When you met the person you knew was the one, you never really thought that where he came from really mattered in your relationship. More so now that you are getting married. That is until you manifest the fear that your ethnically diverse guests will not have a blast at your wedding.
Holding a separate traditional wedding is customary for interracial couples, especially if you have several important people from your home country that cannot make it to your wedding. You could do one to satisfy your relatives and friends on both sides. If you are somehow overwhelmed on how to go about the preparations, check out well-known sites like Maryland weddings. And here are some helpful tips:
A Coordinator with Experience
Unload yourself and your partner some mental load of preparing for a traditional wedding with the help of an experienced wedding coordinator. He does not necessarily have to share the same ethnicity. He has to have a background of wedding processions of the racial group you represent, Indian or Korean, for instance.
You want to scout a coordinator who has handled similar weddings before because traditional weddings are full of culture-specific rituals you do not want to skip. Keeping the elders from frowning due to the lack of preparation isn’t your only goal. You also want to preserve these rites for what it means to the blessedness of your union and your prosperity and luck as a married couple.
Some rites would ultimately require immediate relatives like your parents or siblings to participate. Make sure you don’t scratch these out of your program because these are essential gestures of giving their good wishes to you as a couple. These will also signal respectfully handing you over to your new home.
Parents’ Pitch
What each of your parents has to say in the conduct of your wedding should take priority in your preparation. They might impart their experiences in their traditional weddings. Perhaps, there are things they ought to skip.
Do not hesitate to ask them and do it as early as possible. You will never know; they can be open to having just a modern celebration with a traditional spin-off. That will save you lots of resources.
Get in Touch with Cultural Centers
You can be so diligent researching online on how traditional weddings in your homeland are typically done, but you can only go so deep into the culture. Blogs and other online resources often only discuss topics on a surface level. You can learn and appreciate your culture more if you visit conservatories of culture aside from local libraries.
If it’s a struggle to locate them in your area, get in touch with your homeland’s embassy in the U.S. and see if they can refer you to these cultural hubs. Schedule an appointment with the center’s in-charge, saying it’s for your wedding preparations, and take it from there. Your visit will not go to waste knowing the people there are passionate to enrich your knowledge of your culture, even be so generous as to lend you garments and other cultural articles you can use on your wedding.
Let the Entrees Do the Talking
You can serve traditional dishes in their authentic forms to cater to your culturally diverse guests. Also, consider infusing your culture into the flavors of your entrees. If the decision is tough, get back to the basics like spices and cooking methods that are unique to your home country. A soup or roasted chicken dish would leave a mark on your guests for their pleasantly unique tastes.
Still, your courses should reflect your food preferences as a couple. Are there dishes you would not exchange for another on your special days, like an anniversary? Have your guests get to know you more through your entrees.
Prenuptial
Whether you can or cannot hold a traditional wedding, at least capture the tradition in your prenuptial photoshoot. Aside from your modern bridal dress, take photos with you and your partner wearing traditional wedding garb. The unique embroidery and great colors are too gorgeous to pass up the opportunity of keeping pictures and hanging portraits in your matrimonial home.
You might feel overwhelmingly burdened by what your elders may have to say about your wedding, but the bottom line is you should not lose sight of the essence of the occasion. It’s your and your one true love’s day. Not impressing your relatives enough should not stop you from enjoying the celebration anyway.
True love knows no race. Do not let your ethnicity hinder you from making your wedding day the most fun it can be.