According to the magazine Modern Bride the planning starts exactly one year before the wedding. For a wedding there are many preparations. According to Dan Ritman, Lisa M. Carrasco and Roxanne J. Salazar, the groom's family has to go ask the brides family for her hand in marriage. First of all, the bride and groom have to choose the church and the place where the reception will take place. They than have to make sure that it is possible to have their celebration there and when it would be the best time for the wedding to take place. They have to reserve all these things months in advance. Secondly, they have to make a list of family/friends/relatives to attend to their wedding.  They then have to call up those people and find some sponsors. Sponsors are the people who will help the bride and groom pay for the wedding. Sponsors are also known as "padrinos." Once they have chosen everyone for this job they send to make the invitations. An invitation is a reminder of some sort to remind people when the wedding is. Its is also used to get in the wedding, like a ticket. The invitations have the names of  the bride and groom, their parents, and the sponsors/padrinos. The invitations are usually white. They also include the date, time and the address where it will take place.

The bride and groom have to go shopping for what they have to wear to the wedding. The bride has so wear a dress. The dress is supposed to be white but it could be another color. The groom has so wear a black tuxedo. They also have to out and buy a very big wedding cake. The cake has to be big enough for everyone who has been invited to the wedding to get a decent piece of the cake. According to Rocio the wedding cake has to be big and delicious (interview 1). 

my sister Rocio. Interview 1

The DJ or Band have to be reserved like about 5 months before to make sure you get a very good one and so if they aren't open for that day you have time to find another replacement.

The food is usually made by my Manuela (my mother),  Ernestina (my aunt) or Socorro (my aunt). My mother usually makes tamales. She is the tamale maker of the family because every one thinks she makes the most delicious tamales is our family. Tamales are a Mexican dish that contains chopped meat (mostly pork) and chili, with masa and a corn leaf wrapped over all of it. My aunt Ernestina makes the menudo . Menudo is a Mexican soup dish. It contains meat and chili, and some other great ingredients. My aunt Socorro makes the posole. Posole is a Mexican soup. It contains meat, chili and you add lemon.

a picture of a lasso.

Some special objects are the lasso. The lasso is put around the groom and brides necks to symbolize joining. The other kind of special object are thirteen golden coins, which are blessed by the priest during the wedding ceremony. The coins represent the grooms commitment and support to his new wife. Flowers are a very important part of weddings, they symbolize happiness. Wedding rings are a very big part of the wedding. The bride has  to place a ring on the groom's finger and the groom has to place a ring on the bride's finger. A white dress does not mean purity. A white vale is the sign that the woman is pure which means she's a virgin.

The people invited to the wedding have to wear proper clothing. The women have to wear either a dress or a skirt. The men have to wear a suit or a tuxedo. Everyone has to look presentable. All people have to look formal.

The music that our families normally choose to play are like reggaeton, cumbias, salsa, meringue, etc....

When the wedding day comes the bride has to wake to bright and early to start getting ready. She has to get her hair done in the style she had chosen months before. She has to do her make-up. Lastly put her dress on. The groom has to do many things too like take a shower, shave, put his tuxedo on, basically he has to look presentable and very formal because it is his wedding. The groom has to arrive early, before the bride anyway.

Once the bride arrives she has to walk down the aile holding hands with her father or a very close person. When the man has walked her all the way down, she is given to her soon-to-be husband. The priest starts to pray at them and preach. The bride and the groom have to exchange vows to each other. The have to vow about being together forever through sickness and through health, through thick and through thin etc...

The padrinos of the wedding then have to go and place the lasso around their necks. The bride and groom exchange vows. The they give each other their rings. At the end  of the wedding, when the priest has blessed their marriage they give each other a kiss to wrap it all up. The start walking outside, when they get right outside the church the people throw rice and red beans up in the air to symbolize a long lasting marriage.

After when everyone arrives at the reception hall the food is already there. The DJ/band has to be already there. They all have fun for a long time just talking to everyone, having conversations and then the newlyweds go around while everyone congratulates them. The bride and groom have to dance the first dance. Everyone forms a heart shaped circle and the newlyweds dance in the middle.

Almost at the end of the reception the newlyweds go and cut their cake. The feed each other a piece of cake. They then cut their cake and share with everyone that wants some. After the cake everyone just goes and dances. All the people are just happy because its a very special day for everyone. When the wedding is over the newlyweds go on their honeymoon to whatever place they have chosen to go.

The meaning of this tradition is two people joining in a family and vowing to spend the rest of their lives together. Its basically celebrating two people who really love each other. Its two families coming together as one. Its a very important event in some ones life.

I would defiantly like to share this tradition my children. Its a very important event in some ones life. This is one of the best things that will ever happen to you in a life time. Its not just only a normal day or party. Its a life changing event.

Stephany- a baby in my family

Nathaly- another baby in or family

**I put these pictures here because theses are the babies in my family that will be enjoying this tradition. My family is sharing this tradition with them next............**

1:  http;//www.indiansun.net (website)

2:  http;//www.epcc.edu/ftp/homes/monicaw/borderlands/10_wedding_traditions.htm  (website)

3:  http;//www.wikeopidia.com/weddings (website)

5:  Modern Bride Magazine