A number of years ago, my uncle, a Canadian by birth, met and married a young woman from Wisconsin. In honor of their different heritages, they decided to have a Canada/US theme for their wedding! The wedding party wore navy blue, with white and red flowers. The front of the invitations and programs were beautifully decorated with American and Canadian flags. Mini flags were tucked in the pew bows, Canada on the groom’s side, American on the bride’s side! Both American and Canadian flags flew over the church and reception hall. The reception was decorated with white tables, red and blue napkins and centerpieces with little flags tugged in among the flowers. In all, it was stunningly beautiful reminder of who there were, were they came from and were they were going.
Today, we love to celebrate our heritages, the things that make us unique and special, and your wedding can be a wonderful way to do this! If you and your fiancé have different heritages – nationalities, religions or cultures, you can use your wedding as a celebration of those unique qualities! In the example used above, flags and colors were used to create this theme but there are many other ways this can be done. Here are a few ideas:
Music – Are there traditional songs, music or dances that are related to your heritages? A Hispanic wedding might have salsa music at the reception, while a Scottish wedding may have bagpipes at the ceremony!
Wedding Traditions – What wedding traditions are unique to your own heritage? Some of these customs can be followed, or altered slightly to fit your wedding! For example, it is a French tradition for the groom to walk the bride to church while young children blocked the way with white ribbons the bride had to cut. You could have white ribbons tied across the aisle (1 or 2) for the bride to cut. A common German tradition is to have the bride blindfolded at midnight, while the wedding party dances around her. The bride must catch a bridesmaid, who is said to be the next one to marry!
Food – Many countries and cultures have food that is traditionally or unique to them. Did you know that the traditional British wedding cake was actually a fruit cake topped with marzipan? A French wedding, on the other hand, often features a croquembouche (a lacy, cream-frosted tower of cream puffs) and a Hispanic wedding might offer rice, beans, tortilla dishes, chicken and beef!
There are many, many options for adding your own touch to your wedding day. Spend some time searching online, in your local library, or ask your wedding planner for advice on what traditions your heritage may include. You may find some wonderful traditions that you want to bring back to life!
If you choose to add rituals or other special events to your day, consider adding a brief description of each, with their meanings and significance, into your program so the guests will be able to fully appreciate the meaning. This will also make a unique memento for you and your guests.
Article by:
Crystal Unrau is a wedding planner and the owner of Chrys Cross Bridal. She specializes in creating dream weddings on a budget and offers discount designer wedding gowns and accessories along with free advice through her website!
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