(above) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - An Aymaran spiritual guide burns incense during the wedding ceremony of Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and Claudia Fernandez at a temple of stone walls in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

Bolivia's vice president ties knot with journalist bride in ancient Aymara wedding ceremony
September 8, 2012 - Washington Post (AP)

By Associated Press
LA PAZ, Bolivia — The nation's vice president and his bride chose for their Saturday nuptials a temple of stone walls that the ancient Aymara people constructed some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

(below) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, left, and his bride Claudia Fernandez are joined by Aymaran spiritual guides during the couple's wedding ceremony at a temple of stone walls in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

The unusual ceremony uniting 49-year-old Vice President Alvaro Garcia with Claudia Fernandez, a 25-year-old journalist, was held at an ancestral site honoring the Pachamama, or Mother Earth, in a place called Tiwanaku, about 70 kilometers west of the Bolivian capital of La Paz.

(below) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - Amayran spiritual guides surround Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, center in black, and his bride Claudia Fernandez at the start of their wedding ceremony in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at a temple of stone walls, an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

Crews from two television channels provided coverage of the ceremony attended by about 200 people, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, Nobel peace laureates Rigoberta Menchu of Guatemala and Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina, government ministers, ambassadors and Aymara dignitaries.

(below) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - An Aymaran spiritual guide speaks to Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, left, and his bride Claudia Fernandez during their wedding ceremony at a temple of stone walls, in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

A pair of shamans bathed the couple in incense smoke and asked the Pachamama and other Andean gods to produce good omens for the pair at the archaeological site located near Lake Titicaca.

(below) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - Newlywed Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, left, kisses his bride Claudia Fernandez, as they leave a temple of stone walls where Aymaran spiritual guides bathed the couple in incense smoke and asked the Andean gods to produce good omens for the pair, in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

In a modern touch, the bride wore a full-length white bridal gown by a French designer. They planned to celebrate a more traditional wedding ceremony Sunday at a Roman Catholic Church.

(below) (Juan Karita/ Associated Press ) - Newlyweds Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, right, and bride Claudia Fernandez, center, wave from an Aymara reed raft known as a "totora," soon after the couple were wed by Aymaran spiritual guides in a temple of stone walls in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. The ceremony uniting the 49-year-old vice president with the 25-year-old journalist was held at an ancestral site constructed by the ancient Aymara people some 3,000 years ago to observe the heavens.

Although Garcia is not of indigenous origin, Bolivia's president is and often refers to his Aymara roots. Although it has become increasingly popular for non-indigenous Bolivians to make offerings to the Pachamama, a full Aymara wedding is quite unusual, even for indigenous couples.