There are many curious people who want to know what weddings are like in Mexico, and that’s normal! Because more and more couples are deciding to travel to this paradise to get married, or even to bring this culture to our country!
Mexican weddings tend to be very colourful and cheerful. It is a culture that is full of traditions and rituals from different civilisations and that will undoubtedly surprise your guests.
If you are dreaming of a wedding of this type… you need to know all the traditions, protocols, rituals, etc. that Mexican weddings entail in order to have a wedding that is faithful to this culture.
That’s why, below, we will tell you all about how weddings are in Mexico – don’t leave out anything for yours!
Let’s gooo!
The bride carries three different bouquets
Yes, you are reading correctly, nothing more and nothing less than three different bouquets for the bride, in the case of a Catholic wedding.
The first bouquet is for the ceremony and is the one that the bride usually keeps. Another simpler one is the one that is thrown to the unmarried guests. And the third one? This is the one that is left as an offering in the church for the Virgin Mary.
No pearls!
In ancient Rome, pearls symbolised the tears of angels, so in Mexico pearls are associated with the weeping of the bride at her wedding. If you want a wedding true to Mexican tradition, leave the pearls aside.
The “Money Shoe”.
This is a tradition that aims to raise money. For this, the bride wears a shoe with which she asks for money for the honeymoon, especially from married women. The shoe is considered to be a symbol of good luck, as it is shaped like a crescent moon, which means ‘fertility’ and ‘abundance’.
Glasses falling on the floor
That’s right, it is tradition to break some glass or even throw the centrepieces, but to avoid damage and accidents nowadays the bride and groom drop their glasses after the toast. It is said that the more broken glass there is, the more years of happiness the marriage will have.
In Mexico, weddings have several godparents
It is a tradition to have several godparents. The relationship godparents, rings, wedding coins, bouquet, cushions, Bible and rosary will be designated to the closest relatives.
There are also family and friends who offer to contribute to the cost of church favours for the wedding, photography, video and even the hall and banquet.
Mariachis, always present!
The Mexican wedding is a great excuse to have a good party. That’s why you can’t miss the performance of some mariachis, who will enter the scene at the end, giving a cheerful touch to the wedding.
Normally, it is left for the end to end the party on a high note. Your guests will love being able to sip a tequila and eat a tasty taco between dances and mariachi songs. You can imagine that the party will go on until late!
The tornaboda
It is very typical to celebrate the tornaboda in Mexico. This is an expansion of the wedding celebration, as a small party after the main event or the next day, and these festivities last well into the night and many parties do not end until the early hours of the morning. Do you know how long a wedding lasts in Mexico?
A wedding that lasts until dawn deserves a “levantamuertos” menu, that is, a good snack in the early hours of the morning to keep the party going, this is called “Mexican reheating”.
Chilaquiles for everyone!
In Mexico, weddings cannot be without chilaquiles, something typical and 100% indigenous to Mexican weddings. To celebrate the success of your celebration, nothing better than a plate of spicy chilaquiles. It may not be a centuries-old tradition, but few couples can resist integrating them into their celebrations.
The funeral march or “muertito”
One of the best known rituals among weddings in this culture is the funeral march or “muertito”. This tradition consists of holding the groom as if he were being taken to his own funeral, representing the death of being a single man in his life.
It is a humorous wink that alludes to being “trapped” in marriage. This means that the groom is committed to spending more time with his wife and future children.
“The sea snake”
Another popular custom is the game of ‘the sea snake’. This has been celebrated since the 1970s, so it is a modern tradition and takes place during the dance. At this point, the bride and groom must climb onto two chairs, each holding one end of the bride’s veil so that guests can pass underneath as they try to pull them off their respective chairs.
This represents the various complications the couple may encounter throughout their lives and married life together. Also, if the bride and groom end up falling on the floor, this may indicate some problems in the future.
The groom carries the bride in his arms
In past times, the bride was thought to be vulnerable to evil spirits that lingered on doorsteps and the groom would protect her by carrying her into her new home. Many couples retain the tradition of the groom carrying the bride into her new home.
In Mexico weddings also have arras (wedding coins)
The arras are thirteen gold coins. They represent prosperity for the couple in their new union. During the ceremony the coins are given to the bride and groom and held in their hands while they are reminded of the blessings they have received.
In some families it is also used for the parents to pass the arras to their children, to inherit the fortune they have had during their marriage.
“The dance of the banknotes”
Another tradition is the dance of the banknotes. This consists of the bride and groom going from table to table greeting the guests and letting them pin notes on their clothes. When they finish, the bride and groom dance together to some ranchera, celebrating all the money they have received.
Biscuits as a gift
Mexican biscuits are a popular gift all over the world, but even more so at weddings in Mexico. Mexican wedding biscuits are generally served more in the north of the country and are like butter cookies. This sweet is given as a gift to the guests.
Bows are representative
Among the traditions of Mexican weddings are the lazos, which represent the union of the bride and groom. It is common to have godparents with ribbons, who will place them during the ceremony.
In the old days it used to be made of flowers, but nowadays there is no standard and the ribbons can be anything you like: gold, silver, flowers, ribbon or paper.
“The Garter Game”
Going back to 16th century France, a shred of the bride’s trousseau was good luck for the guests. They would chase her and tear her dress to shreds. Over time, this custom evolved to give the groom the honour of removing the bride’s garter and throwing it.
She sits quietly on a chair while the groom dances over to her in a courtship style, a scene that is really fun.
Typical Mexican venues
If you want your wedding to be in the purest Mexican style, you have to have it in a hacienda or ranch, fill it with colours that combine harmoniously, usually orange, fuchsia and white. Do you already know which are the 100 best places to celebrate your wedding in Mexico?
So now you only need to know about the procedures to marry a foreigner in Mexico and what it is like to celebrate a wedding in the Mayan Riviera or a wedding on a beach in Mexico.
What do you think of these customs and rituals, and are you ready to organise a Mexican wedding? If you wish, you can choose just one of these traditions to incorporate something new into your wedding.
At Perfect Venue we are waiting for you to organise a “bien padre” wedding.
Let’s go!