Weddings in Haiti

The bride and the groom pulled up to the church in separate vehicles and waited in them until they walked down the aisle.  The sun was hot and the sweat beaded on their foreheads.  The bride was dressed in a beautiful white dress with a veil over her face.  She carried a lovely bouquet of white flowers.

The groom wore a beige suit with a white glove on his left hand (He removed the glove when it was time to exchange rings).  Music played as the bridesmaids slowly danced down the aisles.  It was beautiful.  We sang hymns and the pastor read some Bible verses.  A choir sang and a band played.  Many people were taking photos.  One man had an i-pad and was using photo booth to take pictures.  He used all kinds of special effects.  After the wedding, we drove to a building down the road for a reception.  The pastor led the guests in a prayer and we all sang a hymn.  The best man gave a speech too.  There was a delicious buffet of Haitian food including rice, beans, cabbage salad, vegetables, and fried plantains.

There was even a tall cake decorated with red flowers.  The bride and groom shared champagne and cut the cake together.

It was a beautiful celebration and I was amazed at how many similar traditions there were to an American wedding.  It was also fun to learn about Haitian wedding traditions.