Secondary sponsors: candle, veil and cord roles explained

Secondary sponsors are the candle, veil and cord pairs of a Filipino wedding. Each pair carries out one rite during the ceremony: the candle sponsors light the candles, the veil sponsors drape a veil over the couple, and the cord sponsors lay a figure-eight cord over the veil. They sign nothing and the law doesn't require them. They're a Catholic custom, and most church weddings keep all three.

If you're still working out the whole list, start with our wedding entourage list guide. This page goes deep on the three secondary pairs.

What do secondary sponsors do?

Three pairs, three jobs:

The meanings above follow Event Nest, a Philippine wedding site, which describes the veil as "symbolizing shelter and shared life" and the candle as "light for the home and the divine presence that guides a new household." Families explain them in their own words too, and that's fine.

The arras, the 13 coins, aren't a secondary sponsor job in most weddings. A coin bearer carries them in, and the priest blesses them after the rings. Some couples add a coin sponsor pair; our bearers guide covers that role.

Who puts the veil and cord on the couple?

The veil sponsors go first. They walk up when the coordinator signals, unfold the veil and drape it, usually over the bride's head and across the groom's shoulders. Then they pin it so it won't slide off when the couple kneels. The cord sponsors follow and lay the cord over the veil, crossed in a figure eight, one loop around each partner.

Both stay on through the prayer. Afterwards, the same sponsors come back and take them off, cord first, then veil.

Two small things decide whether this goes smoothly:

1. Pins. Bring pearl or plain safety pins, and agree in advance where they go. A pin through a gown's lace or a barong's piña can tear it.
2. Practice. Have both pairs do the drape once at the rehearsal with the real veil and cord. Event Nest suggests asking the officiant to pause so the moment can be photographed.

When do the candle, veil and cord rites happen?

Less fixed than most guides say. The US bishops' outline of the wedding Mass, which follows the same rite, lists two optional steps it calls "important in Hispanic and Filipino families":

• The Blessing and Giving of the Arras, right after the rings.
• The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil, after the Lord's Prayer. The outline adds that it "could also be done before the Lord's Prayer, or even earlier, according to local custom."

There's no candle step in that outline at all. Parishes place the candle lighting in different spots, often near the start of the ceremony or just after the vows. Event Nest says only that the candle "varies by tradition."

So ask your church coordinator three questions at your first meeting:

1. When does each rite happen in this parish?
2. Do the sponsors walk in the processional, or sit in a reserved pew until called?
3. Does the parish supply the candles, or do we bring them?

Write the answers into your wedding program so the sponsors can follow along.

Where do secondary sponsors walk in the processional?

Usually right after the principal sponsors, as three pairs: candle, then veil, then cord. Some coordinators group them with no set order, and some have them walk with the bridesmaids and groomsmen they already are. Our processional order guide shows where they sit in the full line.

Who should you choose as secondary sponsors?

People who are comfortable in front of a crowd and steady with their hands. The job is short, but it happens at the altar, in front of every guest and two cameras.

Good picks:

• Siblings and cousins close to your age.
• Barkada who are already in the wedding party.
• A married couple you're close to but who aren't quite ninong and ninang age.

Many couples simply use their bridesmaids and groomsmen. The Budgetarian Bride puts it plainly: "For the Catholic church wedding, you will only need 3 bridesmaids: Candle, Veil, and Cord." If you'd rather honor more people, give the rites to cousins and keep the wedding party separate.

A few common questions, answered by Bride & Breakfast's entourage FAQ:

• Pairs don't have to be a man and a woman. Two women or two men are fine.
• They don't have to be married. The idea that married sponsors bring bad luck is, in their words, a myth.
• There's no age rule, but match the task to the person. As they put it, "You don't want a five year old to light a candle, do you?"

Older relatives you want to honor fit better as principal sponsors. Your lola shouldn't be pinning a veil.

How do you ask someone to be a secondary sponsor?

Say which rite. "Be a sponsor" means nothing to most people, and a cousin who learns at rehearsal that she's pinning a veil in front of 200 guests won't enjoy the surprise.

Keep it short and personal:

Pinsan, gusto ka naming maging veil sponsor sa kasal namin, kasama si Paolo. Ikaw ang magsasabit ng belo sa amin sa altar. Okay lang ba sa'yo?

(Sample names.) Ask after the principal sponsors have said yes, so the pairings line up, and at least a few months ahead if you're asking them to have outfits made.

What do secondary sponsors wear?

A step down from the principal sponsors. Event Nest's attire guide says: "If your ninangs wear floor-length gowns, your secondary sponsors can wear tea-length or midi dresses." Men usually wear a barong, sometimes in the motif colour.

They don't have to match the bridesmaids. Bride & Breakfast suggests giving them a colour scheme instead of an outfit. If you have a motif, our sage green and dusty blue guides show how colour works role by role.

How do you list secondary sponsors on the invitation?

After the principal sponsors and the best man and maid of honor. Two styles are common.

Plain labels:

Secondary Sponsors
Candle · [Full name] and [Full name]
Veil · [Full name] and [Full name]
Cord · [Full name] and [Full name]

Or the poetic version many Filipino invitations use:

To light our path · [Full name] and [Full name]
To clothe us as one · [Full name] and [Full name]
To bind us together · [Full name] and [Full name]

Both are correct. Pick one and use it on the invitation and the program. The wedding invitation format guide shows where the entourage page sits in the full card.

Do civil weddings have secondary sponsors?

Rarely, but they can. A civil wedding needs only two witnesses of legal age (Family Code, Articles 3 and 6). The candle, veil and cord come from church practice, so a ceremony in a judge's chambers usually skips them. Event Nest notes that civil ceremonies "may adapt these symbols as cultural elements," and a garden or beach wedding with a mayor officiating often keeps them. Ask the officiant first. Our civil wedding requirements guide covers the rest of that route.

Do secondary sponsors give a gift?

Usually, but nobody expects ninong-sized envelopes. They give about what close friends or family would. Your side: a thank-you, a reserved seat near the front, and often the same souvenir you give the principal sponsors.

Keep the three pairs in one place

On a Ceremo invitation website, the entourage section is free on every plan. Candle Sponsors, Veil Sponsors and Cord Sponsors are built-in roles you switch on, and you can rename any of them to "To light our path" if that's your style. Each pair sits side by side, so your cousin sees her name and her partner before anything goes to print, and she can answer the RSVP from the same link. It's free for up to 50 guests. See how the entourage section works.