Wedding Ideas With International Flair

In the past I have not had much opportunity to travel. Now I am experiencing new places, new scenery and new cultures. I find it all quite fascinating. Recently I travelled to the mountain region of Costa Rica living in a small village not in a ‘tourist’ region. This allowed me to learn a lot about the ‘real’ culture of the area. While Costa Rica is somewhat torn between the old time-honored traditions and new modern ways in most cases they will maintain many of the traditional values.

I had friends who came to Costa Rica to get married about two years ago; however the resorts that cater to the tourist weddings also cater to the typical North American type ceremony and celebration. What I learned of the Traditional Historical Costa Rican Wedding ceremony there are a lot of symbolic rituals that are far from what the North Americans are accustomed to. While Costa Rica is somewhat torn between the old time-honored traditions and new modern ways in most cases they will maintain many of the traditional values.

The Bride wears Black…. An elegant silk black dress with a lace veil that offers a sharp contrast to the typical crisp and clean White we see on the cover of the bridal magazines and in the movies. In North America the Black dress would almost be deemed as inappropriate for a wedding as this would be more symbolic of a funeral. Here in the Costa Rican culture this school of thought is not the case.

The Groom wears a shirt with detailed embroidery on it. This is a garment that was crafted by the bride. Historically this was done by hand as a symbol of their dedication to their fiancé. During the ceremony there is a gesture by the groom where he passes thirteen gold coins to his bride to symbolize his acceptance of his role as the provider and head of the family.

Their receptions are quite the celebrations. They are a friendly warm people who value family a great deal The more wedding guests you have the more blessed you are. Every member of the family will be in attendance and the Spanish-Latin music will be lively and loud and carry on until late into the night. Food will be available in abundance.

The surroundings will be bright, colorful and beautiful. With the exotic blooms native to the area the bouquets and wedding table decorations are nothing less than spectacular. With the natural backdrops offered here in Costa Rica with their white Sandy beaches to the east, majestic lush green mountain area, tropical rainforests, and breathtaking sunsets make it all part of an event that will be remembered for a lifetime.
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