Arras & Lasso Ceremonies at a Hispanic Wedding

This sample is the Arras & Lasso ceremonies that took place during an Hispanic wedding in June, 2009. The ceremony was at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in San Diego and the reception was at the Chula Vista Women's Club in Chula Vista, California.

The arras are thirteen coins, traditionally gold or silver though gold plated coins, and coins or tokens made of other metals are now common as well. The coins themselves are usually presented and kept in some sort of elegant box or pouch. They may have originally been a symbol of the bride's dowry, an amount of money or property given to a groom by the family of his bride. Bringing the actual dowry to the wedding would be impractical, especially given that a dowry may have included a large chest of money or goods as well as some livestock or land.

Though the link to the dowry alludes to the money the bride brings to the marriage, typically the groom in some way presents the coins to his bride. It is said to symbolize that he will be there to protect and provide for her, and also symbolizes that he shares all his worldly processions with her his wealth is her wealth. The thirteen coins are sometimes said to stand for love, trust, commitment, respect, joy, happiness, harmony, wisdom, wholeness, nurturing, caring, cooperation, and peace traits the couple would want their marriage to be filled with. Tradition also states that the number of thirteen coins is chosen to symbolize Jesus and the twelve apostles.

Lasso (sometimes called, "lazo") or rope is placed around the bride and groom's shoulders (groom's shoulder's first) in the form of an "8" (the infinity symbol) - after they have exchanged their vows - to symbolize their everlasting union. This is usually done by the officiant, however, family members can also take part in this ritual. The couple wears the lasso throughout the remainder of the service.

The lasso is sometimes made of rosary beads, white ribbon, orange flowers, fabric, silver, crystal or elaborately painted wood. It can also be placed around the couple's necks, or wrists. If you have children; they may also be included as they will definitely be a part of the new family.

The Veil and the Lasso are both associated with a wedding prayer during the ceremony. Special additional members of the wedding party may be in charge of "lassoing" the Bride and Groom together after they kneel for the wedding prayer. They drape what is usually a white satin circle of cord around the shoulders of the kneeling Bride and Groom.

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