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Marvin & Paola

June 20, 2026 • Brandon, MS

Marvin & Paola

June 20, 2026 • Brandon, MS

As part of our wedding celebration we would like to include a few meaningful traditions that honor culture, family, and heritage. A few hispanic traditions may be new to some of our guests so we wanted to add a brief description to encourage everyone's participation and help everyone understand the significance behind them.

Vibora de la Mar (snake in the sea)

Picture of Vibora de la Mar (snake in the sea)

A traditional and symbolic game where the bride and groom stand (typically on chairs) and form an arch while the guests hold hands and run underneath the arch. The reason why is that the guests participating in the snake will intentionally try to knock off either the (ladies) bride or (men) groom from their chairs by intentionally bumping into them as they pass through the arch before the music ends, at which point the game is over. To sum things up, the wedding party members assigned to the bride and groom have to try to keep that from happening.

More often than not, the men will be successful in knocking the groom off of his chair, at which point they will grab him, place him over their heads like a casket symbolize the death of his single life, walk him over to an open area and toss him up in the air repeatedly as they chant in celebratory fashion. In some cases the men may even rough the groom up a bit as initiation to becoming a married man.

Baile del Dolar (The Dollar Dance)

Picture of Baile del Dolar (The Dollar Dance)

A wedding tradition where guests pay for a short dance with the bride and/or groom by pinning money to their clothes, symbolizing good fortune and helping the couple start their new life, with variations including money leis or donation boxes, common in many cultures like Filipino, Mexican, and Polish traditions. If you would like to participate, make sure you bring some cash!