Creating a wedding that is seamless, beautiful, and personal can feel daunting for couples starting their wedding planning journey – and even more so for those whom are bringing together families of different nationalities or of different religious and cultural backgrounds. There are some unique challenges involved in planning a multicultural wedding, but there is also great reward and joy to be found in starting your married lives together on such strong foundations of respect and unity.
So how can couples cover the most important elements, keep both sides happy, and still stay true to themselves and their values? Here are some expert tips from Ananya to help it go smoothly, from our years of experience supporting couples in crafting unique, sophisticated, and joyous multicultural weddings all over the world.
Hire a Wedding Planner
As our couple’s stationery partner, we often have the pleasure of working alongside their wedding planners – and we always notice that those clients that have the support of an expert throughout the planning journey are able to navigate the decision-making with much more ease. Having the peace of mind of being able to discuss the logistical, aesthetic, and emotional elements of your wedding with a planner is always important – but even more so when embarking on the task of bringing together different cultures.
Your wedding planner will guide you in seeing the wedding from both perspectives, suggest feasible and creative ways of paying homage to both your cultures, and help you manage any potential confusion or issues on the day itself too. They will be your planning partner as well as your confidant, and a steadfast ally at your side in case of needing backup during interactions with families too. They will also recommend venues and vendors that are not only able to accommodate your needs, but are also excited about, and familiar with, supporting couples with such rich, diverse backgrounds.
Manage Family Expectations
One of the key steps to planning a multicultural wedding is managing expectations of your family members – and may also involve sitting down with them individually to educate them about customs and traditions they may not know or understand. It’s important to be clear and considerate, and also not make assumptions or have expectations about who will be comfortable with what; start with an open mind in order to avoid disappointment or heartache further down the line. Be honest in why the choices you have made are right for you, and how you will be blending traditions in your own way.
If bringing both cultures together in one single event is something that your families aren’t comfortable with, consider extending the celebrations to two separate ceremonies and receptions. You could hold these two gatherings in different countries, and in different styles, and in so doing making sure that both sides feel equally important. As much as this may feel like more effort, try to remember that these events are two halves of a whole, and will strengthen your foundations and your support network as you start this new chapter of your life.
Incorporate Both Cultures
It can be very fun – but also somewhat overwhelming – to find ways of incorporating both cultural backgrounds in your wedding day, and to do so in ways that are both practical and respectful. When merging styles, not every tradition will be logistically feasible – even if your parents are adamant about it!
We work closely with our couples to design stationery with multiple cultures in mind, so that the fonts, colours, wording, motifs, and content, all embody the merging of two different cultures in marriage.
Some other ways that we’ve seen our couples pay homage to the heritage is by weaving in characteristic cuisine, choosing modern interpretations of traditional outfits, adding decorative elements that evoke the culture, or traditional music throughout the night and getting your guests to the dance floor.
Help Guests Feel Involved
Guests may be unfamiliar with the wedding traditions and customs you’ll be incorporating in the day, so it can be helpful to add a section on your website or on your wedding program with details on ceremony etiquette, cultural traditions, or stories about your background. You could also include a brief description or provide links to thorough explanations of each tradition and its importance, as certain guests will enjoy learning about a different culture. The guests will have much more fun if they are able to follow what is going on, and be actively engaged and involved in the event!
If there is a language barrier between some guests, it is considerate to provide a program and website in both languages. You could also consider having a translator present at the ceremony and reception, so all guests can follow and listen along.
Image of our couple S&G: Eye Jogia Photography
Do Your Homework & Stay True to Yourselves
When planning a multicultural wedding, it’s paramount to research and educate yourselves on both cultures’ traditions beforehand. Traditions can vary so widely across different regions and cultures, and sometimes elements that feel simple or common may actually trespass into areas that are frowned upon elsewhere. Being prepared will help you avoid any possible confusion during the ceremony and reception, as well as allowing you to choose with more intention which traditions are right for you. Be sure to talk kindly and honestly with one another, and with one another’s families. Open communication is key to any long-lasting relationship and showing a genuine interest in learning about each other’s histories, backgrounds, and legacies is an excellent place to start.
The most important advice we can give is to determine what ceremony and celebration traditions are important to you and your partner, and stay true to that.
We hope that this blog post has given you some food for thought, some reassurance, and also some ideas on how to navigate planning your beautiful multicultural wedding.
We adore working with couples paying homage to diverse backgrounds, and put a great amount of love and care into designs that reflect our couples’ stories. If you’re looking for any support with your wedding stationery, please do get in touch.
Until next time,