wonderful to have these symbolisms to well-complete the Philippine wedding ceremony.

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Best locations:

What could be more breathtaking than to think of best destinations here in the Philippines. Locations that are undeniably best as an exchange of “I dos” venues.

1. Boracay, Aklan

Romantic evoking place for anybody who has visited this place. Pristine water, coconut trees and fine white sand.

Get married right by the shore, with a few chairs heading straight to the reception area. All guests, including the newlyweds are on barefoot, white attires. Then, a party all through after the wedding ceremony.

2. Tagaytay, Cavite

A panoramic view of the Taal Lake and volcano makes this place nostalgic and a perfect destination for weddings. Its cool climate makes it unique from any other place in the country. It is very near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as it is not too far away from Metro Manila.

3. Intramuros, Manila

Historic. This place is very near perfect if you want a different wedding trip to the Spanish era.

4. Batanes

Getting married on the cliff and the hills surrounded by blue body of water can be the most dramatic of all. Batanes is known for its geographical landscapes and heart catching hills. Who can resist?

5. Fort Ilocandia

Who says you can’t find interesting art work and architecture here in the Phils.? Fort Ilocandia has it. A view of post-Colonial Spanish era with its rustic architecture and interesting artwork – it is Fort Ilocandia .

There are a lot more beautiful places in the Philippines where you can have a wedding that is not only memorable , but breathtaking and nostalgic as well. I will not list everything as the list will get too long but you can add Fernwood garden which is a nature setting in the city and the Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic Bay .

Best time of year to visit

The best time to visit the Philippines is on December to May. However, keep in mind that the season does not always follow the standard pattern.

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/// Written by Rosemarie Ramos, The Philippines