In this globalized time, multicultural wedding celebrations are becoming less rare, especially in culturally diverse communities.
Suppose you’re getting married to a person from another culture or helping a loved one plan theirs. In that case, you’re probably facing a tough challenge as multicultural Celebrant Weddings can be a lot trickier to plan than traditional, same culture weddings.
You want the wedding to cater to the cultures of both the bride and the groom, and you’re careful not to come up with ideas that would be offensive or off-putting to either party. Most importantly, you want it to be a memorable celebration. It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime event. It may seem daunting at first, but there are ways to make a multicultural wedding smooth sailing and unforgettable.
1. Make sure both families and all guests are educated.
You want the wedding to be memorable, but not for the wrong reason. Multicultural weddings can quickly spiral downwards when a guest or family member does something offensive to either of the couple’s cultures. It’s crucial that both families and all guests are educated about the intricacies of both cultures so they can be sensitive to both and appreciate them better.
Give time to sit down with both families and tell them all they need to know to show respect and understand particular wedding rituals. Give all the guests a constant reminder of what they should and shouldn’t do during the ceremony.
2. Pick a venue that’s adequate for the multicultural wedding.
Depending on what the couple’s religions allow, a multicultural wedding can be a fusion of two cultures in one ceremony or two separate ceremonies. It can also be a spiritual ceremony. Whether you plan the wedding ceremony to be a single or two ceremonies, it’s essential to select a venue that is adequate and will accommodate the kind of wedding that will be held there. Most venues only cater to standard weddings, so you need to invest time in finding an appropriate venue.
3. Emphasize cultural traditions from both sides.
For the wedding to be memorable to everyone, traditions from both cultures should have equal time under the spotlight. Incorporating all traditions into the ceremony is not feasible, so it’s recommended that you choose which ones the bridegroom and the bride value the most, then highlight them.
If blending traditions from both sides is not doable, you can reserve the ceremony for one culture and highlight the other during the registry or reception.
4. Make a menu that incorporates the cuisine of both cultures.
One of the things people will undoubtedly remember about a wedding is how good the food was. It may seem challenging to accommodate two different cuisines in multicultural weddings, but this also means you have a lot of opportunities to be creative. You can use fusion caterers or restaurants specializing in fusion cuisine as a reference and personalize them to the bride and groom’s taste.
5. Play traditional music.
Bringing traditional music, where allowed, to a ceremony such as a multicultural wedding makes it more engaging. Know the couple’s preferred pieces of traditional music from the cultures and make sure to play them in the reception. If there’s time, you can even teach some family members and guests a traditional dance so they can participate more on the big day.
6. Pay attention to the details.
Sometimes it’s the little things that carry more weight. Get attires that fit the cultural background of the bride and the bridegroom while still being characteristic of their personality. Decorate the venue with ornaments that are symbolic to both cultures. Surround the venue with colours that are welcoming to both parties’ backgrounds.
7. Capture every moment.
What better way to remember a wedding than documenting it? Choosing the right photographer and videographer is so important. These moments will be one of the couples’ most treasured takeaways from the ceremony as they will bring back memories and feelings of the big day. The couple’s relatives are sure to snap photos and record clips, but you should hire a professional wedding photographer and videographer if you want every moment captured in excellent quality.
8. Book a professional Multicultural Wedding Celebrant
When you hire a professional Celebrant, you avail of the services of someone who has the knowledge and experience in making the wedding uniquely yours. A Celebrant will find a way to include the traditions and rituals you value the most in the ceremony. Moreover, they take a lot of work out of your hands, allowing you to focus on enjoying the wedding.
Worrying over the planning of a multicultural wedding is understandable. Merging two cultures harmoniously just isn’t a walk in the park. Just keep in mind that the best thing the wedding can be is a wedding that stays true to the bride and bridegroom.
In collaboration with Sophia Young – https://twitter.com/YSophiaWrites
Photography @ilyasayubphoto
