The Entourage

The Entourage (änt-u-’razh) pretty much gives away the content of the movie, whether entourage as people (gang or barkada), wedding participants or surroundings. I dare say, they are our support group, our A-team, our wedding day front line. If you were chosen to be part of it, read on and find out what is ideally expected from you. (I have enumerated them according to processional sequence):

Best Man. The Best Man is the chief male assistant to the groom during the wedding. Like the Maid of Honor, this role is generally given to someone close to a groom, such as his brother or his closest male friend. The Best Man is responsible in organizing a Bachelor or Stag Party for the groom. He assists the groom on the wedding day, ensuring that the groom gets to the wedding on time. The Best Man acts as a legal witness to the marriage. He gives a speech at the wedding reception, and offers the first toast to the Bride and Groom.

Groomsman. A groomsman attends to the needs of the groom during the preparation and the wedding ceremony. He is also in charge of running errands for the groom. The groomsman helps in ushering guests to their seats before the ceremony, and escorting the bridesmaids down the aisle during the ceremony and reception. Primary Sponsors A typical Filipino Wedding has a long list of “ninongs” and “ninangs”, or Godparents. Ninongs and Ninangs stand as principal sponsors and witnesses in the ceremony. They are expected to provide guidance and counsel to the couple during their married life.

Bridesmaid. The bridesmaid attends to the bride during the preparation and the wedding itself. If the bride has any task or errand, the bridesmaid makes sure it gets done. A bridesmaid is often a close friend or sister, and often there is more than one bridesmaid.

Maid of Honor (Matron of Honor if married). The Maid of Honor is the primary attendant with the most honors and duties of the bridal party, and is considered the equivalent of the groom’s best man. She is usually the bride’s sister, cousin or closest friend. The Maid of Honor plans and hosts the bridal shower and bachelorette party. She assists the bride with her dress and make-up, and arranges her veil and train before, during and after the ceremony. The maid of honor holds the bride’s bouquet during the exchanging of wedding rings and witnesses the signing of the marriage. Secondary Sponsors. Composed of 3 pairs: the Candle Sponsors to light up the wedding candles during the ceremony; the Veil Sponsors to drape and pin the veil on the groom’s shoulder and over the bride’s head; and the Cord Sponsors to tie the cord around the shoulder-area of the bride and groom.

Ring Bearer. A young boy not usually more than 8 years old. The ring bearer walks down the aisle carrying a satin pilow that contains a pair of wedding rings. Coin Bearer. A young boy who usually marches next to the ring bearer. The coin bearer carries the arrhae, or 13 coins, which represents groom’s pledge of his dedication to the welfare of his wife and future children. Bible Bearer. An optional member of the bridal entourage but is becoming ever more popular nowadays. Usually a young boy or an adult that hold the Bible as a symbol of the Couple's Faith. Flower Girls. A young girl not usually more than 8 years old. Her primary role is to carry a small basket full of flowers and drop the flower petals as she walks down the aisle.

There’s no rule book stating how many pairs of sponsors a couple can get or how many flower girls they can have. The roles and responsibilities mentioned on this article are ideal but in reality, it may vary depending on the willingness of the people involved to perform other people’s tasks. So chill, you have no choice anyway!lol.ツ