Multicultural weddings are very much ingrained into modern-day life, with the beauty of combining cultures there for all to see, especially on your wedding day. If you and your partner are from different cultures, however, knowing how to merge the two on your wedding day can be extremely difficult, and it’s a prospect that only adds to the general pressure of wedding planning.
Satisfying both of your families with a ceremony and reception that incorporates the traditions that matter to you the most is possible with our top tips.
Work with your families
Whether you have a pretty good idea about the traditions you’d like to incorporate into your wedding timeline or not, keeping your family involved every step of the way will certainly help blend your cultures to perfection.
Smashing the Glass explains why family input is the key to merging religions as well as cultures on your wedding day:
“Jewish – Muslim weddings are more complicated to arrange, but by no means impossible. The important thing is to remember to consult with your families along the way. This gives you and your family members time to process and address any concerns and prevents any surprise reactions on your big day and don’t forget to take family halal or kosher dietary needs into account for the reception.”
When it comes to your wedding ceremony, inter- or mixed faith services are becoming more and more popular, and with this, easier to organise. Interfaith ceremonies aim to blend the traditions of each faith perfectly to ensure a balanced and truly beautiful start to your big day.
If having a full marriage ceremony in your religion is important to you, consider having two ceremonies and celebrating both with one reception.
It may be necessary to educate your families about the traditions that represent each partner to ensure the successful fusing of cultures, a brilliant big day and the foundation to build your own traditions as a multicultural couple.
Sit down with your partner
While advice from both families will prove useful, it is important to remember that you and your partner have the final say.
Sitting down with your bride- or groom-to-be during those early stages of wedding planning to outline exactly what you want and don’t want is the key to success. There may after all be some traditions that are mandatory and some that you either don’t feel comfortable with or don’t want to include.
Share what to expect with your guests
Negotiating a multicultural wedding isn’t just daunting for the couple at its centre, it can be a step into the unknown for guests too.
Don’t be afraid to share information about the cultures and traditions to expect on your wedding day. It’ll give guests an opportunity to get clued up, and ensure they are familiar with any wedding dress code dos and don’ts that may be applicable in accordance to your different cultures.
Make a weekend of it
If you speak to any just married couple, they’ll tell you that after months of planning, your wedding day will be over in a blink of an eye! If you have more than one culture or religion to honour on your special day, that wedding timeline could be pushed to the limit even more.
Making a weekend of your wedding with pre and post-wedding events is a great way to ensure that each and every tradition you and your partner want to include gets its time in the spotlight. From a bridal shower and rehearsal dinner to a cocktail party and brunch the morning after, there will be plenty of opportunities to merge your cultures during an extended celebration.
Find more top tips for planning an epic wedding weekend by reading this essential guide.
