Traditional marriage customs in the Philippines and Filipino wedding practices pertain to the characteristics of marriage and wedding traditions established and adhered to by Filipino men and women in the Philippines after a period of courtship and engagement. These traditions extend to other countries around the world where Filipino communities exist. Kasalan is the Filipino word for "wedding",while its root word – kasal – means "marriage".The present-day character of marriages and weddings in the Philippines were primarily influenced by the permutation of native, Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Chinese, Spanish,and American models.