If you’re planning a wedding and the love of your life happens to be from a different country and culture than you are, you may be wondering what the best ways are to incorporate both of your backgrounds. This can be a lot of fun, since a wedding is one of the most romantic ways to celebrate where you both come from and the future you’ll be creating together.
Here are a few tips on planning a multicultural wedding where everyone will have a blast while acknowledging both cultures.
Include Customs in Your Wedding Program
If you’ll be including cultural customs in your wedding ceremony, think about including information about this in your wedding program. It’s a good idea to make your guests aware of anything they might not be familiar with (such as a baraat, a henna ritual, the couple walking down the aisle together if one of them is Swedish, etc.). If you don’t want to clutter up your wedding programs too much, a good place to include this information is your wedding website, if you have one.
Consider a Multicultural Wedding Planner
Hiring an experienced multicultural wedding planner might be a good idea, since he or she will already know everything to consider, ask, and take care of in order to help you pull off the wedding the way you want to. Remember, there’s a lot of knowledge and insight that comes with experience.
Family Meet And Greet
Arrange for both sides of the family to meet at a nice dinner or party before the wedding. Chances are, not everyone has met everyone else, so holding a get-together specifically for them will be a great opportunity for your families to get to know one another before the big day. It’s good to make this a separate event than a rehearsal dinner, since a rehearsal dinner includes guests outside the family.
Hire Authentic Dancers
For the wedding reception, what better way to celebrate both cultures than to have authentic dancers from each country perform a show-stopping dance? Your guests will love it, and the energy will add a great atmosphere to your reception.
Mix Up The Menu
One of the best parts of any culture is the food, and incorporating some favorite dishes from both cultures can be both fun and delicious! Work with your catering company, wedding venue, or chef to determine which dishes will work well with the others—both taste-wise and visually. This can be fun for desserts, too.
Wear Clothing From Both Cultures
Couples—brides especially—love this aspect of a fusion wedding. A cultural “dress swap” or “suit swap” is a beautiful way to showcase both cultures. Some examples are:
- Wedding outfits from one culture for the wedding ceremony, and outfits from the other culture for the reception
- Incorporating both cultures into one outfit (such as a white wedding dress accessorized with Indian bangles)
- Groom wears a traditional wedding outfit from his culture, and the bride wears one from hers (or vice versa). This can extend to the bridal party as well.
Just imagine a Scottish/Moroccan wedding—kilts and a caftan! Mixing outfits can make for some incredible photos.
Watch the video below of a gorgeous multicultural wedding with an Indian groom and a Jewish bride:
Create Your Own Traditions
It’s awesome to spotlight your two different cultures, but keep in mind to showcase your own personalities and style as well. After all, the day is to celebrate your love. Make sure your favorite songs are played during the ceremony or reception, and focus on yourselves as a couple as well as where you came from. Acknowledge your mutual friends, how you met, your first date, and your goals for the future as part of your wedding, too.
At Imperial Palace Banquet Hall, we know that some of the most beautiful ceremonies can be multicultural weddings. We’re excited to host every wedding for every couple—so if you’re looking for a beautiful wedding venue in Los Angeles, check out our photo gallery and feel free to ask us about pricing and availability. We’re excited to hear from you!