Whether you’re in the business of venues, food, fashion, decor, or anything in between, we’re sure you understand the importance of staying updated on changing market demands. Well, here at Wedded Wonderland, we’re committed to doing just that.
Cultural weddings, for lack of a better word, is a phenomenon we’re seeing that will have a huge impact on the industry. A cultural wedding is one that incorporates practices or details from either the bride or groom’s background or that of the destination. That said, there are plenty of factors that vendors need to know in order to cater to clients’ needs. However, the most important thing is to genuinely appreciate various cultures, respect them, and keep an open mind.
The challenge is adopting this mindset into a business strategy, and that’s where our Founder Wendy El-Khoury comes in. In the third episode of Wedded Business Digest, she draws from years of experience in curating multicultural weddings, sharing her top tips and insights to driving success.
Before we dive into practical matters, it should be clear that there is no cookie-cutter way to approach cultural weddings. In fact, Wendy says that there are five different kinds:
Cross-cultural means a combination of cultures, which can be that of the couple or the place. This place could either be local (wherever the couple is from) or a destination.
Wherever the celebration, Wendy highly recommends bringing a local expert who understands the meaning of ceremonies, traditions, and details, to ensure authenticity and avoid cultural appropriation.
“For example, with Indian weddings, there are so many rights of passage… The Indian Community and the diaspora want to work with people who understand their culture and their customs. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to be of that cultural origin–it means that you need to understand how to service this market.”
Getting a cultural expert is one piece of the pie. The next step is ensuring that your service lives up to standards and is in harmony with other parts of the wedding. An easy example is that of an events planner: “What do you provide in catering? Do you service different cultures within your kitchens?” says Wendy. “Do you know that a fire ceremony or a tea ceremony needs to take place, and do you have space for this?”
Food, music, and decor need to come together in a seamless way. It then feels natural and logical for collaborations to take place, especially when destination weddings are on the table. Planners or vendors should have partners in those locations so that the couple can experience services that directly reflect the local culture (not mimic it).
In such scenarios, Wendy mentions the value of the Wedded Network which makes it easier for planners to connect with local service providers across all businesses.
Of course, learning about cultures to widen your audience would be fruitless if your knowledge isn’t communicated on your brand’s channels: “If you want to be presenting yourself to multiple cultures, multiple customs, multiple traditions, you need to be talking about that,” says Wendy. “You need to be consistent. It needs to be readily found on your website and across your social media channels.”
Before sharing your offerings and packages though, it’s vital to touch on every angle possible–fully immerse yourself in the culture. Visit places, taste food, get to know people from the religion, and make content around that as you progress. “Do your research, ask questions, and collaborate,” Wendy says. This way, you position your brand as a company that understands the components of a cultural wedding, and confidently discuss with your client based on their needs.
“I think it’s so important that we actually tell stories about what the couple wanted and how you brought that to life–whether you’re a photographer, whether you’re a dress designer, whether you’re in a venue,” emphasizes Wendy.
Aside from showcasing your services, testimonials are the ultimate proof of your passion for cultural respect and authenticity. By explaining how you got from a slideshow brief into a full-blown wedding, you show clients that you know what you’re talking about and are capable of making it happen.
These testimonials build your credibility within the space, further connecting you to the market and growing your customer base.
Although there are five different types of cultural weddings, no two weddings are alike. Some couples want to incorporate something from their roots, while others may not. And some might wish to have a combination of both. It all boils down to listening to the client and understanding which aspects of the wedding they want to be culturally infused.
“Recently, we had a bride reach out to us who is from Chicago with an Italian background. Her groom-to-be is Australian and half-Irish, half-Italian. They are heading over to Italy for their wedding… They chose Italy because they have some connection [to it], but neither can really speak Italian. But the appreciation for food, culture, and of course, the incredible Lake Como, is what drew them to have their wedding there.” In this case, despite the couple having Italian roots, they didn’t specifically ask for any customs–simply the beauty of tying the knot in Italy.
On the other hand, some cultural weddings can be complex. As an example, Wendy cited a Chinese-Indian wedding that was held in Dubai. The couple had two ceremonies with different outfits each, while the reception was a standard party. This instance shows how elaborate a cultural wedding can be, requiring utmost diligence on the part of service providers.
Wendy recalls her childhood of growing up surrounded by different cultures. This appreciation was one of the reasons she started Wedded Wonderland in the first place. While she’s thrilled that the wedding industry is opening up, businesses should remember the responsibility that comes with it.
“We need to think about what it is that we’re actually saying and not generalize when it comes to cultural weddings. This is something that I learned on the ground orchestrating 250 weddings.” Truly, representation is one thing, but forming genuine connections is the main driver of business growth.
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