A Mayan Wedding

When I first met 17-year old Marina, she impressed me as a mature and slightly rebellious Mayan seeping with genuine sweetness and smiles.  She would appear around lunch time at Hogar Comunitario in her jeans and t-shirt quite unlike the many other young women her age in the community of Llanos del Pinal who had begun wearing their Mayan traje (traditional garb) at around age 10.
Marina and I quickly became friends and she and her sister Brenda would sit with me as I waited for the bus in the afternoons after work and we would talk about all sorts of things, including Marina's 20-year old boyfriend Fluvio.  Soon, I would find out that my playful, spirited, and wonderfully innocent new friend was engaged to be married to Fluvio in less than a month.  I also found out that she was the daughter of Felipa's sister.
Marina or "Mari" as we both call ourselves joined the Hogar Comunitario crew when I took them on a day of relaxation to the volcanic hot springs.  It was on this day that it was decided by Felipa, that I was invited to the Mayan wedding ceremony.  Marina was thrilled, as was I!
As the wedding approached, Marina became noticeably more nervous and excited, as would any bride-to-be.  Nearly ever day we spoke about the wedding plans and she would get calls from Fluvio and speak in the sweetest of voices with a huge grin on her face to the delight of everyone in the room.  There also began talk of what I was to wear to the wedding...Mayan traje of course...which I just so happen NOT to own...and is rather expensive.  So, Felipa took it upon herself during work one day to take me into her room and dress me in one of her own outfits!  I went out into the play area and the children were laughing and giggling.  Of course, being 5'11'', the skirt wasn't exactly long enough, but Felipa made an executive decision that I would wear her traje to the wedding and she would lower the hem before the ceremony!  How exciting!!
----
The Day of the Wedding

Marina and Fluvio in front of El Calvario

On the morning of the wedding, I awoke at 4:45am, caught a bus to Hogar Comunitario, arrived there at 6:00am, was dressed in my traje by Felipa, and hopped on a bus back to Xela for the ceremony occurring one minute from my house at iglesia El Calvario!  I met my friend Frank (another volunteer, from Holland) whom I had invited to the wedding and I just caught the couple exiting the church.  Marina caught my eye a few minutes later as she was standing in a greeting line and ran over to hug me.  She was a vision in silver-threaded traje, her dark hair platted and pulled up into a white veil that flowed down her back.  She said "I thought you wouldn't come!!."  I gave her a huge hug and of course complimented her stunning beauty and then asked how she was doing.  Her only response being "I'm so nervous" before her new husband Fluvio was ushered over for photos.

With Marina and Fluvio at El Calvario

After the ceremony at El Calvario, a hired bus took the wedding-goers on the bumpy ride back out to Llanos del Pinal to Marina's family's home.  We followed a pine-needle covered path into a large pine-needle covered dirt-floored room in their home used for special occasions, and the true Mayan traditions began.
Marina and Fluvio knelt as they were blessed by their family and friends in front of an altar.  Then came Guatemala's version of tequila, "Quetzalteca," plate-fulls of banana-leaf wrapped tomales, Mayan traditional dancing, a presentation of gifts to the couple, and many cakes.

Felipa blessing Marina and Fluvio in front of the altar

My huge plate of tomales!

What an honor to be invited to such an intimate day in a culture that was completely foreign to me only several weeks before.  When observed with a keen eye, culture and all of its intricacies is infinitely stunning and that is clearly evident in Mayan culture.  I am humbled to have taken part in such a day of color, celebration, joy, blessings, and love.

The couple's first dance