Multicultural Wedding Stationery

Today I’m sharing tips on combining cultures and highlighting a couple’s unique identity through multicultural wedding stationery.

First you should discuss with your families which traditions they consider the most important to include, then weave the traditions and elements that are meaningful to you into your wedding stationery.

Create a Theme

You could use a swatch of fabric you love or a motif that has a particular cultural significance. For example, by taking the Tudor rose for an English bride and the thistle if the groom is Scottish, you can create a theme around them. You can then use this theme throughout your wedding stationery to give it harmony and cohesion.

A wedding booklet can explain the significance behind any symbols used, and can also explain any unusual facts related to the wedding ceremony to guests unfamiliar with the cultural nuances.

Monograms

Monograms are an excellent way to personalise and give a touch of elegance to multicultural wedding stationery. While monograms traditionally used initials, nowadays they incorporate symbols, flowers and animals too.

There are many imaginative ways to display monograms in-keeping with a couple’s cultural heritage. Include a monogram in the ceremony booklet, menu and seating plan. For an Indian wedding, place it in strategic places in the ‘mandap’ (structure under which weddings take place). For a Jewish wedding place it on the wedding canopy (chuppah; offering protection from evil spirits), and on the wedding album for a Chinese wedding. For an English wedding, have the monogram embroidered on the ring cushion.

Cultural Wedding Stationery Traditions

While there are similarities shared by most cultures, there are often differences in what’s considered auspicious, unlucky or important to include or avoid in wedding stationery.

Hindu Wedding Stationery

Most Hindu wedding invitations have an image of Ganesh, the God that symbolises good luck and the removal of obstacles. The rich red, sacred colour of love and good fortune, is often used, both as a background colour and for the pattern on invitations with a white background. Black isn’t used for Hindu wedding stationery or clothes as it’s considered inauspicious.

Chinese Wedding Stationery

Chinese wedding invitations were traditionally red, symbolising luck and good fortune. However, modern couples have now broadened the range of colours to include pink, cream and maroon. Black and purple, considered colours of mourning, aren’t used.

Muslim Wedding Stationery

Muslim wedding invitations use traditional colours such as green, cream, red and gold. Each colour has its own significance — green represents paradise and red symbolises fertility. The image of a rose is a popular choice, and many cards incorporate religious symbols such as the moon.