Laura + Jose – Off to Barcelona
Posted on December 21, 2008
We are so happy to have attended and photographed Laura and Jose Menendez’s wedding this weekend! Jose is from Barcelona, Spain; he’s been been flying to El Paso as often as possible to see his beloved Laura. They’re planning to move to in Barcelona in a few weeks; what a move! All of the traditional Spanish details of this wedding just blew us away. The day started when we met Laura at Salone Trevizzo on the east side of El Paso; the small salon turned out to be a really hip place! They had orange juice, cheese, and all kinds of snacks waiting for the bridal party. The team got right to work on everyone’s hair; before we knew it, everyone was looking even better than they did when they walked in! Araceli Garcia from Trevizzo did Laura’s hair; she did a beautiful and unique up-do with a pretty comb that Laura had found.
I went with Laura and her sisters to their parents’ house, where Laura did her make-up and put on her dress. Laura’s mom actually made her wedding dress by hand. It was hands down the most gorgeous dress I have ever seen, made of champagne-colored silk with simple and elegant details (especially the beaded waistband, which Laura and Jose brought back from Barcelona). I was floored by the beauty of this garment. Her mom joked that she wasn’t ever going to make any more wedding dresses, but we’ll see – Laura has two younger sisters, and I know they’ll want equally beautiful dresses for their weddings!
Jason went with Jose and his family at the Marriott, where he was getting ready. Jose’s family had flown in from Spain for the ceremony, and Jason got a lot of great shots of the family helping Jose dress, and just chatting and enjoying the day. Jose’s father is a connoisseur of fine suits; he helped Jose get the details just so. I have to admit a failure here – Jason and I know absolutely no Spanish! Even though Jose knows English fairly well, his family knew as much English as we do Spanish. The majority of the day (and the entire ceremony and reception) was entirely in Spanish. Thanks to Laura and Jose’s occasional translations, the language barrier didn’t slow us down at all, but it did give us a good New Years Resolution: Learn Spanish NOW.
The ceremony took place at St. Marks, which is a fairly new (and very, very pretty) catholic church on the east side of El Paso. Many of Jose and Laura’s family and friends are musical; the ceremony was accented by a largish band which played in the front pews. Many of the musicians wrangled instruments through the intricacies of international air travel to play at the wedding! All of the musical parts of the ceremony were accompanied by these wonderful musicians, with mandolins, guitars, congas, castanets and more. I have never been so moved by a ceremony. Even though we didn’t understand most of what was said, the emotion came through loud and clear. It was truly stunning. One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was when the bride and groom did a ceremony with Spanish coins, symbolizing the sharing of their assets. It was so pretty, and so moving.
After the ceremony, we headed out to take a few photos, and then off to the reception! The Marriott Airport staff was so attentive, and the ballroom looked GREAT! Dinner was served in 5 courses, and was absolutely delicious. Our gracious bride and groom had even set a place for us – with place cards! I was so excited about that that I took a picture of mine. I’ll spare you that photo. I did take some photos of the really tasty biscochos though. They came directly from Mexico, and were some of the best I’ve ever had. The DJ, who was with Jukebox Entertainment was very professional, and really kept the party rolling. He did a great job of rolling with the changing schedule, something we wish more DJ’s in this area were capable of. After the cake cutting and toast, the wonderful mariachi from Mariachi Allegre came in and entertained with some wonderful music. They were so talented!
Here are a few more images from the day!
Come and join our fan page on Facebook, there’s even more to be seen there! It was a long and beautiful day, and we wish both of you the best in your life together in Spain. Congratulations Laura and Jose!
Roz
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Southwest Wedding Traditions
Posted on September 9, 2008
None of the photographers in Screaming Light are native to Las Cruces or El Paso. We’ve been living in the borderland for a few years, and it’s already become our home, but all 3 of us grew up (and started photographing weddings) in the Midwest. We’ve noticed a few distinctive traditions since we started Screaming Light. Here are some of the ones we’ve seen already – how many more do you know?
The Lasso (El Lazo)
As part of the wedding ceremony, a large loop of rosary beads, a jeweled rope, or (occasionally) a literal lasso, is placed in a figure eight shape around the necks of the couple after they have exchanged their vows, to symbolize unity. The binding cord may also be made of entwined orange blossoms, which symbolize fertility and happiness. If a double rosary lasso is used, it is traditionally given by one set of parents, and it may be blessed with holy water three times in honor of the trinity.
A specially designated attendant, the madrina or padrino de laso, carries the lasso to the alter and places it around the shoulders of the bride and groom, groom’s shoulder’s first. (Sometimes, a happily-married couple perform this service together, thereby transferring some portion of their martial bliss to the newlyweds.) The lasso may also be tied around the wrists of the newlyweds. Either way, the couple wears the lasso throughout the remainder of the service. The loop is symbolic of their love which should bind the couple together every day, as they equally share the responsibility of marriage for the rest of their lives.
At the end of the ceremony, the lasso may be removed by either the person or couple who placed the lasso on the newlyweds, or by the priest. The lasso is given to the bride as a symbol of her new status as the mistress of the groom’s heart and home.
La Marcha
La Marcha is a traditional wedding dance. In form, it is similar to follow the leader. The dance starts with the wedding party, friends and family lined up as couples. The bride and groom may be second in line or at the the end of the line, but the leaders are traditionally the matriarch of the family and her husband. (At one wedding we photographed, the aunt and uncle who led the dance had been performing that service at every family wedding for 30+ years.) The music, in this area at least, is La Marcha de Zacatecas; there are as many variation in this song as there are groups playing it; but here’s one sample: La Marcha de Zacatecas [MP3]
La Marcha starts as a long chain of couples of two. To start the dance, everyone dances around the room in a circle, which signifies life. Soon, the couples split apart; the men go to one side of the room and the women to the other. This represents the first fight between the bride and groom. Each couple soon comes back together, representing the bride and groom making up. The dancers next join together in groups of four or more, signifying the growth of the family. Then, a single line forms and snakes around the room, showing the twists and turns of life. At some time during the dance (the timing varies from family to family), the couples join hands over their heads in a bridge, representing the bridges that must be built in life; this may also signify the Tunnel of Love (since the newlyweds pass under, and then become part of, the bridge of joined hands). At the end, everyone makes a circle around the bride and groom, showing their love and support of the newlywed couple.
Biscochos
These anise-and-cinnamon-flavored shortbread cookies are a staple at every wedding, quinceañera, baptism, holiday and celebration throughout the southwest, and are enjoyed throughout the country and the world. For weddings, they are usually cut into diamonds to signify purity, and dusted with powdered sugar to turn them white.
Spanish explorers brought the biscocho with them to Mexico in the 16th century. As the recipes took hold in the new land, the cookies became associated with special occasions, weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms and religious holidays because certain spices used in the recipe were rare and had to be imported from Spain. Ships carrying these spices arrived on the coast of Mexico just prior to Christmas.
These cookies have many regional names. In northern New Mexico they are known as Biscochitos; in Southern New Mexico, Biscochos. In Spain they are called Mantecosos. In other parts of the United States, they may be found as Polvorones or Mexican Wedding Cookies. In 1989 The New Mexico State Legislature, after much debate about the spelling, adopted them as the Official State Cookie under the name “Bizcochito”.
[[All information in this section is taken from Ositos Biscochitos Bakery in Las Cruces, with the kind permission of Diane Porras, Owner.]]
Mariachis
It seems no wedding is complete without one of these groups of colorfully-dressed musicians. According to Wikipedia, usually a mariachi consists of at least three violins, two trumpets, one Mexican guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar) and one guitarrón (a small-scaled acoustic bass). (We’ve seen other types of groups, from a string trio to a brass band, referred to as mariachi – locally, it seems to be more about their music than the band’s members.) The more traditional groups often dress in matching, silver-studded charro outfits, sometimes with matching sombrero or other wide-brimmed hats.
Mariachi may make an appearance while the guests are being seated before the wedding, during the wedding ceremony, or at the reception. (If they are at the reception, they may play for La Marcha.) Whenever they appear, they are often expected at a traditional Mexican wedding celebration, and may be commented on if absent.
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