Indian Wedding Feature | 5 Ways to Tie Tradition Into Your Wedding
As you plan your wedding day, you may feel some pressure to please all your family members. Naturally, each person has their own expectations and ideas. We all come from different cultures and traditions, but how do we honor our backgrounds in modern times—and in a way that is unique to the couple? Inspired by this dazzling Indian-American wedding, we’ve developed a few tips for incorporating time-honored traditions into your wedding day with a modern twist.
5 Ways to Infuse Tradition into Your Modern Cultural Wedding
Let’s Dance!
What is one thing that everyone looks forward to at weddings? Watching the newlyweds dance! Today, a popular wedding trend is to choreograph a dance routine with your spouse and perform it in front of all your guests at the reception. If you would like to incorporate Indian culture into your wedding, you could perform a tradition-meets-modern Bollywood-style dance number. You could even teach the dance to your wedding party to make it a fun group event at your sangeet! When you can infuse traditions in a modern way, you still honor your background while providing a fun experience for everyone to enjoy!
Cultural Fusion Cuisine
Let’s say you are hosting an elegant rustic-chic wedding in the country. Maybe you want to serve comfort food to fit the venue, but you also want to honor your family’s Asian culture. For appetizers, caterers could serve your favorite gyoza dumplings, edamame, and crab wontons, as well as your other favorites: cornbread muffins, barbeque sliders, and bacon-wrapped peppers. While these dishes may seem eclectic, your guests will never be unhappy with a tasty variety. Everyone can pick and choose dishes that they will enjoy the most!
Numerous catering companies specialize in fusion dishes. They’re able to curate some creative chef-inspired ideas to blend the flavors! This small touch may not seem significant, but food has a special way of bringing everyone together. Let the celebration begin!
Tailored Attire
Trying to decide between a traditional white wedding gown or a dress that represents your culture? Many couples face this same decision, but the beauty is that you can wear both! For example, at a traditional Korean wedding, a bride would wear a dress known as a Hanbok. After a formal ceremony, the bride could change into a white dress for a more relaxed and trendy reception.
It is an easy way to infuse tradition into your modern wedding. If you prefer your guests to dress a certain way to respect your cultural beliefs, don’t be afraid to let them know! They will be excited to learn more about your background and celebrate your heritage. However, people often feel hesitant about stepping on toes if they don’t share your heritage, so make a point to invite them in with a few examples of what to wear.
For bespoke cultural wedding attire, try online boutiques such as:
East Meets Dress (Chinese & Vietnamese)
Walia Jones (Indian & Pakistani)
Modern Venue
How can you honor your culture and still have your wedding at a modern venue? You might do your formal ceremony at a Shinto Temple for a traditional Japanese wedding with your closest relatives. Then you could have your reception at a stunning hotel ballroom or luxurious wedding venue. Or, instead of two locations, try using traditional decorations at a contemporary venue. Remember, this is your wedding day. You really can have the best of both worlds!
Photography Style
Nervous about how to infuse traditions into your photography style? We would love to help you vividly capture the smallest details and biggest moments. For example, for an Indian wedding, we may do some creatively-posed portraits in your lehenga, sari, or sherwani. These portraits will be sentimental to you and your family members, perfect for framing in your home. Then, you can take some more relaxed group photos in your alternate attire at the reception. We can play with lighting and angles to get elegant and sophisticated shots like these you will treasure for a lifetime.
Cultural Wedding Photography by Nathan Phillips Weddings
While blending cultural traditions into your modern wedding may sound intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. There are so many vendors, venues, and boutiques that specialize in cultural wedding details. Start by going over which traditions are most important to you as a couple, and find easy ways to make them a part of your big day. Of course, our team at Nathan Phillips Weddings is here to help if you have any questions! Get in touch with us here, and find more inspiration on Instagram @nathanphillipsweddings.
