Wedding traditions in Spain: Bride.info: 0 comments

Peculiarities

Traditional Spanish weddings are still held today, but this is more applicable to areas of the country remote from major cities. In some ways, a Spanish-style wedding is reminiscent of a Russian one - the celebration is always large-scale and noisy, and some signs and fortune-telling also coincide. Otherwise, a traditional Spanish wedding is an original, distinctive event.

This country has several interesting traditions. For example, the groom is not prohibited from seeing his bride's dress before the wedding; on the contrary, they choose the wedding dress together. The celebration itself is held in the house of the future wife.

When exchanging rings, the groom gives his beloved 13 coins consecrated in advance in the church, which she must keep until the end of the celebration. Such a gesture symbolizes the husband’s promise to support the family and be responsible for its well-being.

If the bride and groom have chosen a Spanish theme for their wedding, they do not have to follow all the traditions of this people. You can only borrow some elements to imitate the celebration taking place in this country. For example, you can use the characteristic colors of a Spanish wedding or choose similar outfits for the newlyweds.

Interesting! It is not necessary to model Spain. After all, you can even have a wedding in this country. We have already written what it will look like.

The peculiarity of such a celebration is that all the attention of those present should be focused on the newlyweds, and to a greater extent on the bride. It is necessary to think through every detail of the image of the beloved so that all the elements are in harmony with each other.

The surrounding decoration is not that important, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time creating it.

In general, future newlyweds need to create a bright and sensual atmosphere that will not allow guests to sit still for a long time. Dancing and entertainment should be present at any Spanish wedding, so family and friends can express admiration for the bride and groom and in a unique way congratulate them on the happiest day of their lives.

Decor

The best time of year for a Spanish-style wedding is late summer and early autumn, since nature will support the chosen style and you can organize a colorful photo shoot. Such a celebration rarely takes place outdoors. In this case, they usually choose a botanical garden with flowering trees, a sandy beach or a country house.

A Spanish-style wedding is best celebrated in the banquet hall of a restaurant or cafe. Ideally, if it is a themed establishment, then you will not have to spend a lot of time and money on decorating the room and ordering suitable dishes. If there is no Spanish restaurant in the city where the celebration will take place, you can rent a regular banquet hall, similar in design style, and spend a little more time on the decorations.

The main colors for decorating the space are black (you can choose such furniture) and red (tables and chairs can be decorated with such tablecloths and covers). If the black color seems inappropriate for the newlyweds at the wedding, it can be replaced with white. If necessary, you can additionally use burgundy or orange.

Decorating a wedding in a Spanish style means:

colored fabrics for drapery
paintings of Spain
stylized lanterns hanging on the walls
thematic symbols - sombrero, guitar, bull figures, etc.

In addition to this, there should be a lot of fruits, berries and flowers in the space of the banquet hall. Large burgundy grapes will look impressive. Flowers can be used in small bouquets on each table and as garlands around the perimeter. Above the newlyweds you can make an arch of large, richly colored buds. You can also use bright satin ribbons for decoration.

Banquet hall decor

A Spanish-style wedding involves the use of spectacular colorful decorations. If you are lucky enough to find a restaurant suitable for the theme, then all that remains to think about is decorating the tables and interior with festive decorative paraphernalia. The banquet hall for a Spanish wedding is decorated with fresh flowers, fruits, balloons and ribbons of red, orange, and black flowers.

To emphasize the chosen style, try using illustrations of fiery Spanish dance or, for example, the famous bullfight. Luxurious fans can become the central element of the decor. They are useful for decorating walls and tables. Use maroon, terracotta or chocolate tablecloths. The menu should include traditional dishes such as tapas (snacks), paella, cheeses, sweet fruits, and red wine.

Invitations and place cards

The bride and groom are advised to think over the text of the invitation so that the Spanish style is immediately visible in it. For example, you can add “senor” to each male name, “senora” to a female name, and “senorita” if the card is addressed to a young unmarried girl. The rest of the text can be quite ordinary, but it is advisable to indicate in it that the wedding will be themed.

As for how to properly design wedding invitations in the Spanish style, the best option is to make them in the classic black and red colors. It is better to write the text with a fountain or gel pen, using stylized handwriting with curls. The card can be placed in a custom-sized envelope decorated with lace or satin ribbon. Overall, the invitation should look like a Spanish love letter.

Interesting! Invitations are very easy to make yourself. Moreover, we have already made detailed instructions.

Place cards that determine the place of each guest at the banquet can be made in the same style as invitation cards, be sure to use the traditional addresses - senor, senora and senorita. An interesting design option for such an accessory is in the form of a fan decorated with lace. You can attach a small scarlet flower to each place card.

Invitations for guests

Wedding decoration, as a rule, begins with the development of text and design of invitations for guests. At this stage, it is necessary to set the tone for the upcoming celebration. If you are planning to organize a bright Spanish holiday, try to reflect this idea in the design of invitations. An interesting option could be postcards in the form of fans. Pay attention to the color palette of the messages - it should correspond to the chosen topic. Give preference to red, orange and black colors.

Images of newlyweds and guests

Spanish brides wear black rather than white outfits, which symbolize fidelity to their future spouse. There are variations using red and orange colors. A black and scarlet dress with a corset, open shoulders, and an abundance of frills and flounces on the skirt looks impressive. If this option seems too extreme for the bride, she can choose a white dress with red elements and additional accessories. Traditionally, Spanish wedding dresses are made of chiffon, silk or organza.

As for the bride's hairstyle, it is best to curl the curls and arrange them in a certain composition, ideally if the hair is black. Makeup should be bright, but not vulgar. The main emphasis should be on the lips - they should be scarlet or burgundy, and it is better to use matte lipstick. You can simply line your eyes with graceful arrows. The manicure can be done in red or burgundy, plain or with black openwork patterns.

Particular attention should be paid to the bouquet. According to the Spanish tradition, it is composed of orange blossoms, but if this is not possible, you can use ordinary flowers. It is advisable to choose a bouquet so that it contrasts with the dress, and not make them monochromatic. To compose the composition, you can use roses or calla lilies. The bouquet itself can be classic hemispherical, cascading or in the form of a fan.

The groom's attire will be more modest. The photo below shows that a regular classic three-piece suit will do, but with a bright red shirt or vest. Instead of a bow tie, you can tie a scarf.

Traditionally, a Spanish bride must embroider a design on her groom's shirt, but this is not required anymore. There is another option for the groom’s suit - completely snow-white or cream. The only bright shade in this case will be in the boutonniere - it should be the color of the bride’s bouquet and from the same flower.

To create the right atmosphere at the celebration, you need to organize a suitable dress code. The easiest option is to ask guests to come dressed in a certain color. For women these are black and red dresses, for men - black trousers, white shirts and scarlet belts. Some newlyweds order identical outfits for the bridesmaids and groomsmen to create an even more harmonious atmosphere. As for the witnesses, it is advisable to give them a small bouquet, since there should be a lot of flowers at a Spanish wedding.

Wedding dresses of newlyweds in Spanish style

The next stage is to think over the wedding clothes of the newlyweds. To comply with the rules of the Spanish style, the heroes of the occasion must be dressed in appropriate attire. The groom should look like a real macho bullfighter:

shirt;
White pants;
cropped jacket;
red neckerchief
wide belt of the same color.

The head is decorated with a red beret or cocked hat. Well, unless the groom cannot stand something from this outfit at all, for example a red cocked hat, then in the end you can not insist and replace it with something more traditional and not so bold.

And the bride should smell like a blooming flower and look the same:

long wavy hair with a lace clip and a red rose;
a white or red dress with flounces and lace, with a lace shawl thrown over it and an invariable feminine attribute - a fan.

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Previously, traditional Spanish women always had a black wedding dress for the bride. But many now associate it with mourning and sadness, so in this case you can move away from traditions. But there are creative girls who choose this outfit for themselves and are not afraid of prejudice. Bold decisions in this matter are also welcome.

According to Spanish belief, the color orange brings good luck, wealth, and is a harbinger of happiness. Therefore, the bride’s bouquet traditionally consists of orange flowers; it can be diversified with some addition - Spanish women often attach a pendant pendant or rosary beads in the old style to it.

Celebration scenario

If the bride and groom do not want to order a toastmaster, they will need to independently think through the scenario for a Spanish-style wedding. You can play it like the love between a Spanish boy and a girl. Since this southern country was very strict about the communication of young people before marriage, they had to show their sympathy in extraordinary ways. Young men sang serenades to their lovers under the windows at night, and if the girl was favorable to her boyfriend, she could look out the window. Such a romantic scene can be played out at a wedding.

Attention! There are no particular differences in holding a Spanish and Russian wedding. When the newlyweds leave the registry office, they are showered with rose petals. At the celebration itself there should be a lot of singing and dancing.

You can organize a real show for your guests. To do this, you will need to invite a group of artists specializing in Spanish themes who can perform national dances. You can arrange a tasting of traditional drinks or treats. It is advisable to end the evening with a ceremonial fireworks display!

Additional Tips

The newlyweds need to warn the guests in advance so that they choose suitable outfits and surroundings, because your wedding is in a Spanish style! The video from the celebration can then be edited as a small action or film.

In addition, the bride and groom are recommended to consider the following organizational issues when preparing for the celebration:

Menu. For the celebration, it is advisable to order traditional Spanish dishes - paella, croquettes, tortillas, seafood salads, etc. Desserts are a must, such as churros, crema Catalan or natillas.
Birthday cake. The main dessert of the evening should be multi-tiered and richly decorated, since in Spain this symbolizes the well-being of the new family. The cake can be decorated with Spanish motifs, large flowers or even figures dancing tango.
First dance. Unlike a classic wedding, at a Spanish celebration the newlyweds can perform a fiery dance - flamenco or tango. It won’t be difficult to set them up; you can even go to a dance studio.
Cortege. Wedding cars can be anything, but they need to be decorated with a variety of colors with a dominant red hue.

Spanish wedding - traditions and customs of a wedding in Valencia.

From this article you will learn about how a traditional wedding in Valencia takes place on a medium budget with all that it entails. I emphasize, traditional. As I have already written in other articles, Spain is a country of contrasts; it is impossible to describe one or another sphere of life for all the inhabitants of the country. The stories will be completely different. That is why. We will talk about a wedding only in Valencia in the city in which I live and could answer for my words, as they say. I will talk about this event using the example of one of the weddings that I attended (in total, I attended three and I think that I will avoid this event in the future. At the end of the story you will understand why).

The article turned out to be long, so it consists of 3 parts.

We will talk about the following topics. In the first part:

The Spanish attitude towards weddings.
Wedding in Valencia through the eyes of a Russian person
Stages of a wedding: Preparation
Bachelorette/bachelorette party

In the second part:

Wedding day
Wedding feast

In the third part:

Spanish wedding customs
Present
Honeymoon
"The price of the issue"

Before I start, I will say that all the photos used in the articles are my personal ones from the wedding of one of my Spanish family members.

So, let's start with.

To begin with, you should familiarize yourself with the attitude of the Spaniards, in particular the Valencians, towards this event:

Spaniards, both men and women, generally have a very negative attitude towards this celebration. They delay this process as fashionably longer. They get married in extreme cases. For example, to satisfy the desire of irrepressible parents who want to take a walk at the wedding of their beloved child. Or the reason may be the desire to legalize the situation in the country of your other half, or even less often - for legal reasons (which, in fact, you need to think about first of all). Pregnancy, children, cohabitation and mortgages for many years are not reasons for marriage.
Men get married between the ages of 38-45 - when in Russia we are already preparing to retire and become grandparents. Women get married no earlier than 35-40. This point is due to the fact that Europe is very busy at work, it makes money. At the same time, the Spanish mentality is so structured that until the age of 35 (approximate age), they have not yet developed a sense of independence, responsibility and the desire to take on all family responsibilities and worries (more on that here). Moreover, both men and women. Please note that 80% of the population by the age of 40 has not achieved anything in their career, continues to live on pennies and is not able to buy a home.
Most Spanish couples live for years (10 years on average) unmarried. Has children, jointly acquired property, mortgages. As you understand, from a legal point of view this is a problem - in the event of the death, for example, of one of the “spouses”, the second does not receive anything. Sometimes, this moment pushes couples into marriage.
At the moment, the previous generation of Spaniards (i.e. parents and grandparents) adheres to traditional views: no sexual relations and living together before marriage, and weddings should take place according to all customs and traditions with a mandatory wedding in church. Spain is a very religious country. The modern generation no longer believes in religion, but, in order to please their “ancestors,” they get married in church, but I don’t know how to be baptized. Of course, many young couples live together and their parents have resigned themselves, but there are also those who, because of their parents, play the role of “proper” children.
Spaniards don't like to be invited to weddings. And they don’t like to go to it. They often refuse an invitation (unless, of course, it is a very close friend or family member, or a long-awaited event). Only relatives cannot be denied permission to attend a wedding. The wedding day often becomes a day of torture for the Spaniard; he can’t wait for it all to end. But more on that below.

I love going to a wedding, because for me this event represents happiness, joy, love and the union of two people. When I moved to Spain, I looked forward to attending a local wedding. Of course, it was interesting to see the how, when, what and where and in what order. However, after attending several events, I was horrified. My husband warned me that I shouldn’t wait for a wedding in the Russian style (by that time he had already learned all the basics of a Russian wedding, having married me and going through ransom and other traditions). I understood that it would be different, but I never expected this. A few observations about this:
The tables at the banquet will not only not be laden with food, they will be half empty, and you will be waiting for food all the time, asking when they will finish serving these stupid snacks.
The organization of the event is zero. There is no presenter, toastmaster, or in general anyone who could make the event a holiday and not a funeral.
The guests came to the wedding without knowing each other and left. They had fun exclusively with their mate and, at best, with those they knew.
You basically don’t see the bride and groom all day. They don’t say toasts at weddings, they don’t drink to the newlyweds. Actually, toasts are never said at any event.
They start screaming bitterly 10 minutes before the end of the wedding, if they scream at all.
There is a lot more that could be said, but I won’t reveal all my cards, otherwise it won’t be interesting to read further.

Now let's move on to the event itself.

Stage: Preparation.

Everything is simple here. Everything is like in Russia. Vanity, nerves, money, lack of time.

Selecting the venue for the event. Usually this is a restaurant, often outside the city, its level depends on the budget. If the budget is very modest, then in nature with food and drinks, such as McDonald's (this also happens). If the budget allows, then in a country house-restaurant, for example, like this:

Spanish wedding venue.
Choosing a church for a wedding. As I already wrote, modern youth are trying to avoid this event. A very large percentage of the younger generation does not believe in anyone, moreover, under the threat of execution, they will not enter the church. However, there are situations when you have to go through this “test” for the sake of parents who will not survive if their little blood is not blessed by the Virgin Mary. So the young couple has to give in to their parents and include the “wedding” line in their budget. Churches, of course, are different, and accordingly, wedding prices depend on the location and prestige of the church. We will find out about prices in another part of the article.
What's a wedding without the bride's dress? I have personal experience here - for myself, I tried to find a wedding dress in Spain and surprise Russia with an “overseas outfit”! It turned out the other way around. I’ll tell Russian brides right away - don’t buy your dress in Spain. I have never seen a more miserable outfit for an impressive amount of money. Of course, everyone has different tastes and it’s not worth judging so directly, however, to be honest, I didn’t expect such a meager choice and such bad taste. All the dresses are monotonous, white or cream-colored, all straight and long to the floor, gigantic in size, shapeless and simple, like three rubles. Looking at them, the thought came to my mind to wrap myself in a white sheet and that would be the end of it - there would be no difference, but it would be cheaper. The Internet is full of photographs of wedding dresses in Spain, but in reality there is nothing similar in Valencia. All beautiful dresses are made to order at incredible prices.

If you love minimalism and want the simplest dress - straight, white, narrow, then in Spain you will definitely find something similar. However, in Russia it will cost several times less. Some models were so terrible that they made me laugh nervously. And not only for me, it was tested on other Russian girls - I took them through the salons, thinking maybe I have a special taste and I’m picky, but no - their reaction was the same: “what a horror, what a shame, I’m in such I won’t even go take out the trash.” For prices - in another part of the article.

In general, I bought my dress in Tver and, to be honest, all the Spanish dresses taken together don’t hold a candle. It wouldn’t even occur to you to sew something like this here. So be it, I’ll show you off my dress