More than 421,000 Venezuelan-born individuals live in the United States. As a result, there is an increasing number of cross-cultural couples, including Venezuelans, planning weddings.
Spanish, African, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, and indigenous influences have all left their mark on Venezuelan culture. As a result, the customs and traditions are diverse and unique, especially at weddings.
If you or your partner is from Venezuela, you likely want to incorporate Venezuelan wedding traditions into your big day. Yet, comprehending these traditions can be challenging, especially if you have never been to a wedding in Venezuela.
This article will give you an in-depth understanding of Venezuelan weddings and their multi-cultural origins. It will also give you some tips for representing the culture at your wedding ceremony!
Traditional Engagements
In Venezuela, engagements are significant because most people live with their parents until they are married.
Although most people choose their partners, they still highly value the approval of their families. Thus, it is customary for the groom to ask the bride’s father for his blessing before proposing.
Traditionally, the groom also proposes at the bride’s home, in front of her family. However, modern couples may get engaged at a romantic location such as a fancy restaurant or beautiful beach.
The engagement usually lasts around a year, which gives the couple plenty of time to plan their wedding and honeymoon.
Civil Wedding
It is common for Venezuelan couples to hold two ceremonies. The first is a small civil ceremony, which is sometimes in a courthouse or other public building. The purpose of a civil wedding is to register the marriage legally.
Religious Ceremony
After the civil wedding, couples hold grand religious ceremonies in a church with their family and friends. Although some partners will have the large ceremony right away, others decide to wait a few months.
Since religion is so important in the culture, most people do not consider the couple officially married until after the religious ceremony.
As in many countries, the maid of honor and two children carrying the rings enter before the bride. However, Venezuelan tradition is unique because the flower girl dresses in the same gown as the bride, no matter what style she chooses.
Next, the bride will enter with her father or the person giving her away to the groom. She carries a bouquet of pink or white flowers that symbolize her purity.
Many Venezuelans are Catholic, so they tend to exchange wedding rings representing their eternal union in marriage. In addition, the groom gives the bride thirteen coins of Arras as a promise to always care for her.
After the ceremony, the guests throw rice at the couple. This custom comes from Europe in the middle ages and wishes the couple fertility, prosperity, and good luck.
As they drive to the reception, everyone honks their horns behind the couple’s car.
Reception Traditions
The reception begins with the couple’s first dance, which is proceeded by dancing with family members. Finally, the rest of the guests can start dancing, and the party officially begins.
Halfway through the reception, there is a custom called “la hora loca” (the crazy hour). At this time, the DJ plays a mixture of the most emblematic Venezuelan songs.
Everyone dances for an entire hour while wearing masks, wigs, and hats. It is also common for the guests to blow whistles or noisemakers.
One of the strangest traditions in Venezuelan receptions is that the couple sneaks away without any of the guests noticing. They believe that it brings them good luck.
Even after the couple leaves, the guests may continue to party until sunrise. To signal the end of the party, someone will play the drums or “llaneros,” a regional variety of music.
Wedding Food
At most Venezuelan weddings, the couple serves appetizers called “pasapalos” instead of large meals. These are typically savory and can include the following:
- Fried cheese sticks, called tequeños
- Spicy ham salad sandwiches
- Boiled quail eggs
- Fried balls of ground meat
- Pieces of bread with olives on a stick
- Filet Mignon
Sometimes, couples will also choose to serve chicken and rice, soup, or grilled meat.
Venezuelan weddings traditionally feature a wedding cake that is decorated according to the bride and groom’s taste. However, they may also serve other desserts, like cupcakes, shortbread cookies, swiss rolls, or other regional favorites.
Guests at Venezuelan weddings tend to drink alcoholic beverages, such as beer, whiskey, rum, or cocktails. It is also common to serve papelón con limón, a drink made from cane sugar, lemon, and water.
The guests may be offered sancocho at sunrise, a traditional soup consisting of meat and root vegetables. This soup helps the guests recover from their long night of partying.
Honeymoon
Typically, Venezuelan couples take honeymoons to local beaches or national parks. Some popular honeymoon destinations in Venezuela include:
- Los Roques
- Morrocoy National Park
- Isla de Margarita
- Canaima National Park
If a couple chooses to travel internationally, they will likely take a trip to the nearby Caribbean islands, such as Aruba, Bonaire, or Curaçao. However, with the large number of Venezuelans living abroad, you can find honeymooning Venezuelans practically anywhere.
Represent Your Heritage with Venezuelan Wedding Traditions
Whether you or your partner is Venezuelan, you can pay homage to your heritage and celebrate Venezuelan wedding traditions. Some easy ways to do so involve serving typical food on the menu, playing traditional music, or dancing the night away in true Venezuelan fashion.
If you are planning a wedding, be sure to check out more of our informative content!
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