A Gringo’s Guide to Colombian Weddings

Updated July 29, 2025

Carlos and Leidy getting married. — Congratulations Carlos and Leidy!

An American in Antioquia..

Strobe lights flashed and people started waving balloon noodles in the air.

How people acquired these balloons I had now idea. Nearly everyone was on their feet. The DJ spun songs I’d never heard before as people shook, stomped, and moved to the rhythm of the song.

Everything was blasting, from the music to the vibration of people’s feet.

With their balloons waving in the air and artificial mist circulating the dance floor, it felt like we’d been transported to a different place.

The people who had the most fun were dancing in the center of the crowd – newlyweds Leidy and Carlos.
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Hours earlier, I found myself eating a hamburger in silence.

Enjoying a meal synonymous with my home country, the US, brought a comforting sensation. Holding on to that feeling, I took another bite. In the kitchen of a rural farmhouse, Yesi, her mom Piedad, our friend Mauricio, and myself ate a relaxing lunch. Earlier, this house was filled with commotion – it was our home base for us and a lot of Leidy and Carlos’ family.

Now nearly everyone was in nearby Marinilla getting ready for wedding.

The tranquility was welcoming but also a sad indicator that our trip would be ending soon.

A few great days in Marinilla plus a fun road-trip with our friend Adriana through Doradal made for a memorable trip. It was almost time to go back to Neiva. But first, the wedding.

Not only would this be a fun day of revelry, but I’d also experience some interesting aspects of Colombian culture.

Here are some things I learned:

Family togetherness

For the first time ever, I got to spend time with the groom’s family the day of the wedding.

In the United States the couple has a support network ranging from bridesmaids to a best man. In Colombia, at least for this wedding, Leidy and Carlos’ team was their family. In fact, apart from the farmhouse, the meeting hub for everyone was Juanita and Roberto’s house. This is Carlo’s parents. Throughout the afternoon, their door was open for guests to stop by, have a coffee, and just be supportive. A flow of family members continued throughout the day.

The love in this house was very present.

Many Colombian weddings are in church

Although I’ve been told that younger generations in Colombia are now having secular weddings, traditionally a couple will get married in a church.

Leidy and Carlos chose a beautiful church only a few blocks from their house. Even though I don’t go to these places often, this one had a lot of visual appeal. It was sandy-white on the inside, a dome-shaped ceiling, with walls adorned with colorful miniature stained glass shapes.

It was a humble space with a very welcoming atmosphere.

Couples will drive off into the sunset

Three friends taking a photo together. — Three close friends together.

I was reminded of the US when Leidy and Carlos waved goodbye to the guests from the backseat of a classic Ford Mustang.

Moments earlier, the band serenaded the newlyweds as they exited the church. Everyone was excited. We followed the couple to celebrate and take photos.

As they drove off, it was time for round two: The wedding reception.

Colombian receptions are photogenic

Until now, the format of Carlos and Leidy’s wedding reminded me a lot of weddings back home.

I was excited to see how the party itself would go. As Yesi, Piedad, Adriana, Mauricio and I entered the venue, we were greeted with a glass of sparkling wine. The first thing I noticed was the amount of beautiful places to take photos. The theme of the night was white and gold.

Tables had gold tablecloths and the center of the room had an immense white chandelier.

The setting was immaculate.

Posing for photos. — Mauricio, Yesi, Adriana, and me.

Despite being fully indoors, the space had a white and gold-trimmed couch with a large flower arrangement, an elegant miniature balcony, and a whimsical stairway entry. It was clear that this venue was designed for photos. That’s exactly what we and other guests did.

Leidy and Carlo’s entry to the party was a scene from a movie.

As they walked down the stairs, indoor fireworks began exploding.

When the excitement calmed down, banquet servers began serving everyone cake. Was this the special cake? Unlike back home, the wedding cake was served first. Although surprising, it was a nice way to start the evening.

Everyone is included in wedding photos

Sitting in a church. — Yesi, Piedad, and me before the ceremony.

While we were eating cake, different parts of each family started go to the dance floor to take photos with the bride and groom.

In Colombia I’ve found that families are typically a lot bigger than in the US. For that reason, the photography session lasted for over an hour. Luckily the sugar rush from the cake kept me energized.

Leidy and Carlos made sure to include us and after a while we joined them for some photos as well.

Colombians party during weddings

After taking photos, we all sat down to eat a delicious meal.

Similar to the US, the newlyweds gave speeches to thank everyone for coming. Eventually we all got to see them have their long awaited first-dance. This was when the DJ started to drop some Latin beats.

Being a foreigner in Colombia, I had no idea what kind of music would be played.

I soon discovered that the variety of music played is very complex like the countries’ culture.

I expected to hear lots of salsa music. Instead, the DJ played a lot of merengue, tropical music, vallenato, and bambuco. If you don’t know what these are, you’re not alone. I still hardly can tell which is which.

I learned that Colombia has over 1000 rhythms of music so luckily my girlfriend was my musical interpreter.

Lots of people were dancing.

Family members were passing around bottles of clear liquid which I eventually discovered was aguardiente, the national liquor. The DJ also played music that had special meaning to the couple. Since Leidy is from Neiva (Huila) and Carlos is from Marinilla (Antioquia), there were times when the only songs from each other’s home region were played.

The perfect example is a favorite from Huila called “Ojos Picarrones” which is a modern carranga song.

La Hora Loca

At some point during the reception I heard rumors of something called the Crazy Hour or “La Hora Loca.” Were my ears playing tricks on me? My curiosity was the only emotion that outweighed the fear of what that meant.

Then, out of nowhere, people started to pass out noodle balloons and masks.

Suddenly almost the entire wedding party was on the dance floor.

Yesi and I joined the excitement. With a balloon in hand, I did what everyone else was doing and began waving it around with joyous fury. “La Hora Loca” is essentially the wildest point of a party. It can be a birthday, wedding, or any particular celebration.

This is when the music gets faster, the lights strobe brighter, and the party’s energy kicks up to its full potential. Everyone was included and guests of all ages joined together to dance.

I understood why it was just one hour rather than two or three – it only needed to be one for everyone to be totally pooped afterwards.

La Hora Loca wasn’t the end of the party. It actually continued for a few more hours. When the reception finally ended, I was certain my legs were going to fall off.

Final Thoughts

Eventually we all said goodnight, gave some final congratulatory hugs, then went home for much needed sleep.

Being part of this special event between two amazing people – Leidy and Carlos – made me feel a lot of gratitude. It was a reminder that no matter where you are, kindness and love are universal languages. It was truly inspiring to be part of their special day.

Thank you for the invitation.

P.S.

Thank you for reading this article!

If you’re interested in learning more about the beauty of Colombia, visit my friend Omar Pabon’s Youtube channel called Puebliando Ando!

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