The children we work with, who come from squalor and abusive situations, would see a “Cinderella” wedding as unattainable but we looked at it differently. When Miriam and Guilfer told us of their plans to marry, we wanted to bless them with a memorable wedding. We excitedly prepared for our first wedding of Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. Miriam and Guilfer represented the ideal couple by following the ethics we outlined for the children. They met, dated with the appropriate chaperones, and asked permission for the marriage. This couple became a model for the other girls, giving them hope for a future of love and respect, if they waited patiently for its unfolding. In my mind, Miriam and Guilfer deserved the best.

A legal marriage in Guatemala is obtained in a civil ceremony, when a couple is married by the local mayor. A church wedding is optional and takes place after the legal wedding, but it does not replace it as a legal ceremony. At the civil ceremony, Miriam, hair combed to perfection and dressed in a cute black and white suit, spoke her vows to Guilfer, while we “parents” stood as witnesses. The procedure felt more like a wedding rehearsal, except it didn’t follow our program. Even after the “I dos” it seemed surreal. Ten minutes later they were legally married, but we had plans for a real wedding. We whisked Miriam away to prepare her for the church wedding. Her chariot, my Toyota Corolla, took her to the grand entrance of the church, which was decorated and ready for “Cinderella.”

In the church, Miriam’s biological mother waited, having been given permission to come to the wedding. We prayed that her attendance would not reopen pain from past abuses. Instead, we watched Miriam’s mother hold her daughter in her arms and speak words of endearment. The wedding began when we three “mothers” (Miriam’s biological mother, Joanne, and I) sat down together in the front seats. Gib prepared to walk Miriam down the aisle when the music began to play. What poured out of the speakers turned out to be the wedding exit song instead of “Here Comes the Bride.” Too late to change anything, we sat chuckling to ourselves. Most of the guests didn’t know the difference, and the wedding march went smoothly.

The couple said their vows to the sound of our sniffles, while we mothers used a ton of tissues. After the vows, the pastor sat down but startled us as he jumped back up. “I am so sorry. I forgot to complete my part.” With a tight smile and after clearing his throat, he said, “I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Guilfer Guzman. Guilfer, you may kiss the bride.” A roar of applause echoed off the concrete blocks of the church.

Now it’s complete, Lord. They are good and married. Bubbles floated everywhere as the couple left the church and climbed into the Toyota chariot. They drove around the town to the honking of horns announcing the great event. And finally, they headed to the salon for the reception. My emotions continued to overtake me as I watched one of my first girls send adoring signals to her new husband. I tucked another treasured memory into that special room of my heart.

We faced another new adventure in Guatemala when a handsome young man came to Gib, Joanne, and I and asked for permission to marry our “daughter.” I had mixed emotions when I realized we would soon be seeing the first wedding at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. My motherly thoughts kicked in, “Is he the right one for her?” “Will he take good care of her with love and respect?” “Will they live close to us?” Then my thoughts went in another direction, and I began wondering about the actual wedding. We had much to learn about the traditions of a Guatemalan wedding, and that is what I wanted to follow. We desired for this young woman to have the best we could give her.

After receiving her teaching certificate, Miriam became a teacher at Liberty Christian School and remained a part of Shadow of His Wings. This followed our plans to provide a home and family for the older girls after they graduated with a career and/or turned eighteen. After becoming engaged, she and her fiance Guilfer decided they wanted to stay in Monjas permanently. I said amen to that with a flutter in my heart. They took the next step of finding an affordable little house close to where we missionaries lived. Giggling like teenagers, Joanne and I discussed what we had in our possessions to help them set up housekeeping, and then we planned our wedding gifts to fill in the bigger items still needed, like a stove and living-room furniture.

A trip to the City provided us with a large selection of gorgeous wedding dresses to choose from. At one particular bridal shop, we were met with much assistance and a multitude of choices for wedding items. In a short time, the perfect dress adorned our bride-to-be, and I marveled at the transformation I saw in her. Her eyes shined with a brightness I’d never seen in her before. The gentle smile didn’t quite match the tears in her eyes as she moved from side-to-side observing every part of the gown on her body. She never dreamed this would happen to her. Her mixture of emotions matched mine. Our girl in all of her beauty would transform from Princess Miriam to Mrs. Miriam.

After finding the right dress, a day with the mamas continued. We laughed, shopped, ate, and laughed some more. We purchased all the paraphernalia a young bride needed for her wedding, making decisions based on tradition and spiritual significance. Totally new to both Joanne and I, we listened to ideas foreign to our own US customs.

We discussed the thirteen coins, called “arras,” and how these coins symbolize Jesus and the twelve apostles as part of the wedding ceremony. I liked the symbolism more commonly represented that the groom promised to provide for his wife and the bride trusted in his ability to do so.

Another common practice uses a cord or “lazo,” which looks like a rosary. During the wedding, a figure-eight shape is formed and then placed around the necks of the bride and the groom after they make their vows. The cord symbolizes lifetime unity of the bride and groom as husband and wife, and the loops represent their love for one another. Miriam wanted a unity candle we all voted that it would be included in the wedding.

This day and the ones to follow are memories embedded in my mind forever. Our adventure with the first wedding had just begun, and I had a lot more to learn about the customs of this country.