Anxious brides put on wedding dresses, fixed each other’s makeup and adjusted their veils and tiaras inside a classroom at Park Community Church in Chicago.
One of the brides, Yamileth Parra, said she is staying at a migrant shelter with her partner, Heber Guillen, and their two kids. She is excited to finally marry her partner of 15 years.
She said she loves her gown, which, although borrowed, fits her well. The mermaid-style dress is tight to the body, with the sleeves falling on both sides, yet it accentuates her waist.
Once ready, Parra helped another bride zip up her dress.
The brides and grooms came together for a non-traditional wedding ceremony. Fifteen couples — mostly from Venezuela — exchanged their vows and tied the knot in the ceremony Friday.
The nuptials marked a new stage in the lives of the 30 newly arrived asylum-seekers after a long and tiring journey from South America. Some couples said they had postponed their wedding because getting married in Venezuela is expensive and the paperwork is cumbersome.
Formalizing their commitment through marriage has important legal, health and immigration benefits, but the couples who got married Friday said they wanted to solidify their relationship through the church. They prepared for several months, taking classes and getting counseling. More than 150 people witnessed the life-changing moment.
To pull off the event, the couples chipped in about $150 each and ended with a budget of $2,500. An asylum-seeker catered the food — chicken with rice, pasta, salad and other meat dishes. The table centerpieces were recycled from other events, and the cakes came from the grocery store but were redecorated with roses.
“We wanted to create that environment of unity. I think that’s also the big idea behind it,” said pastor Ed Kraal before he officiated the ceremony.
Many of the couples live in a shelter above his church in Uptown, Iglesia Cristiana La Vid, and have become like a big family, he said.
“We want to share that love with our people,” Kraal said.
Contributing: Emmanuel Camarillo
