You and your fiancée speak English, but her side of the family speaks only Chinese and your side speaks only Spanish. You and your partner were born and raised in America, but both sides of the family are still strong in family, religious and cultural traditions, not to mention linguistic differences. Perhaps you are used to the fiestas when your parents would cook for the family and extended family members, neighbors and friends, while her parents are super private and reserved. Perhaps it’s your side that seems socially reclusive while your fiancée’s is very outgoing. How do you merge such drastic differences? In southern California where blended marriages have become more and more common, the issue of merging cultural traditions has become more prominent. If you want to make your wedding as harmonious as possible, you may want to start merging your sides much sooner than the wedding date or even the proposal. This will prevent cultural clashes over finances and wedding planning details.
During the courtship stage, you usually have a good idea if your side of the family likes her or not. The same goes for her side. If you have a good rapport with her parents and her siblings and vice versa, then you increase the chances that they may get along. Familiarize yourself with her culture. How will this affect your family? If you have a good rapport with your own parents, discuss these cultural differences with them and encourage your partner to discuss it with her parents too. Get a preliminary gauge of the parents’ reactions and expectations. Do not spring anything on either side until you can mold and shape the situation to everyone’s best interest. You can’t make everyone happy, but you can sure try to reach the best harmonious situation possible.
Communication and respect are important in all aspects. No matter how different you are, it is important to get along and show respect to the other side even if you may not like it. Both sides of the family should understand that this Big Day is about you! This is about your happiness – it should not be a display of clashes but a beautiful merge of cultural diversity. We can certainly help you when it comes to finding agreement about wedding rings. In San Diego, locals know that shopping for a wedding set starts at one place — Bert Levi Family Jewelers. We’re a third generation jeweler, a small family business interested in one thing, to earn your trust and make you a customer for life.