Weddings around the world have practiced traditions that have probably outlived many of us. Case in point: in Congo, the couple is not allowed to smile during the whole wedding! Should they do, it connotes they’re not taking the marriage seriously. We don’t need to go too far though, Filipinos are no stranger to traditions, too! Local nuptial traditions can be in the likes of the bride and groom releasing doves as a sign of a harmonious life together. Who can also forget about the exciting money dance—where money pinned on the couple is given to them to help ease the burden of wedding expenses. Now that’s a practice we can get behind!
Though traditions will always undeniably stand the test of time, newly-wed couple Karissa Huyong-Manankil and Matthew Manankil decided to take the road less traveled when they planned their wedding. While they have nothing against the wedding traditions practiced now, the two decorated their grand day with unique ideas that reflected their own individuality—such as tying the knot in a barn instead of a church. After all, no two couples are the same. Hence, it only makes sense for their nuptials to be as unique as the pair tying the knot.
Know more about the one-of-a-kind practices this couple did in their wedding, and why they did it, in our interview with them below!
1. Instead of buying, the couple formed their own wedding rings out of their parent’s old wedding bands.
“For us, our relationship was never really just about us two. Rather, it was with both our families, and specifically our parents as well. Aside from them being a vital part of our relationship in terms of influence, we also realize the fact that we would not be here without them. More importantly, our parents also stand as an example of what a healthy marriage looks like. Both our dads came from a broken family but managed to keep their own families whole until this very day.
“For these reasons, we’ve decided to include their initials besides our own inside the rim of our rings to serve as a constant reminder of not only our parent’s blessing, but also of their marriage that we want to emulate. By doing this, we also intend for our rings to be a sort of heirloom for our future children. In this way, we also started our own family tradition, too.”
2. The couple got married in a country barn.
“We opted to tie the knot in a barn because we wanted something unique and out of the ordinary. Initially, the plan was to have the wedding in Tagaytay but instead, we looked for a place that was not common. Eventually, we saw this events place called La Faite, that’s perfect for the Rustic Boho peg we wanted. The best part is it’s also not so far from where most of our guests are coming from, the South, as it’s situated in San Pedro, Laguna.
"We’d just love to also add that we really appreciated the service of the La Faite team composed of Violy and Sol’s team. What made the place unique was not just it being a country barn itself, but also the whole team. They were so hands-on, efficient and flexible to our needs. The team was not just selling a venue to rent, but rather an experience in which, ‘we can make your dream wedding happen,’ and they did deliver that seamlessly.”
3. The bride drove her own bridal car to the ceremony.
“I think driving my own car to the ceremony stemmed from me being adventurous. All my life, I’ve made it a point to do what I wanted to do and simply not stick to the norm. Prior to the big day, I just decided out of the whim, ‘why not drive my own car?’ So, I did.”
4. The groom decided to not have groomsmen—just four best men instead.
“This is probably because I’m a people pleaser. I don’t want them fighting over my affection. Kidding aside though, all four of those guys are close to me. More importantly, they all played an important role in my relationship with Karissa. To be honest, I simply just couldn’t choose a best man amongst them. So, instead, I made them all my best men. With that, the problem was solved and there wasn’t any fighting!”
5. The couple decided to skip getting traditional prenup photos.
“For me, I’m not photogenic. I honestly don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera and doing all those poses. So, I was sure from the very beginning that doing a prenup photo shoot would be something that would not be entirely enjoyable. Instead of that, we opted to do a video that gives a glimpse of our relationship. True enough, the video was something that better embodied what Matthew and I had—something candid and full of good stories, love and laughter. We also felt that this video could actually be something to show to our future children.”
Watch their no-frills prenup video below!
6. The bride copped her bridal gown from a local designer and got it for less than P15,000.
“Growing up, I was never keen on fashion nor was I into branded wear. I liked dressing up simply—just a pair of shorts and a plain shirt and I was good to go. So, with my wedding gown, I wanted to keep it that way as well—not too plain yet not too over-the-top as well. With that, I looked for pegs of gowns that I liked and started my search for a seamstress or designer who could help me achieve what I wanted. Lo and behold, I found Cherry, a local seamstress from Paranaque who made both my gown and bridesmaids’ dresses. It was the best of two worlds—Cherry helped me pull off my ideal gown at less than 15,000 and I got to support the local industry as well.”
7. The couple decided to break the usual tradition of giving gifts to each other and, instead, gave surprise presents to their in-laws.
Karissa:“I feel like marrying Matt also meant having all the time in the world to be with him. At this point, giving gifts to our in-laws makes more sense for me since I have a lifetime to appreciate Matthew after our wedding anyway.”
Matthew: “Both our parents and siblings were a big part of our relationship. We’ve always made it a point that we honored them in such a way that they felt respected. When we weren’t husband and wife yet, our priority was family. So, of course, while the day was for Karissa and I’s union, we also thought of honoring each other’s families. The gift is our physical way of thanking them for letting us marry their daughter/son or sister/brother. The main point of this was not just about being different, but rather us really wanting to express our gratitude to our families.”
8. What were the other non-traditional or unique things that were present or transpired during your wedding?
Matthew: “Well, there’s a superstition that some Filipinos believe that when an immediate family dies or gets married the same year, it’s best not to continue with the wedding. I think they call it sukob. So, that’s one tradition or superstition we didn’t really follow through with. One, we didn’t really believe in that. Secondly, as everyone knew in the wedding, my dad died exactly one week and a half before the big day in a tragic accident.
"To be honest, we almost cancelled the wedding. Besides the fact that we, of course, love each other, we also decided to push through with it because next to Karissa and I, it was my dad who was most excited for us to tie the knot. Even with the recent ECQ mandates, my dad was the one who kept advising us to continue and not to move to a later date. So, in honor of my dad and his wishes for us, we decided to proceed with the wedding. And we’re glad we did—it was a beautiful day. We got him a seat up front, although in essence, he got the best seat up there. He even got to walk me down the aisle through my sister who was carrying his urn.”
Karissa: “While it’s not really the best unique thing, we also had to get antigen tests for everybody on the day itself due to the pandemic. It’s not really because we wanted to be careless during the wedding. Rather, we wanted to make sure everybody was safe during the event. We aimed for everybody to remember the day for the wedding itself and not as a source of sickness or COVID. So, even if it wasn’t mandatory for weddings, we decided that we should push through.“I think one last thing that was unique about the wedding was also us, as a couple. Everybody who attended our intimate wedding and who watched the pre-nup video knew that prior to the engagement we were actually 'exes.' Despite that though, we ended up together at the end.
“Our wedding and relationship are solid proof that if you want something, then you should grab it. Whether it’s your wedding or life, don’t compare it to others and don’t let anyone dictate what you do. At the end of the day, you do you! This is also to show that not everything will go as planned regardless of how hard you try, but know that that’s okay. Regardless, what will transpire will end up beautiful—just like how it did for our wedding.”
Watch the heartwarming video of how their intimate wedding unfolded here.
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