Mexican Traditional Wedding Ceremony
If you're going to be getting married soon and are of Mexican descent, you may want to add elements and traditions to your ceremony or reception that reflect Mexican culture. These elements can be either simple or extravagant, and will help to make the day especially memorable for everyone involved.
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Bride's Attire
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Mexican brides often wear mantilla veils--long veils trimmed with lace--and some brides choose to wear a bolero jacket over their dress. For a Mexican wedding ceremony, the bride ties three ribbons of three different colors into her lingerie for good luck. The red ribbon represents passion, the the blue ribbon symbolizes money and the yellow ribbon stands for food. Mexican tradition suggests that the tying of the ribbons means that the bride will experience these elements (passion, prosperity/money and food/sustenance) throughout her marriage. Unlike many American women who choose to wear elegant pearl jewelry for their weddings, Mexican brides avoid wearing pearls, as tradition suggests that pearls symbolize the tears a woman will shed during her marriage.
Groom's Attire
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Traditional Mexican wedding ceremony attire for the groom includes a bolero jacket, usually in black, and fitted or tight pants. This is very similar to a bullfighter's outfit. The bolero jacket also may be embroidered with elaborate designs in gold or silver thread. Mexican-American grooms may choose to wear a traditional tuxedo with a pocket square or bow tie that is red or green.
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Catholic Traditions
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During a Mexican wedding ceremony, a string of rosary beads or a white ribbon is placed around the necks of the bride and groom after the marriage vows are exchanged. The beads or ribbons are used as a symbol of unity and never-ending commitment, and are also part of the Catholic traditions that many Mexicans adhere to, as a number of Mexicans are members of the Catholic church. The bride also presents her bridal bouquet or the flowers that the flower girl is holding to a statue of the Virgin Mary as an offering before asking her to bless the marriage. The bride then returns to the groom's side, and the priest offers a blessing over the couple to end the ceremony.
Wedding Attendants
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A Mexican bride chooses special women or girls in her life to carry out important tasks for the ceremony; these individuals are similar to bridesmaids, but have specific tasks. For instance, the "madrina de copas" is responsible for carrying the glasses that are used to toast the newlywed couple. The "madrina de recuerdos" has the job of passing out wedding favors to the guests as they are leaving the reception, and the "madrina de velacion" is the woman whom the bride chooses to guide her throughout her married life and offer advice and support.
Leaving the Wedding
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When a Mexican bride and groom leave the church where the wedding has taken place, the wedding guests often throw rice or red beads into the air as a way to celebrate the new couple. Guests may also shout to the bride and groom as they leave the church, or shoot guns into the air; the noise is said to frighten the evil spirits that may try to "bother" the new couple and disrupt their marriage.
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References
- Photo Credit flag button mexico image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
