Buying your lazo and arras is easier when you choose them as one set: the same finish for both, 13 coins in a box, and a lazo with a crucifix and its own box. Order early enough to have both pieces at the rehearsal. If you're looking for a wedding lasso for sale that matches your arras, ours are made in Mexico, with lazos in gold, silver or pearl and arras in gold, silver or antique brown.
What a complete lazo and arras set includes
A complete set has two pieces, and each one comes in its own box.
- The arras. Thirteen coins in a small box or chest. Some sets also include a matching tray.
- The lazo. A double loop, one over the groom's shoulders and one over the bride's. The most common style looks like a large rosary, with the crucifix hanging between the two of you.
In many Mexican American families, padrinos also give the couple a Bible and a rosary. If yours does, add the Bible to the same order, so everything is ready at once.
The coins are a sign of the good things you will share, and the lazo is a sign of a union that lasts for life. To learn more about the coins, read what the 13 wedding arras mean and who gives them.
Choosing the arras for your set: coins, finish and box
Start with the number. A traditional wedding arras set has 13 coins, so check that the listing says 13 and shows all of them.
Then choose the finish. Gold-plated is the classic choice. Silver-plated gives a cooler, brighter look. Antique brown is a warm option that fits a rustic wedding. Our gold-plated and silver-plated sets carry Our Lady of Guadalupe. The 14k gold-plated set also comes with a matching tray.
Last, look at the box. The padrinos de arras present it at the altar, and the coins live in it after the wedding. Pick a wedding arras box you'd be happy to keep on a shelf at home.
Which lazo goes with your arras: crystal or pearl
Some couples use a fabric lazo. The rosary style, with beads and a crucifix at the center, is the most common. If you're not sure what a lasso rosary looks like, read our guide to the wedding lasso rosary.
Ours come in gold crystal, silver crystal and pearl:
- Crystal. Pick crystal if your coins are gold-plated or silver-plated: both shine at the altar. Our gold-plated crystal lazo has clear crystal beads in gold settings, a crucifix, and images of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe. It comes in a gift box with a lithograph of Our Lady. There's also a silver-plated crystal lazo, in a box with a lithograph of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- Pearl. Pick pearl if you want a softer look next to gold coins. Our pearl lazo has golden filigree caps on the pearls, a crucifix, and medallions of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe. It comes in its own box.
For length, fit and materials in detail, see how to choose a Catholic wedding lasso.
How to match your lazo and arras
The simplest rule is one finish for both pieces. These pairings look like one set:
- All gold. The 14k gold-plated arras with their tray, or the 13-coin set in gold, with the gold-plated crystal lazo. A good fit if your rings are gold too.
- All silver. The 13-coin set in silver with the silver-plated crystal lazo. It looks lovely with white flowers and silver details.
- Pearl and gold. The pearl lazo with gold arras. The golden caps on the pearls tie the two pieces together.
- Rustic. The antique brown arras with the lazo you like best. The brown finish feels right at a garden or ranch wedding.
Matching is up to you, and it makes the two pieces look like one gift, at the altar and at home. If two different couples are giving the arras and the lazo, send both of them the same photo before they buy. That way you won't end up with gold coins and a silver lazo. Using your grandparents' arras? Take a photo of the coins and choose the lazo in the same finish.
When to order, so you can practice at the rehearsal
Order the set as soon as your parish confirms the arras and the lazo. They can be part of a Mass in English or in Spanish, and if your parish does them a little differently, that's fine. You can ask the wedding coordinator: “Can our padrinos bring the arras and the lazo to the rehearsal to practice?”
Then count back from the rehearsal. Say your wedding is on a Saturday and the rehearsal is on Friday night. Plan to have the set at home by the Saturday two weeks before. That gives you time to open the boxes, count the 13 coins and show the padrinos what they'll carry.
If your padrinos live in Mexico or in another state, ship the set to your home, not to theirs. It will already be in town when they arrive. On rehearsal night, bring both pieces in their boxes. The padrinos de lazo can practice placing it, and the padrinos de arras can practice handing over the box. Our wedding lasso ceremony guide walks you through that moment step by step.
Who usually pays for the lazo and the arras
By custom, the padrinos do. The padrinos de arras usually give the coins, and the padrinos de lazo give the lazo, as their wedding gift to you. In Hispanic and Filipino weddings, these padrinos can also present the pieces at the altar.
It's a tradition, not a rule. If you'd rather buy the set yourselves, or share the cost with your parents, that's perfectly fine.
If your padrinos offer to buy it, you can send them a short message: “Thank you so much! We chose gold for the arras and the lazo. This is the lazo that matches, in case it helps.” Then paste the link to the lazo you picked.
If you're the padrinos, you can tuck a short note in the box, like this one: “For the life you're building together. With love, your padrinos.” Before you buy, ask the couple which finish they chose, so the coins and the lazo match.
Wedding lasso for sale: where to buy a lazo and arras set
You have three good places to look: a Catholic gift store, your parish shop if it has one, or an online store. In a store you can see the finish in person, but the selection is often small. Online you can compare more styles and get both pieces in one order, which makes matching easy.
Before you check out, make sure the listing shows:
- Thirteen coins and a box for them.
- A lazo with two loops, a crucifix and its own box.
- The same finish on the arras and the lazo.
- Clear photos of the coins, the beads and the box.
Our arras and lazos are made in Mexico, and you can order both in one cart, in the same finish. See every finish in our wedding arras collection and our wedding lasso collection.
A matching lazo and arras for your wedding
Choose the arras and the lazo in the same finish, and add a Bible if your padrinos give one.
Arrives in 2 to 4 days. Free shipping on orders over $35.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy wedding arras?
You can find them at Catholic gift stores, some parish shops and online. Look for a set of 13 coins with its box, and buy the lazo in the same finish. Ours are made in Mexico and come in gold, silver and antique brown.
Should the lasso and the arras match?
They look best when they do. Pick one finish for both: gold with gold, silver with silver, or a pearl lazo with gold arras. If two different couples are buying them, send both the same photo.
How far ahead should you buy the lasso and arras?
Buy them as soon as your parish confirms, and have them at home about two weeks before the wedding. That way the padrinos can practice with the real pieces at the rehearsal.
Who pays for the lasso and arras?
By custom, the padrinos de arras give the coins and the padrinos de lazo give the lazo. If you'd rather buy the set yourselves, that's fine too.
What is the difference between a crystal lazo and a pearl lazo?
A crystal lazo sparkles and looks like a large double rosary, with crystal beads and a crucifix at the center. A pearl lazo has a softer look: ours has golden filigree caps, a crucifix and medallions of Jesus and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Both come in a box, so you can keep yours after the wedding.
Sources
- For Your Marriage, U.S. Catholic bishops: what is new in the marriage rite, arras and lazo
- USCCB Divine Worship Newsletter, July 2015: arras and lazo in the Order of Celebrating Matrimony
- Por Tu Matrimonio, U.S. Catholic bishops: opciones para la liturgia de matrimonios
- Diocese of Kansas City St. Joseph: wedding policy on padrinos, arras and lazo
- ACI Prensa: liturgia de matrimonio, bendición y entrega de las arras
- The Catholic Messenger, Diocese of Davenport: a wedding with arras and a crystal lazo
- Cuasiparroquia María Reina de la Paz, Puerto Vallarta: padrinos de arras y de lazo
- The Knot: who buys las arras
- The Knot: who provides the wedding lasso