Quick Answer
What are arras in a Filipino wedding?
Arras (also called arrhae) are a set of 13 coins that the groom presents to the bride during the wedding Mass, traditionally poured from his hands into hers as a symbol of his commitment to provide for their future household. The custom is shared with Spanish and Mexican wedding traditions from the shared colonial era.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What are arras in a Filipino wedding?
Also called: arrhae, unity coins, wedding coins.
The arras ritual is a brief but pointed moment in a Filipino Catholic wedding: the officiant blesses a set of 13 coins, usually kept in an ornate box or pouch, and the groom pours them into the bride's cupped hands, or the couple pours them between each other's hands together. The number 13 is symbolic in Catholic tradition, representing Christ and the twelve apostles, and the gesture signals the groom's pledge to provide for the marriage.
What the arras ritual involves
The 13 coins are usually kept in a decorative box, tray, or pouch presented at the altar. After a blessing from the officiant, the groom (sometimes with the bride reciprocating) pours the coins into his partner's hands, symbolizing trust and shared responsibility for the household's finances and future. The coins are often kept afterward as a memento rather than spent.
- •The number 13 references the twelve apostles plus Christ, a specifically Catholic symbolism.
- •Arras sets range from simple coin sets to ornate gold-plated coins in a decorative box, often bought as a matched set with the unity candle and cord.
- •This custom is shared with Spanish and Latin American Catholic wedding traditions rather than being uniquely Filipino — a legacy of the Philippines' Spanish colonial history.
Planning notes
- •Arras sets are widely sold as part of a "wedding ceremony set" alongside the veil and cord — order them together to keep the aesthetic consistent.
- •Assign someone specific (often the best man or a sponsor) to safely hold and hand over the coin box at the right moment in the Mass.
- •Confirm with the officiant where the arras blessing falls in the order of service, since it is usually grouped with the ring exchange.
Plan the ceremony as its own event
Weddingkart's multi-event support lets you build a detailed run-of-show for the ceremony itself, separate from the reception timeline.
See multi-event planning →Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there exactly 13 arras coins?
The number 13 is a Catholic symbolic reference to Christ and the twelve apostles, tying the ritual to the religious ceremony rather than being an arbitrary count.
Who gives the arras — the bride or the groom?
Traditionally the groom presents the coins to the bride as a symbol of his commitment to provide, though many modern ceremonies have the couple pour the coins between each other's hands to represent shared responsibility.
Is the arras tradition uniquely Filipino?
No — it is shared with Spanish and Latin American Catholic wedding traditions, introduced to the Philippines during Spanish colonial rule, though it remains a well-established part of Filipino wedding ceremonies today.
Related
By Mayank JaiswalLast updated