Planning a multicultural and interfaith wedding...

Hello Readers,
Time sure does fly by these days and today, I wanted to blog about something very important before I head off to Nor cal. Every wedding is uniquely planned by the bride and groom and this ceremony is a tribute to Julia & Chris as they appreciate the differences between their traditions. It joins their cultural traditions and symbolizes their wonderful commitment of honoring their very different heritages.
It has been a long planning process as three of us have gone through in selecting appropriate Christian, Korean, and Jewish elements so that EVERYONE can take part and understand. Every word and technical term & order of the program have been carefully reviewed and selected with much consideration. And I'm quite pleased to let you know that it will be one beautiful, touching, & meaningful ceremony as the guests witness and celebrate one of the most unique weddings ever! To those who are also planning a multicultural and interfaith wedding, here's a sample of the bilingual order of ceremony we have come up with. Hope you find this ceremony resourceful and inspiring as you plan your own unique wedding.

Processional/ 입장

Bride's Entrance/ 신부입장

Welcome & Opening Words/ 개식인사

Statement of Intentions/Declaration of Purpose/ 예식선언문

Message/ 말씀

Reading of the "Ketubah"/ 혼례의식낭독 (A Jewish Tradition)

Exchange of Vows/ 결혼서약

Exchange of Rings/ 예물교환

Pronouncement of Marriage/결혼선포

Lighting of the Unity Candle/ 촛불점화 (A Christian Tradition)

Appreciation of Parents/ 부모님께 인사 (A Korean Tradition)

Statement of Thanks/ 인사 및 광고

Concluding Well Wishes/ 축복기도

Breaking of the Glass/ 유리잔 전통 혼례예식 (A Jewish Tradition)

Presentation of Couple/ 신랑신부 소개

Recessional/ 퇴장

Ringing of the Church Bells/ 축화의 종소리 (A Christian Tradition)

유대인 혼례예식와 한국식 전통 혼례예식을 같이드리고자 하옵니다. 서로 다른환경에서 자란 신랑신부가 한 몸 이뤄 새가정을 꾸미는데 종교와 문화의 차의점을 양해해주시고 이처럼 뜻깊은 행사의 동참하셔서 축복해주시길 바람니다.

Esther's advice: Please note that although you are being married into the family, the wedding is about you & your loved one. Although you want to be considerate of the two different cultures & families, don't lose your voice while planning your own wedding because you can't satisfy everyone. However, use your discretion & common sense when dealing with sensitive issues that may arise during the planning process. If you aren't familiar with the traditions and cultures, don't be afraid to ask because that's more polite than ignoring each other's differences. Here's a great article I found from Love Empire