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And, thus began the intercultural / interfaith wedding ceremony of Cristina and Abhishek – she being a Filipina and a Christian, he being Indian and a Hindu.
Initially Great Officiants recommended me to Cristina's and Abhishek's wedding planner as she was clear in communicating that what she understood the couple wanted was a ceremony that included traditional Filipino elements. However, when I read the groom’s name on the referral, it was evident to me that he hailed from a culture that was itself rich in tradition and offered much with which to celebrate in the context of a wedding.
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Some Hindu elements we were not able to incorporate into the wedding itself because of time restraints or other limitations, I was able to at least reference. For example during the Filipino ritual of the pinning of veil, I related that “the symbolism of the veil is similar to the Mandap, a canopy under which Indian brides and grooms traditionally marry, as it is also a representation of a home filled with a love that has its source in the Divine.”
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