The Proposal

• After a man's engagment proposal is accepted, it's traditional for him to gift a wristwatch to the bride's father. This symbolizes his good intentions and his commitment to the marriage.
  
  

The Flowers

• Orange blossoms are a traditional Spanish wedding flower. They're likely to be incorporated into the bouquets, corsages, headpieces and decorations. They represent a life of happiness and fulfillment.
  
  

The Attire

• Spanish brides traditionally wear black silk gowns with intricately designed patterns. The head is covered with a black veil that's held in place by elaborate combs. The groom wears an embroidered shirt made by the bride for him during their engagement. Today, many Spanish brides are choosing to wear white and grooms are opting for tuxes.
  
  

Before the Ceremony

• It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, so it's the father of bride's duty to prevent this from happening by escorting her to the church and keeping her out of sight until the right time. Shortly before the ceremony, the groom escorts his mother up the aisle and waits to see his bride for the first time. The ceremony starts when the bride's father leads her up the aisle and gives her away to the groom.
  
  

The Ceremony

• The majority of traditional Spanish wedding ceremonies take place in a church. The couple shares their vows and then the groom presents the bride with 13 silver coins in a purse. The coins represents a dowry and the groom's willingness to support his new bride. This is followed by an exchange of rings, which are placed on the ring finger of the right hand. The couple is sometimes wrapped in a lasso to signify their unity and protect the disruption of their new marriage. As they exit the church, the couple is greeted by firecrackers and applause.
  
  

The Reception

• Most Spanish wedding ceremonies and receptions take place in the evening. This is largely because the Spanish dinner hour is late in the day. During the reception, there's a great deal of food and dancing. The food typically consists of almond wedding cookies, seafood, an abundance of wine and a wedding cake filled with fruit or nuts.
  
  The wedding dance is called "sequidillas manchegas." People usually pay the bride to dance and may even bid on her garter. The cash earned by the couple during the reception is meant to help them set up house.
  
  Wedding guests are given small favors to thank them for their attendance. The groom shares cigars with the men, while the bride hands out small floral pins to the unmarried ladies. These pins are worn upside down, and tradition has it that any women who lose their pins during the reception will soon be married.