As some of you may know, my fiancé and I both love stories. From
Titanic to Watchmen (the graphic novel and
the film), we have a passion for relatable characters in provocative
situations. There is almost always a
theme, or a major point, or a moral to a story that its writers want to drive
home. Take Titanic, for example—this classic tale features a theme of undying
love (no pun intended, of course). This love is something that both
characters—Jack and Rose—strongly believe in. As the story progresses, it’s
clear that this love becomes integrated into their morals.
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| Keegan and his beloved Dr. Manhattan figure. Credit to Keegan for this photo. |
And I’ve been thinking, since Keegan and I love stories, why should
our wedding be any different than a story? I want our wedding to be something
special. I want it to express our beliefs, our interests, our passions, and
above all—I want it to tell our story.
So what will the moral of our story be?
Apart from the obvious answer (i.e. love), we’ve decided to go with an
international/travel theme.
Why?
1) Keegan and I both believe in diversity and expressing oneself
through one’s heritage. We also love traveling and have a passion for other
cultures. Keegan’s been to Mexico (thrice), Ireland, Northern Ireland (U.K.),
and Canada. He loves Mexican food and is very interested in Latino culture.
I’ve been to Mexico, China, and Japan (and South Korea if you count two
layovers in the Seoul airport. Oh, and Hong Kong, if you count that separate
from China). Mexican food makes my stomach churn, but I love learning
languages—including Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. (I also want to
learn Korean, Irish, and lots of others!)
2) We needed to find a way to incorporate our wide range of interests.
We’re truly an “opposites-attract” couple, so we usually love whatever the
other dislikes and dislike whatever the other loves. Go figure. So how could we
combine my obsession with Asian culture with his cravings for Mexican food?
Questions like these prompted us to think of a “theme” that would incorporate
all of our interests so that our wedding wouldn’t seem like some random
combination of enchiladas/sushi/Asian decorations/Irish colors.
3) Internationality (yes, I'm aware that this is not a proper word. But I love it anyway!) is so special, so unique. It’s becoming
increasingly important in our society. And I just think reaching out and making
an effort to connect with someone you’re different from can be a life-changing
experience for both parties. Plus, you may find you’re not so different from
that person after all.
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| Keegan in Mexico. Credit to Keegan for this photo. |
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| Me in Hong Kong. |
So our international theme will encompass every aspect of the
wedding—from the save-the-dates to the cake, I have ideas for each element that
will make our wedding special. Here’s a sneak-peak on some of my international
ideas:
·
Save-the-dates:
a layout setup in the form of a passport
·
Food: Mexican
food for Keegan, Asian for me, and Italian to complement both of our tastes
·
Colors:
Clover, ivory, and tangerine = the Irish flag
·
Music: from
all around the world, of course
·
Decorations:
Asian-style paper lanterns, as one example
·
Cake: I have
lots of ideas on this one, but I’m thinking about a few layers with Japanese
cherry blossoms climbing up the side of the cake
I’m sure there will be lots of characters,
settings, and arcs involved in the story we tell on our wedding day. And even
though I may not know all the details yet, I do know the moral of the story:
internationality.
Shall we attempt another vote for the next entry?
(Please leave comments or contact me with feedback.)
1) Invitations
2) Colors
3) Your Suggestion – what wedding-related issue do
you want me to write about?
-Paige
