Arturo and Maria Perez were married at their parish, Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria, Va., along with 20 other couples in “la gran boda,” or “the big wedding” -- a convalidation ceremony June 24.
Convalidation is taken from the Latin word meaning "to firm up" or "to strengthen." The couple already had a civil marriage.
The ceremony takes place when couples who have been civilly married "want to make their wedding proper with the church or get a blessing," said Father Ramon Baez, one of two parochial vicars at the parish who performed the ceremony.
