Filipino Wedding Glossary › Pamamanhikan
Pamamanhikan
Pronunciation: pah-mah-mahn-HEE-kan
Origin: Tagalog, formal pre-wedding visit between the families of the engaged couple
The formal visit where the groom's family asks the bride's family for her hand and plans the wedding together.
Pamamanhikan is the formal pre-wedding meeting between the two families. The groom's side visits the bride's side to ask for her hand and discuss wedding plans together.
In many Filipino families, this is a significant event with food, formal seating, and structured conversation. Modern pamamanhikan vary widely: some families keep it as a quiet dinner; others treat it as a small celebration with extended relatives present.
For Tsinoy families, the pamamanhikan is sometimes paired with or replaced by the tea ceremony tradition. For Filipino-Muslim families, the equivalent gathering carries different names depending on the community.