Vintage

First they would be married by an officer of the civil court in a private ceremony attended by the closest friends, relatives and “the padrinos”, a couple which knows them well and would be willing to share the expenses of this occasion.  Once legally married by the judge or officer of the court, all the guests would participate of a social gathering that follows this first step.  At the conclusion of the party the bride and the groom depart to their own separate homes, as the marriage cannot be consummated until the religious ceremony has been performed.  This ceremony generally will take place on the following week.

At the wedding, the bride wears the traditional white dress and her father gives her away. The religious ceremony pretty much resembles any American wedding ceremony with the exception of a few extra traditional rituals that are incorporated into all Spanish weddings. 

 The Arras:

 This custom originated in Spain and it consists of 13 small coins that are purchased for the groom by “the padrinos”.  The priest would bless the arras before the ceremony begins and deposit them in a tiny chest, ornate box or small silver tray.  At a special time in the wedding ceremony, “the padrinos” would hand them to the groom whom slowly pours them into the cupped bride’s hands.  This is a symbol of his unquestionable responsibility to be the provider and affirms his promise to care and share all his possessions with her.  Acceptance by the bride means taking the trust and confidence unconditionally with total dedication and common sense as the mistress of the household.  The 13 coins are also a symbol of luck, good wishes and prosperity. In Spain they represent Christ and the 12 apostles.

 The Matrimonial Lasso:

 Instead of lighting a unity candle, the Spanish couple will kneel down on special pillows with their names inscribed on them, and recite the wedding prayer immediately after “the padrinos” have placed a circular lasso specially made of beads, looping it in a figure eight shape around the necks of the couple.  This is the symbol of the love that binds this couple together everyday as they equally share the responsibilities of marriage for the rest of their lives.  Each bead also represents the number of times that they should forgive each other, if necessary.   At this time some couples choose to drape a white mantilla over their shoulders signifying the warmth and purity of their love for each other.  At the end of the ceremony the lasso and mantilla would be removed from them and given to the bride to keep, and along with the arras, they become part of their family heirloom. 

 The rings:

 Same as used by Americans, the wedding bands -being circular- signify unending love since they have no beginning and no end, and are placed by each other on their ring finger of the right hand.  Hispanics are a hand-shaking culture and thus the reason to wear them on the right to show their married status from this day on.

 The Reception:

 After the couple has been blessed and pronounced married in the religious ceremony, and once all the family photos are out of the way, the couple proceeds to the enjoyment of the occasion with all their relatives and friends awaiting them at the reception venue.  A white piñata in the shape of a bell filled with rose petals is placed at the entrance of the ballroom.  The newlyweds are greeted with a shower of petals as they make their happy arrival.  Then all those in attendance would toast to their happiness and the couple would dance the waltz as husband and wife.  The second dance is reserved for the newlyweds to dance interchanging with their in-laws and parents.  After that, all the friends would join the dance and the festivity extends to the wee hours of the night.

The capias:

With the couple’s names and their wedding’s date engraved on them, the capias are special party favors given to each guest as wedding keepsakes.  Depending on the budget of the couple, these could range from sweets wrapped in tulle, to wine glasses, small handcrafts or tiny pieces of art.

 
Everyone enjoys the merriment and later on after cutting the cake, the couple will depart to their “honey-moon” trip showered with rice by all the attendees, who will continue celebrating … and they will live happily ever after.