Cultural Fusion: Blending Traditions in Destination Weddings

Planning a destination wedding is an exhilarating journey, but when two individuals from vastly different cultural backgrounds come together to celebrate their love, the task becomes both thrilling and challenging. As a Dominican bride marrying a Cameroonian groom, my husband and I faced certain hurdles that only couples of different cultures would understand. From the get-go, it was clear that blending our families' traditions wouldn't be a walk in the park. His family (strong cultured, to say the least) weren't exactly thrilled about a Dominican wedding. They had their hearts set on Cameroon, where they could showcase their customs. So, you can imagine the tug-of-war we found ourselves in. You may have read my blog about how I chose the Dominican Republic, and how it was an easy choice for me, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy choice for everyone else involved, but well… guess what? I was the bride! … And what the bride wants… you know’.

The clash of desires laid the groundwork for a delicate balancing act between honoring both our backgrounds while staying true to our own dreams. My groom was set on the beautiful island of the Dominican Republic, as he had been there at least a dozen times by the time we got married and loves the island nearly as much as I do. The Cameroonian family found it difficult to understand as they had never visited a tropical island and the only trips/vacations they took were back home.

Amidst the challenges, we found opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. Each decision, from the choice of music to the selection of welcome event themes, became an opportunity to weave together the vibrant tapestry of our heritages. We sought to create a wedding experience that reflected the fusion of our identities, a celebration where guests could revel in the beauty of diversity.

On the first night, we hosted a welcome dinner at Dreams Royal Beach World Café. It was beautiful! We themed the night “Welcome to Africa” and we all wore traditional African attire and celebrated with live Dominican Musicians, playing to the beats of African Music. His family was quickly able to see how welcoming the Dominican Republic is and that while very different our cultures meshed very well. We danced all night and had traditional Dominican food at the buffet, while the wait staff of Dreams Royal Beach partied with us, all night. We also took that night as an opportunity to celebrate a few birthdays of family members that traveled for our wedding. It was a night to remember.

Throughout the weekend, we ensured to celebrate the African culture, not only by talking about our culture but asking them questions of how their culture relates to ours.

The night before our wedding, tensions ran high as our different cultures clashed. In Cameroon, dowry means a lot—it's a sign of respect and commitment between families. But in my Dominican culture, it's just not a thing. My dad, sticking to Dominican traditions, wasn't comfortable with the idea of accepting money for his daughter. It made things awkward for everyone.

As we talked it out, I hoped our wedding would show that love can overcome any cultural differences. But my dad's doubts lingered, putting a damper on what should have been a happy time for my partner's family.

Eventually, after some patient explaining from my father-in-law, my dad reluctantly agreed to accept a dowry of $100. It was a compromise, with a bit of humor—my husband now jokes that I'm his and all if cost his family was $100. After all that, just $100!

Our wedding day was filled with more love and joy than you can imagine, while I had a traditional (white dress) wedding, his culture could be felt in the air and his family of course showed out with their traditional African attire. I couldn’t have been more happy with the blending of our cultures on that beautiful summer’ day. All night we danced to Merengue and Afrobeats, with a traditional Hispanic father-daughter dance and a beautiful African song for our first dance.

As of that moment, my life was complete, my blended family.

In the end, our destination wedding in the Dominican Republic became a symbol of unity, bridging the geographical and cultural gaps between our families. It was a testament to the power of love to transcend boundaries and embrace diversity.