In Spain, in the midst of the post-war period, a man in his early thirties and a woman of twenty-three maintain a romantic relationship the old-school way — they always meet in public places, she has a very strict curfew, and they have to be very cautious in their expressions of affection, as tradition rules. Still, they maintain their relationship for three years — long enough for them to get to know each other and for him to get a steady job. There's true love between them, and there's no doubt they can't wait to get married. They're nice people incapable of breaking the rules and just want to live their lives together in peace. But tradition rules, and it won't make it easy for them.

Finally, they set the wedding day. It'll be within six months, on a Sunday, as tradition rules . They soon rent a small house and buy some modest furniture , but she tries very hard to make their place a cozy home, as tradition rules. Once a week, her mother walks her to the seamstress to try on her wedding dress. It'll be as white as snow, and although she believes that wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue is sheer superstition, she'll wear it because that's what tradition rules.

A month before the wedding, a distant relative dies. She never met him, but she heard about him once.

"We'll mourn for a year, as tradition rules", her grandmother resolves/decides.

"A year??" asks the bride, outraged, "I'm getting married in a month! Besides, everything is already booked — the flowers, the wedding dress, the banquet, and we've even paid some money in advance!"

So they decide to move forward with the wedding, but on the condition that the bride wear black out of respect— not only she must wear black, but everyone else. The bride, visibly sad, agrees, because although tradition rules that brides wear white, all she wants is to start her new life with him now and forget about traditions forever.

The wedding is held with the utmost austerity/sobriety: no white wedding dress, no jewelry, and no wedding march— the farthest ceremony from what tradition rules.