The Republic of Colombia is a country in South America. It is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, the northwest by Panama, the south by Ecuador and Peru, the east by Venezuela, the southeast by Brazil, and the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia is composed of 32 departments and the Capital District of Bogotá, the country’s largest city.
Colombia is predominantly a catholic country where wedding is a mixture of religion, traditions and culture; all brought together for a special moment filled with fun.
A traditional Colombian wedding takes place in a church and Colombian marriages are very floral with the flowers on the bride symbolising purity.
The Proposal: In Colombia the male asks the Father of the bride-to-be for a blessing to marry his daughter and after being blessed the male proposes with a ring.
The couple then are engaged and have an engagement party. The couple picks a date on when they want to be married.
The night before the wedding the couple sleep in separate rooms as it is regarded as bad luck for the couple to see each other before the ceremony. Before the wedding the groom surprises his bride-to-be with a serenade which is performed at the bride’s home. This is a start of wedding procession.
In Colombia, the bride and groom do not have bridesmaid, maid of honour or groomsmen or a best man. Instead they have a Godmother and Godfather who are there to provide support and advice to the Bride and Groom throughout the day.
Wedding Attire: All of the male guests are required to wear Guayabera suits which is made of white cotton. The Guayabera is a plain but stylish outfit and even the groom will be dressed in this. The climate of Colombia is characterised for being tropical with hot temperatures, so light fabrics and colours are recommended so you can enjoy the day. The bride wears a lace or silk shawl and veil called a mantilla. Female guests are expected to wear long dresses, a cocktail dress or a fancy skirt.
Set Up: Colombian wedding is usually very colourful, with flowers playing a significant role in the wedding décor. Set up and the way they want their wedding reception to be is often up to the bride and groom.
Celebrations: The wedding reception is paid for by the bride’s family. The bride and groom cut their wedding cake which is often a lack fruit cake soaked in red wine. They have no speeches at their wedding and instead they drink shots of aguardiente. The couple after have a candle ceremony where they both light a candle. This represents the joining together of the two people. After the ceremony the husband gives 13 coins to his bride which symbolises the sharing of his wealth. Traditions that are part of the wedding involve all the men at the wedding to remove their belts, with the one having the largest belt being crowned the winner. Another Tradition at the wedding is for all single people to put one shoe under the bride’s dress. The groom then picks one shoe and the owner of that shoe is going to be the next one to be married.
Colombians meals typically include traditional Colombian cuisine that includes chicken, pork, potatoes, and rice. The families will host a dance in part of the celebration. Couples will dance to Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Vallenato.
