There are so many interesting and meaningful wedding traditions from around the world, and we believe a Mayan wedding ceremony is one of the most unique.
The Mexican Caribbean is a beautiful place where many Mayan weddings are celebrated, memories made, and traditions honored. Home to Mayan culture, which has attracted the interest of many people from all corners of the world to celebrate their weddings, the Mexican Carribean includes such stunning locations as Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, and Bacalar.
We spoke to Blue Nile, the world’s leading online retailer of diamond engagement and wedding rings, to share our thoughts on some of the wedding traditions from around the world.
Mayan wedding beliefs
A Mayan wedding ceremony is thought not only to connect the future spouses’ souls but two people and nature. It starts with the couple being received at the altar while songs and Mayan prayers are recited. Then, the sounds of nature unite the heavenly with the earthly, candles are used as a symbol of light and energies in motion, and copal and incense are used as an offering for the gods and to clean bad energies and thoughts.
The importance of symbolism in Mayan weddings
A Mayan wedding ceremony brings the couple to the four cardinal points to unite them to Mother Earth. In the center, an altar represents these four cardinal points, surrounded by flowers. The altar holds the traditional offerings to the Mayan Gods to represent the gifts of prosperity and fertility. North is symbolized by red flowers, East with yellow flowers, South with purple flowers, and West with white flowers.
The couple exchange vows and gives each other badges of prosperity, which each represent something different. For example, corn symbolizes body and spirit, cacao beans symbolize wealth and economy, honey symbolizes sweetness and love in the home, salt as balance, and pumpkin seeds represent the awakening of consciousness.
Celebrate the beginning of love the Mayan way
After the ceremony has taken place, the couple’s union is sealed with the exchange of rings, which represents the marriage pledge. The Shaman then ties their hands with red lace, representing the beginning of a genuine, loving relationship.
Finally, the Shaman invites their parents and the closest family members to pray and offer the best wishes to the newlyweds. In the meantime, there is music playing, the blowing of the conch shell, drums, and the copal ceremony going on; the spouses offer seeds and petals to the sea or the cenote, asking for abundance and fertility.
