Spotlight on the Asian-Themed Wedding
Asian-themed weddings are on the rise, and at first this might
come as a surprise. After all, nothing could seem further from
the Laura Ashley vision we get when thinking of a wedding.
And in fact, that's one of the forces behind the rising
popularity of the Asian-themed wedding: how it turns things
upside-down. In fact, in a Chinese-style wedding, white is bad
(it's the color of death) and red and black are good (they're
the colors of luck and prosperity).
You might wonder whether brides that plan Asian-themed weddings
are Asian (or marrying someone who is). The answer is,
sometimes. Surprisingly often, they aren't, and the choice is
purely aesthetic.
Today's trends break down into two main types of Asian-themed
weddings: the Japanese or "Zen" style, which values simplicity
and nature, and the more riotous Chinese style, which bristles
with bright colors and shiny fabrics.
Although either choice may surprise some older guests, the bride
may find her personal values deeply expressed in the
Asian-themed wedding. After all, the usual wedding is a certain
kind of pageant: the couple pretends to be royalty for a day,
and lavishly entertain a large party - seemingly without a care,
though they rack up huge debt to do so.
Brides drawn to the Zen-style ceremony often want to avoid the
"royalty pageant" and simplify the ceremony (ironically, this
can result in greater elegance for the price tag). This type of
bride might read "voluntary simplicity" books, care about the
environment, enjoy an uncluttered house or apartment with a
handful of Japanese accents (Shoji lanterns and screens, for
example) and find herself attracted to natural materials. She
may feel freed by a simpler wedding gown, and carry an unfussy
bouquet of calla lilies. Her centerpieces might be lanterns
surrounded by black and white stones. For favors, she might give
out fortune cookies placed in take-out boxes and topped off with
chopsticks.
Other brides find aspects of tradition stifling, so they mix up
their ceremony with Chinese-style zest. This bride might dress
her bridesmaids in glowing red (or slinky black!) Cheongsams,
dresses with high collars and slit sides. She'll hand them
parasols instead of nosegays, and pass out chopsticks for their
hair. Her own gown might be of gorgeous brocade in red, orange
or gold. Perhaps she'll wrap up the ceremony with a butterfly
release and hand out lucky bamboo stalks as wedding favors. This
bride doesn't mind charting her own course in social affairs,
and she loves the Chinese devotion to parents and children.
In either case, the Asian-themed wedding is a great way to tie
your ceremony to your personal values. Perhaps the thought of
such a wedding crossed your mind, but you thought you had to be
Asian? The fact is, Asian traditions and trends have been
shaping Americans deeply since the 1960s. Maybe it's time to ask
yourself this: which type of Asian-themed bride are you?