Andean Wedding
Trip Overview
Overview
Marriage is a ceremony full of rites, which covers the request for a hand with the engagement ring, the tireless search for the wedding dress or the long-awaited launch of the wedding bouquet. But for some couples, getting married goes beyond entering the church or placing their signatures on the civil wedding certificate, because they also want to swear eternal love symbolically and differently from conventional: either to complement their other links, To celebrate an anniversary or to bless your love as the only option. Dare to discover more about Andean marriage with what we have prepared for you. Ancestral union Andean marriage is a ceremony presided by a guide who performs a series of rites to unite the couple in an unbreakable spiritual bond, having as faithful witnesses the main Inca divinities, such as: the sun and the moon, which symbolize the duality between the man and the woman; to the Pachamama or mother earth, the apus or spirits of the mountains, to the fire, the stars and the water. To carry out this sacred covenant, the Andean priest performs a succession of rituals, which vary according to what is required for the occasion: cleaning the aura or purification, offering to the Pachamama, reading coca leaves, taking Ayahuasca, planting of a plant, ceremony of the four elements (fire, air, water and earth), exchange of gifts or suchi tiyray, or the delivery of rings (usually the wedding rings are gold or silver). And as with other types of weddings, the officiant speaks words related to love, faithfulness and the relationship you will have between you and with nature. The Andean music that will sound thanks to the pututo, flute, drum, quena or zampoña will be another indispensable element to celebrate such a pleasant moment; in the same way as the toast of honor with drinks from the region and the distribution of the snack among all the participants. BELMOND SANCTUARY LODGE
Guests of Honor In addition to the priest, who must be a trusted expert guide, it is essential to have Andean sponsors to support and advise them in this spiritual beginning. And apart from them, you can invite your family and closest friends to be part of this intimate moment. The magic of the place The Andean wedding takes place in different parts of Peru, especially in our Peruvian highlands. These celebrations usually last a few days, according to the customs of each place. But in case they come from other parts of Peru like Lima or from abroad, there are companies that provide this service that takes approximately 4 hours. Most of the companies that offer this type of wedding usually have Cusco as the ideal center for the celebration. The places chosen must be special because of the energy and power they transmit, such as: the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Killarumiyoq archaeological park, the Huaypo Lagoon, the Ausangate snow-capped mountain, the Salkantay (Vinicunca), the Caica Grande de Jicamarca – Huarochirí Geoglyphs, the Lares Valley, among others. Although the choice is also at the discretion of the couple, who may decide to have a hotel in Cusco, for example. Ceremonial dress Only you will decide if you will wear a simple wedding dress, a 2019 wedding dress with Andean embroidery, a typical Andean suit or a totally different style. In the case of your partner, it will be exactly the same. To the selected style you just have to add a lliclla or blanket for you and a chumpi or sash for him. Your guests can also wear Andean motifs on their suits if they wish. As for the decoration, it will be very simple, since it will be based on the elements offered by Mother Nature, on the food they will share and on the wild flowers that will be seen as floral arrangements for the wedding, as a gift to Mother Earth or in her natural bouquet of flowers. RENATO GHILARDI
Don’t forget to bring… When you talk to the priest who will guide you on this new path, he will tell you which items or objects you should bring so you don’t have any trouble. Here is a preview: comfortable shoes, because depending on the place you have chosen you will have to walk, and go up or down at a certain height; water to keep you hydrated and fresh; sunscreen, umbrella or parasol; and the services of a trusted photographer so that this unforgettable day is captured in your photo album. We also recommend that before you get more excited and start inviting your family and friends, find out what additional costs will be involved in bringing them to the ceremony site. A couple of bride and groom previews are worth more than a thousand. Although the Andean marriage is usually very simple, it is as exciting as other types of weddings that also seek to create a lifelong bond. And to make this moment more personal and to reflect the style that characterizes them, why not send your guests some wedding cards with Andean motifs or with details of nature, or place a wreath in your wedding hairstyle that matches the surroundings? You will see that together and with the help of the Comunidad de Novios you will find many other ideas to make this day unforgettable. In addition to all the preparations, you can arrange your wedding with a luxury trip to Machu Picchu or private tours to the Sacred Valley.
This union cannot be broken by human beings since it was performed before deities and Pachamama is its main witness.
Tour Plan
Offering to Mother Earth
For this celebration we will meet you in a special place near Chinchero to seek the blessing of the mountains. Our masters then meet the bride and groom to explain the deep meaning of this act and talk to them about the commitment of being together in the journey of life, attached as they will be to the spirit of the closest Sacred Mountain (Apu), Antakillqa, Salkantay, Waka Willka, Pitusiray and Sawasiray .
An offering to Mother Earth is prepared as an act of gratitude for all the blessings she provides us. This offering consists of seeds, candies, flowers, colored wools, metals, beans and llama fat, among other items, which are all symbolically arranged with coca leaves. A ceremonial grouping of 3 perfect coca leaves, an integral part of all offerings in the Andes known as a ¨Kintu,¨ is shared to close the ceremony, and thin, hand-woven bracelets are given as a traditional symbol of this ritual. To celebrate this union, a toast (challa) is made to celebrate the joy of the union.