The Most Amazing Multicultural Weddings You’ve Seen

Munaluchi Bride Editor (@jackie_MBM) is the Newest Huffington Post Blogger!  How cool is that? Here’s the original article which was featured on the homepage of The Huffington Post Wedding section…

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When I got married five years ago, there was a constant struggle trying to find unique and creative ways to incorporate my culture without it being overbearing. There were seldom any examples in mainstream media of women that looked like me, or came from similar cultural backgrounds, that I could grasp inspiration from. And back then, in 2006, the social media and blogging frenzy was basically non-existent. I started Munaluchi Bride Magazine with hopes of filling an obvious void within the wedding industry. I felt a strong need to represent the most amazing and well thought out weddings highlighting women of color, our wide range of cultures, and our timeless styles.

In this feature you’ll see some of my favorite weddings featured in Munaluchi Bride Magazine and munaluchibridal.com. These weddings spread across many continents and seamlessly combine multiple cultures in the most unique and tasteful fashion. They are each memorable in their own ways, yet have one thing in common — effortless displays of undying love. As you take a look at these gorgeous weddings, I hope they enable you to think outside of the box, while appreciating the various blends of cultures that surround us.

Cynthia + Hatim

This has to be one of the most stunning weddings I’ve seen. The bride and groom, who live in Paris and are from the Caribbean and Morocco, respectively, held the event in both locales. In Morocco, the celebration consisted of a henna ritual followed by a grand reception. Cynthia changed a total of 5 times (7 wardrobe changes is the norm according to Moroccan tradition). What I love most is the dramatic entrance on the “Amariya” ( the silver chair) while her husband entered on a horse. 

Rahel + Samere

Although this wedding took place in St. Louis, it’s is covered in rich Ethiopian customs and tradition. While outdoor and rustic weddings are always lovely, it’s quite refreshing to see a church ceremony. With multiple ceremonies and wardrobe changes, the photographer spent a total of 33 hours capturing images and video for this wedding. I love that the couple and their guests were on the dance floor unit 4am. Rahel and Semere’s video trailer is simply amazing. You’ll feel like you were at the wedding. 

Taryn + LA

I love lots of things about this wedding; the persian rugs, wind chimes, paper fans, and spiced wines are just a few… It just screams cultural fusion and was a perfect nod to the couple’s multiracial heritage: Taryn is of Chinese, Afro- Caribbean, and East Indian heritage and LA is of German, Irish, and African-American heritage. Take a look at the gallery to see how they blended Moroccan, Eastern, and Caribbean elements effortlessly.

Aaliyah + Patrick

Aaliyah and Patrick threw a luxury fete in Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic. To incorporate Patrick’s Sri Lankan culture, Aaliyah and her guests dressed in traditional Sri Lankan saree’s for the rehearsal dinner. See how gorgeous the bridal party looked here.

Liza + Olugbemiga

She’s Chinese. He’s Nigerian. Yet, they managed to incorporate both cultures so elegantly. I love that the couple had a Chinese tea ceremony before the wedding where Olugbemiga wore traditional Chinese garb. Then in return, Liza wore traditional Nigerian attire during their wedding reception. The couple had two weddings: a destination wedding in Jamaica for close families and friends, and a larger wedding in Ontario, Canada where they fulfilled their Chinese and Nigerian customs. Read their love story here.

Marie-Frances + Wednaud

If you’re planning a vineyard wedding, take note from this couple. Marie-Frances and Wednaud threw a luxury fete at Macari Vinyards in NY with an Afro-Caribbean flair. (Marie-Frances is from Cameroon and Wednaud from Haiti). Some of the things I love: the simplicity of the custom designed chuppah and the kente cloth napkins elegantly wrapped around the menus. Find out more about their love story and see more images from this wedding here.

Ola-tokunbo + Saheed

What I love most about this Islamic and Christian inter-faith vow renewal is that the bride, Ola, totally did things her way. The theme was “7”, a very befitting theme as the couple was celebrating 7 years of marriage, and 7 is considered a significant number in both Islamic and Christian religions. As designer and owner of Ijorere Invitations, she created the most unique stationery items including rectangular wooden boxes engraved with the number 7 and little notecards at each table with 7 little known facts about the couple. One of the highlights of the wedding was the symbolic exchange of watches rather than rings. According to Ola, “The exchange of watches symbolized that despite our inter-faith marriage/union our love could withstand the test of time.” See more of the timeless decor here.

Chichi + Chinedu

When Nigerians get married, we often celebrate in grand style. One of the most difficult decisions, however, is whether to have a traditional Nigerian wedding here in the US, or back home in Nigeria. Although Chichi and Chinedu both reside in the US, they still opted to celebrate their wedding with family and friends in Nigeria. In this image, Chichi is on her way to “greet” the groom’s family and other guests. Speaking of guests, there were over 1000 guests in attendance. I love the colors, traditions, and decor. See more from this wedding here.

Click here to view the entire feature which made it to the homepage of Huffington Post!  We’re so excited about this opportunity.

As always, thanks for your continued support.