XI - The service

The wedding is friendly and informal with a female choir, children playing and the congregation spontaneously adding their own comments and praising the couple.

The evangelical minister who marries Vanesa and Pedro makes an address: "Neither men nor women should walk alone in the desert of the world. Go out with your friends, Pedro," he advises, "but remember to treat your wife just as well. Take her out to dinner from time to time. A wife should not contradict her husband in public, but equally a husband should remember that today women also wear trousers and he should feel proud if his wife chooses to go out and work outside the home."

As rings are exchanged, Pedro reads out a vow that he has written himself: "I bring you this ring, which, like my love, has no beginning or end and I give it to you."

After a round of applause, men come forward with money to help contribute to the costs of the wedding.