How we decided which wedding traditions to uphold or scrap
Sorting through wedding traditions is a Sisyphean task. American wedding traditions are a conglomeration of hundreds of different cultures, not to mention the endless traditions from our individual backgrounds. Traditions, especially ones associated with major life events, connect us with our past, reinforce our cultural values, and hold our communities together. We want to make sure we include elements of both of our families’ cultures, but how do we figure out what to include and what not to include? Here’s how…
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?
A Bozo Buckets or ring toss wedding game: your new glass-clinking alternative idea
In case you’ve never heard of it (it’s totally regional), the tradition of guests tapping their glassware and making the couple kiss is A Thing. And when you’re trying to eat your high-priced dinner, kissing every two seconds can get tiresome. So we rounded up some ways to save the glassware and make it a challenge to make you to kiss at the reception. Andrea’s idea was to use the concept of Bozo Buckets/ring toss. Toss ping pong balls into numbered buckets and set up the rules for each.
OPEN THREAD: Does anyone have offbeat ideas for newspaper announcements?
My mom and dad would like to do the old-fashioned thing of announcing our engagement in the local newspaper of my hometown. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I would like to do something a little different, though on-beat enough that my conservative hometown newspaper will still print it! Any suggestions for offbeat newspaper announcements?