Congratulations, felicidades, and Herzliche Glückwünsche to the couple.
A pair of newlyweds from Mexico celebrated their nuptials in a puzzling — and problematic — way.
Their wedding last month in the central Mexican state of Tlaxcala was inspired by Nazi Germany, featuring elements emblematic of the time: Nazi Waffen-SS uniforms, a Volkswagen Beetle emblazoned with swastikas and, of course, a vegetarian menu — just as Adolf Hitler would have it.
The pair considered everything ahead of their tribute — right down to the day they chose to hold the ceremony, April 29, otherwise known as the marriage anniversary of Hitler and Eva Braun, who wedded 77 years ago.
Fernando and Josefina wed on April 29 — the same day that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were married in 1945.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
The pair wedded in a Catholic church in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
When asked what prompted the bold motif, the groom, Fernando, told Mexican newspaper Milenio that “people don’t know the real story” of Hitler.
“Hitler was a vegetarian, he took his country out of extreme poverty and returned to his people the territories lost in the First World War,” insisted Fernando, who withheld his surname from media reports.
With their new wife, Josefina, the lovers share two children. Their eldest son, Reinhard, was named after SS leader General Reinhard Heydrich, while their daughter’s name, Hanna Gertrud, was dedicated to German pilot Hanna Reitsch, who allegedly rescued the Führer on the war front, as well as Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, the former president of the National League of National Socialist Women.
The wedding party was crowded with supporters, many of whom also donned German-style military garb.
Alongside the groom, many men in attendance also donned military garb fashioned after Nazi Germany.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
Fernando told Mexican newspaper Milenio that his family is supporters of far-right National Socialism.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
The backlash does not surprise Fernando as he’s fielded a lifetime of hate mail and death threats. “My dad and my uncles are followers of National Socialism, and since I was a kid I’ve had to face people. I’ve been hit, spit on, and one time a man even pointed a gun in my face while shouting ‘Nazi,’ ” he told Milenio.
The Jewish community in Mexico “strongly condemns any action that defends and extols Nazism,” said La Tribuna Israelita in a statement to Milenio on Thursday.
Authorities in Mexico have been silent on the matter, but the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization in Los Angeles, has urged their government to “take appropriate measures” against the offensive event.
“Mexico has voted for the United Nations resolution that condemns the distortion of the Holocaust and all forms of racism,” wrote Dr. Shimon Samuels, director for international relations at the center, in a press release. “However, there has been no reaction by the state or human rights organizations condemning this outrage.”
Bride Josefina has said she “didn’t know much” about Naziism, but chose to “support” her husband nonetheless.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
Human rights advocates in Mexico and the US have condemned the event, and are calling on the Mexican government to make a statement.Instagram/@jorgecarballodiaz
Fernando and Josefina’s feelings towards the Jewish community were not addressed in local reports. Said the bride, “I didn’t know much about the story, but my husband told it to me and I support him because I have a responsible husband.”
However, some experts worry that a lack of historical context in certain areas of the world is giving rise to troublingly trendy Nazi themes, even in the media.
“This is part of an ongoing problem,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of Global Social Action Agenda for the Wiesenthal Center, in a statement released last year — after the popular K-pop group Purple Kiss appeared in promo images wearing Nazi-reminiscent clothing.
And that wasn’t the first time a musical group had been called out for similar stunts. Reps for Sony Music’s Japanese arm made similar apologies in 2026 after their artist, girl band Keyakizaka46, also sported SS gear. “We express our heartfelt apology for causing offense … because of our lack of understanding,” Sony said at the time.
