I was lucky enough to attend a Cusqueño wedding a few weeks ago with my host family. Family-friends from their church were getting married and we were invited! The wedding took place in Urubamba (a town in the Sacred Valley). It was about an hour drive outside of Cusco and the scenery was breathtaking. Surrounded by massive green mountains in the clouds with rural communities lining the roads alongside livestock.
It began with the bride being walked down the aisle to meet her groom. There they sat and were blessed by the pastor. Following (lots of) words from the pastor, there was lots of Christian music played by none other than my host dad. The lyrics to the songs were projected on the small TV at the front of the room for people to sing along. After the singing, the happy couple made their promises to each other and exchanged rings. Up until this point, the wedding very much resembled a wedding I would experience at home. However, that quickly changed.
All of a sudden, everyone stood up and pushed their chairs to the walls. We made a circle and danced in a circle around the bride and groom, who took turns dancing with their guests (including me!). Men danced with the bride and women danced with the groom while the room circled around them. After everyone had their turn, people dressed in mickey mouse and clown-like costumes came out with long balloons (the type you make balloon animals with). They passed out play hats, ties, and noise makers (pictured on the right) that we were to wear. The costumed people sprayed foam and silly string at us. It was a very festive and joyous activity. Eventually, we joined balloons to make a bridge and everyone walked through two at a time (videos included below!). It was very foreign to me. After all the dancing, ladies came around and passed out drinks (Coke or Inca Kola), and eventually brought a styrofoam plate loaded with food. You can see it pictured on the right. I'm a vegetarian, so my plate is missing the massive hunk of meat on most plates. My plate included beet salad, dehydrated potato, and a variation of macaroni and cheese with olives and tomatoes inside.
After the food, they cut the cake (it had passion fruit and strawberry frosting inside) and they threw the bouquet for the next bride and a rose for the next groom. There was also a young girl who danced for the bride and groom. Additionally, each family took turns taking pictures with the new husband and wife alongside their immediate family. After all of that, there was more dancing and gift exchanges as people trickled out. One of the things that stood out to me was the causal attire that most people wore. It was a small intimate ceremony.
I feel very lucky to have been invited to experience this wedding. It is an inside look at Cusqueño life that is often not made visible to foreigners. It is an experience I will never forget.
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