St Edward the Confessor Catholic Church
St Edward the Confessor Catholic Church is a community of believers united in the Catholic Faith. Hence they hosted Zia and Darwin’s Catholic Wedding ceremony today with some cultural traditions sewn in. This couple wanted to incorporate Filipino elements into their special day. However Filipino weddings tend to be large and lavish affairs. And unfortunately, these two wanted their wedding to be small and intimate
Filipino Wedding Ceremony
The Filipino wedding ceremony was my favorite part of the entire day. They brought the Candle, Cord, and Veil to pay respect to their culture. I love this tradition because each element has a strong meaning behind it. It’s also a nice way to involve important loved ones into your ceremony. Traditionally the ceremony is very religious. So the Candle, Cord, and Veil are no different. For this wedding, they had a Catholic ceremony and asked their officiant to customize it to the occasion. Obviously he was happy to oblige. And as a result, the guests loved it. The Arras ceremonial coins were a unique touch. The groom gave these to the bride to symbolize his commitment to the family.
The veiling ceremony bonds the bride and groom together so they are recognized as one. The veil lays over the bride’s head and the other side over the groom’s shoulder as a symbol of unity. This also represents a wish for good health and protection during their life as husband and wife. Similar to The Veil Ceremony, the Yugal or infinity shaped cord represents the couple’s bond and union. Finally, their sponsors will place the Yugal on top of the veil as the couple receives their blessing.
Money Dance
After the autumn bridal party’s portrait session at Sugarbush Heritage Park, everyone headed to the couple’s condo where they rented the party room for the reception. The party room’s decor stuck with the fall colour theme. And the Money Dance was a fun way to add the couple’s culture into their wedding day. It kicked off the reception’s festivities and opens up the dance floor. The guests all take turns dancing with the bride and groom. As the guests dance, they pin money onto the couple’s outfits. It was a great way to get their guests dancing. And the money they received is a symbol of good fortune and a contribution towards their financial future.
I also photographed the bride’s sister’s wedding back in 2018.
