How to Integrate Your Heritage Into Your Wedding

Every couple who falls in love and decides to marry creates a new vision for their lives. When the “you and I” thinking transforms into the “we” thinking, fresh and exciting possibilities emerge. That’s why bridal showers, wedding showers, and gifts are part of the celebration. They help the couple to begin life anew. How then, to integrate one’s past, one’s culture, and one’s family traditions into a wedding and still keep it authentic to the desires of the couple?

Honoring your culture and your parents without letting them take over the vision of your wedding experience takes some careful consideration, especially if they’re paying for it. Before you begin, think deeply about what you love about your culture or traditions and get clear in your mind about the aspects you want to integrate into your wedding. Be sure you and your fiancé are in agreement, then respectfully but firmly work out the details with your family. There are ways to honor your past and unfold your future if you take the time to understand within yourselves what that means to you. Think before you plan!

Because of Love, Life is a Wonder!

Life is a wonder! Marriages that bring two families together to create a new family are the springboard for joy to come. The creation of families is why humanity, with all its disagreements and discontent, goes on and on. In a relationship where two people have fallen in love deeply enough that they are ready to wed, it seems that the relationship is all about them. However, when the time comes to tell others they’ve decided to wed, the announcement is a spark. It’s the alchemy that begins the creation of a new and greater family. As love grows for the two lovers it affects everyone.

Not always, but sometimes, children are the result of love and marriage. And they are the greatest wonder of it all. They are the reason that love never dies on our planet. Like the wonders of each season, children carry on the tradition of families. So if you’re planning a wedding, remember that after all the work is done and you are wed, it will all be worth it.

How to have a Satisfying Wedding Experience

In the days following their weddings, most brides and grooms reflect on the experience a great deal – what worked, what they wish they had done differently, what they would do if they could do it all over. In our years of wedding photography, we have seen one thing that makes a wedding successful. Attention to Detail.

Wedding planning can be maddening because most couples haven’t done it before. Yet, they need to create one of the most important experiences of their lives! Attention to detail which starts long before the actual event, is critical. If a bride is not naturally a good record keeper or organizer, this is the time to get someone to help.

The second most important thing is not to procrastinate, but to act decisively. That can be difficult when you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing. If ever there was a time in your life to renounce procrastination, wedding planning is it. Book your venue, your photographer, your officiant, your caterer etc., as early as possible. Ask them to help you think everything through. In photography, engagement sessions are particularly helpful in the realm of attention to detail. A photographer who is shooting your photos for a second time will know how the camera sees you. All people are photogenic with an excellent photographer, especially if he or she has the advantage of time. The secret to a satisfying wedding experience is Attention to Detail…Now!