Guatemala 6/29/2024 |
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Saturday June 29, 2024 - Aracely and Joel's WeddingWe woke up at 8 o'clock and showered first thing, as we didn't know what the timeline of the day would be.We ate cereal for breakfast and had coffee to drink. Yasmin invited me to the hair salon around the corner (Sakura) where she was getting her nails done and Yoselin was getting her hair dyed a subtle violet. I went with them and stayed for a while, watching the process before heading back to the house. We were thrilled to see that Vanesa was out of bed and feeling well enough to help with wedding preparations. Danny, Humberto, and Ian were blowing up white balloons and making an archway to place at the entrance to the property. They spread pine needles on the floor; a local tradition for parties and celebrations. Not only does it make things smell nice, it also reinforces the culture's bond with mother earth. Laisa came over to help with preparations. Yasmin and Yoselin returned from the salon, with the hair stylist in tow. They set up in one of the upstairs rooms to do Aracely's hair and makeup. Olga, Pamela, Allison Margarita, and Roxana came over. We all ate lunch, a hearty beef soup with corn and other veggies. Then we got dressed for the wedding. Once Craig and I were dressed, I helped Aracely to get dressed. She looked gorgeous. Her dress had a bit of a train, but the veil had a much longer train. All dressed up with her hair and makeup done, she looked stunning. I felt as if my own daughter was getting married. Of course, just before we had to leave the house to go to the municipal building for the civil ceremony, it started to downpour. Rain had been forecast for today, but did the heavens really need to open up just as we were on our way to the ceremony? They covered Aracely with umbrellas, and she had to hold up the train of her dress and veil to prevent them from getting muddy while walking down the dirt alleyway. It was difficult to get photos because of the pouring rain. We piled into the van, umbrellas in tow, and Manuel drove us to the municipal building. He dropped us all off, and then went to pick up Joel and his family. We arrived shortly after 4 p.m. The mayor was not available to perform the ceremony today, so a lawyer stood in. When he saw that I was going to be the one taking photos, he directed me to sit in a chair in the corner, behind his desk. That way I would be able to get good photographs of Aracely and Joel's faces as the ceremony took place. I greatly appreciated his thoughtfulness. Aracely sat in front of the desk, and when Joel arrived, he took a seat next to her. They hardly looked at one another and looked very nervous. They loosened up as the ceremony went on (the lawyer and his assistant were very nice). I had the perfect angle for capturing photos. When the ceremony was over, Aracely and Joel signed the paperwork, as did their parents and grandparents. As Aracely's godparents, we also got to sign as witnesses. It started pouring again when it came time to leave. We all ran to the van and Manuel drove us to the synthetic soccer field where the religious ceremony and reception were taking place. We had heard that it was outdoors, and were worried about the rain. Luckily, although the sides were open, there was a high metal roof, so we were all sheltered from the weather. We got our photo taken with the family and the bride and groom. We all missed Eddy, who was still sick in bed and was unable to attend. He and Aracely are so close that we know that it really bothered her that he couldn't be there. I took photos of Aracely and Joel with various family and friends. As I had done for Vanesa, I wanted to create a wedding video for Aracely, including photo and video footage of as many guests as possible. We sat at a table with Aracely's siblings, as well as Humberto's nephew Juan Carlos, his wife Yolanda, and their daughter Fatima. Aracely and Joel sat at the head table with their parents. A band was playing religious music. There was a short religious service where a pastor blessed the marriage. Then there was a receiving line where everyone congratulated the newlyweds and their parents, and delivered gifts. The happy couple stood under a balloon arch and Joel's mother pulled on a ribbon hanging from a crepe paper wedding decoration. Little bits of white styrofoam showered down onto the newlyweds like snow. Then everyone went back to their tables, and dinner was served. Danny and Yoselin helped to serve dinner. It was a delicious but messy meal: chicken legs in a mole-like orange sauce with rice, tortillas, and sweet tea. In the process of serving, poor Danny and Yoselin got the sauce all over their fancy clothes. Danny had been holding a tray of food on his shoulder, and ended up with a stain on the shoulder of his shirt. Some of the children in attendance seemed to be growing a bit bored after food (there was no dancing). But at that point, Paola arrived with Octavio the dog (all freshly washed). Octavio was a big hit with the kids, as they chased him around the field. Paola's friend Julio arrived a bit later to join her. The cake was made up of 6 cascading tiers on a metal stand. Aracely and Joel cut one of the tiers and gently fed one another a bite. We kept waiting for Aracely to throw the bouquet. Craig had been in charge of carrying the bouquet around all day. But they never actually ended up throwing it. As it approached 9 p.m., folks started cleaning up, breaking down tables, stacking chairs, and packing the gifts into garbage bags. Kids were playing with the water beads in the centerpieces, and were ripping down balloons. Even Aracely's sisters were taking down the nested balloons to take home with them. We grabbed one of the centerpiece glass candle holders as a keepsake. We left the reception at 9 o'clock, saying congratulations to Aracely and Joel, as they would be going back to Joel's family house, where they would live together from now on. When we got back to the house, we hung out with Humberto, Paulina, Julio, Paola, Vanesa and Danny. We gave Vane and Danny a joke gift that we hadn't been able to give them up until this point because Vane had been sick with dengue. They were two mugs that we had made at Shutterfly, featuring photos from their wedding 2 years ago. The joke was that when the alcalde (mayor) had married them in their civil ceremony, he had given them a mug with his name on it as a wedding gift. The mug took up residence at Humberto and Paulina's house, and is still in rotation. We laugh every time we drink coffee out of it, saying "Gracias, Señor Alcalde!". Now they would have personalized wedding mugs as opposed to political swag. Aracely and Joel showed up, so that she could change out of her wedding gown and pick up a few essential items to take with her back to her new living situation. Today was a very special day. Aracely was the first of our godchildren, and we have known her since she was 2 years old. It is so amazing to see the beautiful, sweet, kind young lady she has become. And Joel is friendly, polite, and most of all treats her with respect and love. Even some torrential rain couldn’t dampen people’s spirits as the happy couple wed in front of family and friends. We were honored to sign the paperwork as witnesses and to be there to support Aracely as her godparents. We love her like a daughter and it was so important to us to be there on her special day. Congratulations, Aracely and Joel! We wish you a life full of joy and can't wait to meet your baby when it is born. |
 Humberto, Roxana, Allison Margarita, Yoselin, Pamela, Olga  Humberto, Yoselin, Yasmin, Aracely, Paulina, Joel, Craig, Ian, Steph  Humberto, Yoselin, Vanesa, Craig, Joel, Aracely, Steph, Ian, Yasmin, Paulina  Aracely, Paulina, and Humberto at the head table  The bride and groom and their parents at the head table  Cake cutting Photo Gallery June 29 |
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