by Blake Kritzberg
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?
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Blake Kritzberg is the proprietor of
http://www.just-wedding-favors.com.
Visit the site for elegant, unusual, and affordable
wedding favor ideas, wedding favor FAQ, and a free
wedding screensaver.
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