A wedding postponed

A wedding postponed
 

Hi,

I've been reading Cien años de soledad. In Chapter 5, the wedding of Pietro Crespi and Rebeca Buendía is postponed for ten to three (there's no knowing) years under the pretext of the Cathedral in construction. Postponed by Úrsula Iguarán, in good faith, though there's a bit of foul play behind it (it's Amaranta's idea).

Of course, it's all magic realism, yet all the characters are pretty alive and human. This turn, however, is a bit baffling.

Is it possible in a society where Remedios Moscote can be married right after her first period, to waste years of the reproductive age of another girl just for nothing? They aren't that pious, obviously. They lived for years without any clergy just fine. :o Besides, a mobile altar will do. And everybody eagerly accepts the idea to wait for years just to make the wedding a bit grander.

I suspect the author meant to tell me something :thinking:

Well, there is no drama without an unfulfilled love, so Pietro and Rebeca have their own difficulties. :)