Puerto Rico Wedding Customs
Planning a destination wedding in Puerto Rico? Make your ceremony and reception extra special by adding unique cultural touches to the festivities. There are many customs practiced at Puerto Rican weddings that are not seen anywhere else. Here are a few traditions you can consider incorporating into your Puerto Rican destination wedding ceremony.
The Wedding Ceremony
At a traditional Puerto Rican wedding ceremony in a church, the priest blesses a plate of coins and hands it to the groom. After the vows are exchanged, the groom gives the plate of coins to the bride as a gift. The bride keeps these coins as a memory of the wedding because they symbolize good luck and prosperity for the newly married couple. The wedding reception is held at the bride’s home.
The Puerto Rican Bridal Bouquet
The bouquets of Puerto Rican brides usually contain many amapolas, or poppy flowers. A fan is also included in their bouquets because it is part of the traditional attire worn by Puerto Rican brides. The fan is considered a symbol of good luck. The bridesmaids also carry bouquets with poppy flowers and fans. Other wild flowers native to Puerto Rico used in wedding bouquets and decorations include orchids, flamboyan flowers, and margaritas.
All guests are given corsages, or capias, at traditional Puerto Rican weddings. The corsages are typically attached to the bridal bouquet with ribbons. At the reception, the bride and groom pin the corsages on each guest. The corsages have a piece of fern attached that is approximately five inches long as well as a folded ribbon with the names of the bride and groom on one end and the date of the wedding on the other end.
The Bridal Doll
At traditional Puerto Rican weddings, a doll wearing a dress identical to that of the bride sits at the center of the main table at the wedding reception. Its dress is typically pinned with a variety of souvenirs. The guests traditionally pin money on the bridal doll after the bride and groom pin them with corsages at the reception.
Food
A popular dish at Puerto Rican weddings is lechon, or pig roast. In old times, there were no glasses to use for the toast at the reception so coconut cups were used instead. Café con leche, or coffee with milk, was served to the bride and groom in these coconut cups. Many couples still follow the tradition to this day and have photos taken while holding the coconut cups. The wedding cake at a traditional Puerto Rican wedding is usually flavored with rum, pineapple, or coconut.
Entertainment
Traditional Puerto Rican weddings are usually accompanied by live folk music. The dances that Puerto Rican couples do at traditional weddings include the danza criolla, or Puerto Rican waltz, and la borinquena, another style of waltz. There are many beautiful orchestral pieces from Puerto Rico that serve as the perfect accompaniment to these traditional waltzes.
Decorations
The same flowers that are used in the bridal bouquet in addition to greenery and palm branches are used as decorations in the church, house, and yard at traditional Puerto Rican weddings. Large lights are strung around the yard to make it look more festive. Ferns are used to create centerpieces. Seashells are used as table decorations and to adorn napkin rings. The wedding cake is typically decorated with motifs of pineapples or seashells.
In conclusion, Puerto Rican culture is rich with unique wedding traditions. Even if you are planning your destination wedding ceremony in a non-traditional setting such as a beach or an all-inclusive resort, you can incorporate some of these interesting customs into your ceremony and reception to give your wedding a Puerto Rican flavor. |
