A Couple’s Journey to Forever: A Case Study of Hm’s Kasalan Ng Bayan Project

Kasalan ng Bayan or mass weddings foster social integration and address the barriers that prevent couples from formalizing their unions. This qualitative study explored the experiences of lived-in couples who participated in the HPC 7 – Events Management students’ mass wedding project. The initiative offered opportunities among low-income couples to have a church wedding and a legal union without the necessity to prepare for financial costs. Using a case study design, the research explored the real-life phenomenon of couples before, during, and after the mass weddings. Data were collected from multiple sources using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. Ethical considerations were observed to protect the participants’ rights. From the data, five themes emerged namely: barriers, commitment, value of the wedding, social transition, and sacramental effects. The findings suggest that church marriage has a transformative effect. Marriage was found crucial for reinforcing family bond, fostering resilience, and deepening relationship with God. Generally, the findings support the idea that marriage, when facilitated through initiatives like mass weddings, enhances spiritual growth, strengthens families, and improves the lives of couples. Thus, to improve the sustainability and accessibility of such programs, premarital counseling, institutional partnerships, and pre-wedding process streamlining are recommended.