TRADITIONS · SOUTH FLORIDA
La serenata, las arras, the candle ceremony and the asado the day after.
A photographer’s guide to the Colombian wedding.
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It starts the night before
The distinguishing feature of a Colombian wedding is that the most romantic moment often happens before the wedding day begins.
La serenata
The night before, the groom serenades his bride, traditionally in front of gathered family and friends, sometimes with a live band. It is performed rather than private, and it is frequently the most emotionally charged event of the entire weekend.
Almost nobody photographs it. Couples book coverage starting the morning of the wedding, and the serenata happens in the dark the night before with a phone pointed at it. If you are Colombian and planning a wedding, this is the highest-value hour you can add to a photography contract.
The ceremony
Las arras
Thirteen gold coins pass from groom to bride, representing his commitment and her trust, and the promise that what belongs to one belongs to both. Some brides also place a gold coin in a shoe, for financial security through the marriage.
The candle ceremony
Three candles: one for the bride, one for the groom, one for the marriage. After the rings, the couple use their two candles to light the center candle. The individual flames are usually then extinguished, leaving one.
Padrinos y madrinas
Godparents guide the couple through married life and hold a formal place in the ceremony.
The reception
El baile del billete
The money dance, for luck and for the couple’s start together. Guests pin bills while taking a short turn on the floor.
La hora loca
What it is, when to schedule it, and what it costs.
The shoe game
Single male guests each place one shoe beneath the bride’s dress. Eyes closed, she picks one. Its owner marries next, according to tradition. It is funny, chaotic, and produces genuine reaction photographs.
Salsa, and stamina
Colombian receptions dance hard and late. Salsa dominates and the floor rarely empties.
The day after
The celebration frequently continues the following day around an asado: beef, plantain and potatoes, with guests reconvening to eat and wish the couple well once more. It is relaxed, everyone is exhausted and happy, and it photographs beautifully. It is also almost never covered.
What this means for your photographer
Ask about the serenata immediately
If a Colombian couple has not mentioned it, ask. It happens at night, outdoors or in a family home, under whatever light exists, which means fast glass and off-camera flash rather than ceremony kit. Plan it as a separate shoot, because it is one.
Las arras is a close, quiet moment
Thirteen small coins moving between hands is a detail shot, not a wide one. It needs a long lens from a fixed position and it is over in under a minute. Know it is coming and be in place beforehand.
The candle ceremony kills your ambient light
Rooms are frequently dimmed for it. Expect wide apertures and high ISO, and resist flash, which destroys the only reason the moment looks the way it does.
Expose for the faces lit by candle and let the rest fall away.
Shoot the shoe game from the front
The photograph is the bride’s face and the row of men waiting, not the shoes.
Get low, get in front, stay for the reveal.
Offer the asado
Day-after coverage is easy to sell because the gathering is already happening.
An hour of relaxed documentary work with everyone out of formalwear produces images that often outlast the wedding photographs.
Common questions
What is la serenata?
A serenade given by the groom to his bride the night before the wedding, usually in front of family and friends and sometimes with a live band.
What are las arras?
Thirteen gold coins given by the groom to the bride during the ceremony, symbolizing provision, trust and shared material life.
Why thirteen coins?
The count is traditionally read as Christ and the twelve apostles, though interpretations vary by family and region.
What is the candle ceremony?
Three candles representing bride, groom and marriage. The couple light the center candle from their own after exchanging rings.
What happens the day after a Colombian wedding?
Frequently an asado, where guests gather again over beef, plantain and potatoes.
Photographing these weddings in South Florida
I am Woody Henry, an editorial wedding photographer working across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Knowing the order of a day, and which moments happen only once, is most of the job.
A limited number of bridal sessions are complimentary for 2026: ninety minutes, twenty high-resolution edits, delivered within fourteen days. Full rates are on the pricing page.
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