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. Broad-shouldered, wearing a red dress and pearl necklace, Se ora Navarrete walks through the palacio's crowds one Saturday, clasping hands with brides and smiling.
Weddings are very happy occasions.
Love is splendid. Wedded bliss, however, is fleeting. And it has been high for decades. Many Cubans in their 30s have been married three or more times. Causes of the nuptial turnover are many, including financial troubles, women's increased independence, liberal divorce laws, and conflicts with in-laws.