You always dreamed of walking down the aisle towards a flower-covered mandap but your groom always dreamed of watching you walk down the aisle in his hometown’s church. How do you reconcile these two dreams? With fusion weddings becoming more of the norm these days, figuring out how to combine separate cultures and religions is a lot easier than it used to be. So how exactly can you recognize both you and your partner’s different, distinctive, and important religious and cultural traditions? Here are 5 ways how.

1. Keep ‘Em Separate

The first option isn’t for everyone because, let’s face it, one wedding can be stressful enough. But a great option to truly honor both religions to the max is to have two completely separate wedding ceremonies and to space them months apart. We’ve come across quite a few couples (Tess and Arjun being one of them) who went this route. So which ceremony comes first? That’s totally your call. And do you double up on the reception, too? Again, that’s up to you – and your budget. We’ve seen two receptions for both weddings, and we’ve also seen couples who decided to keep the first ceremony and reception more low-key and intimate and reserve the massive reception and crowd for the second ceremony. Or you can keep one of the ceremonies really intimate and small, like an elopement or a trip to the justice of the peace, and avoid the concerns that come along with stretching your budget to cover 2 ceremonies. For a high pressure wedding culture, THAT can be pretty romantic.

2. Same Weekend, Different Days

Maybe you’re not a fan of planning two completely separate ceremonies with different guest lists, double booking vendors, and different venues. Then consider option 2: Having both of your ceremonies on the same weekend, but different days. Have one of the ceremonies on Friday evening and segue into your Friday-night event immediately afterwards, like your Sangeet or Garba. And that leaves you some room to breathe come Saturday with only one ceremony to focus on.

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3. Same Day, 2 Ceremonies

Friday night ceremony not your thing? You can always double up on the same day and plan for one ceremony right after the other. The downside is that your day may feel a little longer to both you and your partner – and your guests. But if your officiants are able to work within your time constraints and keep things short and sweet, then this might be the right option for you.

4. Same Ceremony, Complete Fusion

For those of you reading about two weddings and feeling your blood pressure elevate, you can always pick one religious ceremony with cultural/religious hints of the other throughout. For instance, maybe you have a Hindu wedding and integrate a Christian prayer. If you have progressive officiants, work with them on creative ways for you to combine two religious traditions into one.

5. One Ceremony Now, One For The Future

Our final suggestion for battling the problem of one couple, two religions and cultures, is for you to pick one religious ceremony for the wedding and to plan a vow renewal a few years down the line in the style of the other religion. A perk of this option is that for your vow renewal you won’t have to deal with overbearing parents who tend to control our wedding-making decisions – you’ll have the freedom and flexibility to totally make wedding #2 your own and, most importantly, invite whomever you want!

Don’t forget that there are a ton of little ways to fuse your religious and cultural identities – be it through your outfits, food, or decor. As far as the ceremony itself, choosing the best fusion route is not an easy pick and needs to be one that both you and your partner are completely comfortable with. In the end, go with your gut, follow your convictions and you’ll be able to pull off your perfect fusion wedding.

Have a topic you want us to explore? Drop me a line at [email protected].