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Deb Kepiro
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Deb Kepiro
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Deb Kepiro
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The Workshops
Each Cultured Wedding Workshop focuses on a specific culture. Speakers share the wedding dos and don’ts of their cultures. Vendors present their culturally specific offerings. Photographers practice shooting the ceremonies, food, cakes, and couples in their wedding attire–everyone learning to step out of their comfort zones.
Think of the most memorable wedding you ever attended, the one with vows spoken under a chuppah, or polkas long into the night, or tables groaning under platters of tamales or antipasti.
The common denominator? Heritage. The vivid cultures of the bride and groom shine through.
But are those traditions enduring? Timbrel Chyatee is making sure they do.
“Growing up in Lancaster, I always had a vision of an Indian-inspired wedding,” says Chyatee, owner of Lush Bazaar, a Lancaster boutique. But she realized that few wedding vendors were equipped to deliver cultural nuances with accuracy and reverence.
So began Cultured Wedding Workshops, Chyatee’s events introducing vendors to a wide world of wedding traditions. (culturedweddingworkshhops.com)
Everyone belongs to “a traditional culture that makes us who we are,” adds workshop participant Susan Moran of That’s It! Wedding Concepts. Today’s brides can feel intimidated by Internet searches for wedding ideas, but like Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz,” they hold the solution in their hands.
“Dorothy goes all over the universe,” Moran says, “and then she finds there’s no place like home.”
A Mexican wedding
Mexican weddings often materialize much more quickly than their traditional-American counterparts. “If you like someone, you’re married within six months,” says Chyatee.
The bride: The bride wears a veil, often the same one worn by her grandmother and mother.
The ceremony: For this reverent Catholic Mass, decorations are tasteful, and the priest is not to be impeded by photographers. The madrina and padrino–chosen from people important in the couple’s lives – stand as sponsors. El lazo is a large lasso of rosary beads and flowers, draped over the shoulders of the bride and groom to symbolize their unity.
Food: Mole, that enticing blend of spice and chocolate, plays a prominent role. Recipes may be handed down from earlier generations. Family members might gather to make cookies or hold a tamalado–a tamale-making party.
Take note: The umbrella term “Latino” encompasses multiple vibrant and differing cultures. Many Mexicans take pride in their blend of indigenous and North American heritage. Other Spanish-speaking and Latin American cultures have their own, unique traditions.
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Photography: Katy Trefry
Photography Stylist: Timbrel Chyatee
Contributor: Susan Moran, That's It! Wedding Concepts
Venue: Historic Ashland
MUA: Talitha Collada
Hair: Tousled Beauty
Cake and Sweets: Flouretta Sweet
Papersuite: Typothecary Letterpress
Decor: On a Lark
Florals: Rhapsody in Bloom
Dresses: Blush Bridal
Suits: Central PA Tuxedo
Jewelry: Ream Jewelers
Linens: Special Occasions
Video: Raymond Media Le Moment Capturer & Bamboo Shoots
An Indian Wedding
Like any country, India is not a monolith. Traditions especially vary between North India and South India, so “it’s important to know where the couple is from,” says Chyatee. “India is such a vast country, full of cultures inside other cultures.”
The bride: The bridal dress differs in color and style, depending on the family’s origins–perhaps a sari, lengha, or a draped kada dupatta.
Ceremonies: An abundance of ceremonies leading up to the wedding day give family–central to Indian culture–opportunities to gather. The sangeeth, for instance, is like a wedding rehearsal but more elaborate, with singing and dancing. The reception might follow the wedding or be held the day after. Photographers and other vendors should be sure to ask about the week’s schedule.
The food: Often vegetarian. Traditionally, alcohol isn’t served on the wedding day, but standards are changing, and it depends on the family, says Chyatee.
Take note: The bride and groom will not kiss in front of family members.
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Photography: Katy Trefry
Photography Stylist: Timbrel Chyatee
Venue: Mauxmont Farms
MUA: MKUP Beauty Studio
Hair: Anna Cecchi Smith & MKUP Beauty Studio
Clothing & Jewelry: Lush Bazaar
Linens: Special Occasions
Décor: Ten Thousand Villages, Banyaan
Rugs: JDK Group
Papersuite: Typothecary Letterpress
Florals: Laura of Lauxmont
A Jewish Wedding
The Jewish culture is one of the first known to hold a marriage ceremony expressing the ties bonding a couple, tracing back to the wedding of Abraham and Sarah.
The bride: She usually fasts before the wedding. After the ceremony, the bride and groom have alone time, to share a quiet moment and a small meal.
The ceremony: Before the ceremony, the bride and groom sign a ketubah, a contract pledging their devotion. The chuppah canopy brims with symbolism – humble beginnings, protection, the home the couple is about to create. The glass broken by foot can recall all those who have gone before, “their way of saying they’re never forgotten,” says Chyatee.
The food: Kosher offerings include challah bread and wine. In some traditions, the blessing of the challah at the reception is an important moment.
The reception: When parents have married off their last child, they might dance the mezinke to signify the blessing they’ve received.
Take note: Weddings are not held on holy days such as Passover, Yom Kippur, and Rosh Hashana.
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Photographer: Katy Trefry
Stylist: Timbrel Chyatee
Venue: The Booking House
Florals: Laura of lauxmont
Decor: Betsy Kohr Designs
Linens: Special Occasions
Dresses: Posh Bridal
Tuxedos: Central PA Tuxed
Jewelry: Koser Jewelers
Ring Boxes: The Mrs Box
Papersuite: Typothecary Letterpress
Weddings steeped in culture
Cultural traditions incorporated into weddings can be overt or subtle, says Moran. She advises couples seeking suitable vendors to “be assertive and vocal. Be your own advocate, and find people who will respect that.”
The Cultured Wedding Workshops website links vendors to peer networks and education, while it also introduces couples to culturally aware vendors. “Do not compromise,” Chyatee advises couples. “If there’s something really important for you, there is someone out there who will provide it.”
