Wedding Ceremony

At 6pm my dad and I headed down to the lobby to wait for our chauffeur Rene to pick us up. The Americans had been picked up earlier in shifts so they didn't have to walk in their heels to city hall. It was kind of weird to have all my family leave and leave me and my dad behind. I was hoping I looked ok and everything was in place. My dad was just wondering what was taking so long! ha!

We waited in the lobby about 10 minutes or so when Rene arrived with the car. I still wasn't nervous, just wondering how I would get in the car without messing up my dress. I finally made it in with help from my dad and we set off to the city hall- only a 2 minute ride.

In the car I still wasn't nervous, which was really weird because when I went to see my dress for the first time, after I ordered it, I was so nervous. I was red and blotchy all over. (I was stressed it was the wrong dress). We were worried I would be a blotchy mess for the wedding!

Pablo and I both kept saying that it felt like just another thing on the list that we had to do. We had been crazy list people for a month before the wedding finishing all the last minute details, that the day of the wedding we were we're like ok, 12 pm lunch and 6pm get married, see ya then. It didn't seem real that this was the day we had been planning forever and it meant we were getting MARRIED.

my americans waiting my arrival

My first reaction to our arrival at the city hall, when I saw all the people there waiting for us, was, "this is so embarrassing!!" All the guests were there waiting outside in the plaza looking at everything I did and taking pictures! Not my favorite thing so I decided to not to look at anyone!

I was surprised to be greeted by the bagpipe players, they play traditional Asturian music, and played as I walked into the court house. Also, the red carpet was a surprise from Pablo's parents. Originally we decided it was expensive so we decided it wasn't worth it but it looked good so thanks Pepo and Mari Carmen!

It was great to have my mom and sister waiting for me to help with my dress when I got out of the car and make sure that I looked ok. And they were a familiar face to comfort me since I blocked everyone else out!

After I was deemed presentable by my handlers it was time to walk down the carpet into the city hall, up the stairs and find my husband.

I felt like the paparazzi were all around us and I was like, "dad, smile!"

As we walked into the city hall I was feeling good, I didn't trip while walking up the stairs, and then I saw Pablo and that is when it hit me. I felt like I was watching a hallmark commercial when you get choked up and want to cry because it was so cute.

I had to look away for a second so I wouldn't be a crazy crier! (above) Pablo was so handsome and looked amazing. Once I got to the top of the stairs and saw him smiling I felt great. (see face belowe)

We didn't really know what we were doing and Pablo kissed me... oops....but we don't play by the rules anyway! My dad handed me off and we went into the room and the ceremony began.

Now this ceremony went weird fast! A long time ago I asked for a print out of what is said at city hall ceremonies so I knew what I was promising!

The ceremony is one page long and everyone says its 5 minutes long. We met with the man that was marrying us and he said we could make it personal, do whatever we want. So we talked about it and decided to add a welcome greeting in english for my family, we would speak when we exchanged rings and then the man says you may kiss the bride you are husband and wife (in english).

I printed out the script exactly how it was given to me and added a couple new lines and gave it to the man. Well he said the greeting in english, good. Then he starts talking and talking and talking. At first I follow along and then I'm like when is this going to end? Then some how the speech turns into talking about pirates and I'm like what pirates? What is happening here? Meanwhile, its 80 degress plus in the room. Pablo was dying in his tux, wiping away sweat every 10 seconds. I can't imagine how everyone else felt. Finally after what seemed like 10 minutes he finishes, we say I do and then we are told to kiss. We are both like, Wait! What about the rings?? We ask him twice before we kiss and after we kiss. He seems to look like this is normal like he didn't really forget about the rings. Finally he tells us to exchange rings. We say our thing (I was bad and didn't plan and said something dumb I'm sure) Pablo said his in english and mine in spanish. Then our man says, again we are man and wife and we can kiss. So in the end we accomplished everything in the script, a bit unconventional like us and we did a lot of kissing.

The best part of the ceremony is the champagne toast. It involves us, the guy who married us my dad and pablo's mom. I decided in my planning stage I also wanted to include the family in this toast so I made them bags with champagne glasses and sidra to toast with us. Pablo's family and my Americans. Well in the end my brilliant plan didn't work out too well but it was a good idea!

After the toast, we sign our marriage license, we take family photos and we head outside to great the guests. It is typical to throw rice or rose petals after Spanish weddings on the newlyweds. We were told no rice, which is good because everyone looks like they get hurt when people heave 5 pounds of rice in their face. So my mom suggested bubbles. We bought cute little things at michaels, put ribbon on them and we were good to go. I wasn't sure how the spanish would respond so we only got 30. My sister started handing them out and at first the spanish didn't know what they were so she demonstrated. Laura said once they figured it out they love it and all wanted one.

So when we finally walked out to the plaza we were greeted by bubbles and confetti that was shot off by some sort of gun or something (Pablo's friends). It was fun!

The day before we asked our waiter at the restaurant we had lunch at (which is in the city hall plaza) if he could come and pour sidra for us after the ceremony. I wanted a picture of us drinking our first sidra as a married couple. Apparently no one has ever thought of this idea before, which I'm not sure I believe but I'll take the credit for every city hall wedding after ours that this is included. The whole thing turned out great because we had the bag pipe players in the background, the man came to the steps (he orginally said he had to do it in front of the restaurant) poured the sidra perfectly, one cup for me and one for Pablo and we got some great pictures. It was all very asturian! (very different spain than you thought huh? no bulls here!)

I have to tell people that this was an Asturian wedding not a Spanish wedding! I was told many times that Asturian people do weddings different......better than anyone else in spain.

We're married!