ceremony

All You Need to Know on Andean Ceremony

Peru, especially Cusco and the Sacred Valley region, is famous for the spiritual side of its natural elements, such as the mother hearth, the water and the wind, and for the very special cosmogony of the Incas. Indigenous people from the Andes have kept alive the ancient Inca spiritual traditions, and while traveling there you can feel this mystic atmosphere in the air. I am sure you have heard about the “Pachamama”, which is the mother heart for the indigenous people from the Andes. She represents the female side of the divine and she is considered the fertility goddess who nourishes plants, harvests and natural elements in general. On the other end we can find the Apus, the male side of the divine word for Incas. The Apus represents the mountain spirits that protect people against any kind of enemy. This is the Andean duality of the Inca cosmogony, which is fascinating and based on few basic principles: respect for nature, importance of the divine and holiness of natural elements: water, land, fire and wind.

The all idea of the Andean wedding is to unify bride and groom with the “Pachamama” or in case of vows renewal to reaffirm your marriage before the Andean goddess. The union has been performed before the Andean goddess so it is impossible that a human being can dissolve it. I wrote more on the issue here a couple of months ago:

If you are looking to get married with a very special ceremony, that you and your guests will remember forever, an Andean ceremony is the choice you should made. When couples look for something spectacular, I always suggest them to consider this spiritual ceremony, since this is a special occasion to live an extraordinary experience with their loved ones and to confirm their love before Incas gods.

The officiant is a shaman who will guide you through this special path until the end of the ceremony. The shaman is an extremely important element of the ceremony and it is essential that bride and groom create a special connection with him. The day before the ceremony you need to meet the shaman and go to the local market to buy several elements and tools that you will need for the wedding ceremony. Usually a pair of sandal for the groom, a scarf, traditional clothes and accessories, coca leaves, flowers and some food to offer to the gods, basically seeds, beans and candies. Once you buy all this, you are set to get married before Incas goddess.

As for the settings, we usually suggest you to opt for a charming and characteristic venue in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, rounded by the Andean mountains that will add special spiritual vibrations to your ceremony or Incas ruins. So be careful when choosing the venue, it has to be as charming and fabulous as the ceremony itself.

Other important element is the music! What I usually suggest to couples is to have a little group of musicians playing traditional Andean instruments such as the “Quena”, that is a notched-end flute, the “antara” or panflute, which is the most recognized and popular Peruvian music instrument worldwide, the “pomatinyas”, which are little drums covered by animal skin, among others.

After the ceremony you can have a little reception with your guests and enjoy the experience you have just lived. I can ensure that your guests will be amazed and very impressed by the ceremony. Usually couples who opt for an Andean ceremony want intimate and private weddings, and sometimes they just want to elope without any guests, and live that moment in complete privacy.

There is so much we can say to describe the beauty and the magnificence of this special ceremony, many words can be uses, but I believe that the only way to understand completely what I am talking about is to live it.

January 18, 2018 By sayinperu

In Bouquet/ colors palette/ Flowers/ Wedding Trends

6 ideas for wedding bouquets

Flower bouquets apart from being the perfect complement for a dream wedding have a great importance for brides, and they are a detail you should never overlook. When bride is going down the aisle guests will look at your bouquet for sure, so choose it carefully and most important try to stick with your wedding color palette while choosing color and shape of the flowers.

They have been used as amulets since ancient times, so the choice of a specific flower, a specific color or shape has a meaning, such as purity, good luck, joy, happiness, etc..

Here are some bouquet options from our brides, each one has an important meaning for the bride who chose it.
For a vintage wedding we suggest delicate flowers in light pastel colors, such as light ping, light orange and blue. Pink roses are perfect for romantic weddings, especially mixed with white ones. This kind of bouquet is perfect for sophisticated bride.

If you want a glamorous wedding red roses is what you really need, better if combined with green foliage. As you know bouquets can have very different shapes, what do you think about a cascade red rose’s bouquet, like the one in the picture? We actually loved it!

If you want to stick with traditions, you can just go for a classic white roses bouquets, round style! This is perfect for a classic wedding!

Photo credit close up: Maik Dobiey – Marco Nishiyama

October 7, 2016 By sayinperu

In Elopement/ Save The Date/ Venues/ vow renewal/ Wedding Trends

Thinking about eloping in Peru? Here everything you need to know!

When you look into the dictionary for the word “to elope” the meaning is to run away and to not come back to the point of origin. We usually use this word to refer to run off to be married with your lover usually in an intimate and private ceremony without parents and direct family. The definition of elopement has changed during the years and it has lost day by day its negative connotation, since it was usually used for weddings where lovers got married without parental or societal consent. However today the meaning has changed, as I said, and elopement is a very special way to affirm your love and it is becoming a common practice.

While some couple love organizing big weddings, there are other couples who do not enjoy this and they prefer a more intimate and private event. Being abroad and visit a new country is always exciting and combining a trip with a marriage is even more exciting! So, why do not run away and elope in Peru?

I have organized many elopements in Peru since I started working in the industry. Favorite spots for elopement are Cusco and the coast, especially in the northern region. Due to the magic of the place and the spiritual atmosphere you can find the old capital city of the Inca Empire is one of the best places to elope in Peru. Also Tumbes or Mancora are beautiful spots for beach elopements, which you can do during your romantic escape in one of the beautiful beaches placed in the north of Peru. I personally love the idea of two lovers going in a beautiful and stunning setting to confirm their love in a very special way. Choosing to elope actually means that you do care about your marriage and that the only important person you want to share that moment with is your lover.

What to consider for your elopement? First of all you have to choose a memorable and charming venue, there will be the two of you or perhaps a friend or few family members and the venue must be awesome! I would say that it is one of the main actors of the event, a part from you and your significant one. Elopement is all about lovers, atmosphere and venue, since you will not have guests and big decorations.

For a perfect elopement you also have to choose the right photographer since he has to capture the atmosphere of your special ceremony. It is necessary to have visual prove of your wedding since there will not be guests and you may want to tell others about your wedding. So a visual memory of your elopement is highly needed!

A big pro of an elopement is that is stress-free. There is no need to plan everything in advance, there is no need to decide on seating arrangement, there is no need to consider your guests food allergies, there is no need of waiting for RSVP, there is no need to plan how your bridesmaids will be dressed…and believe me all these details are crucial for a successful wedding event. This is a big pro of opting for an elopement rather than a proper wedding.

Another pro is that you can make it fast, that means that organizing an elopement is obviously faster that organizing a real wedding with ceremony and reception and all the details related to them, so you do not need to start planning it one year and half in advance, just take your time to see what you really want and need to make your elopement special! Remember that elopement is all about you, your partner and the venue! These are the three elements!

To the other end a big con of an elopement is that your family and friends will be mad at you both guys because you did not say a word on this and you did not share such an important moment with them. If you choose to keep it as a secret, sometimes couples opt to share this idea with family and sometime there are few friends and family members who do not mindto travel with them. But in case you keep it totally secret, do no panic, just be prepared to strong reactions, do not take them personally and do not feel the need to justify yourself. To elope is your choice, and you can always organize a vowels renewal or a reception for direct family and friends after you got married. Having a post-elopement party is quite common nowadays

September 21, 2016 By sayinperu

In Beach wedding/ Destination weddings/ entertainment/ Guests/ Save The Date/ Venues/ Wedding Trends

Can I have a beach wedding in Peru?

When it comes to destination weddings we generally think about weddings in exotic destinations, beachfront weddings with beautiful landscapes, lot of sunshine, stunning sunsets and the smell of the ocean breeze everywhere. This is what comes to my mind…So, one of the questions I often receive from couples is: “is it possible to have a beach wedding in Peru?”

Of course it is!!! Peru is known as a country with a huge variety of landscapes and climate areas. We have three main regions: mountains, forest and coast. Peru has a charming biodiversity and this makes it one of the best touristic destinations in the world! That is why we are able to offer to couples interested in a destination wedding a wide variety of options for their wedding ceremony and reception! So if you are planning to have an exotic beach front wedding ceremony with all the elements we saw before (beautiful landscapes, lot of sunshine, stunning sunsets and the smell of the ocean breeze) you should definitely include Peru in your list!

I will try to do my best to include the best options here, but I am sure this list will not be a closed one; there will be always a new beautiful destination to discover…that is actually the best part of my work! I am very open to new challenges and I love discovering new venues around the country!

The first destination on my list is Paracas, it is located near Lima, in the Ica region, and it offers beautiful beaches, sun and an amazing fauna. Here you have plenty of choices of venues located in front of the beach, the main hotel chains have their resorts there and the area is pretty quiet and peaceful. So you and your guests will enjoy sun, ocean breeze and you will totally relax under the sun. I do not know if the wife and husband to be will actually manage to relax, we all know that if you are getting married you are all but relax! However, I swear that your guests will have a great time there! There are so many activities and tours they can be engaged in, or they can simply lie on the beach with a great Pisco-based cocktail in a hand and a tasty and fresh “ceviche” in the other! You do not know what Pisco and ceviche are? Oh God you are missing two of life’s pleasures…check it out here and here!

Another destination you might consider is Mancora, located up north in the Piura region. This is place for beautiful and wild beaches, sunshine and stunning sunsets. Same as Paracas, you have extensive venue choices for beach-front weddings and you will definitely have lot of fun. And while you are walking down the aisle barefooted, you will be trapped by the wonderful sunset on the Pacific Ocean. If you have guests who love surfing, or if you love it yourself, this is the spot to choose. Mancora is one of the best destinations in the country for surf spots.

As you know Lima is the only Latin America’s capital city overlooking the Pacific Ocean, so why do not opt for Lima! There are also here different options you can consider, especially luxury private beach houses in the south area of the capital city. They are mainly located few kilometers far away from Lima. These houses are amazing venues, where you and your guests will have a private and intimate wedding ceremony and you will party until dawn to celebrate your special day! I can ensure you that this is a great option, especially if you have Peruvian guests living in Lima who are not eager to travel elsewhere.

As I said above, these are only few options, but there are many more to discover. Let’s say that Peru is an amazing country and it always gives surprise!

August 12, 2016 By sayinperu

In Venues/ Wedding Trends

The spiritual side of Andean Wedding ceremonies in Peru

Photo credit: Marco Nishiyama

After so many years organizing destination weddings in Peru I thought this was the exact time to write about Peruvian ancestral weddings ceremonies, due to the high requests and all the questions I receive every day on this topic.

Andean marriages are spiritual unions between two people who love each other as a traditional wedding ceremony, but there is something more, a spiritual value added: the connection that these two people create with nature, I would rather say with the nature’s energies. The idea is to unify the couple with the “Pachamama”. This is a Quechua word which means Mother Earth. For those of you who are wondering what Quechua is here more information; however, I can briefly say that it is the indigenous language spoken in the Peruvian Andean region, which is still used today and to me is extremely charming and fascinating.

Pachamama is a powerful goddess of the Andean religion extremely worshiped by indigenous communities in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. Quoting villagers from Peruvian Andes: ‘Pachamama gives us life, she nourishes us throughout our existence on this earth and when we die, we go back to our Pachamama from where we will rise again.’ All this comes from the ancient Andean beliefs that there is reciprocity between the material world and the spiritual world. But let’s go back to Andean wedding ceremony…

Photo credits: Marco Nishiyama

The ceremony is performed by an Andean priest, called shaman, with the help of all the Pachamama energies and the union they are celebrating is not a common conjugal union between two people who love each other but it is much more important and it has a strong spiritual value. There are two essential components in an Andean wedding ceremony: the Pachamama, which represents the feminine side in the ceremony and the Apus, which represents the masculine side. The Apus is the great protector spirit coming from the mountains and it is the closets living ancestor to the Incas.

The couple during the ritual will give thanks to the Pachamama and will ask for blessings to the Apus, such as their intentions to follow the right path in their life, especially now that they have built a spiritual union. Usually the ceremony is accompanied by Andean music that contributes to create a mystical atmosphere and you will feel merged in the nature, feeling the energies of all the natural elements, such as water, air, fire and earth. So your compromise will not only be with the love of your life, but also with all the natural elements of the Andes. This union cannot be broken by human beings since it was performed before deities and Pachamama is its main witness.

Photo Credit: Marco Nishiyama

The person in charge of the ceremony is the shaman. Before the ceremony you should undertake a cleansing ritual with incense and flowers to clean up your souls and get ready for this spiritual union. The wedding ceremony starts with the ritual of cocoa leaves reading. Cocoa leaves are sacred in the Andean culture and they symbolize the ancestral tradition of the Inca Empire as well as its vigorous resistance to the colonial domination. Then the shaman will start talking about life, the importance of the union and how man and woman come together to become one element.

Bride and groom should bring as a symbol of their union the following:

men need to bring a lliclla (shawl) for his wife, which symbolize protection and express that he will always be with her;
women need to bring one pair of sandals for her husband, symbolizing strength. Wherever he goes, his wife will always be with him. He will be the support of their family.

Photo Credit: Marco Nishiyama

Then with a chumpi (Belt), calling the Apus and the elements of nature to witness this union, the shaman will unify the couple. This symbolize that man and woman should walk together thought the life path and respect each other before the Tayta Inti, which is the God father, the universe and the Pachamama.

During the wedding ceremony you can also have an offering to Pachamama, a special ritual performed by an Andean shaman where you express your gratitude to the Mother Earth. The aim of this ceremony is to find the right balance between you and the nature’s energies. In this way the Pachamam might protect your sacred union just sealed.

To strengthen the union you can also choose to have a special toast of honor called T’Inkay, which is a toast with an Andean beverage, offered to the sacred mountain to also protect the union from that moment on.

So, if you are looking into a very special way to strengthen your union this is an awesome option. For more information just drop me a comment and I will be happy to help you. We can work together to make your wedding day very special for you and your loved one.

June 27, 2016 By sayinperu

All You Need to Know on Andean Ceremony

6 ideas for wedding bouquets

Thinking about eloping in Peru? Here everything you need to know!

Can I have a beach wedding in Peru?

The spiritual side of Andean Wedding ceremonies in Peru

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