Wedding! Saturday August 20, 2011

So the ceremony was to start at noon. We left the house at approx 12:45. Some family members came to the house before hand with the flower girls and took pictures. We were waiting on my host mom to bring something for my sister. Then there weren´t enough cars so the photographer, my host mom and dad and I took a taxi to Checa, where the wedding was to take place. It´s about 45 minutes from Tumbaco.

We arrived to this cute little house that had a soccer field, basketball court, capilla (chapel) and a grassy area where the tent for the reception was set up. My sister called us on the way and told me to wait and not go sit down because I would be entering with someone... The chapel was very small and all the family lined up outside before the bride entered. This left the chapel pretty much empty. There was space for about 60ish people. Lucy finally arrived around 1:15 (at this point there were still people arriving to the ceremony, gotta love ecuadorian time, lol). I ended up walking in with her best friend..kind of like a bridesmaid..not really sure. There was this man that presented the groom´s family and then the bride´s family before they walked up and entered the chapel.

At the alter stood the bride and groom, their parents, and then the padrinos (god parents) I sat in the front row with this friend, Pato (host brother) and wife. The ceremony went pretty fast. Clearly there had not been any dress rehearsal but surprisingly were only a few hiccups. Right after the wedding we proceeded to the reception that was "next door"

A tent was set up with about 8-9 tables seating 8 people each. Not all the of the tables were filled. The bride and groom entered, everyone said their speeches and then they proceeded to call all the singles ladies up to the dance floor. The groom then took the garters (yes more than one, 5 in total) off the brides leg. Each color represented a question about the bride. After all the questions were answered the one´s that won a garder stood to the side and the single men were called to the floor. They were asked the same questions, only this time about the groom. The guys that answered the questions correctly about the groom matched up with the ladies that had answered the questions about the bride correct...And then the men put the garters on the women, it was kinda weird, lol Then instead of throwing the bouquet of flowers she just gave them to her best friend. Just a couple differences.

The food was served and people danced, then after awhile we had cake, some type of nut cake with a very very sweet sugary frosting. I ended up leaving with Jose Luis at 9 because I was beat. He had someone come pick him up and drive which was good because like most others at the wedding the whiskey had gotten the best of them! We went to Cumbaya and had sushi and then I went home and slept! Overall it was a really fun wedding and I really bonded with Lucy and her husband Jorge, so sad I had to say goodbye the next morning.