Mexican wedding traditions · Los Angeles
Mexican Wedding Traditions
and how we photograph them
Las arras, el lazo, the madrinas and padrinos — documented by a team that knows when each one happens and where to stand for it.
An introduction
Celebrating Mexican wedding traditions
2,300+ weddings photographed · 35+ national awards · 382 five-star reviews — Cinematic on Film
Mexican weddings are rich with symbolism, faith and family, blending centuries-old customs with a joyful, music-filled celebration. Alongside the ceremony itself, couples often incorporate a handful of meaningful rituals passed down through generations — some rooted in Catholic tradition, others in regional custom — that turn the wedding day into a living expression of family history.
These traditions vary widely by region and by family. What follows are the ones that are best documented and that continue to appear most often in Mexican weddings across Los Angeles: what each one means, and what it asks of the people photographing it.
The rituals
Six traditions worth planning around
Not every wedding includes all of them, and the order varies. These are the moments we ask about first, because most of them happen once and cannot be repeated.
Las Arras
Thirteen ceremonial coins, traditionally presented by the groom to the bride or exchanged between both partners, often blessed by the officiant beforehand. They symbolize the commitment to provide for and support the family the couple is building together, and the number thirteen is commonly tied to Christ and his twelve apostles, reflecting the ceremony’s Catholic roots. The arras are usually kept afterward as a keepsake, sometimes becoming a family heirloom of their own.
How we shoot it: the coins photographed in their box before the ceremony begins, then the hand-to-hand exchange itself from an angle that keeps both faces visible.
El Lazo
A ceremonial cord, rosary or floral rope looped around the couple’s shoulders in a figure-eight during the ceremony, symbolizing their union and the lasting bond of marriage. It is often placed by the madrina and padrino de lazo — the godparents responsible for that specific element — partway through the ceremony, and stays in place through the exchange of vows. The figure-eight has no beginning and no end.
How we shoot it: wide as the lazo is placed, so the padrinos are in frame, then close on the couple once it is settled.
Madrinas y Padrinos
Mexican weddings often involve a network of madrinas and padrinos, each responsible for a specific element of the celebration — the arras, the lazo, the bible or rosary, the cake, sometimes the mariachi. The tradition distributes both the honor and the cost of the wedding across trusted family and friends, and each sponsor is frequently recognized by name during the ceremony or reception.
How we shoot it: we ask for the list ahead of time. Sponsors are usually the portraits families most want afterward, and they are easy to miss if nobody points them out.
La Víbora de la Mar
A high-energy reception game in which guests form a chain and run under the joined hands of the couple, who typically stand on chairs. It is loud, fast, frequently chaotic, and in many families it is the single most photographed part of the night. Some couples skip it entirely; others build the reception around it.
How we shoot it: fast glass and a second shooter. The light is usually low, everyone is moving, and there is no second take.
El Baile del Dólar
Guests pin bills to the couple in exchange for a short dance, a custom shared across many cultures and common at Mexican receptions. It doubles as a receiving line: over the course of it, most of the room ends up in front of the couple one at a time.
How we shoot it: we work the line rather than the couple, because this is where the candid guest portraits come from.
Mariachi and the Tornaboda
Live mariachi may appear at the church, at the reception entrance, or late in the evening, and many families continue with a tornaboda — a smaller gathering after the reception ends. Regional traditions differ considerably here, and some families keep the music going far past the formal end of the night.
How we shoot it: if the coverage runs long enough, the last hour is often the loosest and the most honest of the day.
A ceremony order that leaves room for the rituals
A common sequence for a Catholic Mexican wedding in Los Angeles. Parishes and families order things differently — we confirm the actual order with the officiant before the day.
Details and getting ready
The gown, the rings, the invitation suite, and the ritual objects together in one frame: arras, lazo, bible or rosary, and the bouquet.
Procession
The couple, the padrinos and the immediate family entering. In many families both partners are walked in by their parents rather than one being given away.
Liturgy, arras and lazo
The readings, the exchange of vows and rings, the arras, and the placing of the lazo. Full mass ceremonies typically run about an hour.
Blessings and family portraits
The recessional, congratulations outside the church, then the formals list — the part of the day where having a family member helping us call names makes the biggest difference.
Entrance, first dance, dinner
Toasts, the recognition of madrinas and padrinos, and the cake.
Víbora de la mar and the dance floor
The money dance, the mariachi if there is one, and whatever the family carries on into the tornaboda.
Where the traditions fall in the day
The arras and the lazo happen inside the ceremony. Most of the other traditions belong to the reception. These are the two day shapes we see most often, with each tradition placed where it usually lands.
A mass, then an evening reception
- 1:00 PMGetting ready. The arras, the lazo, the rosary or bible and the rings photographed together.
- 2:00 PMOptional first look, or portraits with parents and godparents.
- 3:00 PMArrival at the church. The altar, the architecture and guests arriving.
- 3:45 PMMass begins, about an hour. The arras and the lazo are presented inside it by their sponsors.
- 4:45 PMRecessional, then family and sponsor photographs outside the church.
- 5:30 PMTravel to the reception and cocktail hour.
- 6:30 PMGrand entrance, often announced by mariachi. First dance and parent dances.
- 7:30 PMDinner and toasts, with the madrinas and padrinos recognized by name.
- 8:45 PMMoney dance and cake, then the dance floor and any late-night games.
One venue, afternoon ceremony
- 2:00 PMGetting ready, details and attire.
- 4:00 PMCeremony, usually about thirty minutes.
- 4:30 PMCocktail hour, sometimes with a mariachi set, and family photographs.
- 5:45 PMGrand entrance, first dance and parent dances.
- 6:15 PMDinner, toasts and a brindis.
- 7:15 PMMoney dance, after the parent dances. It works as a receiving line for the whole room.
- 7:45 PMCake, then the dance floor opens.
- 9:00 PMCoverage usually concludes. The party often runs to midnight.
What to plan around
Timing notes for the traditions, drawn from the Mexican weddings we photograph.
Where these weddings happen
Churches and venues that recur across the Mexican weddings we photograph.
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Millennium Biltmore
- The Oviatt Penthouse
- University Club of Pasadena
- Heritage Park Old Town, San Diego
- Newhall Mansion
- Family homes and backyards
- Riverside and Inland Empire venues
Mexican wedding traditions — questions we are asked
What are las arras?
Las arras are thirteen ceremonial coins presented during the wedding ceremony, symbolizing the commitment to provide for the family the couple is building together. They are often blessed by the officiant and kept afterward as a keepsake.
What is the lazo?
The lazo is a cord, rosary or floral rope looped around the couple in a figure-eight shape during the ceremony, symbolizing the unity and lasting bond of marriage. It is typically placed by a designated madrina or padrino partway through the ceremony.
What do madrinas and padrinos do?
Madrinas and padrinos are sponsors, each taking responsibility for a specific element of the wedding — the arras, the lazo, the cake, sometimes the music. It is a way of honoring trusted family and friends by giving them a meaningful role in the celebration, and they are usually recognized by name during the day.
Do we have to include all of these traditions?
No. Customs, blessings and the order of events vary significantly by region, generation and family. Some couples include every ritual exactly as their parents and grandparents did; others choose only the elements that feel most meaningful, or adapt them for an interfaith or bicultural celebration. Our role is to document whatever a couple chooses to include, without disrupting it.
Do you photograph the church ceremony?
Yes. We shoot quietly and from the back or the aisles, and we check each parish’s restrictions in advance — some churches limit where photographers may stand or whether flash is permitted at all.
Do you photograph other cultural weddings?
Yes — a similar coin tradition appears in Filipino weddings, and we also have guides to Persian, Chinese, Jewish and Korean weddings, plus multicultural celebrations generally.
Next step
Tell us about your day
Send us the date, the church and the reception venue, and which traditions your families are planning to include — and we will tell you what the day realistically needs.