Destination weddings are a lot of fun: ceremonies on idyllic beaches, in mountains with breathtaking views, in vineyards, and in more adventurous sites like underwater or a volcano. You can even get married or renew your vows with an indigenous Andean ceremony near one of the world's most famous ruins – Machu Picchu!

Known as Arac Masin, this ancient wedding ritual is a tradition that has been kept alive in highland Andean communities in South America. Thanks to Sumaq Machu Pichu Hotel in Peru, tourists can also take part in this amazing ritual.

To learn more about the Arac Masin, we spoke with Lizeth Giurfa, public relations officer of the Sumaq Machu Pichu Hotel, a hotel that has been verified by the Rainforest Alliance.

Question: What is an Andean wedding like?

Giurfa: It is a spiritual ceremony for conjugal union or renewal that takes place in harmony with the setting, by invoking the guardian spirits of the mountains, the Apus and Pachamama, through chants and prayers.

During the ceremony, the priest invokes the Apus and Pachamama; the four elements of water, earth, fire and air; and the three levels of Andean life: the Hanan Pacha that represents the sky or the infinite cosmos, Kay Pacha, which is Pachamama (Mother Earth) encompassing the four horizons, and Uku Pach which means the spirit underworld. Through prayer, the couple is united into a single force, one in thought and one in heart, and they are asked to trace a path to attain happiness.

Q: Where are the ceremonies held?

G: At Puente Ruinas, at the foot of Machu Picchu. During the rainy season, sometimes we have to hold ceremonies inside the hotel.

Q: Why is this ceremony so special compared to other wedding destinations?

G: This ceremony seeks a spiritual duality of the couple that goes beyond eternity - attaining mind, body, and spirit equilibrium, and achieving absolute love in harmony with oneself and with Pachamama and the Apus. According to the Andean vision, those who are married in Arac Masin unite in love and leave behind their individuality, they become one and they are like are like night and day, "because the night does not come without the day and the day does not come without the night."

Q: Is it common for international tourists to travel to Peru to have a wedding like this?

G: Since last year, the trend to celebrate weddings at Machu Picchu has been on the rise. Moreover, couples are now accompanied by friends and family who sometimes stay at the hotel for two days.

Q: What are the traditional elements of an Andean wedding?

G: It includes elements such as Mama Kuka (coca mother), with the joining three leaves to form the so-called Kintu; the sounds of the Pututu, an instrument characteristic of the Inca culture that invokes the spirits; and native products produced by mother Earth such as colorful corn, showy flowers, sacred Maras salt, and so on.

Q: Is an Andean wedding sustainable?

G: Yes. This is an event that respects and rescues local culture and its people; in addition, the materials and procedures included in the ceremony allow couples to feel a total connection with nature, while respecting the plants and animals of Machu Picchu.

Learn more about weddings at sustainable destinations at Sustainabletrip.org.

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