Eva Longoria's French/Mexican Wedding

The lavish wedding of actress, Eva Longoria and basketball star, Tony Parker was one of the most publicized weddings last year. The media covered everything from the lucky wedding date, 07/07/07 to the extravagant Parisian castle where the reception was held, to the gift baskets worth $8000 that Eva gave her bridesmaids.

Yet, there was one aspect of the wedding that didn’t receive as much press coverage; the cultural elements that Eva chose to incorporate in what she called her “French/Mexican” wedding. Although the wedding was held in France, where Tony was raised; to honor Eva’s Hispanic roots, the couple included several traditional Mexican wedding customs in the ceremony. In OK Weekly magazine, Eva is quoted as saying, “Our Families are both Catholic, so it was important to do it in a church... We added the Mexican traditions, with the lazo and the dimes arras, the bible readings and lighting of the unity candle.”

One of the wedding pictures featured in OK magazine shows the lazo wrapped around Eva and Tony's shoulders while they knelt at the altar during the wedding ceremony. (Courtesy of: OK Weekly magazine)

To ensure that guests could follow along during the ceremony, LA stationer Ellen Black printed explanations of the customs in the wedding program. (Courtesy of: InStyle magazine)

Let Eva & Tony's wedding be an inspiration to you. The Hispanic culture is rich with traditions that can add depth and special meaning to your wedding day. Be sure to explain the symbolism of the Latino traditions and customs used in your wedding. Your non-Latino guests will be charmed and informed and your Latino guests will be proud that you are celebrating your heritage.

Here’s a list of the traditional Mexican wedding customs that Eva Longoria and Tony Parker incorporated in their wedding along with some other popular Hispanic wedding customs:

Arras
There is some debate about where this custom originated, our sources site Spain. This endearing traditional Hispanic wedding custom consists of the groom giving the bride thirteen gold coins called arras to represent his commitment to support her. Shop for Arras now

Lazo

As part of the ceremony to symbolize unity, an extra-long strand of rosary beads or Lazo is placed in a figure eight shape around the necks of the couple after they have exchanged their vows. The symbolism of the lazo is to show the union and protection of marriage. Shop for a Lazo now


Capias

These handmade party favors are decorative pins with personalized ribbon that feature the name of the bride and groom along with the wedding date. At the reception, the Bride and Groom may pin the capias on the guests. At some Hispanic weddings, they may pin the capias to a doll dressed like the bride. The dolls is then displayed and covered with capias for the guests to retrieve.
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Ribbon Cake

In some Latino countries, before the cake is cut and served, single women pull ribbons out of the cake. The lucky one who pulls the ribbon with the ring is said to marry within the year.
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