The Wedding DayJul 3, 2010
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Waiting in hotel foyer
Hazel and Eloise
Mr and Mrs. Garcia after the civil ceremony
| The big day has arrived. We are being picked up at 3.30 this afternoon to be taken to the wedding. Eloise and I decide to take a walk to the two western style shopping malls just for a look and to buy a wedding card for Hazel and Jose. Not really a lot to see in the malls that isn't at home but a least we managed to find a card store to buy the necessary wedding card. Spent the rest of the time lazing in our room, exhausted after our walk out in the heat. All dressed and ready, we were collected by Hazel's brother Jose around 4pm. Drove around 35 minutes up into the mountains where the wedding was being held outdoors.Met with Hazel's parents Elizabeth and Jose Gilberto. Elizabeth speaks a little English but unfortunately for us we did not have enough Spanish to say very much to Jose Gilberto.  We also met Hazel's youngest brother Jose Edouardo, sisters Vanessa and Jennifer, her uncle Sergio from Maryland and her cousin Hazel from Chicago. This was going to be a Hazel convention. Hazel and her bridesmaids arrived not long after us and shortly after the first civil service for family and close friends took place.Now the bride and groom disappeared for half an hour to prepare for the religious ceremony. Now another 100 guests arrived and we were entertained by a string quartet while we waited.The wedding march began and a procession of attendants proceeded down the steps to accompany the bride and groom to the tree arbour where the religious service and communion for the couple would take place.  Hazel looked beautiful in a fairly simple ivory gown accompanied by her beaming father Jose Gilberto. Unfortunately the light was fading by now for the sunset wedding and photos were not possible.The actual ceremony took around 30 minutes and included being entwined together with a string of beads and flowers, exchange of rings, communion and then they each took a lit candle to light a single candle to signify two becoming one. All in all a very beautiful ceremony even if we could not understand what was being said. It was very touching that John Eloise and myself were included in the family photos following the service. Hazel's new husband Jose Antonio (yes another Jose - 4 in the family now) speaks very little English but offered to teach me Spanish!!! Once photos and pleasantries completed, we were invited to take our seats on the tables now set out where the wedding chairs were and we enjoyed a meal of chicken and cake sitting under the stars on a warm and balmy El Salvadoran night. There were the usual speeches and toasts, dancing and much celebration. The bride even wore sneakers to dance the night away!  Festivities finished much earlier than we expected with mosts guests departing around 10pm.Jose was driving us back to the hotel where we crashed, three very tired Aussies. |
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