ATTN: Other people’s cultures are NOT your wedding theme
A letter from a reader: “I’m soooooo excited about you featuring Latino/x weddings for Hispanic Heritage Month — just PLEASE be mindful, respectful, and recognize that culture, customs, rituals, even religions are not a wedding theme.” Where’s the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation with weddings?
“Why do you feature non-black couples with dreadlocks?” The answer is complex…
“I’m honestly a little surprised to see you feature non-black people sporting dreadlocks for their wedding day. I won’t go into why this is racist, but let there be no question that it’s racist no matter the intent. I just wanted to express how jarring it was to see on such a progressive site.” Here’s our take on dreadlocks and cultural appropriation…
Is it cultural appropriation to have Japanese paper cranes at my wedding?
I started folding origami cranes obsessively back in elementary school after reading the very sad story about Sadako, a Japanese girl who survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima only to develop leukemia and die while working to fold 1,000 cranes. As a result, I would love to use origami cranes in our wedding. Is this cultural appropriation?
Decolonialize your wedding! Acknowledging Indigenous territory with a wedding land acknowledgment
When my partner and I discussed the elements we’d like to see in our wedding ceremony, a land acknowledgement was one of the first things that came to mind. A wedding land acknowledgement is an expressive gesture of reconciliation, respect, and goodwill. So, what does this have to do with your wedding?