A guest blog by Carla Thomas Photography
As a wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing the unique beauty of multicultural weddings. They aren’t just about two people tying the knot; they’re a vibrant celebration of diverse cultures, rich traditions, and unique personal stories. They offer a wonderful opportunity to honour both who you are and where you come from.
Why multicultural weddings are special
A multicultural wedding isn’t just about uniting two people; it’s a beautiful fusion of families, traditions, and cultures. These weddings are about much more than mixing races; they celebrate the diverse cultural backgrounds within the same race too. For example, the subtle yet rich differences between Ghanaian and Nigerian customs can add a unique flavour to your day, often sparking playful debates over who makes the best jollof rice. No contest – Sierra Leone! 😉
Planning your multicultural wedding: a step-by-step guide
Respect and celebrate differences: Your wedding should honour and celebrate both cultures. Aim for a harmonious blend of traditions that reflects your shared story, and make it authentic to you.
Family insights: Your families are your link to cultural heritage. Embrace their stories and traditions to bring depth to your wedding day. It’s about reinventing traditions in a way that resonates with your personal style.
Communicate and educate: Use your wedding programme or website to explain the significance of different cultural elements. This is particularly important for guests who may be unfamiliar with some traditions, helping them appreciate the cultural depth of your celebration.
Stay true to yourselves: Remember, it’s your day. Whether you choose to showcase your cultures throughout the day or select specific moments, what matters most is that it feels right for both of you.
Choose empathetic suppliers: Work with suppliers who understand and share your excitement about your vision. Wedding planners with multicultural wedding experience can be invaluable in blending different traditions respectfully and creatively.
Acknowledging and overcoming challenges
Multicultural wedding planning can present unique challenges, such as reconciling different family expectations or navigating logistical complexities. The key is open communication.
Discuss your visions and concerns with your families, finding common ground where possible. The goal is to celebrate your love and heritage in a way that’s meaningful to you both.
Where to incorporate your cultural heritage
Feast for the senses: Your wedding menu is a chance to wow your guests. Think of a fusion that represents you both.
Ceremony with a twist: The ceremony is where your cultural blend takes centre stage. Mix traditions and customs that mean the most to you, creating a unique and heartfelt experience.
Fashion fusion: Your wedding outfits are a powerful way to express your heritage. Embrace the idea of multiple outfit changes to showcase different cultural clothing, each change symbolising a different aspect of your heritage. I once shot a wedding with 3 outfit changes, so they could honour all aspects of their lives. Imagine switching between a stunning dress and a colourful ashobie or combining a cheongsam with mehndi
Groove to your own beat: Music transcends boundaries and is where the fun really starts. Mix rhythms and styles that let your guests feel a vibe that’s unique to you.
In the details: The little details can powerfully reflect your cultural blend. Weave in elements from your cultures, be it through colour themes, patterns, or even the flowers you choose.
Stay true to you
Remember, this is about what feels right for you. Your wedding can be a grand cultural celebration or a more intimate affair with subtle nods to your roots. The key is to make it authentically yours.
Celebrating your story
Every time I photograph a wedding, I’m reminded of how love brings worlds together.
Multicultural weddings aren’t just beautiful; they’re powerful narratives of unity, diversity, and the incredible journey you’re on. So here’s to you and making your mark in your own unique way.
Your Turn: Which cultural tradition excites you the most for your wedding? Share your thoughts and use the hashtag #MyCulturalWedding on social media to join the conversation!
Today’s wedding is elegant as they come. Marguerite is stunning in a Stella York dress, and Jason looks fabulous in a dark green velvet jacket from Peter Posh. The gorgeous couple tied the knot at The Mount Hotel and chose recommended photographer Nicholas Rogers to capture their day. As always, more incredible photos on the English Wedding insta!
Wedding photographer’s website
Nicholas Rogers https://njr-photography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Nick and Jenny were amazing! They made us feel so comfortable and we enjoyed so much doing our photoshoot. The pictures are beyond our expectations and the video photos montage just made us relive the day and felt very emotional!
Your best moment or memory
Our favourite moment was our first dance. We really felt in a bubble and we kind of forgot we had people watching us. For these few minutes, it was only the 2 of us and the music.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We both came from different countries/cultures. I, the bride, am French and my husband is British with a Jamaican heritage. So our wedding was a bit of mix between the 2 backgrounds. For example, all our signage and menu was translated in both languages as some parts of the bride’s family didn’t speak English. We also had a Steel band as per the Jamaican side of the family. Finally, we had different speakers and order. Traditionally the bride doesn’t speak but I wanted to say few words mainly to thank my in-laws for their warm welcome to their family. (I don’t have any family in the UK and they always make me feel I have one)
Venue name + review
The Mount Hotel – Wolverhampton The venue and the staff were amazing! They had an amazing communication through the process and on the day. We really had the best day ever!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
The groom wore a Tuxedo suit (black trousers & waistcoat, a white shirt with black button and personalised cufflinks) and a dark green velvet jacket with a satin lapel and a black bow tie with white silk pocket square.
The Bride was wearing an A-Line Stella York dress. The dress was layered with organza and had sheer bodice panels. The dress had a lace appliqué gently falling into the skirt and extending to a romantic train.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Dress: Forever Bridal – Barnet The staff were great! They had their own tailor on site which was amazing as they had to slightly amend the dress on the collection day.
Suit: Peter Posh – Tettenhall
The service was amazing. They had great communication and listened to what we were looking for. The father of the bride couldn’t come to try as he lives in France, so we sent them his measurements and even though the trousers were slightly short, they ordered a new one a bit longer for the next day morning. All in time for the wedding.
Florist name + review
Every Occasion Floral – Stourbridge
Our florist’s name is Nikki Solomon. I don’t know where to start… Nikki has been the best florist we could have wished for. She listened to us and gave us some advice when needed. At the beginning Nikki was in charge of our flower arrangements only, but then she did way more than this. She helped us with some decorations (chairs’ sash with Diamond brooch, candles, Roman columns for our outside ceremony). She made our dream wedding come true!
Cake maker name + review
It was the Mother and Sister of the groom. They did a fantastic job. The cake was as we dreamt of! We couldn’t thank them enough. (This was their biggest challenge and they did it so well!)
Styling and decor
Cloud Nine Balloon Design
Sue and her team have been amazing. They are very responsive and offer so much options. We hired “M&J” light up letters, twinkle table skirts, voile wrapping for our outside gazebo with artificial flowers, a tall white postbox and Mr & Mrs balloons.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
As we wanted everything translated in both languages, we created our own wedding invites, welcome sign, table plan, menu, table number and small gifts box for the children.
Wedding readings?
On Your Wedding Day
Today is a day you will always remember
the greatest in anyone’s life
you’ll start off the day just two people in love
and end it as husband and wife.
It’s a brand new beginning,
the start of a journey
with moments to cherish and treasure
and although they’ll be times
when you both disagree
these will surely be outweighed by pleasure
you’ll have heard many words of advice in the past
when the secrets of marriage were spoken.
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside
where the bond of true love lies unbroken
so live happy forever as lovers and friends
it’s the dawn of a new life for you
as you stand there together with love in your eyes.
From the moment you whisper ‘I do’
and with luck all your hopes and your dreams can be real
may success find its way to your hearts
tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys
but today is the day it all starts
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
John Legend – All of me
Hair + makeup name + review
Hair: Sophie Hailey
Sophie was so lovely, she listened to what I wanted and did a great job! Loved my hair! Makeup: Victoria O’Neill
Vicky was great too! I had such a great time for my trial and on the day. Thank you for making me look so pretty!
Entertainment
We would like to thank also, The Dandies band, for playing during the ceremony and reception drinks. The guests loved them.
A blast of colour, a generous sprinkling of pure joy, and the cutest couple – this wedding is EVERYTHING! Gorgeous couple Sonya & Batsirai were married at The Gardens, Yalding and chose the exceptionally talented Hannah Hall Photography to capture their day.
Some fab reviews and heartfelt words of advice from the happy pair below, plus supplier recommendations for couples tying the knot in Kent. Enjoy!
Wedding photographer’s website
Hannah Hall https://hannahhallphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Hannah is great! We chose her because her photography style really brought out the joy and excitement of the day. She captured moments that we may not have seen behind the scenes and also brought back memories of special moments in her quirky style.
Your best moment or memory
The whole day was prefect – even the weather! It was warm and sunny for October and started raining the day after our wedding! If we had to choose, the Chinese door games and ceremony were my favourite part. The western ceremony was outdoors, making the most of the warm sun. It was a surreal, unique moment for us to be surrounded by our friends and family all in one place. Definitely a moment to remember.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
The Chinese door games is a tradition that puts the bridesmaids against the groom and groomsmen. The idea is that they hide the bride so that the groom, with help from his men, has to face challenges to get to her. Thus proving his devotion.
Venue name + review
The Gardens Yalding. If you’re looking for a venue that’s beautiful, relaxed with a large outdoor space and a rustic vibe – this is the place! Staff were friendly and helpful and put our mind at ease on the day. The food here was also lovely! https://www.thegardens.co.uk/
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Our outfits they were quite understated and they just fit well with the autumn theme and look of our venue.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Bride’s Chinese dress – Toni Bridal: Staff was friendly and helpful. Unfortunately I didn’t find my white dress here but I did find the Chinese dress to suit me here!
Bride’s western dress – David’s Bridal. A large selection of dresses to suit different budgets. It can get pretty busy here so personal one-to-ones is more limited. However I was able to find ‘the one’ here!
Groom’s suit – Hawes and Curtis: Fast and catered to our needs!
Florist name + review
Anthologie Florist – Ellie was super helpful and knowledgable. I don’t know a lot about the types of flowers and what goes well with my theme, but she helped stick to my budgets, find solutions and put our minds at ease. The final results was beautiful and incredible! https://www.anthologiefloristry.co.uk/
Cake maker name + review
We had a friend and 1 of my bridesmaid to help with the cakes!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Welcome sign, table decorations, seating plan, placecards, Polaroid table, card box all DIYd!
Props and hire items
Bay Wedding Props – We hired a decorative arch for our outdoor ceremony and it was beautiful! It went well with the gazebo that was already there along with the outdoor garden. https://bayweddingprops.co.uk/
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
The few things – JP Saxe, Charlotte Lawrence
Hair + makeup name + review
Alex hair and makeup artist – Alex was my hair stylist. She was very friendly, approachable and opened to feedback to ensure I was happy with my hair style. It didn’t take her long to do my hair and she did a fabulous job on the day! https://www.alexhairandmakeup.com/ Jamie Lee makeup and brows – Jamie Lee was my makeup artist. She has a relaxed vibe and very easy to talk to. I went for a natural, soft look as I don’t usually wear too much makeup. She nailed it pretty quickly and I felt super comfortable all day! https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-beauty-hair-make-up/kent/jamie-lee-make-up-artist_51468.htm
A glorious summer wedding, stunning images and the most adorable couple! Meet Sarah & Will, married in the Peak District and combining their respective heritages with kilts and a tea ceremony! This is wonderful in every possible way – congratulations to the happy pair, huge thanks for your interview and also to wedding photographer Tom Hodgson!
Wedding photographer’s website
Peak District wedding photographer Tom Hodgson – https://www.tomhodgson.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
From the moment we met Tom, he provided us with such a personalised experience. He even invited us over to his house for a cup of tea! We felt like he was really invested in our wedding from the get go. We really loved the way he tells stories through photos, by documenting real rather than staged moments. He managed to capture all of the emotion of our wedding.
Your best moment or memory
All of the tear jerking speeches from the best man, the brothers and father of the bride and the groom.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We did a Yam-Sing ceremony, which is a tradition in Malaysia/Singapore. Every table had to down a shot and yell Yam-Sing at the top of their voice, with a prize for the table that shouted the loudest.
Venue name + review
Losehill House. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting in a secluded part of the Peak District with magnificent views over Win Hill. The weather was amazing as well, so everything sparkled.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Sarah wore a vintage style dress that was entirely covered in gold glitter (although the glitter is difficult to see in the photos). In the evening she wore a red fifties style dress as a nod to the Chinese side of her family. The bridesmaids wore white. Will wore a kilt in honour of his late father who was from Scotland. The groomsmen (including Will’s young nephews) also wore a kilt and our friend played the bag pipes.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Sarah bought her dress from Fairy Godmother in South East London. They provided beautiful dresses, excellent service and were very good value for money. Sarah got two dresses for about half the price of what she was quoted in other shops.
Cake maker name + review
Sarah’s cousin made the cake.
Stationery maker’s name + review
We made our own invites.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
Helen, Will’s sister in law, made beautiful shot bottles and little wooden hearts with our initials on it. We also made our own programmes and invites from scratch.
Wedding readings?
We had an extract from Everything I Know About Love and also Bruce Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall Behind”.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Prince – I wanna be your lover. We had amazing music throughout the day (ceremony, canapes and reception) from The Rockets Collective. Everyone commented on how amazing they were. As Will used to be a professional bass player, they also let him play a few tunes.
Hair + makeup name + review
Alla Moda in Belper. They did an amazing job and drove to a remote part of the Peak District at the height of summer, Louise was heavily pregnant but she pulled out the stops to be there.
A gloriously colourful celebration of love, with a super cute couple and the most amazing floral styling! This beauty of a wedding will brighten your Friday – and we’ll be sharing fave pics on our insta all weekend! Congratulations Claire & Giran – you’re absolutely gorgeous and your wedding is amazing!
Wedding photographer’s website
G K Photography – https://www.photographygk.co.uk/
Wedding photographer review
We chose Greg after seeing his beautiful photographs on his website and loved the way he utilised bright colours in his work. Greg provided us with a free engagement shoot prior to the wedding which was a great chance to get to know him and for us to feel more comfortable with having our photos taken. Greg is such a lovely guy and made us and our guests feel at ease throughout our wedding day. We loved the final photos and have received many great compliments.
Your best moment or memory
The whole wedding was incredible but one of the biggest highlights was the maids of honours’ hilarious song speech which has since gone viral.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
Our wedding was a vibrant and colourful Asian Fusion wedding, centred around embracing each others cultures. Claire’s side dressed in Indian clothing whilst Giran’s side wore traditional English wedding attire. The ceremony (led by the celebrant Jac Woods at Cherish Life Celebrant) included the lighting of a unity candle with Giran, Claire and their mothers all lighting a central candle to signify the joining together of two families and two cultures.
Videographer name + review
Hawaiian Shirt Photography and Videography – https://hawaiianshirtphotography.co.uk/
We were so pleased with Hawaiian Shirt Videography – Tom was great at communicating prior to the big day and ensuring everything was planned carefully. Simona was very helpful and friendly on the day and captured great footage resulting in a beautiful video.
Venue name + review
Ufton Court – https://www.uftoncourt.org.uk/
Ufton Court was a wonderful venue for our wedding. The setting is gorgeous and the facilities were big enough to host 150 guests which was perfect for our Asian Fusion wedding.
The choice of caterers was varied and Ufton Court was one of the few venues that we found that offered free corkage which meant that we could incorporate our love for French wine into the day, providing wine from one of our favourite vineyards in Provence.
All of the proceeds that Ufton Court make go towards their children’s education charity. As Claire works with children, this felt like the perfect set up. Loretta worked with us to plan our day with such kindness and patience and Chloe coordinated everything on the day, making us feel very at ease and the day run smoothly.
Wedding Caterer name + review
Preeti Catering – https://www.preeticatering.co.uk/
We chose Preeti Catering who provide delicious Indian Cuisine and still over a year on people continue to rave about the food at our wedding. Ricky was great to work with and helped to plan the day meticulously. We attended a tasting and were guided through creating the optimal menu. Within the package we chose, staff from Preeti Catering served the alcohol that we provided throughout the day and all evening, which is a rarity as most caterers will only serve alcohol purchased from them directly. This was a real win!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Claire wore a traditional white A-line wedding dress and Giran wore traditional Indian clothing bought from Green Street in London. Claire also didn’t see Giran’s outfit until she walked down the aisle and was very impressed.
Dress or suit shop name + review
J S Couture – https://www.jscouture.com/ Claire bought the dress from J S Couture near Baker Street. It was a lovely shop and the owner was really friendly and gave us plenty of time to choose the perfect dress.
Florist name + review
Wessex Flower Company – https://wessexflowercompany.co.uk/
We absolutely loved working with Alicia and she completely embraced our theme. The flowers were a combination of bright colours and arranged with such care and passion. We were blown away.
Cake maker name + review
Giran’s mum made our beautiful wedding cake which fitted into the theme perfectly.
Stationery maker’s name + review
We used a combination of Etsy, Zazzle and DIY and were really pleased with the results
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
To reflect our love of wine our table plan (each table named after a type of grape) was arranged on a board made of wine corks. The order of the day was drawn up on a chalk board, signs were made and engraved and table place names created by friends who attended the wedding.
Wedding readings?
I’ll Be There For You by Louise Cuddon
Take My Hand, by Dick Johnson
First dance song?
First Dance – Can’t take my eyes off you – Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Wedding Band
Got It Covered – http://www.got-it-covered.co.uk/index.html
We used the band Got it Covered after hearing them play at our friend’s wedding. They were full of energy, very talented and great to work with.
Hair + makeup name + review
Thorne Brides – https://www.thornebrides.co.uk/
We were so lucky to have Sarah and her team doing the hair for my bridal party and hair and make up for myself. Sarah is very experienced and took time to find out exactly what we wanted and was very efficient. The trial was a great opportunity to get to know Sarah, she is very personable and made us feel so relaxed on the morning of the big day.
