Forget the grand marriages of former Paraguayan presidents Carlos Antonio or Francisco Solano López and their wives; the National Secretariat of Sports in Asunción just held the biggest Paraguayan community wedding ever. Paraguay Marries, an initiative from the Paraguayan government to stimulate marriage, was organised as a grand community wedding. Around 600 couples tied the knot at this event held on 4 October 2025. The Asunción Times joins the festivities!
‘Paraguay Marries’ all over the country
Paraguay Marries is part of the national campaign “Paraguay Se Casa – United by Love, Protected by the Law,” which aims to repopulate the country, home to around 6 million people. The campaign was recently declared of national interest by the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The government also organises some in Encarnación, Ciudad del Este, and other Paraguayan cities in the interior. Late September 2025, 120 couples married in a collective wedding in Ciudad del Este.
The largest Paraguayan wedding ever recorded was hosted by journalist Mariano López. The event could count on the presence of the new mayor of Asunción, Luis Bello, and representatives from the First Lady’s Office. Present were the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Latorre, the Minister of Justice, Rodrigo Nicora, and the General Director of the National Civil Registry, Maximiliano Ayala.
All three of them took the stage to celebrate the event, which they view as a rebirth of the nation and its traditional values.
Love, dance, and music
The ceremony of Paraguay Marries began with a performance by the National Symphonic Orchestra, featuring a rendition of l’Hymne à l’Amour by Édith Piaf and Hallelujah by Léonard Cohen. Following this outstanding performance was the Military Marching Band Acosta Ñu. The event continued with traditional dance performances, including the bottle dance. The artistic part of the ceremony concluded with a dance performed by children.
Additionally, the wedding continued with the religious part, held by Father Freddy Romero. Most of the people getting married could not hold back their tears during the formal prayer. Families in the upper stands, as well, were very emotional, as this event celebrates unions of two families, from life to death.
After the nuptial march and the exchange of yesses, the ceremony was finished. Vous pouvez maintenant embrassé la marié. After that, the only thing remaining to do was to sign the papers in front of government officials, and celebrate!
Why collective weddings?
The Paraguayan goverment aims to increase its population, and it believes organising events will help achieve this goal. As for the participants, amongst other reasons, there is a financial motivation to join. In Paraguay, as in many other countries around the world, the cost of organising weddings has tripled or quadrupled over the last few years.
The General Directorate of Civil Registry reported that civil marriages in Paraguay have declined dramatically in the last decade, and more and more couples are living together without formalising their union. This situation results in households without legal coverage in the event of inheritance or separation, and legal insecurity for children and family members. Also greater social and economic vulnerability for women and children is a result of the decline in the number of civil marriages.
Between 2007 and 2016, the annual average was 20,580 marriages; while between 2017 and 2024, the average dropped to 18,504 marriages per year, representing a decrease of more than 10%. This decline is due to the economic instability many families are experiencing; the perception that getting married is expensive or complicated, and bureaucratic red tape and a lack of clear information.
Goal: 10,000 weddings in 2025
The General Directorate of Civil Registry aims to consolidate the goal of 10,000 married couples by 2025, in addition to expanding events in the capital and the interior of the country.
Like everyone yelled at the National Secretariat of Sports: ¡Viva el amor, y viva el Paraguay! (Long live love, and long live Paraguay!)
