Getting Married Multiculturally

We have to be open minded and accepting when it comes to blended cultural wedding ceremonies.

Some traditions would be viewed as normal for some people, but there are others who would call those “non-traditional”. It all depends who’s perspective we’re looking this from.

In this episode I’m talking about what do we really consider as “normal”, and where to even start with multicultural wedding planning?

How do you know if somebody is only attracted to the culture and country where you live, instead of you as an individual?

Are you thinking about not hiring a wedding photographer? Did you decide not to spend money on a professional photographer?

Not everybody will find it important to document the big events of their life (the wedding, birth of your child, birthday parties...etc.) and that’s completely ok! We are not all the same! There are some people who like to preserve their memories and remember about their life with perfect, polished and posed photos, and that’s ok too. Other people would just want to enjoy their life, so they let people around them, who love taking pictures, snap some photos. And they would even appreciate those kind of pictures much more, than professional ones. For me and for other photographers it’s hard to accept and understand why some people would value lower quality photos more than professional ones.

There are a couple of reasons why would couples decide not to hire a wedding photographer.

1, It’s too much money.

The budget is tight, and you want to spend the money on something more important (clothing, food, number of the guests, traveling, music…)

2, You don’t want to waste time pose for pictures and taking group shots.

You’d rather spend that time with loved ones, celebrating, having fun, chatting with other people, eating and dancing.

3, You are having a very small wedding.

Elopement, courthouse or destination wedding with just the two of you and some witnesses. And you don’t feel like there isn’t much to document and take pictures of.

4, You hate having pictures taken.

Lot of use feel uncomfortable having pictures takes. But some couples would be so afraid and intimidated about having a camera in their face, that they would rather just not have it.

5, Don’t know what to do with the pictures.

You are not sure how to used them, and don’t see the value or have a goal with those images. Like making an album or decorating the house with them.

Deciding if you want to have a wedding photographer

Try to figure out what are you going to do with the photos. Do you need them for a specific goal? Make a pro/con list.

For example:

// I want to have some good photos with my grandparents, because I don’t know how long are they going to be around.

// It’s very important for me to have group pictures with my parents or with my family, who I haven’t seen for years.

// Everybody looks so pretty and dressed up, so this is a great occasion to have these pictures taken.

// Want to save some photos for my kids and grandkids, so they can see how mom and dad go married.

// Want to show some photos online to those who couldn’t be at the wedding.

Think about the future, not what do I want right now!

Pictures really are for the future and for memories to remember, right?!

As yourself these questions: Why would I want to have a photographer, what would happen if I don’t have one? How can I compromise? Are these going to be valuable for me in the future?

Beside all of the boundaries, worries and insecurities, do you still want to be convinced to have a wedding photographer?

Let me share a couple of ideas with you:

If money is the problem, and you don’t have a budget for a photographer.

1, Once you find a photographer, ask them if they have some kind of payment plan. I offer monthly payment options for my clients, and I know how much easier that is for them.

2, Ask guest to give you the photography service as their wedding gift. With Zola you can set up an online registry for cash founds, so you would essentially have your wedding photographer as a gift. Which I think is a great idea.

3, Find a very cheap photography student at your local high school or university. Who’s just starting out, looking to get some experience, so they don’t charge you as much, or they are willing to work for free. Which is a good alternative, if you don’t have any money for a professional photographer.

But you need to be ok with some of the risks that you are taking by finding those kind of photographers. What if they don’t show up, do they have insurance and contract, what if the pictures turn out really bad, or they lose the files?! Anything can happen with professional photographers too, but usually they are more prepared and experienced. My advice if you decide to hire somebody who is a student or hobby photographer to make sure they are really committed and excited for this opportunity! As long as you accept and understand these risks of hiring somebody unexperienced, then why not? It saves you money, and could be a really good experience for you.

4, You can ask somebody that you know. A guest, family member. To bring their camera, or take pictures with their phone. Just make people aware that you’re not having a designated photographer. I’m sure you can find somebody from the guests who would be willing to take this task on, and be very excited to document this important day for you.

If you’re still thinking; there is no way I’m going to have a wedding photographer, I don’t care about documenting this event. Let me help you see how valuable it’s going to be, just to have a couple of photos with your family and with the people who came to celebrate with you. Maybe right now you are tired and annoyed with all of this wedding planning, and you really don’t feel like standing in front of the camera smiling. But think about spending only two minutes out of your wedding day to take that picture. It doesn’t even have to be a professional photo. Just a quick snap with your phone can make a valuable picture. You never know when are you going to lose someone, or never going to see someone in your live.

I do want to have pictures taken on my wedding, I’m just not hiring a professional photographer

1, Decide and designate who is going to take the pictures.

// A stranger you never met, somebody who signed up to come for free with their camera and take some pictures.

// Is it one of the guests, who wanted to bring their camera.

// Do you have a couple of guests, who said they will snap some photos and videos with their phone during the big day.

But be careful because guests get busy and distracted. They meet with old friends, sit down to eat, go dance, get drunk, so they kinda forget to take pictures. That’s why it’s always good to have a specific person, who promises you to take pictures.

Don’t forget to thank those who help you out for free, make them feel appreciated!

2, Have a photo booth.

Even if you don’t rent a professional booth, you can just set up a little corner where guest can take selfies.

3, Set up cameras and go-pros all over the venue. On your bouquet, drinks, chairs, tables. As people move around, you get different viewpoints of the wedding.

4, Unplugged weddings are popular, but without a professional photographer, you most likely are going to have a plugged wedding. So encourage your guests to snap pictures often: Set up signs at the entrance and tables, in the invitation. Give them a hashtag. Make scavenger hunt games, challenges and activities. Get disposable cameras for every table.

5, Sign up for some apps and services that helps you collect photos from guest.

If you’re going to have hundreds of people taking pictures and video it can get complicated to collect them all. This way you are going to have everything in one gallery.

A few apps to check out:

-TacBoard (They also do live streaming. So all the photos sent in by your guest would be projected on the wall during reception.)

-WeddingMix

-BlushDrop

Hire a photographer for a different day

You can choose to have a separate photo shoot before or after the wedding. That way you don’t have to block that time out from the wedding day, and take time away from guests. It’s usually cheaper and you’re not that stressed and rushed. Go to the same location where you got married, or just find a completely different scenery. Dress up in your wedding outfit, or wear something else. Bring your family and friends to have those group photos, or book a session just for the two of you.

But remember! Looking at those photos you’re going to know that they were taken on a separate day, it wasn’t the actual wedding. If you’re ok with that, then it’s a perfect time to have some nice portraits, to capture the connection and love between the two of you, and to celebrate the marriage.

If you’d like more ideas, grab my free E-Book where I’m shearing 6 tips on how to better photograph your wedding day.

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

***

FREEBIE: http://editvasadi.com/6-tips-to-better-document-your-wedding-ebook

SHOW NOTES: http://editvasadi.com/wedding-without-photographer/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

When I hit record, I didn’t think this would be one of my most emotional episodes. I even got choked up just talking about my memories. I’m a bit embarrassed to be honest, but that’s life.

In today’s podcast episode I’m sharing my struggles with keeping up with my Hungarian heritage.

On March 15th we are celebrating a very significant holiday, the Hungarian Revolution. So I’m taking this opportunity to chat about what challenges I’m facing living so far from my country for more than a decade.

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Shownotes:

Photographing in Europe: http://europe.editvasadi.com/

GMM shop: http://shop.editvasadi.com/ (10%off sale)

Hungarian Heritage Day in Phoenix (on March 23rd): https://www.facebook.com/events/293543471332903/

Blog: http://editvasadi.com/losing-cultural-identity/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

As many of you know, Women’s Day started in the early 90s, as a movement when women wanted to speak up for their rights. It was a very strong and impactful movement. But in my mind, when I was younger, it was just a fun and joyful, spring-feeling holiday, with lots of flowers! In Hungary on this day boys would bring flowers to the girls at school. It was little bit like Valentine’s Day in America... When you are expected, but not required, to bring presents to everybody in class. Same way the boys had to bring flowers to all of the girls.

Celebrating women, womanhood

In many parts of the World there’s still a lot of inequality, where women are still fighting for their rights. So I wanted to raise a little awareness about where we stand in the World as women. To celebrate us, who need to juggle between motherhood, running the household, having a happy marriage, finding our carrier and passion, feeling accomplished in our life, and finding our place in this world. Knowing what we can do, and what we’re capable of achieving.

Since I often talk about weddings, I thought this would be fun topic. To discover some wedding tradition origins that positioned women and the bride in a specific way. What did they have to do, and what were they not allowed to do?

Let’s see what equal opportunities and equality we had to fight for, when it comes to the wedding day

Some of these traditions are so old, that they aren't part of our weddings anymore. But then there are some traditions that got modified to a more sentimental, romantic meaning. Not so evil, like it used to be originally.

Knowing these traditions will let you decide if you want to keep them or not. Maybe you’ll just have a good laugh out of this and incorporate them anyway. Because really, weddings are all about celebrating and having fun. I don’t think we should take these too seriously, but it’s good to know where are these traditions coming from.

I’ve already talked about a couple of wedding planning topics that are expected from a specific gender in our society. For example the ‘Proposal traditions’, where men are expected to proposes to the women. Or I wrote about ‘Name changing after your marriage’ which is something that’s required from the woman in most countries.

Women were used as objects on the wedding day, and they were literally a transaction between the father and the husband.

1, Handing over the bride

Women really did not have much to say about the wedding day. Most often not even to choose their husband, let alone planning the whole wedding. The girl was owned by her father, and when it was time to get married, it was a transaction between father and husband. That’s where the tradition of handing over the bride comes from.

Today we do that more to honor our father. It carries a sentimental meaning as you say goodbye to your old life. So don’t panic if you didn’t know about this origin, or if you feel horrible wanting to have your father walk you down the aisle.

2, Veil and first look

In many cultures the bride would wear white dress, and a veil over her face to hide. They would even cover her whole body to symbolize her modesty and untoucheness. But the true reason for covering her was so in these arranged marriages the husband couldn't see who he’s marrying. Which is crazy!

For the same reason the first look was happening at the actual ceremony.

These days ‘first looks’ before the ceremony are really popular. I think they originated from photographers, who wanted you to see each other before the ceremony and have some good pictures of it. At the same time, seeing the bride before the wedding was considered a bad luck.

3, Bridesmaids

In the old tradition bridesmaids would wear the same dress as the bride, because people believed that this way they would confuse the evil spirits, who then wouldn't know which one is actually the bride.

4, Toasts and speeches

In most weddings it’s usually the men, (father or husband) who speaks up to give a toast after the ceremony. This comes from when women were not allowed to speak up.

5, Groom carrying the bride over the threshold

The groom would pick up and carry the bride over the entrance, because they believed that with the bride’s feet the evil spirit would slip into their new house. So that’s why he had to lift up his wife.

6, Honeymoon

This tradition comes from the times when the husband would take away the bride for months, hiding her from the family. Most often the wife wasn’t allowed to come out until she got pregnant.

7, Something borrowed

In the American tradition brides would borrow something old to wear on them during the wedding, as a good luck. These days it’s usually grandma’s jewelry or something like that. But long time ago the bride would have to wear an another woman’s underwear, who already had children. Well, to bring good luck for fertility. So that's also a little bit creepy, I would say!

8, Bouquet and garter tossing (two of the worst traditions for women in my opinion!)

Since the bride was considered lucky on her wedding day, all the guests would want to get some of that luck by tearing a piece of her dress off. To distract the attacking guests, she would throw the bouquet it the crowd.

The garter toss originated from when the couple would have a ‘bedding ceremony’, right after saying the vows. They had some witnesses who watched them too. The husband, to show their successfulness, had to throw the wife’s undergarment in the crowd. Creeeeepy!

Don’t freak out, if you’re planning to have a garter toss! I know that these days lots of brides are trying to shy away from this tradition for that reason. But if you find it fun and entertaining, then why not?! Now days it’s all about having fun with the people you’re celebrating with.

All of these traditions used to be long time ago. And if you as a woman and a bride feel like you want to wear a veil (not because your husband never saw you before), or you want to have a bouquet (not because you smell bad), or you want your dad to hand you over to your husband (it’s not a transaction anymore), or for any other reason… If you want to follow the tradition, do it! My goal is not to discourage you.

Hungarian weddings

In Hungary we also have some traditions specific to the bride. One of them is wearing a red dress after midnight (yes, we celebrate until sunrise). The other one is stealing the bride during the reception. Groom then would have to find her and pay as an exchange.

What about same-sex marriages?

It was interesting for me to think about how these traditions play out when there isn’t any specific gender role. In same-sex marriages, when there are two brides getting married, what are some of these old traditions that are not applicable? For example the veil or bouquet is doable, that’s easy. But then there are some rituals that come from man owning the women, or man being in control of everything. So it’s really interesting to look into wedding tradition origins when there is no man getting involved.

So, what is really considered a non-traditional wedding?

These traditions go back for so long, and most of them have a pretty weird, creepy and twisted origin. Especially the way they treated women, and the kind of things brides had to do. But in modern days if you don’t do these traditions, if you modify them, or leave something out, then you’re wedding automatically becomes non-traditional. So it’s really interesting how we are treating these traditions in our life. Isn’t it?! Throughout everything! In one way we’re trying to be very traditional, but in other ways we’re finding different alternatives. Without really thinking about the true meaning behind it. Without considering if it’s just an outdated heritage, or something that we modified for our own enjoyment and convenience.

The modern wedding planning is for women!

Let’s jump back to our modern age, and talk about what is the woman’s role in the wedding planning today. With all the media and society there is so much pressure on women when it comes wedding planning.

After you get engaged, it feels like everybody is asking you million questions. All of a sudden you need to make tons of decisions. Timelines, to dos, what to buy, how much money to spend, which vendors to pick… And the reality is, your fiance, your groom is not expected to play any role in the wedding planning. So I would want to encourage you to have this conversation with your partner. How could the two of you divide the tasks. Make sure that both of you are equally involved.

Marriage is about two people. You and your partner have to work the same way on your marriage, on your relationship, as a parent, as a homeowner. Pretty much on anything in your life. You’ll have to make decisions together. So do the same for your wedding planning. It’s good practice to accomplish something together, before starting your life together.

Don’t let traditions be in charge. Don’t feel like everything that needs to be done has to lay on your shoulders. Let your groom be involved! Everything is pretty much doable as a team, right? That’s how you should start your marriage anyway!

And for all of us multicultural couples

Beside these crazy wedding traditions and wedding roles, our planning gets even more complicated. When we have to blend multiple traditions together. (And I know there are many cultural traditions that I didn’t talk about here.) But I think a good way to start is to rethink what these traditions truly represent. Where do they come from, and why are we doing them? After that, you can decide if you want to implement it into your wedding or not.

Is there a tradition that comes from your partner’s side that you are unfamiliar with? Is there something that you want to implement, want to honor? Maybe a heritage you don’t want to be associated with. If you just think it’s something that sounds pretty fun and enjoyable to do, and you don’t care where it comes from, then that’s fine too! You do you!

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

***

SHOW NOTES:http://editvasadi.com/women-wedding-role/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

After growing up in Serbia, living in Hungary and Italy I moved to America. Which was a pretty big jump for me! Physically and culturally. So yes, I experienced plenty of culture shock.

I left Europe 10 years ago, so I kinda forgot most of these cultural differences. I had to sit down and look at some pictures to relive my memories. At the end I made a list of 6 things that were culturally different from my experiences I had previously in my life. I would also like to say that these culture shocks are from a viewpoint of somebody moving from Europe to the US. Because I’m sure those of you coming from other countries or continent may experience something different.

Back in GMM podcast episode #14 I was talking about my immigration to America and Green Card process. So this is kind of a continuing story as I got married and started my life here.

This country is so big, and there are many various areas, so I wanted to outline that most of my experiences came from west coast. (Washington State, Idaho, Oregon…) Now we live in Arizona, but I’d like to believe that my culture shock has worn out by now. After 10 years I don’t think that you can shock me with anything anymore.

1, Everything is so big and there are so many options to choose from!

I’m not only thinking about grocery stores and food, but everything that surrounds you. I remember the first thing I’ve noticed when I came out of the airport and Adam was driving me how big everything felt. The streets, the highway, the cars. Everything was so open and large, so you can really tell how huge this country is and has a lot of space. I remember when we walked into our apartment seeing how big the sink was in the kitchen and the fridge, especially in those tiny little apartments that we rented.

// At the grocery store I would constantly be taking pictures because I found something new and unique at every aisle. There where ton of variety, flavors, sizes, textures...Cereals, big gallons of milk, tons of different cheese, soda and chips… I was so overwhelmed with options and variety that was given to me.

Speaking of food. I’ve quickly noticed that Americans love to rely on fast food, and not just restaurants, but also purchasing them at the grocery story. And it’s really true that lots of Americans would actually use this convenience and time saving, even if they know that it’s not the healthiest option.

//As we had children I noticed in the restaurant how they have a separate kids menu, so they can choose a different food from what the rest of the family is eating. They can also draw and do some activities on the menu which was pretty cool. And the funny thing is that no matter what kind of restaurant you go to, the kids menus are almost always the same. You can choose from mac and cheese, corn dog, pizza, chicken strips... Oh let’s not forget about fries! So this was another culture shock for me to see how differently they are treating the kids, because in Europe the whole family eats the same food.

//Let’s not forget about the free water that always comes with ice.

2, Everything is based on convenience and saving time, and everything is really fast paced!

//Most of the things you can find here are disposable. Like paper plates, which was really interesting for me to experience. We don’t have them in our house, because I don’t think I would ever get used to it, but everywhere else we go they use them. So they don’t have to do the dishes. It’s easier and saves time.

//Lot of things are packaged. Little bags in big bags. Which also goes for convenience and practicality. So people won’t throw food away so often.

//You can find drive thru almost everywhere. Not just at fast food restaurants, but ice cream and coffee shops, banks, pharmacy, also have the options to get things done from your car.

//There is no (or very little) public transportation.

3, People are extremely friendly and polite.

My parents notice this every time they come to visit, because it’s just something you can’t get enough of. People passing by on the street would smile and you, wave. Strangers would chit-chat with you at the elevator, restaurant or the cashier at the store. People would let you in at the door, give up their parking spot. So when you come to America that’s really a culture shock in a good way, because they make you feel like you really matter!

But can friendliness from a stranger be too much? When I would go to the cashier at the store or restaurant, sometimes they would ask me ‘What are your plans for today?’ or ‘What have you been doing today?’ which I find very personal and uncomfortable to answer.

//’How are you?’ ‘How is everything?’ Really just means ‘Hi’  and they don’t actually want to know how are you doing. I know it’s a little bit weird thing for foreigners to understand.

//What drives me crazy with my husband is when he gets into this ‘politeness-zone’, especially when it’s a situation with big crowd, we need to find a seat at an event, or get in line at the grocery store. I’m more like a fighter-for-my-spot type of person, which in the same time drives Adam crazy. Yep, we drive each other crazy pretty often! Haha!

People in America don’t really feel the pressure for fighting for their place. They tend to give each other more space and to be more distant, polite and respectful. Because we don’t do that in Europe! Especially in Italy. There is no line, you just have to get in front of the war zone and get what you want.

//I’ve also noticed that people here are not so connected and close to their family. This may be because of large distances and moving from one state to another, but Americans like to keep their life more private. Despite the distance, I talk with my mom almost every day and that’s normal for us. My husband finds it weird that I share everything with my family and I consider that as a cultural difference between us.

//The word friendship has a different meaning. In Hungary I had friends with much deeper connection then what I was able to develop with anybody here. This may also be because people don’t really like to talk about their personal life, put themselves out there, or get to close. Even physically. While here in America you greet your closest friends and family with hugging, in Europe we kiss on our cheeks.

4, Gatherings and parties means playing games

This was a funny culture shock for me. When I started creating friendships here, they were surprisingly surface based for me. Like I’ve mentioned already, the meetings where mostly short chats. Deep and meaningful conversations were rare in my experience. (And I hope this wasn’t because of the lack of my English knowledge.)

//Most of the gatherings are about doing some type of activity together. Watching a game, playing a game...Americans have lots of games to play. Board games, video games, sports or drinking games. Watching movies. Watching games, if they are not playing it. So most conversations go around that game and goes with that activity. In Europe we just sit down with a bottle of wine or coffee, and just hang out and talk for hours.

//Every party, event, wedding, birthday party, and celebration is organized, structured and scheduled. Everything is timed. For example every birthday party or wedding would have the same timeline, same activity and it’s expected from everybody.

5, There are so many rules, laws and expectations and everything works and functions perfectly!

There are also lots of rules and signs everywhere. Which was also a fun culture shock for me and I especially enjoyed photographing them.

//Speaking of expectations: Americans expect you to have perfect teeth! That’s something very important for them. They put lot of time, effort and money into making sure they keep their teeth perfectly lined up, clean, and white.

6, There is no such a thing as saying ‘I Love You’ too much!

American couples would tell each other ‘I love you’ like you are saying hi or goodbye to somebody. It was a bit strange for me in the beginning, because in other cultures it’s not something you throw around easily. But now I don’t even notice it. It’s just part of our conversations and every day talk. The bigger culture shock for me was when I noticed that friends would often tell each other ‘I love you’ or ‘I miss you’. It was especially hard to hear, because you don’t do that in Hungary, especially if it’s the opposite sex. This was something I had to understand as part of the culture.

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SHOW NOTES: http://editvasadi.com/american-culture-shock/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

-Where am I even going to put all of these albums?! On my bookshelf? On my desk?! On my coffee table?! I don’t even have a coffee table!

-It is crazy expensive! I don’t have thousands of dollars after I got married!

-I am never ever going to look at this album! (I have a friend who got married a couple of years ago and she said that she never opened her wedding album, so I don’t think I will need one either!)

-And I’s 2019, people! We can just put all of our pictures online and who ever want to see it, they can just go on their computer or their phone... That’s why we have phones and social media, so we can look at our pictures on it!

-And by the way! I don’t even care about wedding pictures! I’m not even gonna have a wedding photographer!

So NO! I don’t need wedding albums!

Sorry for my snarkiness I just really want to have my point come across. (And yes, I can be a smartass, just ask my husband! haha)

Anyway, I wanted to talk about wedding albums. From a perspective of a wedding photographer who strongly believes in printing out photos. But most importantly, as somebody who had a bad experience and outcome with their own wedding pictures.

I got inspired after listening to couples chat in the Bridechilla Group (really awesome community, highly recommend you to join them!) about the reasons they don’t need albums and prints after the wedding. (See sarcastic intro above!)

My wedding album failure

Ok, first let me share my story with you, so hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and my experience.

We had a very quick and very cheap courthouse wedding (link to wedding post) and it was documented by one of our friends who handed over all of the pictures as digital files for us and told us that we can do with them whatever we want.

Back then I didn’t know anything about wedding to dos or wedding planning. None us this was even on my radar. All I wanted was to make sure that we got married fast so I can stay in America. And I was so excited and busy just enjoying my arrival and my time with Adam because we had not seen each other for so long.

Getting married was just something that we needed to get done. I didn’t spend any time dreaming about my ‘perfect wedding’ and making plans. Our friend was a hobby photographer and we felt really lucky that somebody offered to document this day.

So we got our photos back and since my husband and I are creative people we really wanted to make something over the top, really crazy, creative and unique with our photos. Back in 2008 heavy photoshopped pictures and textures were really popular, so we did that with ALL of our photos. Curly flowers on the edges, text over them, we modified the colors… The craziest one is my favorite photo that we turned into sepia tones (brown and white) but the red roses in my bouquet stayed red. Yep, pretty crazy! We were planning to print a few out for our house, but that never happened. But then it was time for me to go to my immigration interview and they requested us to bring some pictures as a proof that we’re a real couple. So I bought a big album and filled up with pictures that told our story. How we met, got engaged, traveled together and got married. (Funny thing is they didn’t even look at these photos at the interview.)

After we got home I put the album on our shelf, and yes, just like most couples would do, we never really looked at those pictures! But when I started getting into wedding photography, creating my Getting Married Multiculturally Podcast and talking to couples more and more about my story and how I got married. I got this dusty album off of our shelf, and started looking the pictures. I told my husband: “OMG! These photos look horrible!” With these filters, floral patterns and quotes all over them! They were printed on a cheap paper, so they were getting discolored too. But then I thought ok, I’m not going to stress about this, because we have our digital files somewhere. I can just use those and modify the photos to print out a more timeless, durable quality. As it should be. Annnnd I had a problem, because I CAN NOT FIND THOSE DIGITAL FILES! I’ve been looking for them for years!

My point is that it took me this long to realize that we don’t have our wedding pictures! It takes years and years to start valuing your pictures. Well, especially if you lose them. Now we’re never ever going to have those images. All we have is this album that I made for my immigration interview. And I’m so thankful for this interview now, because I probably wouldn’t have printed these photos and everything would be lost!

Still today I have this album on our shelf, and I never felt like this is not precious  enough to us! Even with all of these silly filters on them they are priceless to us!... Missing our digital files made this album even more valuable, IRREPLACEABLE to us. Because this is all we have from our wedding. It’s all we can show to our children.

Learn from my mistakes

I shared this story with you because I want you to learn from the mistakes that I made.

Lesson 1: Don’t get caught up too much on current trends.

Like in 2008 we put heavy filters and textures on all of our pictures. You may have a friend or family member who got married around that time and their album may look that way too.

Most photographers modify the colors and tones to add a specific style to their photos. (They may look a bit cooler or warmer, darker or brighter. Which are current trends.) You see those images on their portfolio and fall in love with the style. But the colors may not match up with your wedding or with your home where you’d like to display the images, so you’d want to change them. That’s why I’m trying to keep my images true to reality, because I know that these photos have to be timeless and enjoyable for your generations, even long after you are gone. Believe me! You don’t want too much effects on them.

But if you love these styles, and that it’s representing our current day and age, it’s still a good idea to keep all of your original photos, in case you change your mind years down the road.

Mistake 2: Print! Print! Print! Download! Download! Download!

Prints are going to last you forever and your kids and grandkids will appreciate it so much! I know you hear this from everywhere, but really think about it, how timeless and valuable are your printed pictures going to be! Because digitals can get lost, broken, corrupted or simply get out of date.

When I started photographing weddings it was all about CD and DVD, then USB and hard drive, and now we just upload our images to an online gallery from where couples can download them. That’s why I make sure to give wedding albums to all of my clients, no matter which package they choose!

I have a fear that most people won't even download all of the photos from their gallery! They just flip through the photos, choose a couple of them for social media and just leave the gallery there. What if your photographer closes their business and shuts down the online gallery? You’ll never have access to those images again!

Even if you refuse to print out the photos, download them on your computer! Put them on multiple hard drives, CD, DVD, upload them on the cloud, whatever! You won’t regret it!

I want a wedding album but can’t afford them!

Ok, I have a couple of options for you:

-Put it on your registry. (I talked about Zola registry last week, and I know they have options for albums.) If you know ahead of time that you’ll want a wedding album, request it as a wedding gift. Since it’s a higher price range, a couple of guest can group up or send you a cash fund.

-Ask for payment options from your photographer.

-DIY your wedding album

After you receive the digital photos (make sure the files are big enough!) find a print lab that is able to create the album you imagined for an affordable price. When you’re browsing, check for sizes, paper and ink quality, page quantity and layout templates.

Here are a couple of options you can choose from:

-Big stores, malls: Costco, Walmart, Walgreens, Target

-Artifact Uprising (My favorite! I had some albums printed from them, and love the quality!)

-Shutterfly

-VistaPrint (they often do sales)

-MILK

-SnapFish

Before your start designing, make a list of photos you want to add to the album. Makes it easier to see how many pages are you going to need. Look for image positioning and size! Horizontal and vertical photos will take up a different space on the spread. Makes sure people's heads are not too small, and crop carefully!

Don’t forget that if you are printing out your own wedding album, don’t just limit yourself with the photos from your professional photographer. You can put in some phone pictures that guests or you took. Whichever photos makes you happy!

I really hope that I convinced you to order an album, even if you are making one yourself. Even if the quality is not going to be that good, it’s still better to have something then to just rely on digital files. And if you receive your digital files in an online gallery, don’t forget to download them, even the ones you don’t like! You may like them later! Don’t assume that you are not going to look at them. Maybe you won’t for the first few years, but trust me, after 10 years these photos are going to be so much fun and emotional to look at. Especially if you have kids and when you have somebody that you want to show these pictures to.

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SHOW NOTES: http://editvasadi.com/i-need-a-wedding-album/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

Valentine’s Day is the second biggest gift giving holiday of the year. (Yep, right after Christmas!) So I wanted to take the opportunity to talk a little bit about gift giving traditions. Most specifically gifting for your wedding day. What are some traditions, etiquette and rules when it comes to different cultures?

Respect your partner’s cultural differences. Even when it comes to gift giving.

You can find so many individual traditions in different countries. There are some rules, etiquette, and rituals when it comes to giving a gift at a wedding. And it may become a little bit uncomfortable, or awkward, if you don’t really know the norms or expectations. So do your research and talk to your family and fiance. They will appreciate your interest!

American traditions

When I moved to America I’ve noticed that people love to give gifts, special notes or gift cards. They would put a special little touch on it, even if it’s just a chocolate. Beautiful wrapping papers and cute notes are part of the experience. It’s different than in Europe. We don’t put that much focus and effort toward presents. In the USA gift giving has a much deeper meaning and value to it. Which also comes with a lot of worry and doubt about what should I get, how much should I spend, what’s appropriate or accepted. Will they like it? Or if I receive something, how do I show that I’m happy and thankful?

When I moved here I remember getting lots of greeting/celebration cards and gifts. Most of them where from my husband’s relatives, family and grandparents, whom I’ve never met. It felt really good that they thought about me, and that they took the effort to send me those little cards. Wedding, birthday, baby shower, Christmas cards… And of course I kept them all! Christmas cards are even more personalized, because they usually have family pictures on it.

Make gifting part of your wedding planning process

Your wedding is one of the biggest events of your life! (If you’re comparing to birthdays or any other parties that you’ve organized.) Sooo many people are coming! Parents, friends, people who are helping you, the bridal party, distant family members, co-workers, old friends, relatives from your fiance’s side that you never met… So there are many different dynamics and relationships with your guests. Kinda gets confusing with what you should request, and where should you stand with all of this gifting process. Even couples with same cultural background or nationality can run into variations in gifting etiquette.

What are some of the occasions and opportunities to consider for gift giving, when you’re getting married?

1, engagement:

This is when you announce your engagement, or when you throw an engagement party. Presents are not necessary, (at least here in America) but some guests may bring you something. In the same time, there may be some countries where engagement gifts are part of the celebration!

2, bridal/groom shower or wedding shower:

Shower means that guests will “shower” you with presents. So the whole purpose of this party is about gift giving. They are more personalized to the individual bride or groom, rather than something they would enjoy together.

3, rehearsal dinner or lunch:

Usually happens a day (or couple of days) before the wedding. It’s a great opportunity to gift your bridal party something special as thanking them for all the effort and hard work they put into the wedding planning. It’s a great occasion to give something to your parents, or to each other with your fiance. (If you are planning to. No pressure!)

4, wedding day gifts:

Guests can typically buy something from your registry (online or at a specific store). But do your research before setting the website up. There may be some cultures that guests would feel offended that you want them to purchase something so specific, spend a certain amount of money, or to use a particular store. Having variety of options is always a  good idea, so they can bring you a personalized present if they wish. And spend as much money as they feel comfortable with.

A really good service I would recommend is Zola. You can set up a free registry and website for your wedding. If you’re interested, check out this video tutorial I’ve put together. You can register for gifts, experiences, cash funds, or set up a group gifting option for the guests. It’s so easy and convenient!

How much should your guest spend on wedding gifts?

I believe everybody should give as much as they feel comfortable with, or as much as they want to give to you. Don’t let anybody or any survey tell you what the norms are. There are no rules, you are not tied to any amount. However statistics say that typically close family members would spend between 100-150$/gift, and co-worker are looking to purchase something for around 50$. Regardless, the general etiquette says you should at least spend the amount that will cover your plate. (So all the food you’ll be eating at the wedding.) But like I said, you do you!

Is giving money as a gift accepted or rude in your culture?

In a lot of countries and cultures just giving money is accepted and even required. Couples may not even want to receive any other gifts, or have a registry. These traditions will have specific rituals or representations to gift the money. Like handmade decorative bags, pouches, envelopes, or big greeting-card boxes at the wedding reception, to drop in cash or check. Many cultures have ‘money dances’, where guests can dance with the bride for money.

If you have guests who are new to this tradition, make sure to explain the meaning and reason behind everything, so they don’t feel awkward or weird about it. Especially because giving money in many cultures carry a deeper meaning. It’s not just about giving cash to the couple so they can spend it on whatever they feel like. It’s more for bringing good luck, health and wealth, so your new relationship can be successful.

But, if you feel a little bit weirded out already, don’t forget that these traditions (just like many other wedding traditions) come from old times. They may seem somewhat offensive as well, so don’t feel like you HAVE TO do anything. However, I do think that some of these traditions are just part of the fun celebrations and we shouldn't take them too seriously.

5, wedding favors:

This was definitely a new tradition to me. So if you’re also wondering what are “wedding favors”, well they’re small gifts that the couple would give to the guests as a thank you for coming.

Although, not everybody likes these anymore. Often people won’t take them, because they don’t want or need it, so you would have a lot extra left. So try to do something that your guest would appreciate and enjoy. Like small desserts, or meaningful gifts that shows your multicultural story and personalities as a couple. Or how about leftovers?! I love leftovers from weddings! Makes me remember the amazing time we had. :)

Wedding gifting etiquette you should know about

// If your wedding gets canceled (and lets just assume that it’s not because you two aren’t getting married), make sure to send the gifts back to the guests.

// To avoid making guests who didn’t bring anything uncomfortable, try not to do gift opening at the party. (This may not happen at your wedding, but maybe at the bridal shower.)

// As a guest, if you can’t attend the wedding, still consider sending the couple a gift.

Wedding gift ideas for your guests:

1, Just grab something from the registry list. (You can check out the Zola tutorial here.)

2, Get a group gift with other guests.

3, Personal gift. (This is especially good for grandparents, long time friends.)

3, Experience gift. (Memberships, tickets, classes, travel, date...etc.)

Gifting on destination wedding:

Your guests have already spent so much money on the airplane tickets and hotel, so you may be expecting a smaller gift from them (or nothing?).

Think about setting up a ship-to-my-house gifting option. So your guests don’t have to carry all of those presents to the wedding location, and you won’t need to rent a separate airplane just to bring all of your gifts home.

OK, I’m closing this post with my big announcement: I have a gift shop!!! Woohoo!

The Getting Married Multiculturally online shop specializes for multicultural couples who want something different and personalized to celebrate their culture and multicultural/intercultural relationship, marriage and family. So far we are offering matching couples t-shirts with different flags, engagement tank tops, decorative pillows and miniature bottles that celebrates your cultural diversity. To visit my shop go to shop.editvasadi.com

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SHOW NOTES: http://editvasadi.com/sixteen

Zola tutorial: Zola Tutorial

GMM SHOP: http://shop.editvasadi.com/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

Lots of countries and cultures have different laws, requirements, traditions and expectations when it comes to changing your name after the wedding. And if you’re marrying somebody from another culture, it may be harder to make a decision about your name changing than you think.

But first, let’s see if you even want to change your name?!

These days a lot of women would consider keeping their maiden name, because they strongly believe it is part of their identity. They really love the name they’re born with, and don't feel like just because they are the woman in the relationship, that they should be giving up on their name.

Some other reasons you may want to keep your maiden name:

// You have a fear that your family name will die out, if you don’t pass it along to your children.

// You don’t want to go through all of that hassle of changing it on all of the documents and legal papers.

// Your maiden name is attached to your professional identity.

// It’s expensive.

// You don’t like his name (complicated to spell it and sign with it).

// Your fiance wants to have your name.

// You are in a same sex marriage.

Reasons you would want to take your husband’s family name:

// Traditions and cultural expectations are very important to you.

// You and your family just assume that you will take your husband’s name.

// You never thought otherwise.

That’s how it was for me, back 10 years ago. There weren't many women and feminists speaking up about what our rights are, and that they don’t want to feel that they are owned by their husband. (Which is how it used to be long time ago.) But for me it was kinda obvious, that I’m getting married, so I’m taking my husband’s name. Especially because we will have the same name as a family. This was my personal decision, and it was something I didn’t really think about. Now days women have this great opportunity to make a decision that’s right for them.

// Having the same surname makes it easier for the whole family to fill out documents, especially for traveling.

// You love your fiance’s name and can’t wait to finally own it.

// You don’t feel too attached to your maiden name.

Because you didn’t have a good relationship with your father, or maybe your parents changed their name, so it really doesn’t carry a family history to it.

// You want to start a fresh new life.

If you’ve been married before, or you’ve changed your name already, this can feel like your names are stages of your life, and they’re telling the history of your life.

But no matter why you would feel strongly about keeping your name, you have to respect and consider how your fiance feels about it. Some men would feel like you’re not fully committed to this relationship. Maybe his family is pressuring him a lot, because they have strong cultural traditions assigned to it.

Yes, it’s about your name, as a women. You feel the pressure to change your name, but it’s also affecting your partner, so you want to make sure that you two are starting this marriage in the right way. Where both of you feel appreciated and that your opinions and feelings are valued.

We are so lucky in today’s day and age, because we can basically change our name to anything we want. At least it’s like that here in the US.

// You can combine your name by putting the two surnames together as one.

// You can hyphenate. That’s when you put both of your family names by each other with a hyphens.

// You can just make up your own, something completely different or mixture of the two.

I heard that some people would shame other women for not taking their husband's name. They say those wives are probably not that committed to the marriage, and they don't love their husband enough.

This is everybody’s personal decision! We really need to stop assuming and labeling people and thinking that just because somebody makes a different decision (for any reason), it would mean they're not going to be a good wife, they don’t want to feel united with their husband, or that they don’t value their marriage.

No matter what you decide on, take the time to sit down with your partner, write down all of the possibilities that you can do with your names and make a pro/con list. Don’t rush to make this decision! Think about it for a couple of months, so when you’re getting married you two will feel really good about this decision. Regardless what other people are saying! Because it’s your name, you have to live with it for the rest of your life!

Let’s talk about changing your name in other countries!

Hungary - I’m going to start with my country, although I didn’t get married there, I’m aware of the laws and expectations.

Majority of women in Hungary still take their husband's family name, although keeping their maiden name is becoming more and more popular, just like here in the USA. But it used to be that the wife would take her husband's FULL name, not just the surname. At the end of his name she would attach a suffix “-né” to it, (neje, nője) which means “his wife” or “his woman”. For example if the husband's name is Greg Smith, (also in Hungry we change the order of our name) so he is Smith Greg, and his wife's name would be Smith Greg-né. Essentially the woman becomes an attachment to her husband. The little -né indicates that you are this man's wife. But, like I said, most women these days don't want to lose their name, and it’s also pretty difficult and complicated, especially in other countries and languages.

Greece, France, Italy, Nederland, Belgium, Malaysia, Korea, Spain, Chile (and many other Spanish speaking countries) - Women keep their maiden name after they get married and it’s completely normal.

Japan - Women are required by the law to change their names after marriage. (Unless they marry somebody from another country.)

I also see lot’s of names combined with hyphens (which is also the excepted tradition in Germany), which is what I did. My name now is Edit Denning, and in Hungary it would be Denning Edit. Since in America it is important to have a middle name, for me it was obvious that I would just put my maiden name in the middle. That way a can keep my maiden name, I can have a middle name and I can also take my husband’s name.

When I moved here and started my immigration process, it was very important for us to have all the paperwork ready for the green card! I think it would have been a red flag if I would have wanted to keep my maiden name after marrying my husband.

I also choose my maiden name for my photography business, Edit Vasadi Photography. I like that it gives me that back story and cultural identity of who I am and where I came from.

Speaking of family history! Did you know that now you can have your DNA tested to find out your ethnicity and family origin?! It’s a very cool opportunity that I haven’t done yet, but I’m really excited to find out more about my heritage.

Here are a couple of services I found:

Ancestry

Familytreedna

Myheritage (they have a Valentine’s day discount)

Great article to help you decide which test to take: Smarterhobby

Changing names for multicultural/intercultural couples

You probably feel overwhelmed from all the pressure coming from family expectations and your friends’ opinions. You may be marrying somebody from a country that does not change names. Or maybe you don’t want to, but your husband is from a culture where it’s expected.

Don’t start to read articles, watch videos, or try to get other people's opinion about this. Just get into your own head, and think about what’s really important to you and how would you and your partner feel about this.

A couple of things to consider:

1, Look into your country’s laws and requirements when it comes to name changing after the marriage, so you don’t run into any issues when wanting to register your marriage, and to apply for documents (passport, immigration process..etc.)

2, If you live overseas and want to change your name from the other country, start at you local embassy by registering your marriage certificate.

3, What name will your kids have? If you and your spouse have different names, whose name will your kids take?

// You can hyphenate both of your names, but that could end up being really long and complicated.

// I heard some couples would make up their own surname after having children, and changing it for the whole family.

// You may feel strongly about giving the opportunity to your kids to inherit and own a specific culture and ethnicity.

4, Is your name attached to you as your ethnicity, culture or faith and it’s very important for you?

5, By changing your name are your going to be identified by this other culture, nationality or ethnicity that would give you difficulties and challenges later in life?

Unfortunately some people tend to quickly judge, make assumptions and stereotype us, just by seeing our name. So if this concerns you, discuss it with your partner.

6, Maybe taking you partner’s name is very important for their family heritage, so you’ll become part of this culture and traditions. You may feel like adopting this new culture as your own is a huge value in your life and you respect and appreciate this opportunity.

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Do you want to listen more of the GMM Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

***

SHOW NOTES: http://editvasadi.com/fifteen/

GMM COMMUNITY: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gettingmarriedmulticulturally/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

As soon as I discovered the 90 day fiancé tv show, I was planning to share my story and experience about immigrating to America, and living here as a foreigner but proud citizen.

Yes, I’ve been living under a rock, because I just now discovered this tv show called ‘90 day fiancé’. It’s been going on for a long time, I think they are airing season 6 or 7 right now, so I’m a little bit late to the game. But if you have never heard about it (and if you are in a multicultural/long distance relationship, you should!), it’s a tv show that follows couples who applied for K1 visa. It’s a fiancé visa which means that somebody from another country arrives to American with the goal to get married to their partner within 90 days.

I mean! OMG, that’s exactly us!!! That’s me 10 years ago! So I immediately started watching from season 1, and become a big fan of the ‘90 day fiancé’ show!

Because when I watch it, it brings up so many memories and so many things in my life that I had forgotten about. And to be honest the more I watch it, the more I see the reality tv show aspect of it. They are trying to focus on a specific feeling that they want to achieve from the viewers. So I’m thinking it’s not how those couples truly experienced their journey.

These people make these big life decisions! Both of them! Those who are moving here to America, and those who are welcoming their partner into their home and life. I feel for those couples, because that what my husband and I did 10 years ago!

I hope that through my Getting Married Multiculturally Podcast and Group I will be able to connect more with people like them! I really root for all of you to win and get through this stage of your life, because it’s going to get better!

90 day fiancé unfortunately is questioning these couple’s intention to move to the USA just for the Green Card and to live in America. I know that for some people that’s the case, so the show is trying to find that out. But I wanted to share with you my journey, so you can see somebody’s experience who is not on the 90 day fiancé. :)

I didn’t come here with the K1 visa, but I also had only 90 days to get married, otherwise I would have had to go back to Hungary, (or Italy where I lived at that time). In the same way I wasn’t able to work, because I didn’t have my Permanent Residence or the Green Card. We also had a very short time spent together physically in one place, before deciding that we want to get married, and that I’m going to move to America to live with Adam. (We had a 2 weeks vacation and before that we spent maybe 5 days total. And then in between those meetings we had a long distance relationship for 4-5 months.) It’s a very short time, plus add to that that I didn’t speak any English, so our communication was very basic. Which is not a good idea when you’re planning to commit to somebody for life! We had a ton of misunderstandings and miscommunication because of the language barrier.

Although I did want Adam to come back to Italy, we ultimately decided that I will be the one moving to America, because Adam’s visa expired, he already had an established job, and I was also freshly out of school. So it was a good time for me to make the move.

We got engaged during our vacation, and when Adam went back to the USA, I started preparing myself to move. I packed up everything in my apartment, quit my job in Milan, tried to squeeze everything that I owned I two suitcases. My parents took me out to the airport, and I had to say goodbye to them, not knowing when I would see them again. This was 10 years ago!

I was super excited! I didn’t care about anything else but to finally be with Adam!

After I arrived to the states we knew that I would have to start getting some documents ready, so we hired a lawyer to make sure we did this process in the proper way and not run into any issues. He told us that we need to get married, so we applied for the Marriage Certificate and 3 days later said our vows at the courthouse. Then we just kinda started our life together!

Adam rented a little one bedroom apartment before I arrived, and started his full time job. Since I wasn’t able to work, I spent my days home alone studying, looking for jobs, running the household, learning the language, and getting to know the area. I felt so lucky that his family and friends accepted me, welcomed me, and made me feel at home.

It never occurred to me that somebody would think or accuse me of just wanting to come here for a Green Card.

Throughout this whole process and journey of moving into this new country, being with the man that I choose, leaving everything behind, saying goodbye to my family, not understanding the language and relying financially on my husband, I’m pretty lucky that nobody said that to my face.

Because watching this show made me think that how come nobody asked me these questions? When I told Adam that I can move here so we can be together, it never went through my head that he would maybe think that I just want to come here to be in America.

Did some people think that Adam brought a girl over here from Europe, who doesn’t even speak any English and can’t even work, and she is just going to be here sitting in the house alone for years?! That’s not a happy life!

However, fate is funny, because I did end up staying at home for years. As my honeymoon phase quickly turned into a stay-at-home-mom life, I was still struggling with culture shock, learning the language and finding my place in my husband’s home. 4 years of this resulted our marriage becoming completely destroyed. We separated and started the divorce process. By then I already got my American citizenship, AND that was the point in my relationship when I got accused that I only came her for the Green Card! It’s interesting how things work out. When something goes wrong, people are trying to find a reason behind it.

As all of you know we got through all of this! We’re good now, and have been for 5 years! We learned from our mistakes, started our relationship all over again, and we are in the better place than ever before.

Do people immediately think that anybody who comes to the US for love and for marriage really only wants a Green Card?

Now, 10 years after all of this crazy and unexpected journey I find the ‘90 days fiancé’ tv show that has stories of couples who are going through this same experience. It really brings up a lot of memories. And sometimes I get paranoid talking to strangers and trying to figure out what are they REALLY thinking about me?!

After all I hope that my husband knows that’s not why I came here, and that’s all that matters to me!

I would really love to hear your opinion and experience! And if you’re watching 90 days fiancé, what do you think about the show?

Let's chat over at my GMM group!

GMM SHOW NOTES: editvasadi.com/90dayfiance

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/editvasadi/

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Do you want to listen more of the Getting Married Multiculturally Podcast?

Make sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss out on new episodes when they get published.

What do you think about the GMM Podcast?

I love hearing back from my listeners, so if you’d like to share your opinion, you can leave me a review. ;) Btw, these reviews will also help other multicultural couples find this show. Let’s grow the GMM community!

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