Two Peruvian Weddings

A Country Wedding

Back in October, Walter and I were invited to a traditional country wedding, taking place in a community about 2 hours outside of Cusco.  This is a traditional community that still wear the typical dress of their area, as seen in the photos below - so, no, not just special wedding gear!  (Although, you can note that the younger generation are starting to wear more common pants and jackets). 

Every community, district, region in Peru have their own traditions.  Many country weddings take place over a period of three days.  This one was only one, starting around 11 am, and ending in the early evening.

The couple, Juan and Fortunata, are in their early to mid twenties and were married in their evangelical church by their Pastor.  We arrived late, and had missed some of the more than two hour long religious ceremony.  The couple and guests had already been adorned in colorful confetti, marking the exchange of vows as husband and wife. 

There is not much difference to the wedding outfits from their everyday outfits, but one thing that changes when man and woman go from single-hood to being married, is the design on the beaded strips on their hats.  The intricate designs on the beaded pieces change to a more simple one, with more white that symbolise a member's marriage status.

After the exchange of vows and rings, a main message, words said by different important people, and after singing some worship songs as a congregation, Juan said some words, and the service ended, as new man and wife came down the aisle, leading in procession all attendees out of the mud-brick church, along the mountain-side to the celebration site. 

The tradition in Peru, much like other Latin American cultures, is to have two couples represent you as Padrinos (godparents) at your wedding as witnesses.  One act as an elder couple who the promised couple choose, looking up to in values and standard of marriage, who help with organising the wedding, and who the newlyweds will go to for marriage advice in the future.  The other are also specially selected as a respected  pair who provide the wedding rings.  In the Peruvian farming communities, wedding bands are not always purchased, but if they are, they are simple silver or gold bands.  The couple tends to wear the rings on the right hand, though some Peruvians wear them on the left (apparently there is no standard in regards to this tradition).

The celebration site was a large community yard, where all of the guests sat outside along the perimeters, and were served the special dinner.  Some of Juan's brothers had been preparing the meal in the community kitchen while the ceremony was taking place, and it was the men from Juan's family who served the guests.  There was Fanta and Inka Cola served in plastic cups, boiled potatoes, moraya and chuño (freeze-dried potatoes), then a soup, boiled choclo (large kernels of corn), and the main plate of more boiled potato and chuño, and baked guinea pig and spagetti noodles.  As special guests from the city, they made sure to provide utensils for us, though the limited bowls and plates were used as people finished, and to serve the next guest.

The couple had hired a band from Cusco who were having some problems setting up due to intermittent rain, but finally got the party started with typical Andean music, and likely some dancing to follow.  We didn't stay, but gave our gifts to the couple at the head table, seated on both sides by their parents and godparents.  When you present your gift, the couple in turn give something back.  In this case it was a bottle of Fanta pop!

The couple in the middle with their godparents on both sides, participating to a worship song

Guests in the church



The happy newly-weds as they leave the church (more confetti!)

The guests heading to the celebration grounds

Men and boys serving the food

 

Inka Cola and Fanta pop

 

The couple at the head table surrounded by parents and their godparents  (the bottled pop below the table is to give as gifts to those who have come with gifts, and for the rest of the night)

 

Guests eating

 

 

A City Wedding

A couple of days before Valentine's Day, we attended a middle to upper-class wedding in the city of Cusco.  We knew Giani and Dina's wedding date months before, but received the invitation two weeks before, along with four others that we were told we could use to invite anyone we wanted.

The civil ceremony is what counts to the government here, and the couple were able to combine their civil and religious ceremonies into one.  The ceremony started at 5pm... well a little later to commemorate Peruvian time, and giving us the opportunity to really check out their decorations. 
The groom was nervous as he came in with his mother to stand at the front.  Some classical music started, and the bride and her dad floated in behind the bible-bearer, ring bearer, and flower girls.  The civil ceremony commenced, and was soon finished, with appropriate signatures in place and the judge's announcement of man and wife.
Then, the said wedding party went back to their 'starting places' and new processional music began, with the groom still anxiously waiting at the front stage. 
In Peru, rather than bridesmaids and groomsmen, the couple choose jovenes (youth) from their church who come in before the bride, forming an archway with flowers.  Giani and Dina had chosen a unique twist to the tradition, with every second of the young girls holding tambourines, and the guys holding bibles.  They did a little dance, sort of 18th century style, lining up and facing each other, and meeting in the middle with curtsies and dance steps, and then formed the archway with their hands held out to the partner across from them for the bridal entrance, and later for the newly married couple to pass under.

The ceremony was two hours minimum, with a full message, the vows, rings exchanged, the kiss, and then an announcement by the Pastor for the guests to lay money at their feet on a silken blanket - a tradition symbolising the bounty and plenitude of their future as a married couple.
After the ceremony all of the godparents, family, and then guests were invited to have photos with the couple.

And then, off to the ball... well it certainly felt like a fairy-tale-like ball anyways, with the reception held in a banquet room decorated for the occasion.  While the couple were whisked off for their private photos in some fancy place in Cusco (they chose the Plaza de Armas) fruity drinks and appetizers were served.  The centre table was set up with room for the couple, their parents, godparents, and pastor and his wife to sit on both sides.  The wedding cake was four-tiered and surrounded by eight other matching round cakes.

After Dina and Giani's grand entrance, they were seated, introductions of their wedding party were announced, the couple's dance started, and their godparents and guests were invited to dance with the couple.  It was around 11pm when the meal was finally served- lechón (deep-fried pork), tamales and bread,  and then cake, after the cake-cutting.  Guests then lined up to give their wedding gifts personally to the bride and groom.  Not long after, the couple visited each table, offering their little token of thanks (guest favours- little ornaments with the couple name and wedding date) to each person who had given a gift.  And then it was dance time!  Many people started to leave, fairly shortly after.

Pre-wedding decor, all ready to start

The bridal entrance for the civil ceremony

The couple after being announced man and wife by the Judge

The youth get ready for the new couple to pass through in their official marriage march

The newly-weds on their official march after the religious ceremony

 

The reception hall

 

The head table

Cake cutting

Two Peruvian weddings, both traditional, both similar and very different! 

Common-law relationships are very common here; with weddings beings so expensive, couples don't  feel convinced that they can get married for financial reasons.  A common trend in past years has been for churches or municipalities to put on "Massive Marriages" where it only costs a small amount to pay for the civil ceremony costs, with many couples getting married the same day, sharing the costs and celebrating later in a private family affair.