Hablemos de Ceremonias

Hola familia y amigos.

Today I want to share with you some of the differences that exist in wedding traditions across the various countries we share as a couple. First, of course:

The ceremony

I have never been to a wedding in Spain or the Dominican Republic where the ceremony is not religious, so I will only tell you about these.

In Spain:

The religious ceremony is Catholic, although I have been to an Adventist one where I only remember putting keyboard keys among the rice to annoy Reni (sorry, Reni).

Catholic ceremonies are full of paraphernalia and constant standing, and sitting, and standing. In Catholic weddings, the priest officiates the ceremony while the couple sits with their backs to the guests. It is a mass. Some family members or close friends read biblical passages and the couple takes communion. They don't say "if anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace" which makes me feel very deceived.

Recently I've discovered that you can escape the ceremony and show up at the door when the newlyweds exit for the rice, and everything is ok. This discovery is the reason why Alvar hasn't seen a Catholic ceremony, since at my cousin David's wedding in Toledo there was conveniently placed bar across from the church, and well, we spent some time having beers with my cousins and there was a watcher who warned us when people were coming out of the church so that, while laughing and by no means hiding, we mixed in with the rest of the guests who did attend the ceremony.

A traditional element is the "pajes", children who carry the rings and the "arras" (coins that symbolize the commitment and union of the couple, part of the Arab heritage). There are also the wedding godmother and godfather, who accompany the bride and groom as main witnesses, and are normally the parents.

I, of course, was a "paje" on two occasions. Who wouldn't want me, as the beautiful child that I was, to embellish their ceremony?

At the end, guests wait outside to throw rice at the newlyweds when they exit, symbolizing wishes for prosperity. Over time, this tradition has evolved to flower petals or confetti or, typically, throwing rice with things (like computer keys if one of the newlyweds works in something related to computers)*.

In the next part we'll talk about traditions in the Dominican Republic.

*Don't even think about it. You can't throw rice with little animals at me.

**In the photo you can see me as a "paje" at my cousin Anamari, with "Arras" in my hands, and also me in green again as a "paje" at my cousin Eva's wedding.

***No. Not even if they are little borbs.