Spanish Weddings

Spanish Weddings: differ according to the geographical location of the particular Spanish community and their exposure to influxes of different cultures and external influences. Outside of Spain there are major Hispanic (US citizen of Latin American or Spanish descent) communities on the Western seaboard and Central America, with Latino (of Latin American or Mexican origin) communities in South America.

Background To Traditional Spanish Weddings:

Mainland Spain is made up of 15 regions, not including the Balearic and Cannary Islands. It is the third largest European country. Spain is predominantly Catholic (approximately 94%) with a smattering of ethnic groups; the Basques, Jewish, Moors and Roma. Spanish history has its roots in Iberian and Latin influences. Nearly all Spaniards speak Spanish, however, regional identity is strong and many still speak Basque, Catalan and Galician. Differences in food and dress are also marked due to the variety of terrain, climate and whether country or city based. Portugal and France are to the west and east/north-east respectively, with the Mediterranean to the north and Atlantic to the south.

Marrying In Your Homeland:

Spanish law recognizes both civil and religious weddings. However, Spanish Weddings are renown for their red tape. If both parties are not residents of Spain, then it may be possible to marry in the capital Madrid. However, it could take up to 8 weeks for Spanish officials to approve a marriage application. Then all your legal documents need to be translated into Spanish and authenticated. If you intend to “Do It Yourself” it is suggested that either you, or a person who is willing to help you, is fluent in Spanish. You will need to factor into your wedding budget the expense of international telephone calls. Contact your Embassy who may advise you on various protocols and any possibility of marrying outside of Madrid. Obviously if one or both parties are Spanish residents then there will be greater flexibility as to where you are able to marry.

Spanish Wedding Traditions:

- permission is sort from the father/guardian for his daughter’s hand in marriage
- a special dinner for the two families is held during which the groom presents an engagement ring, “anillo de prometida”
- the bride presents her groom with a watch and embroiders a tucked shirt for him to wear on the wedding day
- the groom gives his bride 13 coins “monedas”, (arras), which she carries in a purse to her wedding
- although today brides may wear white traditionally the bride wears a black silk dress and delicate black veil made from “bolillos”, (handmade lace), in some regions a “mantilla”, (variant of veil), is worn with a “peineta”, (high comb often made of tortoiseshell)
- the wedding ceremony commences late afternoon, usually 7 pm
- the traditional role of the “damas”, (bridesmaids), to dress like the bride to foil any kidnap attempts on her is redundant, now they take on the modern role of support to the bride, accompanied by “chambelares”, their escorts
- young attendants are called “pajeaitos”, such as flower girls, page boys or ring bearers
- the role of the best man is to give the bride her “ramo”, (wedding bouquet), which will include sprays of orange blossom and read a special poem dedicated to the bride and groom
- flowers adorn the doorway of the bride’s home
- the bride is accompanied to the wedding ceremony by her father, while her mother is accompanied by the best man
- the groom is escorted up the aisle by his mother
- the priest blesses the arras during the wedding ceremony
- rice and rose petals are thrown over the couple as they leave the church
- a wedding feast “bodas” follows, costal communities will have a seafood influence
- “sequidillas manchegas”, (wedding dance) takes place during which the guests present the bride and groom with wedding presents

If invited to any Spanish weddings do not forget your invitations. You will be refused entry to the celebrations unless you are able to produce it!

Variations On Spanish Weddings:

Hispanic weddings are not dissimilar to the above. However, during the wedding ceremony the bride and groom have three sponsors who carry out specific roles:

- “padrinos de rano” (sponsor of the bouquet)
- “padrinos de lazo” (sponsor of the rosary)
- “padrinos de arras” (sponsor of the 13 coins)

A large rosary is wrapped around the shoulders of the couple in a figure of eight.

There are many aspects of Spanish Weddings that may be incorporated into a modern western wedding. I hope you have fun in organizing yours.




Spanish Weddings