From the moment we arrived in Chimbote, for the wedding of my Peruvian cousin, until the moment that we left, I was surrounded by my host mom’s entire, extended Peruvian family. I had grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins galore, and I could not for the life of me remember any of their names. Most of us stayed in the grandparent’s house for the weekend, while others who were also from Chimbote stayed in their own homes. Regardless, we were all together most of the time, and in hindsight, it was a very challenging and exciting weekend for my Spanish capabilities.
The wedding was unlike any wedding that I have ever been to before. The actual ceremony was Catholic, and given that I was raised a Lutheran, there were aspects of the ceremony that I was not accustomed to. We arrived just in time to watch the procession of the damas (bridesmaids), the groom, and finally, the bride. As soon as the priest began to speak into his microphone, I knew I would not understand much of the ceremony. Spanish words reverberated throughout the Cathedral walls, but they were coming too fast and unclearly for me to make them out. Nonetheless, some vows were said, a kiss or two was shared between the bride and groom, and before I knew it we were heading to the fiesta.
Let me just say that Peruvians know how to party. We were at the fiesta until five in the morning, which is typical for Latin American parties, and not something that I was prepared for. After the all of the formalities transpired (the first dance, the daddy-daughter dance, etc.) everyone else joined the bride and groom on the dance floor for a night of salsa, merengue, and cumbia. I learned a little bit of the salsa and merengue, but I was mostly having fun being on the dance floor, regardless of not having any idea what I was doing.
Around 3 a.m., when the party was starting to die down, a couple of clowns on stilts burst into the room, handing out masks, balloons, and other props to all who could get their hands on them. Everyone then proceeded to make a dancing circle around the bride and groom, and we all clapped, danced, and chanted along with Peruvian songs while the groom took off the bride’s garter. This celebration within the celebration is known as “Hora Loca”, and it happens during every Peruvian wedding fiesta.
The next day, after not getting enough sleep to truly function on, we all woke up, got ready for the day, and headed to the house of the bride’s parents to have lunch with the families of the bride and groom. One thing that I learned about Peruvian families during this trip is that they all like to talk when they are together, and everyone talks excitedly and simultaneously. I found myself not having much to say during the lunch party because I could not keep up with most of the conversations. While this was sometimes frustrating, it was also part of the experience. I did my best to follow along, and commented when I had input, but I mostly enjoyed being present in the moment and simply listening to everything that was going on around me.
My cousins ranged in ages from 14-26, and would often keep me busy with conversations about school, hairstyles they could have done for the wedding, and soccer. My aunts and uncles wanted to know about Nebraska, why I had chosen to study in Perú, and whether or not I was enjoying my time here. Overall, I was surrounded by love and acceptance the entire weekend, and whether or not I was able to talk much with my Peruvian family, they seemed to enjoy my company as much as a enjoyed theirs. I will always cherish my memories of that Peruvian wedding, and my memories with my Peruvian family.
The wedding was unlike any wedding that I have ever been to before. The actual ceremony was Catholic, and given that I was raised a Lutheran, there were aspects of the ceremony that I was not accustomed to. We arrived just in time to watch the procession of the damas (bridesmaids), the groom, and finally, the bride. As soon as the priest began to speak into his microphone, I knew I would not understand much of the ceremony. Spanish words reverberated throughout the Cathedral walls, but they were coming too fast and unclearly for me to make them out. Nonetheless, some vows were said, a kiss or two was shared between the bride and groom, and before I knew it we were heading to the fiesta.
Let me just say that Peruvians know how to party. We were at the fiesta until five in the morning, which is typical for Latin American parties, and not something that I was prepared for. After the all of the formalities transpired (the first dance, the daddy-daughter dance, etc.) everyone else joined the bride and groom on the dance floor for a night of salsa, merengue, and cumbia. I learned a little bit of the salsa and merengue, but I was mostly having fun being on the dance floor, regardless of not having any idea what I was doing.
Around 3 a.m., when the party was starting to die down, a couple of clowns on stilts burst into the room, handing out masks, balloons, and other props to all who could get their hands on them. Everyone then proceeded to make a dancing circle around the bride and groom, and we all clapped, danced, and chanted along with Peruvian songs while the groom took off the bride’s garter. This celebration within the celebration is known as “Hora Loca”, and it happens during every Peruvian wedding fiesta.
The next day, after not getting enough sleep to truly function on, we all woke up, got ready for the day, and headed to the house of the bride’s parents to have lunch with the families of the bride and groom. One thing that I learned about Peruvian families during this trip is that they all like to talk when they are together, and everyone talks excitedly and simultaneously. I found myself not having much to say during the lunch party because I could not keep up with most of the conversations. While this was sometimes frustrating, it was also part of the experience. I did my best to follow along, and commented when I had input, but I mostly enjoyed being present in the moment and simply listening to everything that was going on around me.
My cousins ranged in ages from 14-26, and would often keep me busy with conversations about school, hairstyles they could have done for the wedding, and soccer. My aunts and uncles wanted to know about Nebraska, why I had chosen to study in Perú, and whether or not I was enjoying my time here. Overall, I was surrounded by love and acceptance the entire weekend, and whether or not I was able to talk much with my Peruvian family, they seemed to enjoy my company as much as a enjoyed theirs. I will always cherish my memories of that Peruvian wedding, and my memories with my Peruvian family.