8 wedding planning tips for multicultural couples

I'm sharing these tips not only as a wedding planner who specializes in multicultural wedding design, but also as a multicultural bride myself! When my husband and I were planning our own wedding, we knew we wanted to incorporate some Arab culture to honor my roots alongside more traditional American wedding practices.

It was easy to find vendors who specialized in a particular culture (Indian weddings, Jewish weddings, etc) but we struggled to find wedding pros who really understood the nuances of how to authentically BLEND cultures and traditions. Here are my 8 wedding planning tips for multicultural couples:

1. There are NO RULES when it comes to your wedding. Nix the bridal party. Change the seating arrangement. Don't be afraid to re-think the "ordinary" way of doing things.
2. You can infuse culture in big ways and in little ways. You can go bold, but don't forget that you can also be subtle!
3. Hire trusted vendors who will bring authenticity to your cultural elements. Ask if they have any knowledge or experience in your specific cultural practice or tradition.
4. Over-explain the cultural aspects of your wedding to your venue and vendors and why it's important to do things a certain way. Assume they know nothing about your cultural practice.
5. If you need accommodations from your venue, ASK for it! Sometimes venues will make policy exceptions for outside vendors if they understand the cultural or religious significance of it.
6. If you're unsure which cultural elements to infuse into your wedding, try to pick the ones that all of your guests can participate in. They will feel excited and honored to be a part of it.
7. Try to give guests a heads-up about things that may impact their preparation for your wedding. If there's a color they should avoid wearing, let them know. If you won't be serving alcohol, let them know!
8. As with everything else in wedding planning: prioritize what's most important and always trust your gut!