There would probably be a time in your life that you have participated in a Wedding as part of the entourage but haven’t really understood the whole context of your “role”. Since Filipino Church Wedding traditions have its own beliefs, it is best to at least get to know them and then decide later on if you see yourselves okay to follow it. As a couple, you have every right to decide which is best for you during your wedding planning, but understanding our Filipino wedding culture is also the best way to give respect to the elders and to our roots.

Below is the list of the people who will be part of your Filipino Church Wedding Entourage, including the couple. Their description varies but their roles were standard as per Filipino Catholic tradition. For a more detailed information, it is highly advisable to seek your Church for any dress code and age restrictions.

Groom

He is the male fiancé, of legal age, who will contract the wedding with the Bride.

Bride

She is the female fiancee, of legal age, who will contract the wedding with the Groom.

The Parents of the Couple

1. Father of the Bride
2. Mother of the Bride
3. Father of the Groom
4. Mother of the Groom

Catholic Priest or Christian Pastor

He is the legal authority who represents the Church to officiate the marriage between two qualified individuals.

Primary Sponsors

Ninong – male primary sponsors

Ninang – female primary sponsors

• They are of legal age who will stand as witnesses to the wedding ceremony. Typically they are older than the couple and would act as the second parents who should be able to provide guidance and counsel to the married couple all throughout their married life.
• As per the law, 2 minimum witnesses (or 1 pair) are needed for the contracted marriage to be valid. Some Churches allow a standard of 4 pairs for the Primary Sponsors in their list and if the couple will have more than 4 pairs, the Church will ask the couple to pay for the extra pairs.
• There is no specific rule with how many Ninongs and Ninangs you’ll get for your wedding or with the degree of closeness that you have with them as well as no rule specifying that the couple should only get “married” Ninongs/Ninangs, members of the LGBT community or in order to avoid bad luck the couple should avoid getting widowed or separated ones. There is also no rule regarding non-believers (non Catholic for example) that can’t be Ninongs/Ninangs on a Catholic ceremony, only unless your desired Church or the religious denominatiom which they belong will be strict about it. They are all traditional beliefs but again it will depend on you. Anyway just as long as you both feel you want to have them as part of your married life, you can actually get as many as you want.

Maid of Honor or Matron of Honor – if already married

• She is considered the Bride’s best friend who is the primary attendant to the wedding and is also considered one of the witnesses during the event.
• She is the equivalent of the Best Man.
• Traditionally, she has one of the most important duties in the wedding where she is mostly seen with the bride and acts as her assistant of the day. Although wedding rules vary in recent years because of the roles of Wedding Coordinators and Bride’s Assistants, the MOH still plays a significant role during the wedding because, among the list of the entourage, she is supposedly the most important woman in the Bride’s life second to her parents.
• In some cultures, she customarily provides for the Bride’s Bachelorette party together with the other Bridesmaids.
• You can actually have 1 or more if you like, but be sure to ask your Church first for any restrictions

Best Man

• He is considered the Groom’s best friend who is the primary attendant to the wedding and is also considered one of the witnesses during the event.
• He is the equivalent of the Maid of Honor.
• He also performs important duties during the wedding where he is mostly responsible to assist the Groom in his needs throughout the day.
• In some cultures, he’s also responsible to give the Groom his Bachelor or Stag Party together with the rest of the Groomsmen.
• You can actually have 1 or more if you like, but be sure to ask your Church first for any restrictions

Secondary Sponsors

They are usually a pair separate from the Best Man, Maid of Honor, Groomsmen and Bridesmaids, but most likely are dressed the same unless you prefer otherwise. But in certain cases when the couple wanted an intimate wedding, they can be taken from the list of Groomsmen and Bridesmaids. No specific rule applies regarding their age, status or degree of closeness with the couple although traditionally, those who are chosen to be Secondary Sponsors were usually married couples who are close to the couple.

1. Candle Sponsors

   They are a pair that will be carrying a pair of candles that symbolizes the Light of Christ in the union of the couple.

2. Veil Sponsors

   They are a pair that will be carrying the wedding veil that symbolizes the couple’s unity as one.

3. Cord Sponsors

   They are a pair that will be carrying the wedding cord that symbolizes everlasting fidelity or the couple’s bond with one another

Groomsmen

• They are the Groom’s close single male friends and relatives (though some are married already) who stand as other witnesses to the marriage which is the equivalent of the Bridesmaids.
• They are in attendant to the Groom’s needs during the wedding in support of the Best Man.
• There is no specific number for your Groomsmen. You can actually have as many as you like but be sure to ask your Church first for any restrictions

Bridesmaids

• They are the Bride’s close single female friends and relatives (though some are married already) who stand as other witnesses to the marriage which is the equivalent of the Groomsmen.
• They are in attendant to the Bride’s needs during the wedding in support of the Maid Man.
• They are often called decorative wallflowers for the wedding event since traditionally they also considered the Bride’s most beautiful female friends and relatives.
• There is no specific number for your Bridesmaids. You can actually have as many as you like but be sure to ask your Church first for any restrictions

Bearers

They are represented by young boys traditionally not younger than 8 years old (verify with the Church for certain rules) who would carry important items to be used during the ceremony.

1. Ring Bearer

   The young boy will be carrying wedding rings symbolizes the eternal pledge of the love of the couple

2. Coin Bearer

   He will be seen carrying 13 coins or arrhae that symbolizes prosperity for the couple. Each coin represents the groom’s monetary gift or pledge to be eternally devoted to the welfare of his wife and future children

3. Bible Bearer

   The young boy will be carrying a Bible that symbolizes the word of God in the couple’s marriage

Flower Girls

• They are represented by young girls not younger than 4 years old who will be tasked to carry a basket full of flowers.
• Minimum of 2 girls but better to ask your church for any restrictions
• Traditionally, they symbolize innocence, beauty, fertility, and prosperity to the couple.
• In some cultures, they are also called mini-brides who wear the mini-version of the bride’s wedding gowns

New Entourage Roles

Man of Honor

This role is similar to the Maid of Honor, except that this title is given to the Bride’s male and/or gay best friend.

Herald or Banner Bearer

This is a new role given to a young male bearer not younger than 5 years old who will be seen carrying a Banner or poster with various taglines/quotes about the couple and ceremony. This role wasn’t customary but was found quite active in recent years.

Little Bride 

This is a new role given to a young girl dressed up like the Bride. The girl is usually the daughter of the Bride or niece.

Adult Bearers and Adult Flower Lady

More recently, there have been weddings that prefer to have their bearers and/flower girls to be represented by adults. Although this is way out of tradition, it’s not being restricted by the Church just as long as the duties is executed properly.

Do you already have a list of people for your Wedding Entourage but still not sure how to approach them? Maybe our post here about WAYS TO ASK YOUR ENTOURAGE TO BE PART OF YOUR WEDDING might help!

Not sure if you’re going to give your entourage roles or not? This post WEDDING ENTOURAGE RESPONSIBILITIES post might give you an idea.