Rainwater Baths, Milk and Honey Facials, and My Cuban Abuela

When my fiancé and I started to plan our wedding, getting married in Miami was never a question. Despite the fact we both live in New York, celebrating in my hometown was a requirement upheld by me (and my family). But besides having the wedding hosted by my parents, there was a deeper reason behind the choice of venue. And it all was rooted in my maternal grandmother, Dalia.

Dalia was a beauty pageant queen born in Havana, Cuba. She embodied the kind of old-school beauty that is unforgettable and irreplaceable. My grandmother’s lore colored my life in so many ways—she was the background to all my mother’s family stories, the reasoning that fortified every life lesson I was taught, and the inspiration that constantly pushed me to keep dreaming bigger and bigger. When she passed, it felt like her memory and traditions became an inherited gem that was hand-delivered to me.

So, of course, during one of the most important seasons of my life, honoring my grandmother’s memory and her stories was a natural choice. Cuban culture is rich with formality and heritage as it is, so there were some customs (like the exchanging of the 13 unity coins, also known as las arras, and wearing a mantilla during the Catholic church ceremony) that I had planned on well before my engagement. But for having a grandmother who personified diva glamour, a woman who couldn’t live a moment without her La Prairie cream, I knew there were likely beauty rituals for the occasion, too.

I was on the phone with my mom discussing where I would get ready the morning of, when she mentioned the Cuban beauty wedding traditions Abuela shared with her before my parents’ 1994 wedding in Miami. Abuela had given her some stern advice: Stay out of the sun until after the wedding (which, if you live in Miami, or anywhere Caribbean-adjacent, is asking for the impossible). The other Cuban beauty wedding rituals included a milk and honey face mask in the days leading up to the wedding (to brighten the skin), and to wash your hair the night before with rainwater (for good luck)—and are both practically required.

I’m five months out from my ceremony in November, but anyone who’s planned a wedding knows that time is truly of the essence. Thankfully, I already have a daily sunscreen regimen (thank you, Supergoop Glowscreen!), and I’ve placed an order for Manuka honey just in case there’s a disruption in the supply chain soon. For the rainwater, I’ve consulted my best friend, the Farmer’s Almanac, to help me schedule out the right time to collect. Luckily, it’s hurricane season in Miami, so sourcing fresh won’t be an issue!