Planning an Indian wedding can be tough enough, but add a non-Indian fiancé to the mix and now you’re dealing with two different cultures, religions, traditions and expectations.

Being Indian, we naturally want to incorporate the colors, sounds and foods of our culture. So, how do you manage to plan a wedding where half of the guests are too scared to try the spicy biryani, and the other half are too busy explaining every detail of the Hindu culture while trying to teach everyone bhangra?

The answer is: communicate endlessly and think outside the box.

This may sound simple, but it is the trick of the trade. When I think of an Indian intercultural wedding, my initial reaction is not to put the white groom on a decorated horse as the entertainment of the day, and this shouldn’t be your thought either. The most important conversation you should have about your intercultural wedding should be with your fiancé.
What is the comfort level? If the two of you decide that having a full-blown, traditional Indian wedding is your dream, then go for it. But, what if it is not? What if you have different opinions and different ideas? Incorporating both your ideas and expectations will lead to a stress-free wedding day.

Luckily, we are in the golden age of Indian culture here in the United States. From yoga and henna to “Slumdog Millionaire” and Padma Lakshmi, Indian culture has swept the nation and everyone is excited about it. Food trends are headed east and so are fashion designers.

This cultural explosion has even made its way into the wedding industry with famous designers such as Vera Wang incorporating Indian culture into their new collections.While you can’t necessarily alter certain wedding traditions, such as the ceremony itself, you can personalize other aspects of your wedding to incorporate both cultures and both traditions.

Creative Table Settings

* Bangles are a fun, creative way to dress your table. We all have hundreds of bangles in every color in our closet.
* Use bangles as napkin rings.
* Take clear, plastic coasters that you find at art supply stores and superglue a bangle on it. Then, place it upside down for wine glasses.
* Pillow covers from India are beautiful. Use them on a table as place settings or line them up down the center of the table as a runner.
* We love our collection of bindis, but how often do you get a chance to wear them? Use them on your place cards by creating a little motif of bindis on each card. It’s easy and playful.
 

For example, pick a venue that you both love. You don’t have to go with a traditional hotel setting these days. Venues from wineries to beaches offer a variety of options to those who are looking for something a little different.
Take your time and shop around before you make a decision. Tenting and rental furniture companies are also a great resource. They are experts at creating stunning spaces and can do everything from hanging chandeliers to incorporating unique lighting styles that add to the ambience you want.

Adding customized features to your wedding can also help separate it from the bunch. Photo booths are a fun way to get the crowd involved. Customizing your bar is another great way to sprinkle in your personality. Create a fun, specialty drink for the cocktail hour, and print the recipe on cocktail napkins so that guests can also take the recipe home with them.
Music always plays a significant role in weddings. Working in more than one musical element in a creative way can really personalize the wedding. For an Indian ceremony, have the bride walk into the Mandap against a background of a Mariachi band or a trio of bagpipers. Start off the cocktail hour with a dhol player.

As for food, the sky is the limit. Stay away from over-spiced Indian food and, instead, offer a simplified fusion fare that provides your guests something different, yet appetizing. Buffets are outdated, so set up food stations with international themes and cuisines.