Live Life Team
A couple in Mexico has the good fortune to have sponsors to help them through the preparations for the wedding and to assist if needed after they are married. Godparents are the usual sponsors and they help both financially and emotionally. They are called “padrinos’” and hold a special place in Mexican weddings. It is customary for “padrinos” to present the pair with a Bible and rosary during the actual ceremony.
Marriage is almost always celebrated in a church, usually of Catholic origin. Traditions that make the ceremony truly Mexican include a white ribbon or a rosary being wrapped around the pair during the marriage vows, symbolising their joining. This is called lassoing.
The groom also gives his bride 13 gold pieces as a wedding present which are then blessed at the ceremony by the priest. This is a symbol of his promise to look out for her and support her financially.
Red beads are tossed at the pair as they leave the church, to bring them good luck. Once they reach the reception hall, the guests will hold hands and form a human heart shape around the couple as they take their first dance. Mexican wedding cakes are usually made of fruit and soaked in rum and these are cut with great ceremony.
A “piñata” is a container made out of paper mache. One of these, usually in the shape of an animal or a heart, is suspended from the ceiling at the reception hall. Children swing at it with a baseball bat or long stick, hoping to break it so that all the sweets inside spill out. This is usually done blindfolded and it’s harder than it looks!
