When you prepare your wedding ceremony, it’s very important to reminisce about your roots and origins. No matter if you have a small wedding or a large one, it always makes sense to find ways to integrate your culture into the wedding preparation, reception and throughout the entire marriage ceremony. For example It’s valid for any Hindu wedding, Indian weddings or any multicultural wedding for that matter. The focus is on showcasing your culture and make it a part of the ceremony, if it’s important for you. Here are some tips and tricks to help you do that.
Curate your menu accordingly
Yes, a great way to integrate culture into your wedding is via serving many dishes specific to your culture. Not only is it a great way to pay homage to your culture, but it also introduces some guests to new dishes too. On top of that, you can also have a modern twist on a culturally classic dish. It’s up to you to choose how you do this, but there’s no denying that incorporating culturally-specific ingredients or dishes into the wedding menu can help a lot more than expected.
Include cultural adornments, items or decorations
One of the best wedding ceremony ideas where you can also integrate your culture would be decorations and accessories. You want to add a variety of cultural adornments and items specific to your culture. For example, the Maori culture has their taonga treasures that showcase a deep connection to their family.
The idea here is to pick whatever items are significant to their culture and use them during the wedding day. It’s possible to use them in various ways, from accessories you keep on/in your hand to items you place around your neck, or even decorative pieces. You can be as creative as possible, and remember, the focus is to show appreciation and respect to your culture, as that’s what matters the most.
Make cultural traditions a part of the event
For example, in the case of an Indian wedding, you have a multitude of traditions that you should respect. These weddings need to have lots of red, a massive guest list, multiple event days, along with outfit changes. Then there are the unity ceremonies, the seven steps taken by the couple, along with pranks played on the groom.
Of course, each culture will have its own different wedding traditions, and it’s a good idea to respect them. Granted, you can modernise some of them or not include every single tradition. But it’s important to pay homage to these wedding traditions, and you can still have your own take on them as well.
Try to wear traditional, handmade clothes or accessories
It’s another good way to seamlessly integrate your culture into the wedding. The idea is to show some of the main appeals when it comes to the wedding process, the accessories and items that your culture find appropriate for this event. Yet at the same time, you can still retain that unique, modern look for the wedding. As you can see, you’re not forced to have a fully traditional wedding in order to showcase your culture. Simple, yet important details can help showcase that in a way that’s rewarding and very interesting as well.
Curate your music
In this case, you want to add various types of songs and music specific to your culture. It’s a tasteful way of curating music so you can pay homage to your culture, while also having a sense of diversity too. That’s why it’s a great idea to give it a try, especially because it allows you to expand on your culture and introduce other people to it, which is always nice to have.
Use cultural elements as gifts for your guests
You can also showcase and celebrate your culture during the wedding after the wedding vows. For example, you can prepare culturally-significant and appropriate wedding gifts. Simple things like sharing handmade items that celebrate your culture will help quite a lot. You don’t have to go for overly large gifts. Just offer them something significant from your culture, an item that signifies happiness, unification, celebration, etc.
Styling and stationery
It’s possible to use cultural items as stationery or decorative pieces. The main focus with something like this is to highlight your culture through objects that guests can see or touch during this entire experience. A good idea is to connect with an artist that shares your heritage and which creates art related to your culture. Not only will you offer exposure to the artist, but you’ll also have genuine art pieces and stationery products that pertain to your culture. Again, it comes down to those small touches that highlight your culture without forcing it onto every guest.
Opt for a multilingual ceremony
There’s another way you can respect your culture and that would focus on having a multilingual ceremony. It allows you to pay homage to your heritage, while still making it easy for both cultures to offer their acceptance. It’s also easier for the guests, because they can understand stuff without worrying about losing any details.
Involve your family
It might seem like a no-brainer, but you also want to involve your family in this process. Whether it comes down to finding culturally-appropriate wedding places, preparing traditional wedding vows, those can help. The main focus is to celebrate your culture and appreciate all the details, but also add your own spin on it. Plus, asking your family for help can ease the pressure and make the process simpler as a whole.
Closing thoughts
These are some great ways to incorporate your culture into the wedding, and it can be very appropriate. There are always challenges when it comes to preparing a wedding involving two different cultures. However, simple touches like the ones highlighted above can be a great starting point. It allows you to highlight the importance of the wedding for you and your family, while also bringing in a very distinctive solution and perspective. It’s an amazing way to pay respect and homage to your culture, while also putting your own spin onto the wedding as well!
