Priest Suggests Calling Off Wedding after Groom’s Pronouncements, Turns to Bride Saying, ‘Don’t Teach Him'

• As the groom and his soon-to-be wife stood in front of a priest, ready to tie the knot, the groom surprised the priest with his response to a question.
• The priest soon doubted the groom's intentions and proposed to call off the wedding.
• The priest also advised the bride not to coach the groom.

Hollywood has used the trope of having a wedding stopped in the middle of the ceremony for years now. Romantic movies often have a young couple standing at the altar, one of the two usually quite hesitant to get married. Just as they're about to be joined in matrimony, someone in the audience leaps up with a passionate shout.

Usually, audiences enjoy this type of suspense, hoping the rightful lover will build up enough courage and finally win the heart of the one they adore. However, when a wedding goes awry in real life, things tend to get a bit awkward for all parties involved, much like this young couple from Bolivia recently discovered.

Lucio Rojas and Jhovana Castro were all set for their big day at the Church of the Municipality of Arani at the Department of Cochabamba. Rojas looked slightly nervous before the ceremony, walking into the church holding the arm of an older woman, but nerves are often commonplace at weddings.

At his answer, Castro and Luz turned their heads, obviously not expecting to hear what escaped from the groom's mouth.

Looking sharp in a navy blue suit, Rojas entered the church, strutting up to the front where the priest was waiting. After Rojas took his place, his lovely bride came walking in, taking her place next to her soon-to-be husband. Castro looked radiant in a flowing white wedding dress with jewels flashing around her neck.

As the two sat in front of the priest while he started the ceremony, everything seemed to be going well. The bride and groom looked lovely, and although they both seemed a bit nervous, nothing was noticeably out of place. The godmother of the wedding, María Luz, sat with them.

The Wedding Started Out on a Positive Note

After the priest's introductory speech, the couple stood up from the bench they had been sitting on and took their places in front of the priest. Castro stood holding a white, green, and red bouquet, while Rojas clutched his hands respectfully while waiting for the next part of the ceremony to kick off.

With the groom's answers hanging heavily in the air, the priest decided to change his approach.

Luz stood by Rojas's side, clutching her purse and listening to the proceedings with an intent expression on her face. While everything had been going well so far, the entire wedding would soon be derailed as the priest started asking the bride and groom whether they were marrying out of their own free will.

With family and acquaintances waiting for the couple to say their vows, the priest asked Rojas first whether he was committing to the marriage freely. He held the microphone in front of the groom to hear his answer.

Rojas hesitated for a second, clearly disputing his options in his head, and finally answered with an unexpected "No, no." At his answer, Castro and Luz turned their heads, obviously not expecting to hear what escaped from the groom's mouth. Even the priest was caught entirely off guard.

The priest asked Rojas again whether he was there against his will, repeating the question numerous times. After Rojas denied several times, he addressed the bride, insisting she should not influence Rojas's answer, saying, "I am asking him. Don't teach him." Still, the groom indicated that he was indeed being forced into the marriage.

With Rojas's consistent answers, the priest suggested the wedding be called off before he turned his attention to Castro. He asked her the same question he had asked Rojas, and without missing a beat, the bride answered that she was there willingly. After she answered so readily, the priest again turned his attention to Rojas.

How the Wedding Turned Out

With the groom's answers hanging heavily in the air, the priest decided to change his approach. After all, it's easy to miscommunicate, especially since Rojas supposedly wasn't a native of the area. The priest asked the groom if he wanted the question in Argentine or Quechua and then repeated it.

Putting on an Argentine accent, the priest asked Rohas, "Are you free or are you forced?" Finally, after a lengthy back-and-forth, Rojas said that he was "free," indicating he was indeed there of his own accord. The priest warned the couple that a forced marriage would be invalid and the ceremony would stop.

With the groom's answer that he was there freely, the priest happily continued the ceremony, seeing that the young man was merely confused by his question. With a laugh, the priest went on, asking them to turn to one another and deliver their vows. In the background, the guests reacted to the misunderstanding with a few smiles.

Handing her bouquet of flowers to the priest, Castro turned to her husband-to-be. The pair took each other's hands and delivered their vows with the priest's guidance. The priest blessed their union with a traditional prayer, after which the couple was free to celebrate the happy occasion with their friends and family.

After being escorted outside, the couple shared their first dance as husband and wife. One of the crew members filming the wedding went up to the couple and asked them how they were feeling. Rojas clarified that he was nervous during the ceremony but happy to have his wife by his side.

He also thanked his in-laws for their support and sent a greeting to his friends back in Argentina. Castro also commented she was happy that they finally managed to make their dreams come true and could live life as a wedded couple. The two then danced with other family members and celebrated their new union.

The video of the miscommunication during the wedding ceremony spread like lightning throughout Latin America. It was posted on TikTok, where it amassed an astonishing number of views and spread around the globe. Little is known about the married couple, but Castro was sure they'd be together for the rest of their lives.

Want more like this? Click here to read about a wedding that was ruined after a bridesmaid turned out to be carrying the groom's child.