Summer 2018, I was approached by EllyB from The Collective Magazine to write an article on my favorite topic…Mixing Culture and Weddings. Which I naturally jumped at. I truly believe weddings should be an experience and the more culture and traditions you incorporate the better. Below is an excerpt from the article:
The wonderful thing about weddings and celebrations is that there are so many facets to it where you can flip the script or spice things up a bit without sacrificing the formality of the event. How much or how little you infuse is completely up to you. So where are some of the ideal areas where you can make this impact?
- Music & Entertainment
- Food and Beverage
- Decor
- Stationery
- Clothing
Lean in and let’s talk a bit. A few years ago, I was planning a wedding for a couple from Trinidad (the bride) and St. Lucia (the groom). The bride wanted a super fabulous wedding full of flowers, lots of food, nice linens and everyone on the dancefloor. The groom wanted whatever kept his bride-to-be happy but he also wanted to feel represented as well. We talked a bit about his likes, loves and can’t live withouts and decided on the common denominator…St. Lucia! He is a proud Lucian and though majority of the wedding guests were from Trinidad or the US he wanted to share his love of the Lucian culture with them. As a result, I suggested the following: Lucians speak a french based creole language called Kweyol. So we incorporated the kweoyle and english translation into the wedding day stationery. Menu, Ceremony Program, Table numbers, Bar signs and other signage throughout the day. Side note: I tried my best to walk away from this wedding being hella bi-lingual instead I was hella disrespectful with my dialect….I will stay in my lane. BUT it was fun for me and the guests to learn something new, even if we did butcher the pronunciation. Okay let’s move on. Naturally the signage had all the flourishes and fanciness the bride craved, and the representation of the Lucian culture which the groom was very happy about. And it was super simple to do. In addition to signage , the Groom made a Lucian spice rum (an old family recipe) for all the guests as favors. We packaged it and labeled it and all the guests enjoyed it as a wedding favor… some a little too much lol. Two very small inclusions and i can’t tell you how great the impact was. There was a room full of dialectically challenged guests having the time of their lives trying to learn something new. The bride was happy with the fabulous decor, linens, florals and packed dance floor and the groom was happy that he was able to share a part of what he holds dear to his heart with the 80% trini US based guests in attendance. WIN WIN and WIIIIIIN.
So how do you make this inclusion happen for yourself? First ask a planner ( wink), then take a look back at your history, your own culture, your family history. Is there a national dish? Let me help you here, the answer is YES!
To see the full article for more on this article check out the latest issue of the B Collective Magazine and turn to page 253.
