These days, it’s increasingly common for engaged couples to come from different geographic, religious or cultural backgrounds. Creating a unique wedding and reception that blends two cultures is a wonderful way to celebrate the joining of two lives.
Determine Which Traditions to Incorporate
As you and your partner are planning the ceremony, take some time to research your backgrounds and learn about ceremony traditions that are unique to your faith or culture. Talk with your parents and grandparents for ideas on cultural elements that you might want to incorporate. The internet is also a great resource for learning about unique traditions or for gathering ideas on books, blogs or magazines that may be relevant to your search.
Once you have a good idea on what elements are commonplace in your cultural or religious background, you can make a short list of traditions that you’d like to incorporate in your own ceremony based on your personal preference.
Find the Right Wedding Planner
Not every wedding planner has experience in helping couples pull off a one-of-a-kind multicultural wedding without a hitch, so it’s important to do your research to find one who does. Wedding planners who specialize in multicultural weddings will be able to help you decide the best way to blend ceremony traditions, food and traditional music and dances seamlessly. They’ll probably also be able to help you connect with vendors who can accommodate your wedding day vision.
Find the Right Officiant
If you and your partner have different religious backgrounds, then finding an officiant who has experienced with, or is even willing to, lead a ceremony that combines elements of multiple faiths may end up being one of your biggest challenges. Have an honest discussion upfront with the officiant that you want to hire and ask if they would be willing to conduct your ceremony. If there would be two officiants of different faiths involved in the ceremony, have them sit down together with you to discuss how what you want the ceremony to flow.
Create a Unique Menu
For many cultures and geographic regions, food is one of the biggest defining elements. Whether you’re setting up a buffet, serving a seated meal or simply passing hors d’oeurves, you can create a menu that blends the flavors of the backgrounds of you and your partner. Once again, you may be able to find a caterer in your area that specializes in fusion menus. Explain to them what your favorite traditional recipes are and why you like them, and let them create the menu based on that.
Share Your Wedding Story with Your Guests
If you and your partner are from different backgrounds, then in all likelihood, your wedding guests will also be from different backgrounds. Providing them with info on your ceremony is a good way to make sure everyone has a great time. A fun way to do this is by creating an interactive wedding invitation. When you upload your invitation, you’ll be able to link it to a video or sound clip of you and your partner explaining the different traditions that you’re incorporating in your big day. Your guests will be able to scan it with the Soundwave Art™ and “watch” your invitation!
The beauty of multicultural weddings is that every event is different. By researching your background and putting the time into celebrating you and your partner’s differences, you can create a ceremony that is uniquely yours.
