This Mexican and Filipino Extravagant Wedding Combined Two Cultures | World Wide Wed | Refinery29

We all went to Catholic school growing up. Catholicism was what we did. This is Keith. That’s Sara. They met in law school and now they’re getting married. Sara’s and Keith’s personalities are like ying and yang; they just compliment each other. Any strength on one side is balanced off by the other side. For me, religion is the experience that you have when you are part of a larger community. Their Filipino and Mexican traditions come from opposite sides of the world. And their Catholic upbringing is sometimes at odds with what they believe, which is why for their wedding, they’re doing things their own way. What was really special to us is to be able to do a ceremony that was distinctly ours and really embodied how we felt about our culture, about our family, about our friends, and what we believed in. Sara and Keith decided to get married in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico, where Sara’s family is from. But they also wanted to incorporate Keith’s Filipino background. Because both Mexico and the Philippines were colonized by Spanish Catholics, they found a lot of the traditions were actually similar. The Mexican Guayabera and the Filipino Barong are traditional white dress shirts worn for special occasions. In San Miguel De Allende, the most special occasion is a Callejoneada. A Callejoneada is a procession held to honor the couple with mariachi, shots of tequila, curious bystanders, and an obligatory donkey. The highlight of the Callejoneada is Las Mojigangas. Mojigangas are born out of Spanish tradition, dating back to the 1600s. They were modeled after religious and aristocratic figures, inspiring wonder and awe. In San Miguel, the puppets are custom-made, taking on a more exaggerated appearance. Currently Hermes is crafting mojigangas to represent the bride and groom. Ceremonial tortillas are a must-have for every wedding in Mexico. The tradition, originated by Otomi Indians in Guanajuato, uses dye from flowers or vegetables to create imprints on the tortillas. A secular ceremony, I think, works well. I like the idea of inclusiveness and having a ceremony that’s really happy and relaxed and enjoyable to all who attend. Although it’s not a Catholic wedding, Keith and Sara are incorporating two traditionally Catholic customs seen in both Mexican and Filipino cultures. El Lazo is a tied rope placed around the couple as they exchange their vows. Shaped like an infinity sign, it symbolizes that the union will last forever. The second tradition is Las Arras, an exchange of 13 coins that, in modern culture, symbolizes Christ and the Twelve Apostles. I think it starts with either they put it into my hands and then I drop all the coins into her hands and then she drops the coins all back into my hands— which makes sense because I’ve been elected the minister of finance in the relationship. Keith and Sara are also embracing a less traditional, more inclusive view of marriage than what the Catholic religion believes. In our faith, it might not be perceived as a right thing that certain people and certain ethnicities and certain sexual orientations should be married but who’s to say that we are the judges of that? The Supreme Court’s decision to undo the judgment against same-sex marriage was something that Keith and Sara couldn’t believe in more. That's really about marriage and marriage as an institution and just what is this sort of social construct that you're entering into? And what does it mean to kind of form this union in the literal sense? And what does it mean to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to do that? Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them this right. The decision in that case was such a beautiful description of marriage, the institution of marriage, why people want to be married, and why everyone should have the right to be married. It’s a tradition to buck the tradition. And now family and friends, it is my honor to introduce Keith and Sara Mariano. You may now kiss your wife. Sara really brought something out in him that I had never seen. He always wanted a companion. What Sara brought to him was this sense of who he is now. For Keith and Sara, forging a new path doesn’t mean leaving tradition behind.

Channel: Refinery29

Views: 345,786

Keywords: refinery29, refinery 29, r29, r29 video, video, refinery29 video, female, empowerment, world wide wed, waiting for marriage, outdoor wedding, destination wedding, wedding dress, best wedding, our wedding, first dance, traditional wedding, modern wedding, groom, wedding music playlist, best wedding dance, bride and groom, wedding film, wedding ceremony, wedding dresses, wedding dress shopping, wedding series, bridal, wedding tips, getting married, venues, wedding reception

Id: U8XwxNBrsCA

Length: 6min 49sec (409 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 27 2018