The impact of cultural differences on destination weddings

Destination weddings hold all the buzz now. A pictographic wedding straight out of the wedding magazines and the internet, The perfect backdrop for the perfect couple, a resort stay for the family and instagrammable moments. Yes, a destination wedding is a dream. But how practical is it when it comes to satisfying the guests and planning a budget? The couple and the wedding party are flying down to the destination but what about your guests? What about certain rituals your families might have had since ages? How can we stay respectful to the elders and the older traditions while having a dream destination wedding? Read along to see how your wedding planner in Kolkata does it.

Keeping traditions alive

Some brides and grooms have traditions that every person in their family has followed since ages. Traditions like visiting the local goddesses temple right before the wedding, or going straight to the local deity to perform a few rituals at the temple after the wedding. This might become hard if the plan is a destination wedding. The right way we handle this is 1. We understand the point of view of the elders in the family and 2. See if we can manage something like a small ceremony at your local place with only the mandatory rituals and then proceed to a destination “celebration”

We bring the tradition with you

One hack a lot of wedding planners follow is that we ask you to carry the absolute essentials like the ritual accessories, the pooja essentials, the god/goddess idols or representative materials from your home. Some families even get their destination wedding clothes blessed by the local deities before they fly. This way the tradition is kept alive but with a slightly different view in the background.

Guest list mandates

We understand that your parents can get more excited about the wedding than you. They want to invite their whole circle and that is understandable. But not every guest can fly down to the destination. And we do not want to disrespect any family elders. In such cases, we suggest preparing the wedding guest list not on your own but along with your parents. We also have special ways for guests to join in virtually. A live broadcasting and special gift experiences for your virtual guests.

Selection of the destination

This is a main point to consider. The destination highly affects the whole wedding. It is what sets the theme and how the rituals can be performed. We would advise you to look at our suggested venues for a destination wedding and have a chat with your wedding planner. The local conditions like weather, the local traditions, accessibility everything plays a role. Only a wedding planner would be able to give you the insider tips on the venues as we can also coordinate with the local wedding planners and team.

Guest hospitality and inclusivity

Yes the guests and wedding party would be excited to explore a new destination, but with new destinations come new roadblocks. For example – language barriers, accommodation, local transport, amenities and availability of wedding necessities. It is not like your city back at home where you know everyone and can make last minute arrangements if something is missing. Planning everything ahead down to the T is very important in cases. Our wedding planning team can provide you with local guides, to and fro transport and accommodation with emergency tips and plan Bs.

We understand that a wedding is a dream. And we strive to bring that dream to a reality by respecting both your fantasies and your traditions. So contact us for the best wedding experience.