The whole wedding thing was so different from anything we have ever experienced. Since this is our first Peruvian wedding experience, I have no idea if this is all a traditional Peruvian thing or it is just the way that they chose to do it.
My brother Bob and his wife Susy got married in Austin last year, but for various reasons never had their Peruvian ceremony until yesterday. At the same time, Susy's sister Paola, and her husband Juan, were also married, so it was a dual ceremony. Bob asked me to be in the wedding party.
The differences started before we got here. There were no invitations sent out, at least to us in the States. On Friday, there was no rehearsal or formal rehearsal dinner either. The only thing we were told was when to get fitted for our tux on Friday morning and when to be ready on Saturday morning for a ride to "the horse place." One thing I heard was that they had left room for spontaneity.
We were also told that "Peruvians are always late." To counter this, invitations are made to say that the wedding starts up to an hour before it really does. So when our driver picked us up twenty minutes late, I wasn't too worried.
We took a sometimes harrowing forty-five minute ride out to Hacienda Mamacona, home of world famous Caballos de Paso. The expansive Hacienda is full of amazingly talented Paso horses, who have been bred here for nearly 500 years and have a unique, natural gate. After the wedding, the horses performed for us and finished with a beautiful dance between horse and female dancer. Here are a few links to shakey video I shot on my phone.
We then had a huge, precariously organized Peruvian buffet lunch in a gigantic white tent on the grounds. Entertainment was provided by two amazing folk dancers who were friends of Paola and had come in for the wedding. They did several, very different dances, one of which was a human version of the earlier horse dance.
The party went from 1130 to well after we left at 1945. It included a gigantic buffet, Juan being tossed into the air by his amigos—who also all ran out on the floor to catch the bouquet—and something called Loca Hora that incorporated weird hats for everyone, funny ties, balloons, whistles, lasers and lights, many samba lines, a giant, dancing clown on stilts, and an even gianter dancing puppet clown. I danced more at this wedding than I have in the last twenty years.
All through it, Susy and Paola's father, German (transl. Herman, pron. ER-man), ran around like a fireman at a junior pyromaniacs convention. I asked him whenever I saw him if he had eaten yet. I don't think he ever did.
For a few minutes, it was also our first real peak at the southern night sky. Peru is so huge—8.5 million I was told—that the sky glow blots out everything but the brightest stars. Mars was clearly visible as was some of Orion, and Sirius. I still haven't seen the Southern Cross. Hopefully at Heath River.
Adios.
Nop this is def. not tradition but was fun to read it.
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