HELP! I don't know what to do! I'm getting married in just a few months and nobody can decide on anything because our backgrounds are seriously clashing. My fiance is perfect for me but we come from very different cultures, I was born and raised in Toronto and he lived in India for most of his life. I never thought this would be an issue until now, because his family wants a traditional Indian ceremony but I've always dreamed of wearing a white dress and having the princess wedding of my dreams. I want to be accepting but his culture is just so different and I don't like any of his family'suggestions. I'm afraid this cultural clash is ruining my big day!
What should I do??
Sincerely,
A Confused Bride
Dear Editor,
Seems to me like you have a clear case of Mixed Couple Tug of War that is a common problem for couples of contrasting backgrounds. You love each other but struggle to accept each others' culture, but it's nothing to be alarmed by. In fact in the beginning of the 20th century, a German-American anthropologist named Franz Boas established the
principle of Cultural Relativism which states
that in order to properly understand another culture, you must look at it in it's own terms and not use your own culture as a lens to view others with. So to answer your question, in order to come to a compromise about your cultural dilemna for your wedding, you should all aim to look at each others cultures objectively, like an anthropologist and using Cultural Relativism I know you'll be able to work it out.
Good Luck!
Dear Confused Bride
Dear Editor
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