The couple stares ahead, listening to the mumbled words about the sanctity of marriage. A state-hired photographer, muscles bulging underneath a sleeveless shirt, darts in and out, shooting other weddings in adjoining rooms. When the woman's drone ends, the bride and groom exchange a quick kiss. Their families applaud quietly and bustle out. A few steps behind Marielys and Jorge, another couple walks hand in hand, accompanied by two tuxedoed men playing violins.
Guests scoop out the monochromatic food with flat cardboard spoons.
Many Cubans in their 30s have been married three or more times. Causes include financial troubles, liberal divorce laws, and in-law conflicts. There's also boredom brought on by high unemployment and a suffocating social ennui. But the elegance is muted, the yellow walls smudged with dirt. Since the opening of the palacio, Directora Patria Olano Navarrete has officiated at thousands of weddings here.