Traditional Weddings in Mexico

Mexican traditional celebrations are famous worldwide. Maybe it is the color or its happy hubbub, the delicious dishes or the time the celebration lasts… or maybe it is each one of these elements, because each one of them characterizes more or less every party held in Mexico. For those visiting for the first time maybe there is no better example than a typical countryside wedding.

A wedding celebration in Mexico is often the result of the combination of native and catholic religious traditions. Preparation can take as long as weeks and the party itself could last many days. Even when it all seems to run in happy disorder, there underlies a strict ritual order that starts when the groom asks for the bride’s hand and finishes when the newlywed woman learns the household duties from the mother in law for a year, just in some places.

Almost in every part of Mexico the traditional dish in a wedding is Mole, preferably made by hand with all the labor and patience required to make it. In Oaxaca there are seven kinds to choose from, and men drink mezcal and dance with the turkey on their heads before killing it. In the coast the turkey may be substituted by sea food, and goat in the north. In the Yucatan they prefer to offer their delicious Relleno Negro or Baked Pork.

The tradition indicates that the groom has to ask for the bride's hand through an intermediary, often a priest, who offers presents to the bride's family; that the groom shouldn't see the bride again until the wedding day in the church; that the women in the bride's family should sew the bride's dress at the groom’s family expense, and that they should prepare the dishes for the wedding day at the whole town expense; that men and women should seat apart during the party. It is commonly assumed that everyone's invited.

Each community has its own variations for the rituals and traditions, but almost all parties last at least two days. The day after is called the "reheat", "washing the pot" or simply "over-wedding" party. Music is present always during the complete celebration and even when it is not well seen that the invitees dance before the newlyweds, you're more than welcome to kick and shake after they do, all in a traditional Mexican wedding party.