Before longtime couple Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez tied the knot over the weekend, their wedding banns went viral on social media.
The couple, who has been together for nearly seven years, got married at the San Juan Nepomuceno Parish in Batangas on October 23.
Carla donned a Monique Lhuillier gown while Tom wore a black suit by Francis Libiran.
Their nuptial was attended by Bishop-Emeritus of Novaliches Most Rev. Teodoro C. Bacani Jr.
The couple’s reception was held at the El Jardin de Zaida where the venue was decked in white flowers, pendant lamps and twinkling lights.
More pictures of their wedding were shared by photography group Team Pat Dy on its Instagram account.
The couple has been dating since 2014 after starring together in the Kapuso series “My Husband’s Lover.”
According to fellow Kapuso actor Benjamin Alves, Tom and Carla complement each other.
“A relationship is defined by how much better you are with your partner than without — Tom and Carla is the best example of this. I’ve witnessed it. Carla keeps everything organized and on schedule while Tom is more fluid with the changes,” he shared before.
Last May, the couple’s wedding banns went viral on social media after it was initially posted by the San Guillermo Parish in Talisay.
Wedding banns are notices to the parish community that two people intend to marry in that church. It is also announced in the couple’s respective parishes.
A wedding-centered blog said that these are usually read in the church thrice and then posted for a month. These are supposedly made to give the people in their parishes the opportunity to speak out if they know a valid reason why the wedding should not push through.
Carla previously shared that wedding banns are required in a Catholic marriage. It is also a necessary step to be able to secure a wedding permit, she said.
When their banns were released on social media before, it has garnered several reactions from Filipinos.
“ITIGIL ANG KASAL!! JOKE LANG. CONGRATS, BOTH OF YOU!” a Facebook user quipped in response to their banns.
“Paano kaya ma-achieve ‘yung ganyan katinong mukha sa mga 2×2 pic,” another online user said with a grinning emoji.
“San kaya nakuha ang Rodriguez??” a different Filipino asked, referring to Tom’s screen name.
“Ang layo naman ‘yung Tom Rodriguez hahaha, Bartolome ka pala,” another Facebook user commented.
A different commenter tag a friend and exclaimed, “Birthday mo ‘yung kasal nila [redacted]. Ang cuteeeeee!!!”
“Ok po. (Pwede) po bang makikain kahit hindi invited at walang regalo? Please?” wrote another Facebook user.
Experts said that marriage banns stand for the principle of community involvement in every wedding.
In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council introduced “a final principle” in which “marriage was not just a matter between individuals but an institution that was protected by the community.”
“The fact that you were legally able to marry – that you were marrying of your own free will, that you were not already married, that you were not too closely related, and that you were old enough to make the decision to marry – was guaranteed and testified to by every member of the local community,” an article from The Conversation read.