The Filipino Wedding Program Flow: Step-By-Step + Samples
Having trouble making a Filipino wedding program for your big day? Look no further! In this article, we give you step-by-step Filipino wedding ceremony programs as well as sample wedding programs that might inspire you!
The Filipino Wedding Ceremony
There are two common Filipino wedding ceremony programs: Traditional and Catholic. Read on to find out more about both. PS: Make sure to invite your ninongs and ninangs!
Nondenominational Wedding Ceremony
By Charles A. Pickup on Pexels
This filipino wedding program is for those who want a non-religious ceremony.
1. The Processional
This signals the official start of the ceremony. The groom walks in, followed by his best man, then the groomsmen paired with the bridesmaids. Then comes the maid of honor, ring bearer, and flower girl. Finally, make sure to stand up for the bride, who is usually accompanied by one or both parents.
2. Opening Remarks
Once everyone has found their place, whoever is officiating the wedding says a few welcoming words to the couple, the wedding party, and the guests.
3. Readings
This step is optional. Following the opening remarks, assigned guests may read prayers, passages from novels, poems, or even meaningful quotes.
4. Unity Candle
This is a common part of nondenominational weddings. Together, the couple lights a candle while the officiant narrates how it acts as a symbol of commitment and unity.
5. Unifying Ritual
Following this, a unifying ritual can be done. What’s great about a nondenominational wedding is this ritual can be anything! It’s totally up to you and your partner! Some creative ideas include pouring sand, making a time capsule, or even planting a tree.
6. Exchange of Vows
The exchange of vows is one of the most beautiful parts of a wedding. Being a nondenominational ceremony, there are no rules for what your vows should be like. Your vows can be personalized or memorized, or you can ask the officiant to ask the timeless questions of whether you take your partner to be your spouse in sickness and in health, etc.
7. Exchange of Rings
Put a ring on it! After you say your vows, you exchange rings with your partner.
8. The Kiss
You may now kiss the bride! Congratulations, newlyweds!
9. The Recessional
The wedding party then exits by walking down the aisle, led by the newlyweds and their families. Now it’s time for another headache entirely, the reception!
A Catholic wedding ceremony is always held in a Church. Nowadays, couples might have two ceremonies – one in a church and one elsewhere. That is because Catholic weddings are often in the form of a mass. Here’s a Filipino wedding program for the Catholics looking to celebrate their faith and love:
1. The Processional
Just like a nondenominational wedding, the groom, the wedding party, and then finally, the bride walk into the ceremony. However, unlike a nondenominational wedding, the priest walks in first. When he reaches the altar, that’s when everyone follows.
2. Entrance Rites
Just like in any mass, the entrance rites are read.
3. Readings and the Gospel
Following this, two readings (one from the Old Testament, one from the New) and the holy Gospel are read. This would be based on the Church’s liturgical calendar in a regular mass. However, at your wedding, you get to choose which readings and Gospel passage are read.
4. Homily
Next, everyone sits while the priest gives a sermon that relates to marriage, love, and commitment, and to the readings and the Gospel passage that you chose.
5. Rite of Marriage
This is equivalent to the exchange of vows in a nondenominational ceremony. The Catholic Church has a specific set of vows that you could either memorize or read from a book. Another option is to have the priest read them out for you as you respond “I do.”
6. Ring Ceremony
During the ring exchange, the priest will bless the union with a prayer and holy water. As the couple exchanges rings with one another, they also recite a prayer.
7. Offertory, Liturgy of the Eucharist, Lord’s Prayer, Sign of Peace, Holy Communion
Like in any mass, the Offertory, Liturgy of the Eucharist, Lord’s Prayer, Sign of Peace, and Holy Communion follow.
8. The Kiss
This will be one of the few times when kissing in a church is permitted! The priest announces, “You may now kiss the bride,” and the couple have their magical moment.
9. Nuptial Blessing
The priest closes the mass with a blessing, marking the end of the wedding ceremony.
10.The Recessional
The priest, the newlyweds, their families, and the wedding party walk down the aisle.
Samples
Many choose to print their wedding programs to act as a guide on their wedding day and to keep them as a memento for them and their guests to look back on fondly.
They will typically include the order of events of the ceremony, wedding-party bios to help guests get to know who is who, musical selections, readings, explanations of any ceremony or cultural traditions that not everyone might know about, and a thank-you note to guests. Additional messages like important reminders (For example, “no photo-taking” or directions to the reception venue) or even messages in memory of loved ones who could not attend your big day may also be included. Lastly, printed wedding programs usually have personal touches like your wedding logo, hashtag, or monogram and a lovely picture of you and your partner.
Here are some samples of gorgeous wedding programs!
Classic White Program
Nature-Inspired Program
Photo Program
Should I Print My Wedding Program?
Like other wedding programs around the world, printing Filipino wedding programs is entirely optional, but if your program is long or complex, then you’ll most likely need to print something out so everyone can follow along.
SOURCES
Blomquist, L. (2022, December 16). What does the wedding officiant wear to a non-religious ceremony? Brides. https://www.brides.com/non-religious-wedding-officiant-attire-6891964
Editors, M. S. (2018, September 20). Classic wedding ceremony programs. https://www.marthastewart.com/7942716/classic-ceremony-programs
Mackey, J., & Wittry, J. (2023, October 4). 9 Catholic wedding traditions. Brides. https://www.brides.com/catholic-wedding-traditions-4795871
Mackey, J. (2023, September 29). The ultimate wedding ceremony outline. Brides. https://www.brides.com/story/general-order-of-a-wedding-ceremony
Mattia, N. (2018, June 27). Are wedding ceremony programs really necessary?. Martha Stewart. https://www.marthastewart.com/7933071/do-we-need-wedding-ceremony-programs
MINTED | Last Updated: April 17, 2023. (n.d.). Wedding program examples and ideas. Minted. https://www.minted.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-program-examples#:~:text=The%20ceremony%20program%20should%20include,you%20note%20to%20guests%2C%20and
Welcome to the churches of st. joseph – our lady of Fatima – Holy Family. Readings for a Catholic Wedding | Welcome to the Churches of St. Joseph – Our Lady of Fatima – Holy Family. (n.d.). https://www.cuyunacatholic.org/readings-for-a-catholic-wedding#:~:text=Readings%20for%20the%20Celebration%20of%20Marriage&text=You%20will%20need%20to%20select,which%20explicitly%20speak%20about%20marriage.
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