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The Nicaraguans or Nicas are an extremely hospitable, friendly people with a huge heart. We never get tired of repeating this. When they heard that we were on our way to Nicaragua, we were invited to go on a television program to talk about our history. From there until we found a marriage it didn't take long. We first discovered one in Granada but the bride and groom were reserved and didn't want to see their story shared.
On the beach in San Juan del Sur, the Pelicano hotel had a wedding the following weekend. The wedding would be on Friday and not on Saturday as is typical of Christian weddings because Sunday there were elections in the country and on election day and the day before there is prohibition, establishments are prohibited from serving alcohol.
The hotel is magnificent, it is on a hillside with a breathtaking view over the village and the beach, but it has stairs to go everywhere. The bride and groom are Joanna and Roy. It was only when we arrived that we learned that she was the daughter of a Nicaraguan mother but that he was American and they both lived in Miami. I confess that we were a little disappointed because we wanted something more traditional but we still hadn't been to an American wedding, Lipaz and Reem's was anything but traditional.
On the day of the event, we took the opportunity to have an insight into the entire assembly process. But it didn't stop raining, and things got delayed. We were able to talk to Joanna while she was getting ready and we got to know more about them. They met in the middle of the ocean, talked about work, and became friends. At the time, they both worked in the same field. They decided to get married in Nicaragua and had 270 guests fly in from the United States for their wedding. In Miami there is a large Latino community, so at the wedding we hear more people speaking Spanish than English.
And then the ceremony started, everything was beautiful and maybe the rain that started to fall as soon as the ceremony started made it even more perfect. Some people took shelter but others didn't want to miss the moment for anything and covered their heads with chair cushions.
A small cocktail followed while the bride and groom enjoyed a photo session with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. And then they went to the space where dinner would be served. However, it had already stopped raining.
While people were having a cocktail, we took the opportunity to have a look at the food. We were very well received by the staff. Dinner would be a kind of land and sea made with products from the region: octopus, lobster, steak and various salads. Before starting the meal, the bride and groom would take the opportunity to have their first dance and to dance with their parents, then the godparents would make their speeches. And all this was followed by a huge party all night with a dj at the height of the event.
We didn't linger because another wedding was waiting for us in Costa Rica.
Angélica and Cristopher got married in Heredia, next to the capital San José. She is Costa Rican but he is Honduran. He came to Costa Rica from Honduras three years ago on a mission for his church, the church of the last days or as Mormons are popularly known. It was on this mission that he met Angelica. He knocked at the door to tell him about his ideals. Later he had to return to Tegucipalga, the Honduran capital, but in less than 3 months he was back and the wedding was scheduled.
The wedding took place in the Mormon temple. Mormon marriages are divided into two moments. The wedding that takes place in the chapel, where everyone watches, is presided over by the Bishop and then has its civil moment where rings are exchanged and the couple is united “until death do us part”.
Afterwards, the bride and groom go to the temple for the religious sealing. The temple is a sacred place, and one that they highly respect. In order to enter it is necessary to have a letter of recommendation from the Bishop. And taking pictures is prohibited. We didn't go in. We stood there imagining what it would be like inside and what they were doing.
It took an hour and when they left we took some more pictures and talked to the bride and groom who tried to explain to us the ceremony they had inside the temple. In the temple, people dress all in white, to show that everyone is equal.
In the case of sealing, they go to a specific room where the groom's family is on one side and the bride's family on the other. The bride and groom kneel face to face and on their heads there is a mirror where they see themselves for eternity. The sealing is just that, it is the joining together for all eternity. Even after death, families and couples remain united.
All this happens in the morning. At 4 pm, the party begins with the traditional moments we know: music, wedding cake and food.
After these weddings and knowing that traditions in the West are similar, we felt that we should go elsewhere. And if the best thing about the trip is that we can spend a year deciding our lives and not society, that's what we did. But we will tell you more soon.
