My cousin married a Mexican girl whom he met when he was working for VISTA in early 1970s in Tulare, CA. Her parents were part of the Bracero program during those years. Ne had to pay for the wedding (which certainly surprised my aunt), but what a wedding it was! I still remember it as the most fun wedding I've ever attended.
The wedding was Catholic (he was not) and they must have Baptised him at the rehearsal dinner because it was a surprise to his relatives when he took Communion at the Mass. Rumor was that her father insisted that my cousin be Baptized the night before the wedding, or he'd cancel the whole thing. They are still happily married -- 4 handsome children and a number of grandchildren later. The bride and groom both enjoyed long careers as educators in California. As far as I know, my cousin is still Catholic.
The wedding was in the morning with relatively few people attending. The reception was in the evening. The Anglo guests had to kill time all day in Tulare with no AC and the Mexican guests were all still working the farms during the day. Late in the afternoon, her family and friends brought all the food to the hall and cooked it on the spot for the reception. A band showed up. We all danced including fathers with their small children. It was a very nice crowd that included all ages, but it was really a surprise to all the Anglo relatives that my cousin was required by the owners of the Hall and the Tulare police that he had to hire a couple of policemen to be present at the wedding reception and to patrol the parking lot. Town requirement for all Mexican weddings.
Her family worked the San Joaquin Valley farms for many years. Her parents have since retired to Mexico where my cousin built them a house. I have no idea whether her parents ever became citizens, but of course she is.
This was a happy occasion and an enjoyable mixing of cultures. There was no "trouble", and everyone had a good time. Of course that "town requirement" for a police presence probably forestalled any violence. I wonder if it is possible -- 40 years later -- for a town to require police at Mexican weddings and not at other weddings? I doubt it.
Being Anglos, your cousin’s family was obviously unaware of the fistfight custom, and there was no bad blood between the families. The way I’ve seen it work out is that some hot headed muchacho has too much cerveza and takes a swing at somebody. But at the core will be the words of a woman, perhaps the mother of the groom. You know how mamas can be about their sons!
The most incredible wedding I ever attended was an Italian wedding up in Calgary. Those folks know how to throw a wedding. Oh, the food, delizioso! The Italians do not have the fistfight custom, as they are lovers, not fighters.
My parents hired police for my Italian wedding @ 25 years ago to keep the riff raff out (in)!