Planning a wedding is complicated enough so it’s easy to see how a multicultural wedding can cause even more stress as the big day approaches. Nevertheless, it’s also quite incredible compared to an average wedding as two cultures come together in unity.
The love formed by two people of different ethnic/religious backgrounds gives each person’s culture a chance to shine. It’s an opportunity to bridge gaps, stay true to your roots, and of course, have a tremendous amount of fun at your wedding.
When you think about planning it this way, it becomes much less stressful and much more exciting. Here are 3 tips to keep in mind to help you mix you and yours’ cultures beautifully on your big day.
1. Learn and Educate
Before you deep dive into all the things your wedding needs to have from your culture, take a moment to talk to your future spouse about theirs.
Be willing to learn about how your marital traditions and ceremonies are different and the role that family members and loved ones play in them. Then, educate your spouse on what the norm is in your culture and find ways to mix and match the two different marriage celebrations together.
It’s a process of give and take that you may have to go over a few times until everything feels right. Just think of these multicultural wedding decisions as your training wheels for making decisions as a married couple!
2. Communicate with Your Loved Ones and Ceremony Leaders
One of the biggest issues couples face when planning multicultural weddings is how they’re going to meet the expectations of their families. You may not have the “traditional” wedding your loved ones have always talked about, but the fact of the matter is that it’s not their day, it’s yours.
Let go of the pressures you feel when planning and create a ceremony that’s best for you and your future spouse. Then, prepare your parents for the ceremony so they know what similarities and differences to expect. Such open communication ensures everyone has a beautiful time and it keeps people from comparing your moment to what they think it “should” be.
It’s also good to talk to a minister, rabbi or officiate when planning the ceremony. They can help you find ways to blend aspects of you and your partner’s religion into your marriage. It’s a nice way to share the meaning behind certain things if one partner is religious and the other is not.
3. Don’t Overlook the Small Details
It’s one thing for you, your partner, and your families to be on the same page, but it’s a different story to ensure that everyone at your wedding understands what’s going on.
Help them out a bit. Include details about the ceremony in the wedding program so they know exactly what’s happening. Educate the wedding party about what the ceremony will be like and some dances they may see at the after party as well.
This helps bridge the cultural gaps between families and it’s a nice way for your friends to learn more about both of you as well.
Make Your Multicultural Wedding a Night to Remember
When in doubt, just think about how special your multicultural wedding is going to be. This is your chance to fully express the love you have for one another and to go above and beyond in how you share that love with the people you care about the most.
It may take some extra planning beforehand, but it’s sure to be one of the best weddings many people in attendance will ever experience.
For more wedding planning tips and tricks, click here.
Wedding Details is your comprehensive guide to all aspects of your wedding. From traditional ceremonies to questions regarding the guests, our website offers you one place to do all your research.