A wedding, a joyous occasion, becomes rather rare as one ages. Rarer still is that chance to participate in the customs and rituals of a wedding in a foreign country. Our first notice of the planned marriage of our Oaxacan friends Eric and Elsa came via email with a save the date message. We considered the timing and the cost and decided to go for it.
The event was scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2013. The ceremony
would be at 7 p.m. in la Iglesia de la Soledad (the Basilica of Our Lady of
Solitude), a beautiful cathedral in the heart of Oaxaca de Juarez (the capital
city of the state of Oaxaca). There would be a reception at the Ethnobotanical
Garden and another reception the following day in Teotitlan del Valle, at
Eric’s family’s home.
The day was hot and humid. The bridal couple debated whether to rent a tent in case of rain. They decided to chance it and by evening the heat and humidity broke. We walked from our hotel to the public area around the cathedral arriving a little early. The upper level of the park-like area overlooking the entrance to the cathedral was filled with activity; a group of young people were working on traditional dances and a Shakespearean troupe was practicing stage fighting.
We turned back to the church and watched as the guests and attendants arrived. It was evident that another
wedding was in progress inside the cathedral. This magnificent venue must be in
high demand for ceremonies.
The first people to arrive were Eric (the groom) with his brother Omar followed shortly thereafter by their parents Federico and Dolores (Fe y Lola). We waved and photographed the group before coming down to greet them. Janet, Eric’s sister was looking glamorous for the event as were about a dozen other females dressed in aqua blue floor-length dresses of various designs. These were not “bridesmaids” as we have in the US and there were no counterpart “groomsmen.” We concluded they were all relatives or close friends of the bride who were honored for the event and seated together at the ceremony. We called them the "bevy of beauties."
Elsa arrived in the courtyard a little later accompanied by her parents and sponsors. The sponsors play a special role at Mexican weddings, but we did not venture to ask the specific involvement. While people were casually chatting and photographing each other we noticed someone who seemed like a reporter or videographer who was interviewing Elsa. There were many photographers and we could not tell who had been hired for the event or if all were just taking the opportunity to record a beautiful wedding and bride.
Finally, the other ceremony ended and people started gathering at
the doorway. From a ways away we surmised that the priest was blessing the
couple as they entered the church. People scrambled to the front of the church
and so did we.
This was to be an hour-long ceremony with mass. The wedding couple and their witnesses were seated before the alter. To the left a musical group assembled: three violins, a keyboard, and a soloist. The soloist took our breath away with her powerful voice filling the cathedral. The amazing part of her presentation was the fact that while she was singing she was holding a baby; and when the baby began to squirm, she calmly shushed it with a finger on his lips. She didn’t miss a beat. And nearby a toddler looked on, also quite comfortable with her mother’s activities.
Since our Spanish is poor, the ceremony provided time to take in the beauty of the place; the dozens of bouquets of lilies, the ornate alter with the Virgen de Soledad, and the beautiful people in attendance.
As we left the church we were given little bottles of bubbles. We
happily blew ours at the newlyweds. As we walked away from the Cathedral I
turned and captured this amazing structure beautifully lit on a perfect April
evening in Oaxaca. -KL
Part Two. The Civil Ceremony and the Reception.
(to be
continued.)
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