Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life, and including rituals from your culture can make it more special and personalised to you. The Scottish Wedding Show helps brides and grooms from different cultures plan their big day every year so know a thing or two about combining traditions.
If you and your partner are from different cultures, here are some easy steps to navigate the art of blending traditions at your wedding in a way that’s inclusive and authentic.
Do your research
First things first, researching wedding traditions from around the world, especially those from your own culture is a great starting point. From here, have an and honest conversation with your fiancé about what each of you value the most from your culture. Involving both sets of families in the planning process can also ensure inclusivity of everyone’s perspectives, increasing meaningfulness of activities.
Whether exchanging vows, lighting candles, or performing dances, weddings are rich in rituals. Incorporating customs from both cultures can honour the traditions of the families and their heritage. The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a beautiful fusion of British royal traditions and American cultural elements. As is royal tradition, the service was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, however, the Bishop of the Episcopal church in the USA also performed a sermon as a nod to Meghan’s culture.
Weddingwear fusion
Many cultures have distinct wedding garments and blending elements from both can make your day feel truly unique. A bride may wear a traditionally white wedding dress with a shawl, headpiece or body art from a different culture. Alternatively, brides could tap into the two-dress trend and incorporate a change of clothing later in the day to honour both traditions. Guests can also be encouraged to dress in a way that reflects both cultures, creating a fusion within the party and all photography.
Multi-cultural food
The meal at your wedding is a main event of the day, and food is also one of the most enjoyable and accessible ways to celebrate cultural diversity at your wedding. Rather than serving a single cuisine, try a fusion menu combining dishes from you and your partners’ cultural backgrounds. This will create a buzz of conversation, make your day more authentic, and ensure all your party feels included in the celebration. If your venue doesn’t accommodate this, why not blend your cake? For example have a traditional Scottish tiered wedding cake with a twist of flavouring or decorations from another culture.
Have fun with favours
Wedding favours are a great opportunity to add a personal touch to your celebrations and celebrate your heritage. Consider combining cultural elements, for example, tablet from Scotland with Limoncello from Italy. This thoughtful detail will leave guests with a reminder of your beautiful day and give them something unique to take away with them
Musical traditions
Once your ceremony and meal is over, it’s time to hit the dance floor, and this is the perfect moment to celebrate multiple cultures. Combining music and dancing from both cultures can create an unforgettable atmosphere. DJs are a fantastic option for this as they’re not limited to a genre of music so you can curate a unique playlist that easily fuses two cultures. Different styes of dancing can bring cultures together and encourage all guests to get involved, making for a memorable evening.
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