Modern East Meets West Wedding Inspiration: Cultural Fusion

Happy couple sharing a tender moment on their wedding day

These East meets West modern wedding ideas were inspired by the lack of representation of multicultural couples. The shoot became based on the bridal couture designed by Lumiere Couture, which mixes the look of a traditional Chinese gown with more contemporary silhouettes. The challenge was to create a balanced and seamless blending of cultures.

This inspiration shoot styled by Just Merried Events really captures how beautiful details can be woven into a Western wedding beautifully, elegantly and cohesively. We really hope it can encourage couples who are planning their own multicultural wedding to proudly integrate elements from their families' cultures. See all the little details in the full gallery here, photographed by Sarah Zing Photography.

Elegant wedding invitation suite with floral design

Bride in floral robe relaxes on a chaise lounge

Elegant bride in a light grey gown on stairs

Bride in white gown with pink skirt on stairs

Western Venue Complements Decor

We chose a rather “Western” setting as the beautiful canvas of the photoshoot - the Pasadena Museum of History encompasses a historic estate with sprawling green lawns and an elegant mansion built in 1906. We then sprinkled in details with hints of cultural charm. The bilingual invitation set from Minted was designed by a Chinese graphic designer who created a watercolor floral design reminiscent of traditional Chinese watercolor peony paintings. The Chinese character for "happiness," which is prevalent at every Chinese wedding, was used as a motif on the invitations and envelope design.

Pink floral mantelpiece with candles and greenery

Bride in beaded wedding gown with bouquet

Retouching Tradition

The color palette we selected for the shoot was vibrant and cheerful. While red and gold are the lucky, prosperous and celebratory colors in Eastern culture and typically the traditional colors of a wedding, we wanted to offer a variation on the color scheme, something a little softer and more romantic without losing the festive vibe. We included various shades of pink and wove in peeks of pastel yellows. For our tablescape, we complemented those colors with sleek tabletop items, a muted silvery textured linen, and transparent chairs; we wanted to let the florals and their vibrant colors do the talking against the lush green landscape.

Elegant outdoor wedding reception table with pink flowers

Wedding menu with pink floral decoration

Minimalism And Modern Go Hand In Hand

For the dessert table, we kept the aesthetics minimalist and modern as we did with the tablescape. Here, we integrated our inspiration in the flavors, a treat for the taste buds - black sesame macarons with green tea filling, tea-flavored cookies shaped like tea bags, a lychee flavored cocktail, and a beautiful pot of green tea with blooming tea leaves. We were also so fortunate that a real multicultural couple modeled the photoshoot for us - we really want readers to be able to see couples that are representative of who they are and wedding inspiration that they can relate to.

Pink wedding dessert bar with cocktails

Three-tiered wedding cake pink silver peony

Eastern Inspired Wedding Gowns

Of course, tying it all together were two beautiful and very different Eastern-inspired gowns. I love that the white gown for the ceremony has just a tiny hint in its Mandarin collar - the beautiful beaded pearl cap sleeves and ornate back detail are things we could expect to see in a traditional Western gown the bride would wear walking down the aisle. The second, grey lace dress has the fitted silhouette of the traditional Chinese "chipao," but packs a lot more fun! This convertible dress can be worn 3 different ways - perfect as a dress for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony or the wedding reception.

Beautiful pink and purple wedding bouquet