Weddings

A lot has been happening in the last couple of months, that I haven’t had the time to sit down and write! Construction of a new cafeteria, lots of fun over independence day, the end of school/a bunch of outings, prepping for the Christmas celebrations, a trip to the states, and a few weddings too!

One, at the start of August, was in a Catholic church near central park, in a town maybe a 45 minute drive away. This was one of our orphanage staff member’s weddings, so a lot of familiar faces were around. It was more a traditional Guatemalan wedding. The bridesmaids wore their indigenous Mayan skirts and shirts, and the bride did too! She had a long white veil that was carried down the aisle by her bridesmaids. They had their ceremony seated at the front of the Catholic church. The service was maybe 30 minutes, and was finished by 10:30.

We all exit the church, hugging and giving our best wishes to the new couple, but the day has just begun!! The couple takes off walking down the middle of the street with their groomsmen leading the way, and the bridesmaid following close behind carrying the veil. The family members were walking to the sides with those giant baskets balancing on their heads full of wedding gifts!

Four blocks away, and we made it to the bride’s home for lunch. As they entered into her home, a piñata full of confetti broke over their heads, as fireworks were lit just 100 feet away. Homemade tortillas, pork, rice, veggies, and a coke to wash it all down! It was an afternoon to celebrate and to gather together in community and building relationships. We spent a good two hours there, before going on our next adventure.

Four more blocks, and cake was served at the groom’s house. It was kinda like celebrating her leaving her old house and moving into her new abode. Welcome banners were hung on the walls, along with a speech given by the groom’s family to welcome her into the home. We grabbed a bit of cake, which lasted more than another hour, and headed home for the night, even before the dancing and dinner was served. It was now 5:30 after a 10:00 wedding.

Instead of paying the ~$15 for an Uber like I did to get me to the church, I spent ~$1.50 to head back to the orphanage with one of the house parents that also attended. It was pouring rain, we were both in nice dresses and sandals, yet we hiked up about a quarter of a mile to the orphanage doors, making it back by 7:00.

The second, just last week, was in a town almost 2 hours away. I rode with a family, and we left at 12:20, to make it by 2, for a 3:30 wedding. This time, I was a bridesmaid, and was excited for what the afternoon would hold.

As we were making a right onto the main road outside of the orphanage, there was a line of cars. No moving at all. Pretty far back. With barely any space allowing us to get into that line. Over the course of waiting about an hour and a half, not even a mile from the starting point, we witnessed people getting out of their cars, walking, and catching the public bus into town. Others were doing a 7 point turn to head back down from where they started, making a u-turn to head back to the city. So did we.

What was going to be 1:45 in the car, turned into 1:30 parked in traffic, and 2:30 circling towards the city, making it back around to our original route. I knew we were going to be late. I wasn’t even sure we’d attend. My anxiety started growing. I spent all morning on trying to curl my hair with a straightener, I spent a little too much money on a bridesmaid dress and shoes, and felt that I let the bride down, not having her full team by her side on her big wedding day. Also, I was a bridesmaid that had zero practice or rehearsal, so I had NO CLUE what I was doings and I was kinda depending on the early arrival to figure out what I’d need to do. That’s Guatemala for ya!

Gladly, a 3:30 start time is just a suggestion in Guatemala. They waited for us to start the ceremony. I almost got a little teary-eyed and felt a big sense of relief, when the groom called us saying “Te esperamos!” (We’ll wait for you!) The parents of the family I rode with walked the groom down the aisle, and I got to walk down with one of the bride’s brothers. The bride wore a white dress, put together by herself and one of the house moms. (I also had my dress hemmed by that house mom!) It was a pretty short service with a short message, vows, placing of the rings, and the final kiss before walking back up the aisle.

The wedding was outside, and the reception dinner was inside, all in the same event venue. We took our pictures, had some coffee, and enjoyed the evening together. Chicken, homemade tortillas, rice, and veggies, along with my homemade bread, was served up fresh! The family served all the food and was continually running around, making sure we had enough coffee and tortillas. I was close enough to the bride, making sure they had all they needed for food and drink. The bride and groom had their first dance together, the bouquet was tossed, and all was done by 7:30. Most of us who attended were Americans in a small unfamiliar town, so we all headed out following one another. With a couple of u-turns and going the wrong way on a one-way, we finally made it home!

I think the most special part of the day overall were 4 of us praying over the bride in a tin shack about the size of an outhouse. It wasn’t much, the prayer was kinda rushed as we were all headed down the aisle soon, and we were all pretty tight in a not-so-fancy place, but it was the starting point for her new life as a wife.

Different families, different traditions, same country, culture, and love. It is an honor to share with these friends and get to watch these four friends grow together in their dating and now married lives!