Latin American wedding traditions

Each culture has its own wedding traditions and the Latin American marriage ceremony is no different. There are countless unique Latin American wedding traditions that are still followed to this day and are part of what makes the day special for every Latina bride.

processions

In the Latin American tradition, the night before the wedding there is a procession from the groom’s house to the house of the bride’s family. Hand lanterns are carried, and a chest full of gifts is brought by the groom’s family as a gift to the bride’s parents.

Secret

As in many other cultures, Latino bride and groom are prohibited from seeing each other before the wedding ceremony. The responsibility of the father of the bride is to keep the bride hidden and then give her away as part of the wedding service. The groom’s job is to walk her mother down the aisle.

Flower girls and ring bearers

As in many other cultures, Latin American wedding traditions dictate that there must be a flower girl and a ring bearer and that they must wear clothing that is a copy of the groom’s attire.

corners

13 gold coins representing Jesus and the apostles are an important part of the ceremony. They are presented by the groom to show that he can support his wife and are blessed by the presiding priest to be given to the bride as part of the service.

wedding dress

Every Latina bride knows how important her wedding dress is. In traditional Latin American weddings, a mantilla veil and orange blossoms are worn in her bouquet and hair to symbolize happiness and fulfillment. Although Latino wedding dresses are now usually white, traditionally the color of the wedding dress was black to show devotion to her husband until death.

rings

Traditionally, both the bride and groom wear rings after their engagement on the right hand. After the ceremony, they change the rings to their left hand.

Union

In the Latin American tradition, the lazo is used to bind the couple together during the ceremony. This is a rosary or white string tied around the couple’s shoulders symbolizing their union.

favors

As in many cultures, giving guests wedding favors is an important part of the ceremony. Capias, or small gifts, are given to guests during the reception line and take the form of ribbons with the names of the bride and groom and the date of the marriage.

the white bell

During some Latin American weddings, a white bell is hung outside the church filled with rice and flour to symbolize prosperity. As the couple enters the church, the mother breaks the bell to wish the couple luck.

Godparents

In traditional Latin American culture, it is the godparents (or sponsors) who pay for the cost of the wedding and also play an important role in the ceremony. It was his responsibility to bring the arras (gold coins) and the lasso cord to the ceremony.

first dance

After the ceremony, the bride and groom dance their first dance as guests take to the heart-shaped floor surrounding them.

For more information on wedding traditions in Latin America, visit singlemantravel.