The dowry having been agreed upon by the two sets of parents—and made good by the suitor to the girl’s parents—it was time to set the date. Three days before the day, relatives of the bride and the groom assembled at the house where it was to be celebrated, there to set up a palapala, or trellis, for the reception. A pre-party, one might say, for merrymaking was the order in the three-day clan preparation.
Source:
Alvina, C. & Sta. Maria, F. 1987. Essays on Philippine Culture.
