A Far Away Wedding: Installment 2

Both of you have stars in your eyes as you discuss how it will feel to board that airplane and be whisked off to your remote location for the special day.  As each week nears its close the star-y eyes start to lose a bit of their luster because you both have some realizations: there is only so much room in these bags, you are being charged a storage fee for the chuppah your uncle made for you and your mother had shipped to the venue, and will the wine you special ordered from that vineyard in Sonoma make it in time and unscathed? First, breath! Then remember, you have added so many interesting and surprising twists that represent the two of you as a couple and everyone will enjoy them.

How can you give your far, far away wedding a unique twist that is signature to you and your partner? Incorporating cultural and family traditions is one way to infuse the wedding day with personal touches. When you combine important rituals you convey your values as a couple.

One place to start sharing your personal touch is with your correspondence. Upload your own online invitation or wedding website design on Glö to incorporate a family crest or some kind of iconography that is special to you.  Your wedding correspondence is the first contact your guests will have with you both as a couple. This is a golden opportunity for you to start creating the ambiance of your day.

Creating a website or wedding blog is a great way to keep your guests informed and share your excitement. If you are not interested in the standard form wedding sites (many are put out by wedding publications) you do not have to use them, even if you are not tech savvy. Blogger or Tumblr are just two easy to use and free sites for building your wedding blog. Both of these options offer a number of beautiful templates. Your blog and invites can be two sides of the ambiance setting coin. You can even use the same art on both.

So you have set the stage with your beautiful correspondence but you and your partner do not subscribe to any particular tradition. How else can you personalize your far away affair? You will find a way to incorporate the things you both love. Try to think outside the box on this one. Think about how you may translate your love of animals or French cinema. What about a film screening or a volunteer activity pre-wedding? Could you donate in place of a favor or send each guest a DVD of your favorite film as your favor? These are special ways of creating a very personal experience for your guests while being in a place that is location specific.

Can you borrow from another cultures wedding traditions? Why not?

If you love the tradition of Henna buy a kit and practice with your friends. Have your creative pal work on you and your guests at the wedding. This is a pretty bold option but why not, it’s your day. Do your research if you are unsure about how you would like to proceed. Something like folding 1000 white cranes is elegant, low cost, and memorable. Egyptians like to make a splash by decorating each set of parents’ car (the one that will be chauffeuring the partner to be married) with satin bows, flowers, and ribbons.  The drive to the ceremony is where the games begin. Very slowly, each family vehicle cruises to the wedding hall, honking horns the entire way.  Once both members of the couple arrive they are greeted by a zaffa.  A zaffa is a parade of belly dancers that dance with the couple all the way up the aisle.  The point is to go as slowly as possible, some zaffas have been known to take as long as an hour.  If you both enjoy a great party with dancing this may be a great way to get the energy level up and how memorable would that be for your guests?

Whether you choose to hire a mariachi band and serve only margaritas and Mexican wedding cakes or where Korean garb in lieu of gowns or tuxedos, always incorporate your personal/couple flair.  In your correspondence be real in your tone and your aesthetic.  When you are trying to make a wedding your own in a remote or destination location be sure that you and your partner are still represented.  You may choose to go all out with a culturally specific custom that is true to your roots or just your values. That is awesome but do not be afraid to just choose an interest and give a spin to that too. When you are creating the wedding in the neutral location know that everyone loves you both and that they want to see your personalities shine through.