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How to Add Unique Traditions to A Wedding
We host all kinds of weddings here at Stan Mansion- American, Indian, Nigerian, Polish, Romanian, etc. Just recently, we had a Jewish/Orthodox wedding, and it got me thinking. These are all beautiful traditions that you can include in your ceremony.
Your wedding could also be multi-cultural, for instance, and you're wondering can I make a celebration with both cultures work? The answer is yes, of course! We hosted many beautiful multi-cultural Chicago weddings here at our historic venue.
Including traditions is a wonderful way to personalize and beautify your celebration. Any wedding planner worth their onions will tell you that weddings are a beautiful mix of traditions and even superstitions over time. Here are nine ways to add unique traditions to your wedding celebration.
· Reflect Them in Your Vows
Vows are a wonderful expression of your love for each other as a couple. You can make your vows a mix of traditional and personal to include your tradition. Everything from bible readings to poems to even proverbs unique to your culture can be a part of your vows.
This lovely way of mixing things up allows you to either remain formal in your tone or be informal. It depends on what you choose to include. You could also have your officiant include words that celebrate your traditions in their speech.
· Your Wedding Music
Music is an important part of a Chicago wedding, and there are so many points where you can use it to add to your tradition. For example, depending on your wedding venue, you can walk down the aisle to a song representing your culture. We aren't choosy here at Stan Manson, and your bridal march is completely up to you!
Other points include when walking into your wedding reception, during your first dance, or even during the parent-child dances. The best part is that you can make this work whether you're using a live band or a wedding DJ. You can also invite a traditional music troupe to perform at your event!
· Create A Unique Wedding Ritual
We've experienced many beautiful takes on wedding fashion that includes tradition here at Stan Mansion. There are numerous options ranging from beautiful African prints to Scottish kilts; the choice is yours. You can use these for either your wedding ceremony or wedding reception.
If you don't want to go so drastic, how about repurposing something vintage for your celebration? This could be your grandma's or mum's wedding dress or even accessories, for example. It's a lovely way to double with the "Something Old" wedding tradition too.
· Work with Your Wedding Date
Choosing a wedding date with special significance to your culture is another wonderful way to add a unique tradition to your Chicago wedding. Some Asian cultures believe that certain days are luckier than other ones. You could give a nod to this by getting married on a lucky day, but this is also subject to the availability of your wedding venue and vendors.
· Use Your Wedding Cuisine
Every country or culture has a traditional dish or way of preparing a dish that is unique to them. So, if you're looking for a way to represent your tradition, your wedding menu is a great start. How about adding some dishes from your culture or both cultures of the bride and groom, as the case may be?
If following this idea, might we suggest still including some modern wedding foods to serve alongside? That way, your guests still have an alternative that is familiar to them. You might need to find a wedding caterer that knows your tradition for this one, so start your search on time.
· And Your Speeches
Usually, wedding speeches are made by the bride's father, the best man, and the groom. However, you could make space for more people as a way to add your tradition to your celebration. A speech by a native chief blessing the couple, for example, would be unique and quite symbolic.
· Wedding Entertainment
While we've already talked about your wedding music and cuisine, which are forms of entertainment, you can go further. Having a dance troupe perform your cultural dance at your Chicago wedding would take your entertainment to the next level. Speaking of dancing, your entrance to your wedding reception could also be a dance that celebrates your culture.
Inviting traditional singers is another way that your entertainment can represent your tradition. You could also have a drama group play out a story famous in your culture. These ideas are fun and are sure to keep guests enthralled during your celebration.
· Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
Over time, we've discovered that the most memorable weddings are those that the couples personalize. So, feel free to add even a personal tradition you have as a couple to your event. Adding unique traditions will also help to personalize and make your celebration memorable.
