Part 5 – The Arras Money Ceremony
In this ‘Elements’ series, I take a look at how my brides and grooms have incorporated additional elements into their ceremony, to really personalise their wedding and make it a truly unique and memorable day.
The Arras Money or Coins Ceremony is a Latin tradition that goes back to Roman and Early Spanish days and is referred to as Las Arras Matrimoniales.
Sarah and Giles wanted to include elements in their wedding ceremony that reflected the rich cultural heritage they were both bringing to their union and the new family they were creating.
They chose to include an Arras Coin Ceremony to acknowledge Giles’s mother’s side of the family. For, it is an important Filipino custom to present the bride and groom with 13 gold coins, the Arras money, during their wedding ceremony.
Traditionally, the thirteen coins represented the promise of the groom to support his wife, and the wife’s dedication to her husband and her responsibility to manage the home and the housekeeping.
Today, the coins symbolise the promise of sharing goods, giving mutual support and taking care of finances jointly.
