Weddingbee boards

I'm Dominican!

Dominicans usually have both Padrinos and maid of honor & Best Man.  The padrinos are usually an older couple (married to each other or to other people) that help sponser the wedding such as pay for the wedding cake, help pay for other items.  I had my "padrinos" put the lasso around my husband and I.   

Instead of a rehearsal dinner, my family has a "mondogo party".  Essentially before a wedding in the country you would kill various animals the day before in preparation for the wedding feast the following day.  The night before they would eat Mondogo "tripe stew" and party into the night.  My family usually orders some subs, and we bring out he guitars and everyone sings and laughts and dances.  This year some we brought out some wigs, it was a lot of fun. 

Another tradition is of the Arras, where a family member gives you some coins to start out your married life.  I didn't use that tradition but my cousin did and had her grandmother give the arras for the blessing during mass.

Good luck with your wedding, if you need any other ideas please let me know!

I am not Dominican but Cuban American & raised catholic. I am getting married outside so I am not fresh on the catholic customs - however, I would assume the Madrina or Padrino thing is right on point. Also find out if his family has a "mantilla" that they may have within the family to place over you at the church for a prayer portion of the ceremony.

Also, "las monedas" is something common for Cuban Catholics - which is the coins you hold together or something like that at the altar & it represents like the sharing of your wealth etc.

Rosaries are also big & they might place that around you instead of the mantilla. Look it up on the internet or consider history/cultural books that might work. Perhaps you can talk to a local Catholic priest in NY perhaps in a Dominican neighborhood (maybe email or jut call or show up) - they can give you information or perhaps give you a number or address for a church in DR that might help.

 Good luck! ( LOL Im Catholic Cuban American marrying an Agnostic Irish Texas Boy! - however, he's all for me integrating my culutre and religion into the ceremony)

Ms. Guava-tini, I'm a dominican who married a  mid-western wanna-be cowboy who works for a finance firm in NYC.  :)   We are in the process of buying our dream house, and all he can think of is the pick-up truck he's gonna buy once we are out of the city!  lol...

Reina!

Don't forget Pernil or roasted pork at weddings, very important.  We couldn't get pernil for our reception since it was catered, but I opted for the Roasted suckling pig at the coctail hour.

@Chela429 - LOL! Mine transplanted to Miami about 14 years ago & although he criticizes Miami and its flashy ways & blames it on the hispanics & our love of looking nice - he's a porsche fanatic & recently got a new one (which he told my Cuban grandfather - "I was smart, I got it before I got married") LOL - The funniest thing about mixed culture/language relationships is when you curse in Spanish but they eventually figure out what it all means! LOL! Sorry ReinaDeAlcantara for taking over the post with unrelated blah blah :)

One of my best friends also dominican moved to Miami a few years ago for Grad school and is now married to a Cuban-American.  She's always talking about how hard it is to keep up with her in-laws, they always have designer bags and shoes.    She likes living in Aventura cause there are so many New Yorkers there, instead of living closer to Miami like Coral Gables.