Raul and Lole Got Married

We knew it was going to be good when the groom arrived on the back of his friends motor scooter, tin cans rattling behind him, although it wasn't until later that we discovered that the scooter is 30years old and belongs to our gardener Sebastian, Lole's dad. The bride arrived (fashionably late, as they used to say in the society pages) in a black open top VW beatle and then we all piled into the church and got started.

We were expecting a Nuptial Mass, priests and incense. In fact what we got was the most participatory wedding I have ever seen in which the priest seemed a little unecessary (as priests, in my opinion, always are). His main role seemed to be to ask people to be quiet from time to time! The bride and groom read out their own vows, the bridesmaids gave readings and the girl friends of the bride queued up at the microphone to wish them well. Everybody applauded at regular intervals, walked up and down and chatted.Finally, one of the bridesmaids played some Bach on her flute and we all piled out again. Those sunday evening talent shows that are such a feature of our summers here (we can hear them all around us) obviously have an effect.



If the arrival had been interesting, the departure was even more so. Rice and rose petals were thrown as the bride and groom came out of the church and they released two white doves into the air, before leaving in Sebastian's gardening cart, which had been decorated with flowers and fitted out with two seats. The notice on the back says something to the effect that they had wanted a Mercedes, but didn't have the budget. As we headed off to the reception they were travelling three times round the roundabouts of central Chiclana............


There had been about 100 people in the church, but there were nearer 400 at the reception at Hacienda la Pipa, a few miles outside Chiclana in the country. Probably the most spectacular part of the meal was the fruit course-a small harvest festival from which everyone was invited to help themselves-and did. And yes, those are watermelons into which the names of the bride and groom and a couple of swans have been carved. Mind you, the cake table was pretty impressive too! No speeches at Spanish weddings, but from time to time someone would shout "Viva los novios"-long live the newly weds-and everyone would leap to their feet and drink a toast!


After the meal the bride and her sisters came round to all the tables to give out little presents to the women, followed by Sebastian and his new son in law who gave out gifts to the men (although Sebastian, splendid in a three piece suit, looked a bit bewildered most of the day-not sure he had turned his hearing aid on!) Then the sisters changed into black and put on a display of salsa. Was it good? Let's just say that I think they had done it before. Unfortunately, by this stage our camera had given up the ghost, so I can't show you a picture. Nor do I have one of the next part of the evening's entertainment-a bullfight in the bullring at the hacienda. Actually it was more of a calf, who looked as bewildered as the father of the bride. Not our cup of tea or even glass of cava so we left at this point. In any case, we were exhausted, but we felt very privileged to have been part of our Spanish community for the day.