Monday, May 14, 2007

A Haitian Wedding


This past Saturday, the 12th of May, the Modene Murphy Ministries hosted their first wedding in the church. The lovely couple were united before God, family and friends. It was a very nice ceremony and the visiting pastor gave a wonderful sermon. There were definintely some differences in customs but overall it was a typical wedding. As you will see in the photos, the groom escorts the bride to the church with the wedding party close behind. The church is decorated with colorful sheets and curtains. The floor covering under the wedding party is actually a bedsheet with a twin-bed mattress pad in the center. The bride and groom sit facing each other while the best man and maid of honor sit by their sides. The witnesses are sitting behind the groom and best man. A special song is performed by the church choir. An original poem is recited by David. The bride receives a ring but the groom does not. The signing of the marriage certificate is done by all of the members of the wedding party during the ceremony. They are pronounced man and wife but they are not told to kiss. (Lucner said it was up to the discretion of the officiating pastor. Some Haitians get upset when they leave that part out. They start shouting that the couple should kiss). On a side note: The bride tried very hard not to smile during the wedding but I managed to catch her a couple of times. I still don't know how tall her husband is but she is also pretty tall herself and was wearing three inch heels. A really sweet couple. I wish them many years of love and happiness.










They are now officially Husband and Wife!

New video information added on Jan. 21, 2009:

Because of the interest this particular blog has generated, I have added some information about a YouTube video that my friend Peter Daniel recorded, while living in Bayonnais, and put it on his blog as well. It is a casual demonstration of part of a typical Haitian wedding dance. It is very nicely done.

Best wishes for all the newlyweds and soon-to-be marrieds. Please read the comments at the end of this posting to see what others have shared. Especially take time to read what Maggie had to say. She actually still lives in Haiti and had some thoughts to share with the brides-to-be. Thank you, Maggie!

Go to the YouTube website and do a search for the video. Just type in the words..........Bayonnais: Rosena and Wilgar dance

I am sure you will enjoy it! God's Blessings to all!

9 comments:

Erika Kimberly said...

I googled Haitian Weddings because my boyfriend is Haitian and I've always been intruiged with weddings in Haiti vs the US. His mother passed away so I can't ask her about Haitian traditionas or customs. Thank you for this post. The information you gave was useful and enlightening.

Vicki Jean said...

Hello Erika,
Thank you so much for your comment and your interest in my blog. I never dreamed that it would be useful for the purpose of a wedding. Am so glad you were able to find some helpful information. Other information that I can add is that the choir sang a special song and a friend stood up and recited an original poem before the vows.
I wish you and your fiance all the best. God Bless!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this great site. Like Erika, my boyfriend is from Haiti and his mother (and father) also pasted away. We are thinking about a wedding next year and this blog will help us give our wedding a Haitian feel. Thank you so much! -B

Vicki Jean said...

Dear B,

I truly appreciate your comments. I know that planning a wedding can be a chore but I hope that you will be able to get all the information you need to have it in Haitian style. I viewed some of the videos on YouTube and saw a lot of interesting ceremonies.

Here are a couple of more hints, in case you weren't aware of them:

Wedding Guests according to custom bring gifts to the wedding, but not gifts of money. The wedding cake is not cut at the reception party, but later at the couples home.

Food at the reception would include conch, a type of shellfish, fried pork, and black rice, creole style.

I wish you all the best with your plans. I hope that your wedding will be a joy to remember and that your lives together will be blessed.

Anonymous said...

I am also marrying a haitian man whose parents are not alive. Thanks for the info on the customs in the ceremony. I want to incorporate both cultures in our wedding.

Maggie said...

Wow :) we women have been taken by storm. We should start a site, American women married to Haitian men. I also will be marrying a Haitian man. However, I live here in Haiti so learning the traditions are not as difficult, but still definitely work. This is really cool that all of us have this in common.
One thing I can say is be prepared for difficulties. Be committed no matter what. If you go into this thinking its going to be a dream you will have your heart broken. Its going to be great, but its also going to be a lot of work. Let him lead, let him be the one to guide your home. Encourage him and uplift him. If you determine in your life to put your husband's needs and desires as most important in your life and you love him in good times and in bad your marriage will be beautiful. Hang in there for the ride. Enjoy the bumps, don't hate them. If you've never been to Haiti I would challenge you to come here and see what its like here. Take care and may your marriages be blessed and beautiful.
Maggie

Vicki Jean said...

Dear Anonymous and Maggie,

Thank you both for sharing your comments. I am still amazed at how many people have view this particular posting. I have added a new note at the end of this posting and hope you will take the time to see the video that I have mentioned.
Anonymous, I wish you all the best in being able to incorporate a little of both cultures into your wedding.
Maggie, the words of encourgagement that you shared were beautiful. In ANY culture, I think this advice would be helpful. Thank you both, again!

Anonymous said...

Hi
Thanks so much for the info, I am Australian marrying a Haitian man this year, so great to get some Haitian customs.
Thanks :-)

Vicki Jean said...

Hello Anonymous from April 4th posting. So glad that you could find information from this blog to give you some ideas for your wedding. If you can, try to check out the YouTube videos. There are several videos from people who had Haitian weddings in the United States and tried to stay true to the traditions. In some cases, they incorporated a little of both cultures. You should take note that the Haitians have a great sense of humor and like to ham it up...especially when the cameras are rolling. You did not say when you were getting married but I wish you all the best with God's blessings. Send pictures to my email if you get a chance. That goes out to every bride that has written so far. My email is VJPierce@gmail.com. Would love to see your faces. Mine still looks the same, except with more grey hair. Ha-ha! Thanks for writing!