INDEXCanarian Wedding Etiquette

CANARIAN WEDDING ETIQUETTE

CANARIAN WEDDING ETIQUETTE They are wearing a traditional local dress or the groom usually wears a black suit with a

white t-shirt and a bow tie or a simply tie, the bride wears a white silk dress and a white long or short veil.

Who is organizing the wedding?

The bride, Sarah and the groom, Willy  or Sarah’s mother with Sarah.      

Who makes the invitations cards?

Both Willy and Sarah should buy wedding cards. Willy’s mother should buy his bow tie suit and Sarah’s mother should buy her wedding

dress. What kind of car is used at a wedding in Tenerife?

They will hire vintage cars, the most beautiful cars or use their family’s car decorated by Sarah’s relatives with flowers.

What is the Catholic ceremony like? They will get married with a mass and the choir singing AVE MARÍA while the bride is

walking towards the Altar. Willy is the first person who will come into the church. Upon arrival the bride, Sarah with her scort two children, the boy wears the coins and the girls will take the rings and the bride (who will have been helped to dress by his mother and sisters) will be accompanied from her home to the church by his nearest male relative (usually her father). They will arrive to the altar with the sound of the progress Bridal. The bride takes her father's arm.  During the parade of the couple in the church, all guests must stand up and turn their eyes towards the couple. The bride will advance to the altar to the sound of solemn music 

THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE GUESTS TO THE CEREMONY:

Upon reaching the altar, where they have placed 4 seats with their pews (there may be variations), and the groom takes the bride and places to his left, her father places the right of the bride and the groom's mother left of the bride. 

It is suitable that there sits down nearby some relative or friend near to the bridge to put well her veil in case of this one to move during the ceremony.

The front banks most near the couple are for the families of the newly-weds.

Being the most direct relatives nearest to the couple. In general, the bridge’s guests will place in the banks of the left side,

whereas those of the groom, on the right. It is convenient if there is someone who worries about reserving an easy and comfortable access for the car so much at the entry.

This time honoured tradition commences during the minister’s prayer after the bride and groom will say their vows. A rosary is wrapped around the couple to insure the protection of the union.

COINS AND WEDDING RINGS Coins

The presentation of thirteen coins from the groom to the bride. The coins, usually presented in a special bag, box or tray, symbolize the groom’s commitment to his new bride and his vow to support her. The bride carries the coins which are then blessed by the minister during the ceremony. Afterwards, the coins are kept as part of the family’s heritage.

Wedding Rings   The bride and groom will wear their wedding rings on the right hand.

The weddings will take place in the early evening hours or in the midday and at the weekends.

AFTER THE CEREMONY

Immediately after the wedding celebration, the priest must register link in the "Book of marriage" in his parish register, stating the names of spouses, witnesses, place and date of celebration and few other data serve as a useful and complementary information. The priest delivered to the newlyweds and ecclesiastical certification information required for registration in the registry office, and in any event, within 5 days, their manager forward the minutes of canonical marriage for possible inclusion in the assumption that it had not been made and at the request of interested parties. Therefore, a marriage under the rules of canon law civil produce their full effects from the time of its conclusion, but for the full recognition of them require registration in the registry office, which is practiced by the spouses with certification the priest gives him, or by referral of the certificate it must be done in the registry within 5 days. The signing ceremony in the registry puts an end to the wedding ceremony

LEAVING THE CHURCH

Then the couple leave the church walking slowly while playing the wedding march again. To exit the temple, the groom offers his left arm to the bride, both starting to walk down the aisle toward the exit, smiling at the meeting (but waved and without talking).In the usual case but they are their parents , the newlyweds are the father of the bride, giving his arm to the mother of the groom and the groom's father giving his arm to the bride’s mother. Until the end of the parade of guest departure should not leave the church and, at the time, it is right to do so in the aisles and not central. After the inevitable shower of rice and rose petals at the exit of the temple and after receiving the congratulations of those present, the newlyweds will head to his car and be the first to leave.

THE CAKE, THE BOUQUET AND THE PLACEHow is the cake? Sarah buys it in a baker, On the top of the cake, are there

Sarah and Willy’s figures, made of sugar. Sarah’s relatives are in charged of decorating the church with flowers, booking a red carpet, paying the priest and Sarah should buy the children’s dresses who will go with the bridge and the groom.

The groom should wear a flower on the right of his jacket according to the flowers of Sarah’s bouquet.

The bridge should wear a bouquet of natural flowers in her hands. During the celebration Sarah’s throws her bouquet of flowers to her single friends or take it to Candelaria’s Virgin or she gives her mother’s tomb in the courtyard if her mother is dead.

The bouquet. It should be made of white roses, orchids and coves.Where is the wedding celebrated in Tenerife?

It can be celebrated in a hotel, in their house, if it is big, at the seaside, in a restaurant ...

THE MEALWilly and Sarah will be the hosts. Willy’s parents will pay the dinner or

lunch. They will also hire folk musicians or a band.

Their parents will be greeting the guests with drinks and some snacks ( sausages, etc) while the bridge and the groom are taken photos in a park or in a hotel’s gardens..

There will be a presidential table which was occupied by the new marriage,sponsors, parents and grandparents.

First course: chicken soup, second course meat or fish with potatoes with skin and mojo ( red sauce for meat or green sauce for fish), wine ( red wine with meat or white wine with fish or selfish ). Local wines and sangria are also popular. and as dessert , the cake with ice- cream, The wedding cake is usually filled with a variety of local fruits and almonds. They will drink champagne with the cake and finally coffee and liquor. It is when Willy and Sarah will be greeting his guests with tables, taking pictures and thanking them for their assistance. Sarah’s mother pay the gifts for their guests or Sarah with their friends make:For women (tiny dolls, perfumes, sweet,...) and Willy will give his guests (cigars, pens ...).

His tie is cut into pieces and is placed in a tray where the guests give money for their honeymoon.

DANCE AND HONEYMOON Dance: dance has always been the waltz,

danced by the couple, but this rule is becoming increasingly flexible.

Honeymoon The couple should leave the next day of the wedding or two days later much later, therefore, passports, tickets and luggage should be ready even before the wedding, avoiding any last minute delays.

The couple will travel alone.

Destination and travel time is obviously the choice of marriage.