Every culture has their own way of hosting a wedding ceremony, with unique traditions and events for each.

If you’re planning a multicultural wedding, you may have many questions, and possibly aren’t quite sure where to begin. By definition, a multicultural wedding is the marriage of two people of different cultural or religious backgrounds.

According to Brides.com, hosting a wedding for a couple with two different religious and cultural backgrounds presents its own unique challenges– beyond the typical wedding planning challenges you may face.

That being said, if you have an overview of exactly how you want to incorporate the different aspects of you and your partner’s cultures that are most important to you both; the events of your special day will be wonderful and seamless.

Here are five tips to try when planning your multicultural wedding…

1. Educate yourself and your families

Before hosting a multicultural wedding, it’s crucial to educate yourself and your partner as well as both of your families about the religious traditions, customs, expectations, and practices of both cultures that will be celebrated at the wedding.

If you and your partner do not know these things about both cultures already, especially when it comes to a wedding ceremony; learn them and share them with your families and wedding party (if you are having one). Make sure that everyone is on the same page and knows their roles in making the wedding happen.

2. Decide on a venue

After you nail down a date for your wedding, shop around town (or the area where the wedding will be held) to find out which venues can accommodate multicultural weddings. Whether it be guest list size or package availability, some venues may not be able to accommodate this wedding; and it’s important to lock down one that can early on.

If you’re holding the wedding at a religious institution, make sure that they can and will accommodate a multicultural wedding also.

3. Cultural traditions

After educating yourselves and your families on the cultural traditions that you can incorporate into your multicultural wedding, discuss with your partner and decide which ones you both want to celebrate during your special day.

Whether it be a Chinese tea ceremony or Jewish Exchanging of Vows Underneath The Chuppah, select which traditions mean the most to you, and skip whichever ones aren’t feasible or meaningful to you both.

4. Dress code

Many multicultural or cultural weddings adhere to traditional dress codes for the happy couple, their families, and the guests. Personalize this to you and your wedding guests specifically; whether it be a casual version of the culture’s traditional dress, traditional wedding dress for just the bride and groom, or following a standard wedding dress code instead.

5. Food representation

It would be a fun, exciting (and delicious) idea to combine both cultures’ food and cuisine style into your multicultural wedding. Find your favorite dishes from both and add them to your wedding day menu or only serve those traditional dishes. Your guests will love the unique culinary experience, and you’ll get to celebrate an important part of both cultures.

©CTW Features