Las Tradiciones - Parte Uno
January 29th, 2008 @ 1:52 pm by Mrs. Hydrangea
The past two Sundays, Mr. Hydrangea and I have begun to ask his family to participate in our wedding for all of the Hispanic traditions that will be incorporated into our wedding ceremony. Well, I should say they all talked and I more or less listened as they all spoke in Spanish. I can understand nearly everything, but have yet to work up the nerve to try to speak to his family. I get a little embarrassed and intimidated, which I’m hoping I’ll grow out of one of these days.
Because one of the couples that we wanted to ask to be in the ceremony lives in Mexico, we had to call them and ask them to be the Padrinos for the arras. Essentially this means that they will purchase the arras, or coins, that we will use in the ceremony. The arras are the 13 coins that the Padrinos bring up to the altar and hand to the groom. The groom then places these coins into the bride’s hands to symbolize his promise to support his new family.
Last night, we (myself, Mr. H, FMIL Hydrangea and FFIL Hydrangea) went in person to meet with another Aunt and Uncle, but they live in our hometown so we made a personal visit. They knew that we were coming over, so they had cheesecake and fruit waiting and we sat and chatted. At one point, I had to nudge Mr. H because he was nervous as to what to say, so he kept waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Finally he asked them to be our Padrinos for the anillos (wedding rings). While these Padrinos can give money for the rings or purchase them for us, they will also bring the rings up to the altar and hand them to the priest during the ceremony.
For our last stop of the night, we went to Mr. H’s Padrinos’ home. These are his Godparents who baptized him when he was an infant. We sat down and all talked a little, and then Mr. H asked them to be the Padrinos de Velación, which essentially means that they will help to pay for the church for the ceremony. Because they baptized him as a child, it is considered one of their responsibilities as Godparents to pay for the church when Mr. H gets married. Then we ate more cheesecake.
Most of these items we intend on purchasing ourselves. When the Padrinos accepted being in the wedding, we just told them that they could contribute whatever they would like towards the wedding. These couples are asked to participate not only financially, but also to act as our mentors throughout our engagement and our marriage. It is considered an honor for them to be asked to participate in the wedding, but for us it is also an honor for them to accept the position.
I really enjoyed visiting with Mr. H’s family, although the communication barrier sometimes left me a little confused. Next weekend we are off to ask a few more people to participate, but I know one thing that I definitely will not do before we go: eat dinner. After two houses and two large pieces of cheesecake, I thought I was going to burst.
More to come…
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6 Responses to “Las Tradiciones - Parte Uno”
This is really interesting! I always thought (and read on the Knot) that it is really rude to ask parents/relatives for money for a wedding and you should wait until they offer. I never thought about it being considered an honor to be asked–but I can totally see the logic in the way you explained the tradition. Thanks for sharing it and opening my view into another culture.
Ohhh I forgot to ask! Are you going to be doing “la marchas de zacatecas” at your reception? (I can see you scratching your head going “the what?” ) It’s the march that is traditionally played to introduce the entire wedding party and start the dance for the evening. It is usually lead by a madrina and padrino with the bride and groom following and the rest of the wedding party following them. You circle around the dance floor and your guests join in behind your wedding party. The best way to put it is, it’s kinda like a “follow the leader/conga line”
I can’t wait for this part of my day. It’s something I’m really looking forward to.
oh cool! i’d sooo want to be hispanic right now…..i’ve been working on my budget this morning, lol…..
it all sounds so beautiful though. i can envision the meetings, and the cheesecake, lol…..
Wow - I didn’t realize all that went into those traditions! That really sounds lovely!!
I am from Dallas too! The W will be such an awesome venue! Are you getting married at the cathedral downtown?? I’ve been to a wedding there, and it was really beautiful.
[...] one of the wonderful ring holders from Paloma’s Nest on Valentines Day. If you remember from my previous post, we have asked Mr. H’s aunt and uncle to be our padrinos for the anillos (rings) and part of [...]
Mrs. Hydrangea, Dallas
Age and Occupation: 26, Administrative Assistant
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Network Analyst
Engagement Date: June 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: January 14, 2008
Venue: Catholic Church and Reception at The W Hotel
About Me: Mr. H and I come from very different cultures and backgrounds so I'm excited to plan our wedding with a balance of both traditions. My mom has always been a DIY queen, and I'm just now starting to get into it with a new house and a wedding to plan!
Awww… you just gave me the warm fuzzies. My FI is Irish and I’m Spanish and incorporating all of the Spanish Traditions into our wedding as well as having an Irish wedding blessing. I’ve had to explain traditions to my FI, FMIL and all of the family so they “get” what’s going on. So I can really sympathize with you. (and it’s nice to hear how you felt, because I’m sure this is how my FI is feeling but not telling me!) I laughed when you said the next time you weren’t going to eat. Every time we get together with my family they have us eat. (it’s really a tradition) and my poor FI is learning all about the different foods.
Thanks for sharing… it really touched me