Celia + Amit | A Catholic, Hindu Multicultural Affair in Austin, TX

This Catholic-Hindu wedding is bursting at the seams with color and culture; it's full of tender moments, sweet, loving glances, and lots of hand holding. Captured expertly by Sean over at Day7 Photography, Celia and Amit's day long Austin, TX wedding celebration, which included a Catholic ceremony in the morning and a Hindu ceremony in the afternoon, combined family traditions and modern touches to create a true fusion affair.

Celia and Amit met in Boston through mutual friends at a party. Amit played it cool. Celia thought he wasn’t interested. They ultimately got along better than expected, since he proposed!  Despite living in two different cities for the time being, Austin was in their hearts and top of the list when it came time to start planning their wedding. And what a wedding celebration it was!

Hindu weddings are know for their fiery colors and ornamental, intricate attire for both the bride and groom. A rich warm palette of reds, golds, bronze and burnt orange symbolize happiness and prosperity. Traditionally, a Hindu bride wears a red sari and headdress, embellished with metallic gold stitch work, and black, gold and red jewelry including her bindi and bangles. Celia's strong bridal colors stand in dramatic contrast to Amit's cream and gold colored wedding attire. Take a moment to appreciate the intricate embroidery and beading on their outfits....such detail and craftsmanship.

Traditional Indian Hindu weddings are made of numerous steps, each emphasizing harmony, balance and personal growth.  They call upon friends and family to bless the couple and usher them into their new life together.  I think my favorite Hindu wedding traditions is the jaimala, or oath of respect, where the bride and groom exchange flowered garlands to symbolize unity and then recite a pledge of acceptance, where they promise to respect each other. Respecting each other is not a bad way to start a marriage.

I just adore when multicultural couples choose to have two weddings. Such a perfect way to honor family heritage and tradition, and create a brand new version of who you will be together - this is the ultimate respect. Congratulations to Celia and Amit; may your days be filled with joy, laughter and an abundance of love. Many thanks to Day7 Photography for sharing this wedding us. I look forward featuring more of your stunning, personal photography in the future.

Are you planning a multicultural wedding? Check out my Top Tips for pulling off a successful, unique affair in style!

Here's to more respect,

{Multicultural Weddings} 5 Top Tips for Creating a Unique Blended Wedding

Happy Monday, lovelies! Lately, the blog has just been bursting with smiling brides and grooms, eclectic vintage decor, global inspiration, and top tips for changing your maiden name! Gosh, I love my job! This week is no different - two lovely cultural wedding are all queued up and ready to rock your wedding world! I can't wait for tomorrow's sweet Indian-Latino couple. Sneak peek, nothing more!

Photo Credit: Day7 Photography

In preparation for tomorrow's Real Wedding, I want to share some quick tips for creating a Unique, Blended wedding. As with all weddings, the goal of any multicultural/religious/racial celebration should be a joyous and celebratory affair. But they are not without their challenges. You're mixing not only two families full of characters, attitudes, egos, and beliefs but also two individual lifestyles. The end result - a brand new fusion version that represents you together as a couple. The big question is how to do it with honor and respect AND still like each other at the end of the night.

The answer: Use this moment to promote understanding and appreciation of another culture, heritage, religion, or race. Celebrate what is different, exotic, unique, beautiful; embrace family traditions, mix 'em up, and make them YOUR new family's traditions. This world is built on love; doesn't matter where we come from or what we look like or what food we eat; what matters is who you become together.

So with all that said, here are my Top Tips for a successful cultural wedding: 

1. Invitations and Programs: Wedding invitations are the first clue as to the nature of the event. Remember to include some cultural reference in the invitation design; if the celebration spans a few days, a quick explanation of various events is appropriate. Use your programs to explain the meanings behind religious or ceremonial customs. Your guests will have far greater respect and appreciation for the moment when they understand it.

Photo Credit: Ceci Style

2. Music and Dance: Bust a move! Music and dance are the heartbeat of any culture so show it off and play it loud. Include important musical traditions - drumming, bagpipes, Samba, Mariachi - to introduce treasured heritage and get the party started. Traditional dance serves as exiting entertainment for guests, so hire a dance troupe or learn the steps to a traditional dance for your first whirl around the floor and then teach it to all your guests. Ask your DJ to help with instructions or if you are a crafty type, create a step by step dance tutorial card for each table.

Photo Credit: del Sol Photography

3. Food: YES! Food… a great mediator… plenty of food and drink! You know I am a huge advocate for serving cultural cuisine buffet style; let guests sample food and drink without being forced to sit down to a meal of unusual and interesting fare.  Carefully vet caterers and have lots of tastings to make sure their dishes are up to par. And don't forget the drinks - we put together a Top Ten guide of the best cultural wedding cocktails - part 1 and part 2!

Photo via: Dex Knows Weddings

4. Attire: In many cultures, newlyweds change attire a number of times during the wedding celebration.  Often, multicultural couples opt for a traditional white wedding in addition to a cultural ceremony with an entirely different wardrobe -  a tea ceremony comes to mind.  Traditional dress honors your heritage, carries on family traditions, and makes for some gorgeous, memorable photos. 

Photo Credit: Heidi Dryer

 5. Best tip of ALL: Create new tradition. This is your wedding! What do you like, what do you want, who are you - and go with that. Make this your own - why serve wedding cake if you hate wedding cake...serve a meat pie instead like this couple did. Create your own ceremony traditions - I heard of a bride who walked in to the Star Wars theme. Get married by a group of friends, sing your vows,  how about some crowns, try handfasting, jump a broom, DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE, just make it memorable and do it together. THAT is how you successfully blend two "cultures."

Are you having a multicultural/faith/racial wedding? What are some of your biggest challenges and what would you add to this list? I want to hear from you so leave a comment below or shoot me an email with your ideas.

Make it Happy!

{Global Inspiration} 10 Signature Drinks to Add Culture to Your Wedding

Global Wedding Cocktails - Part 2 
As we learned in Part 1 of this globally inspired drink fest, signature drinks are a great way to enhance your guest's experience. They are fun to create and serve, show a little of your personality as a couple and help infuse some culture into your festivities! Plus with our easy DIY recipes, you can save a bit of money on the bar tab. Here are the rest of our ten delish Globally Inspired Signature Drinks.

Photo Sources 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

6. Singapore Sling - The Singapore Sling is a smooth, slow, sweet cocktail, developed in Singapore at Raffles' Long Bar in the early 1900's. It’s said the cocktail was intended for women; hence the pinky color but as noted in the era's Gentleman’s Companion, the Singapore Sling was a “delicious, slow-acting, insidious thing, and certainly not only for the fairer sex." The  original recipe has since been lost so today's cocktail contains gin, lemon juice, cherry brandy and soda water. This drink should takes its rightful place at an Art Deco or Roaring 20's wedding celebration! Here is one Singapore Sling version.

7. Mojito - Cuba is the birthplace of the Mojito, although the exact origin of this classic cocktail is the subject of debate. Some historians believe African slaves working the 19th century Cuban sugar cane fields were instrumental in the cocktail's creation. Cuba's answer to the mint julep, the Mojito is perfect for a hot summertime wedding. Traditionally made of five ingredients: white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), lime, sparkling water and mint, its combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus and mint flavors are intended to complement the potent kick of the rum. Try this mojito recipe.

8. Limonchello- This thick lemon liqueur is mainly produced in Southern Italy, although homemade is a nice touch for your guests. True Limoncello is made in Sorrento, from lemons whose trees overlook the Mediterranean. It is traditionally served chilled as an after dinner palette cleanser. One of my girlfriends used Limoncello instead of champagne for their wedding toast as a way to pay homage to her new husband's heritage. It was good...too good. Why not blend a batch of Limonchello as edible wedding favors for your guests? Here is an interesting article and and easy recipe.

9. Mimosa - An oldie but goodie, this cocktail-like drink composed of equal parts champagne (or other sparkling wine) and thoroughly chilled orange juice, is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute with a morning brunch, or to guests at late morning weddings. The origins of the mimosa are somewhat murky. Allegedly, the drink was invented at the Paris Ritz in 1925, although it bears a striking similarity to another cocktail, the Buck's Fizz, which was introduced in England in 1921, and named after the club in which is was first served. The name from the flowers of the mimosa plant, which are yellow and appear slightly frothy from a distance.

10. Rum Punch - Depending on whom you believe,Planter's Punch or Rum Punch was either created by the wife of a Jamaican plantation owner, or at the Planter Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Regardless, this fruity punch has become a popular beverage to serve to guests throughout the Caribbean. Recipes vary widely, but they all contain rum, lime juice and a sweetener or other fruit juices. Now found on most major Caribbean islands, this punch is refreshing and fruity without being too heavy on the alcohol. Easy to make, easy to drink, DIY it up for your own version! Here is quick simple recipe.

Which of these would you have as your wedding signature drink? If you've tried any of them, which is your favorite? Follow this conversation on Facebook; hit the LIKE button on our page if you haven't yet!

Happy Planning,

dLA Wedding Week in Review - Rainbow Palette, Fortune Cookie Favors + DIY Bulb Vases

Happy Weekend! We've had a super fab week here at dLA, overflowing with ideas and inspiration to make your wedding the most amazing experience ever! Budget ideas, gorgeous colors, 2013 wedding trends for Contributor Art Deco Gal, a stunning multicultural Real Wedding from Shang Chen Photography - all to get your wedding planning juices flowing!

In case you missed any of our features, here you go:

Real Multicultural Wedding with Evan and Marisa

de Lovely Idea: DIY Light Bulb Vase - LOVE it!

DIY Fortune Cookie Wedding Favors + No Bake Option

Art Deco Gal's 2013 Wedding Trend Predictions - Rainbow Color Palette

Hope you've enjoy this week's selection and remember, if you have an idea or suggestion you want covered just send me an email. Or pop over to Facebook and Twitter to be part of the conversation!

Happy Planning,

Fab Finds for Your Wedding: Middle Eastern Inspiration

The great thing about planning your own wedding is that inspiration can be found almost anywhere. Brides and wedding planning seem to be able to create amazingness out of anything! Today, dLA is starting a brand new series, Fab Finds for Your Wedding, to bring you all sorts of fabulous wedding eye candy and decor inspiration from around the web.

Today, we're featuring Middle Eastern style, so if you're looking to add a little flair to your multicultural wedding - I'm talking texture, color, light, vibrancy - look no further.  I found some amazing items over at One King's Lane that I hope spark your imagination and inspire you find to wedding possibilities out of unexpected goodies.

When I think of Middle Eastern weddings, I always think of intricate colored lanterns, beautiful glass votives and lots and lots of light.  A love affair starts with a simple glance of happenstance and for me it all started with this blue glass lantern!


Can you imagine any of these items in the gorgeous setting in Morocco?

This lovely photo taken in Marrakech came to us from the amazing French photographer Virginie Faucher, who spent seven years there as a wedding and lifestyle photographer.

 Gorgeous table decor, olive trays and dipping bowls, bread baskets and oil jars, all perfect little details.

These throw pillows are a beautiful, lush addition to an outdoor seating area or wedding lounge. I see white overstuffed couches with this vibrant slashes of color adding lots of personality!

Photo courtesy of Alexan Events

 Choose decor items for color and function, like these serving trays and centerpiece containers.

This is just a small sample of all the amazing items out there that can provide wedding inspiration, think color, light, textures - glass, metal, woven baskets, lush fabrics, all details that go into creating a cultural, vibrant and personal wedding. Let the imagining begin!

Which is your favorite item? Where do you find wedding decor inspiration? Leave a message below and then join the conversation on our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages!

Have a deLicious day,