Recently I had the opportunity to be a god-mother to my sister-in-law Guerdie as she prepared to get married at the end of December. In Haitian culture, the god-mother is an important role. You actually sit with the married couple during the entire ceremony and it is considered a role of spiritual wisdom and guidance for the couple. I was very flattered and pleased to do this for Diego's sister. Haitian weddings are an entirely different breed than North American ones. I recently stood up for my brother as well in his wedding last October and I can't help laughing at some of the huge differences that presented themselves between the 2 ceremonies.
1. Lateness is very common in Haitian weddings. Guerdie's wedding started 2.5 hours late! A good Canadian friend of mine shared that if that had happened in NA, many people would have left the wedding and she is probably right.
2. The bridal party is 2 or 3 times the size of NA bridal parties. Haitian bridal parties often have many different roles that I never knew existed, such as King, Queen, Princess, and Announcer. I think Guerdie's wedding party had over 20 people. No wonder we were late!
3. The reception is another huge difference between cultures. In NA cultures, the meal is usually the start of the festivities and the night is followed by speeches and dancing. In Haitian culture, everything happens before the food, because once the food is distributed the party is done and people go home. Another important difference is that there is no dancing in Protestant weddings in Haiti.. I'm not exactly sure why.
However, despite all the differences, there is still the incredible moment when the Pastor/Officiator pronounces the couple married, they kiss and you see first-hand this amazing joy on their faces. Thank you to my brother, Geoff and his wife Julie and my sister-in-law, Guerdie and her husband Delince for allowing me to be apart of that special moment. Blessings to you as you start your married life together.
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