Historically, weddings are linked to cultures from around the world, celebrating the nationalities and the coming together of two individuals. Something that we have noticed more, is an increase in people wanting to weave their two cultures together to create a new experience that will be enjoyed by the couple, their families and their guests.
While weddings tend to have a ‘dominant’ culture, by blending heritages and traditions wedding planners, with the couple, have the opportunity to think of creative ways to inform their guests about the particular rituals. It’s a very eye-opening and heartwarming experience that can create a really special occasion for the couple and also their guests.
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What to do when there’s no template to your wedding?
You will certainly encounter lots of opinions and voices which is always expected when customs and rituals are involved. I often suggest that each side lays out the non-negotiables and then work down on a scale of importance. This will then give you a starting toolkit that you can use to weave both together.
By blending and combining elements from each of the families’ cultures, the result is something truly unique, informative to others, enjoyable and spectacular. From the guest list curation, to the entertainment, to particular cultural traditions – bringing together specific elements from different cultures or heritages, offers an opportunity for everyone to embrace a variety of wedding traditions.
Last year, we planned a winter wedding in London that weaved Azeri, Italian and traditional English heritages to create something totally new. We received such wonderful feedback from this wedding as both sides of the couple’s guests were familiar with their own traditions, but by blending custom, they had the opportunity to discover and celebrate something totally unique and contemporary too.
Ultimately, it all boils down to your guests’ experience. Think through who you have at your wedding and make sure you are including everyone. If you have a group of guests, or one side of the list, who won’t be familiar with some of the core customs and traditions, think about how you can involve them and ensure they understand what’s going on. The more you bring everyone together, the better the result will be!
- PRACTICAL ELEMENTS
- Think about translating orders of service or menus if there may be language barriers at the wedding.
- Include explanations to help guests understand certain rituals or dishes.
- Explore using an MC (or guest) to help explain the proceedings but be careful not to turn it into a lecture!
- Your food and drink can be a great area to explore to bring different customs together.
- Provide look books and advice on the dress code if it’s different to what some of your guests would be familiar with.
It felt particularly special, and exciting, as there were elements of the wedding that some guests were familiar with and others that were new discoveries.
Matthew
Embracing traditions & creating something new. Insights into Sauveur’s experience in creating multicultural weddings.
