Three brides blend ethnic customs into their Western wedding
ceremonies
By Debra Cano Ramos, Special Advertising Sections Writer
Vietnamese-born Thuy-Ann Pham always dreamed of wearing a traditional, white Western-style gown on her wedding day. But, before she said “I do” in a white, off-the-shoulder A-line gown and cathedral-length veil, she wore a festive red ao dai, a long silk dress customary to her homeland.
Pham immigrated with her family to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, when she was 3. Though she grew up in this country, she’s remained proud of her Vietnamese heritage and didn’t think twice about including her ethnic and cultural traditions when she married her husband, Bill Pham, three years ago. “Getting married in a Vietnamese wedding gown was just a given. We wanted to honor the cultural traditions of our parents. Even without any expectation from family members, I would have chosen to wear it,” said Pham, of Seal Beach.
For their nuptials, Thuy-Ann Phan wore
Vietnamese garments from Vietnam and a dress boutique in
Westminster.
During a visit to Vietnam when she was engaged, Pham chose an ao dai adorned with an elegant pattern in gold. For the Vietnamese ceremony just hours before the Catholic church ceremony on Oct. 28, 2000, she also wore a matching khan dong, or headdress. Underneath the dress she put on wide-hemmed, loosely fitted white silk pants called quan dai. Completing the outfit, Pham donned an elaborate ankle-length gold silk cloak, or ao khoac, embroidered with gold chrysanthemums and red accents.
Bill Pham wore the time-honored groom’s attire, a royal blue ao dai and matching khan dong, during their cultural wedding observance.
“It made us feel like we were celebrating what is ours. It just felt right,” Thuy-Ann Pham said.
The Phams are not alone when it comes to preserving their ancient customs. Many couples, whether immigrants or first- or second-generation Americans, are personalizing their weddings by adapting some ethnic traditions to celebrate their cultural backgrounds.
“Brides all over the world dream of their wedding day, envisioning themselves in some shade of a white Western gown,” said Jean Picard, California state coordinator of the Assn. of Bridal Consultants.“Brides and grooms today who wish to express their ethnicity do so in other aspects of the wedding,” Picard said.
“Incorporating ethnic touches is very popular now for two reasons: It is a great way of personalizing a wedding, which is very important to the bride who wants to avoid a cookie-cutter wedding; and, it is a way of blending the two families, particularly when it is a marriage of different cultures, which is often the case today,” she said.
For more than 30 years, one Los Angeles apparel company has been customizing wedding outfits with an African flair.
“I would advise brides-to-be to go for it,” said Francesca Anuluoha, manager of Africana Imports, which designs and makes African traditional garments. “The customers who get married wearing our clothes are well-grounded and wear our garments as a reflection of who they are and they are very proud of their culture.”
Anuluoha added that white or cream gowns accented with gold embroidery are the contemporary choices for African American brides.
“From my experience, the person who comes into our store already has the confidence to wear something unique and different. The sense of cultural pride and freedom of choice are also big factors in the decision,” she said.
Dr. Monica Thornhill-Joynes wore an African-style dress made by Francesca Anuluoha of Africana Imports in Los Angeles.
One of Africana Imports’ recent customers was Dr. Monica Thornhill-Joynes, 54, who was inspired to celebrate her and her husband’s African American roots when they renewed their wedding vows on their 25th anniversary two years ago.
“I never could see myself in a Western-traditional white wedding gown,” said Thornhill-Joynes, who eloped and was married by a judge on Aug. 25, 1976, in Nashville, Tenn.
When her event coordinator suggested they celebrate their heritage, and after looking at photos in magazines and learning more about the culture, she said she became excited about having an “Afro-centric wedding.”
Thornhill-Joynes decided on a white cotton dress that was embroidered with gold and silver metallic thread. The fabric, imported from Africa, was perfect for the vow renewal, held at a Marina del Rey hotel and attended by 200 guests, she said.
“I felt it was a reflection of me and who I am. It was something I was very comfortable wearing, and I enjoyed wearing it, too,” she said.
Her husband, Robin E. Joynes, 53, wore a matching white and gold outfit called grand buba, consisting of several separates, which included an agbada, a long ceremonial robe; a tunic or dashiki, pants; and a kufa, a traditional African hat.
“The outfits made us feel like kings and queens,” said Thornhill-Joynes, a nephrologist who practices in Montebello.
Her husband agreed.
“It was very uplifting, and it was an honor to wear it,” he said.
The couple decided on a wedding cake patterned after colorful woven kente cloth native to Ghana.
They also observed “jumping the broom,” a popular custom in African American weddings. This ritual signifies the beginning for a couple.
Also, during American slavery, when Africans were forbidden to marry, couples would jump over a broom to represent their union.
“For us, it symbolized that we were going from one phase of our lives to another phase,” Thornhill-Joynes said.
Paula Ko Seretis, born in South Korea, but raised in the Los Angeles area, said she wanted to wear white when she married last November because it symbolized her virginity.
For the intimate nuptials aboard a cruise boat in the Newport Beach Harbor, she selected a form-fitting traditional gown with ornamental embroidery, a flowing cathedral train and layers of tulle.
For the reception, she changed into an authentic Korean han bok. She wore the gown for a P’yebaek ceremony where the bride is officially introduced and welcomed into her new family.
“I felt like a Korean princess,” said Ko Seretis, 28, who holds a doctorate degree in statistics from Columbia University and works as a statistician at a health-care organization in Pasadena.
In the Korean culture, han boks are generally made in vibrant colors, such as red, green, yellow and blue. However, Ko Seretis picked a soft pink and had the gown custom-made by Los Angeles designer Lee Hwa.
Ko Seretis also asked her father to walk her down the aisle wearing a traditional, bright multicolored Korean han bok, instead of a Western-style suit, and her mother dressed in a two-tone persimmon han bok.
“My parents have always taught and reminded me of Korean traditions and rituals, and that we respect our elders, and that just stuck with me,” said Ko Seretis, whose husband, George Seretis, is Greek. “I thought it was fitting to wear something that reflected the Korean in me.”
Bridal consultant Picard said that engaged couples wanting to combine ethnic and cultural traditions should first do some research. Talking to elder relatives is a good place to start, she said.
“They can express their culture in any or all aspects of the wedding, from the invitation, perhaps in two languages, to the décor, flowers and food,” she said. “The research is important so that the specific customs can be honored.”
