multicultural weddings

a dear friend is getting married in september (congrats miss montoto!). to assist her with interfaith and multicultural wedding research, i did some research of my own. it wound up being more fun, than research. many of my friends have blended their cultures and faiths during their wedding celebrations. i was able to look to those friends and wound up re-living their special days' and broadening my understanding of their culture.

{rina + joe}
their korean ceremony - known as the pae baek, took place in a private room of the church, where they had just said their i do's. although traditionally only attended by the grooms family, this modernized ceremony incorporated both families. the ceremony is meant to join two families instead of just two individuals. in the room the parents are seated in front of a table prepared with various food and tea. the couple bows to the parents and then kneels to them, before listening to their words of advice, wisdom and hopes for their future. this is followed by the bride and groom holding a cloth (traditionally the bride's skirt) while the parents throw dates and chestnuts onto it. the number of fruits and nuts caught signify the number of children the couple will one day have. dates represent girls and chestnuts, boys. the happy couple finished the celebration surrounded by friends and family for an evening of dancing in a local art gallery. photo above by michelle sterling

{rebecca + charley}
their ceremony - a touching combination of jewish and non-denominational tradition, took place on the bluffs of santa barbara's coastline above the harbor. along with an apache wedding blessing, a traditional jewish wedding prayer known as the sheva brachot or "the seven blessings," was read. the ceremony also incorporated the jewish chuppah. the chuppah symbolizes the house where the bride and groom will live. the four poles which are carried by relatives or those close to the couple, represent the pillars of trust and faith on which the marriage will stand. the chuppah is held over the bride and groom as the ceremony unfolds and is open on all sides, which shows that the home is always open to friends and family. photo above by diegas zavala

{mandy + bobby}
their wedding - a beautiful blend of persian and catholic tradition was set in the foothills of montecito overlooking the pacific ocean. the sofreh aghd traditionally an intimate gathering of close family, part of the zoroastrian faith, was combined with a modern catholic ceremony. sofreh aghd translates to "wedding spread," and is believed to represent prosperity through the couples life and marriage. items are placed on a traditional silk cloth in front of the seated bride and groom while the ceremony is performed. the items presented signify various well wishes for the couple. examples are gold coins for prosperity, sugar and honey to bring the sweet life, eggs representing fertility. much of the ceremony is interactive with relatives, the bridal party and guests close to the couple performing tasks, giving verbal response and presenting gifts. after their zoroastrian i do's, mandy and bobby also took catholic vows before being pronounced husband and wife. a festive party immediately followed. photo above by sundance photography