Can you tell me about some Bolivian wedding traditions?

by Bria
(California, USA)

I am getting married this year to a wonderful man who is half Boliviano and half American. His mother is from Cochabamba. Both my fiance and I grew up in California, and we don't know anything about Bolivian weddings. But I would like to incorporate his family culture into our wedding!

Can you please tell me if there is something I could do at our American wedding that would be a nice tribute to my husband's Bolivian culture? Should we serve chicha? Anything will help, thank you so much!

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Jul 01, 2010

Bolivian weddings
by: Anonymous

It depends if your husband to be is part indian[ mestizo] full blooded indian, or a criollo[ white direct descendant from Spaniards]
All this groups have very diferent traditions, the last one is a very Catholic wedding just like in Spain,no supertitions, the first one is a mix, and the last one is based if they are Aymara or Quechua.

Jun 03, 2010

some bolivian wedding traditions
by: Miguel

In my culture, the people have many beliefs about what can bring you luck on your wedding day. It is said that December is the best month to get married in my culture. The bride and groom are given coins that symbolize God?s blessings for the family. Being godparents in my tradition is like being the second parent. The style of dress for the bride and groom are usually the same as the American wedding. A difference in a Bolivian wedding is that when the groom pulls the bride?s guarder off and throws it, the man who catches it doesn?t have to put it on girl who caught the bride?s bouquet. Along the bottom of the cake are little ribbons which are placed inside the cake. At the end of one of the ribbons is a ring. This ring represents marriage and whoever gets this ring is going to get married some day. This tradition is similar to the one where the girl who catches the bride?s bouquet will be the next to marry. Another difference between a Bolivian wedding and an American wedding is the music and style of dance. Mostly Latin American music such as folklore and salsa is played. In the US everyone dances in groups that form small circles on the dance floor, but in Bolivia everyone dances in lines which are matched up boy to girl. It is just simply that everyone who has a partner dances beside another couple. It is also tradition that the bride and groom?s first dance is to a waltz, which is then followed by speeches from the parents of both the bride and the groom. Another tradition that sets the two apart is that in Bolivia there are two types of ceremonies. The first is in the church and the second is by the state. Then the couple signs the government papers verifying their marriage and witnessing it before the guests. Also sometimes at the wedding, those who have small children bring their maids with them.

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