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Dos Mundos

Dos Mundos
Photo by Kurt Moses

Two worlds become one in a multicultural reception filled with true amor.

By Jane Di Leo

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Jennifer and Manuel Castellanos had a traditional wedding, but it was nothing like many of their guests had seen before. That's because Jennifer and Manuel, who met in 2005 while she was studying in Toledo, Spain, borrowed traditions from both sides of the ocean to put together a perfectly blended cultural celebration in Bloomington.

In order to make friends and relatives from Spain and the United States feel right at home, the couple kept some American staples, like the father-daughter dance, but infused the February 2007 event with Spanish flair that turned out to be the highlight of the reception.

"We tried to tie in as many traditions as we could, and those were the most successful part[s] of the wedding," says Jennifer. "It was not a cookie-cutter wedding."

Along with flamenco dancing and using a sword from Manuel's hometown of Toledo to cut the cake, guests donated money to the happy couple in exchange for a piece of the groom's cut up tie. The Castellanos also honored the Spanish tradition of the groom's mother giving favors to the guests. "My mom wanted to do something special for the people here," Manuel says. To that end, she packed her suitcase with more than 100 hand-painted fans from Spain that bore the wedding date, readable in both Spanish and English.

And although guests could not always communicate with one another, "everyone got along so well, even if it was just through smiles and nods," Jennifer says. "We are proud everyone was together from different cultures."



More than likely, most of your guests will be reception veterans. So how do you, like the Castellanos, make your reception one they won't forget? Pay attention to the details.

  1. Learn the true vibe of your site by asking to visit it during another reception.
  2. Serve food that is appropriate for the time of day as well as the season (for example, a light brunch for an outdoor summer wedding).
  3. Mail your invitations early enough to ensure you have a firm guest count two weeks prior to the event.
  4. Don't require your guests to pay for their own drinks. Also, no tip jars, please.
  5. A good master of ceremonies can keep the tempo of the event moving. Choose wisely.
  6. Assigned seating is more work for you, but your guests will feel more at ease. Plus, you can better control the dynamic of the groupings.
  7. Music to their ears: Have both younger and older relatives give you song-request lists a week before the event so that everyone has a tuneful night.
  8. Lock 'em up: Keep gifts in a secured room to prevent theft.
  9. Shutter speed: Keep your post-wedding photo session short. Your guests are eagerly awaiting your arrival.
  10. Time will fly. Pause often to soak up the magic of your special evening together.





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