Bi-Ethnic/culture Weddings

[YOOTOPiA]

Has anyone had any bi-ethnic/culture weddings? I'm Korean and my fiance is Chinese. We both have specific traditions and ceremonies in mind. But for us to accomodate each of our cultures it seems as if the wedding will last FOREVER not to mention be EXPENSIVE. Any prior experiences or opinions?
For now we're thinking of having a two day event. One for the western wedding with the white dress, "I do's" and reception and one the next day for the ethnic and cultural customs.
Argh... Vegas sounds good right about now =) hahahaha Elvis anyone?

 

[ruby_soho]

I say knock out the western wedding. If both of you have cultural practices and ceremonies you want to adhere to, and neither of you is strictly "american" or "western" then save yourself some dollahs! You can accomodate western style into some decor, or outfits for the dinner/after party thing seperate from the traditional clothing.

 

[litlaur]

My sister is half-Korean (like me, obviously), and her husband is white. They pretty much went with a traditional American wedding in a church. It was long.

I'm probably weird, and this isn't really a suggestion for you since you already know what you want to do, but I want a simple quick wedding. People walk down the aisle, my boyfriend (future fiance/husband) and I say, "I do", we're done, and onto the reception. I don't want to worry about working in various elements or even arguing over who gets to do what.

If you haven't set a date yet, give yourself plenty of time.

I don't have much experience with weddings, but these are tips I've heard from married friends:

Ask family and friends if they know any really good florists, photographers, musicians, etc...a student photographer could be a good option if they're talented. They may not charge as much because they're just starting out and trying to build a portfolio.

Do your own makeup or have a friend or family member do it for you. Just be sure to practice your wedding look several times beforehand.

You can find white dresses that aren't necessarily wedding gowns, usually prom dresses. It depends on your style.

 

[bluegrassbabe]

Hi, I've never been to a Korean/Chinese wedding, but I am at a lot of weddings. I work in event planning and coordinating. I think the best thing for you to do is to prioritize the customs that are most important to you and your FI. Pick the things that are most important to you, rather than try to fit everything in.
You could have the traditional western wedding, and incorparate your traditions into your reception and rehersal dinner. I know one girl (Chinese marrying English) who wore the usual white dress to the wedding and wore a traditional Chinese dress to the reception. You can serve food from both cultures, and do your favors multicultural as well.
I have no idea what your budget is, but weddings can be incredibly expensive. Having two ceremonies and dinners will probably double your cost. ANyhow those are a few ideas of the top of my head. Feel free to PM me if you have any wedding related questions. I work about 30 weddings per year, so I've learned a lot about them.

 

[jess98765]

ditto to what bluegrassbabe said.

. The whole wearing white to the wedding and traditional dress to reception is a good way to accomodate all needs

hope you have a good time organising the day