Today I am going to share with you conversations I had with seven couples who told me about their experiences when they said… “Yes, I do!”
1. Better late than never: Paola and José have been married for 2 years and, before marriage, they had about 2 years of cohabitation. From this union a beautiful 2 year old child was born.
Celebration: the marriage was in the Catholic Church, in a chapel, and the celebration was outdoors in a country house with relatives and friends of both of them.
Wedding investment: approximately 13 million Colombian pesos.
Anecdote: “The ceremony was at 10 o’clock in the morning and a priest friend was in charge of officiating it. Before leaving for the church, I called him to tell him where I was going and he said: ‘Your wedding is today? No way!’ He ran out and married us an hour later. He confessed to us in the car, before entering the church”.
Honeymoon: “I was pregnant and we traveled with my family to the United States. So we didn’t have that honeymoon trip as a couple, just the two of us”, Paola concluded.
2. What happens in Las Vegas…: Catalina and Felipe, in May of this year, will celebrate their 20th anniversary. From this union there are three beautiful children.
Celebration: the wedding was in a chapel, in Las Vegas, and so, just like in the movies, they were married by ‘Elvis Presley’. “My children, Camilo, 6; Angelica, 3; and my two brothers were the witnesses and guests at the wedding. I’ve never been one for celebrations or ostentatious parties”, said the bride.
Wedding investment: they don’t remember how much they paid ‘Elvis’.
Anecdote: “It was a civil marriage, after living together for two years. Here, in the United States, I put the ‘noose around his neck’ because both my children and I were illegal. Then we had our daughter and here we are telling our story”.
Honeymoon: It was a weekend in Las Vegas.
3. Mom in trouble: Melissa and Esteban have been married for 14 years and have lived together for 16 years. From this union there are three beautiful children.
Celebration: the marriage was in the Catholic Church and the celebration lasted one day, a part of it in an assembly hall together with family and close friends.
Wedding investment: 10 million Colombian pesos.
Anecdote 1: “The party was supposed to end at 6 p.m., but everyone went to my parents’ house to continue drinking until the next day”.
Anecdote 2: “Before entering the church I was delayed in the car, because I had my 2 year old daughter Valeria and she wanted to eat and she was super intense that day. She was crying and so they took a picture of me in my wedding dress, breastfeeding her”.
Honeymoon: It was a weekend in Cartagena.
4. Dream wedding: Carolina and Carlos completed 2 years living together before the wedding and now, they have been married for 4 years. From this union there is a beautiful 2 year old boy.
Celebration: it was a marriage in the Catholic Church and the celebration in a hotel.
Wedding investment: about 52 million Colombian pesos. “I did everything I dreamed of, I lacked more money”, confesses the bride.
Anecdote: “At the beginning, I was in charge of making all the arrangements for the church, the hall, the flowers, decoration, my dress, the bridesmaids; everything, and I was going crazy. So I made the best investment for me and hired a wedding planner and I don’t regret it, he did an excellent job”.
Honeymoon: we’ve done a lot of traveling, but we haven’t really had a honeymoon.
5. Multicultural wedding: Estela and Armando are celebrating 7 years of marriage. They met through Facebook and from this union there is a baby girl.
Celebration: it was a civil marriage. The couple was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the celebration was a lunch and each one paid for their food.
Investment of the wedding: the investment was in the honeymoon.
Anecdote: “All my friends gave us very special gifts, for example: a Brazilian friend took the photos and that was her gift. Another Argentinian friend gave me the headdress and bouquet. A Colombian friend did my makeup and hair. Our friends were very supportive”.
Honeymoon: It was in Bariloche.
6. Carnival wedding: Juan Carlos and Daniela have been married for 8 years, and from the union they have two beautiful children.
Celebration: the marriage was in the Catholic Church. The celebration was held at the bride’s parents’ house. Many guests; relatives and friends of the bride and groom.
Wedding investment: About 15 million Colombian pesos.
Anecdote: “We love Carnival and our wedding was on a carnival’s Saturday. After the traditional religious ceremony, the party began as normal, but when the ‘crazy hour’ started, it was a total madness; cornstarch, foam, drums, costumes…”.
Honeymoon: “The honeymoon was going to be in Margarita Island, but the current situation of Venezuela began and we definitely have not had a honeymoon. We have made family trips, but not a trip alone just the two of us”.
7. Magazine photos: Vanessa and Pablo have been married for 12 years and from this union they have two beautiful children.
Celebration: the marriage was in the Catholic Church. The party, in an assembly hall with family and friends of the bride and groom.
Wedding investment: About 25 million Colombian pesos.
Anecdote: “There were 120 guests at our wedding, but it really looked like a nursing home. Out of the 10 tables, there was only one table of young people. Many of my husband’s 80-year-old relatives, several of whom have passed away. Of course, the photos were very nice, they looked like a magazine.
Honeymoon: It was in San Andres Islands.
These are real, normal stories, but they go beyond fiction. Maybe not everything is perfect always, but there is a lot of union, understanding and fun in every couple I talked to.
Traducción del español: Catalina Oviedo Brugés
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