In the Filipino wedding tradition the Cord and Veil ceremony is done at the end of the wedding after the couple has been pronounced husband and wife.

The Officiant reads as the veil sponsors, usually a male and female from each side of the family, place the white veil over the shoulders of the kneeling couple.

The veil symbolizes living under God's protection and being clothed as one. The cord is looped in a figure 8, the symbol of infinity, and placed over the couple by Cord Sponsors. It represents the ties that bind the couple together who will now walk through life as equals.

Sample Reading for the Cord and Veil Ceremony

Officiant: [Name] and [Name], this veil covers you today reminding you and us that Christ covers us in his love. Your new home will be a place where God dwells because you have chosen to live under the mantel of His love.

The Officiant reads as the cord sponsors place the figure eight cord over the necks of the couple. The cord used alone is also known as the Lasso.

Officiant: The Cord looped and crossed in the center is wrapped around the bride and groom to symbolize the Blessed Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who are one and the same. This cord without beginning or end symbolizes this same union and the infinite nature of your marriage