Every culture has its own unique set of rituals and traditions that make getting married a beautiful, special, and memorable experience. Moreover, these traditions help preserve what is unique about each respective culture. Check out these 6 interesting Latin American wedding traditions. Shared financial responsibility: In traditional North American weddings, the father of the bride is the one who is expected to bear the brunt of the wedding’s cost. Latin American weddings are sponsored by families of the bride and groom. Both sides are involved in the wedding planning therefore they all pitch in to share in the expenses. The bride and groom will receive Las arras: Arras are gold coins that are reputed to bring the couple good luck as they begin their new life together. These coins represent the couple’s unity, as well as the groom’s promise to provide for his wife and their family. Catholic Church wedding: Since Latin Americans are widely Catholics, wedding ceremonies almost always take place in a Catholic church. However, modern brides and grooms do sometimes hold the ceremony in unusual places such as historical sites, cultural museums, gardens and even beaches. (In Guatemala, the actual reception is traditionally held in the groom’s home!) Pre-wedding serenade: Costa Rican grooms are expected to serenade their bride on the eve of their wedding. This is done so that all can hear how the groom feels about his wife-to-be. Mariachis: Most weddings (and parties!) still feature traditional mariachi music played by a live band during the reception. Argentinian wedding cake: In traditional Argentinian weddings, the bride does not throw a bouquet to be caught by a bridesmaid. The bride’s single friends hover around the cake and pull out ribbons from the pastry. On one of the ribbons is a ring. The lucky girl to pull out a string with a ring attached to it is the next to get married! The Guayabera shirt has been considered to be appropriate for weddings in Central and South America for generations. They are infinitely more comfortable than a tuxedo shirt and other kinds of formal wear. At the Guayabera Shirt Store, we sell specialized embroidered shirts that are as ornate as any shirt you would wear with a tuxedo but that are infinitely cooler. We even sell guayabera shirts for kids and for women.