International weddings full of diversity by wedding planner Alina Vandaele

Wedding planner Alina Vandaele specialises in international weddings between couples of different origins. In this article, Alina shares how she goes about planning this type of wedding, and how she always builds a harmonious bridge between different cultural traditions. She also gives some tips for your wedding and discusses leading trends in weddings!

Photo (above): Wedding planner: Alina Vandaele - Photographer: Jun Tan Weddings - Location: Château de la Hulpe
Article in collaboration with Alina Vandaele

A passion for extraordinary weddings

In addition to Belgian and Dutch weddings,Alina Vandaele has a lot of experience with international weddings - including couples from America, Japan, Venezuela, Norway and America again. What typifies her as a wedding planner is her passion for creating extraordinary weddings: "As a planner, I have a genuine desire to help couples. I therefore see myself as a partner in making their dreams come true. In doing so, I not only respect their wishes, but also do all I can to exceed them. I value honesty, authenticity, open communication and trust. My goal is to organise a wedding that is the perfect reflection of what they imagine."

Weddings full of emotion and musical inspiration

Alina: ‘Emotions are hugely important to me during a wedding day. I work intensely with the bride and groom, always trying to find out the most meaningful moments for them; what do they want to say in their vows, or what special traditions do they want to honour."

To make each wedding a unique and emotionally charged experience, Alina draws her inspiration from music: "I see planning a wedding as conducting an orchestra. Like a conductor, I make sure that everything runs in harmony and with the right rhythm, and that everyone works well together. This contributes to the overall positive atmosphere of the wedding and makes everything run smoothly."

International marriages and mixed couples

Alina explains that international weddings and mixed couples are an important part of her work: "Thanks to my own experience at an international wedding, I understand the subtleties and nuances involved. I am therefore always excited to learn all about different wedding traditions, and I welcome the diversity it brings. When planning a wedding, I strongly consider cultural and linguistic aspects, and am always looking for ways to incorporateunique backgrounds into the wedding day and ceremony."

Embracing cultural differences

Alina: ‘With couples from different backgrounds, as a wedding planner it is crucial to understand and respect the differences between various wedding traditions. I like to be flexible and agile to tailor every aspect of the wedding to the couple's preferences and cultural background. In doing so, I am committed to understanding and meeting both their expectations, regardless of cultural differences. This can include the duration of the wedding, the colour palette, the choice of drinks, the ceremony, the involvement of any bridesmaids and groomsmen,..."

"During the planning phase of an international wedding, there are also some challenges involved - a possible time difference, to name a few. As a wedding planner, I am ready to face these challenges and happily embrace the different cultural elements. My experience and understanding of the unique dynamics of international and mixed couples allow me to bridge different cultures and traditions."

Alina's top tips for engaged couples

1. Start your planning early enough. This will give you more choice in terms of venues and suppliers.
2. Discuss at length with each other what vision and expectations you have. Clear communication is essential when planning your dream wedding!
3. Rely on the experience of professionals. It is (probably) your first wedding, while experts have already organised countless weddings.
4. Consider a symbolic, personal ceremony with a ceremony speaker instead of a traditional civil ceremony.
5. Find ways to embrace your diversity and individuality in your wedding, both in your styling and ceremony.

Emerging trends for weddings

Alina adds: "I expect that weddings with a smaller number of guests will definitely remain a trend. The desire for entertainment - such as video booths, isalso a continuing trend. Couples are also striving for more individuality. Consequently, there is a lot of emphasis on unique, personal experiences that reflect the couple's love and commitment. As a result, symbolic ceremonies will gain even more popularity. In terms of styling, I myself favour classic weddings; my clients recognise this in my work. Thus, I strive for timeless weddings that you will enjoy looking atthe photos ofmany years later . In my opinion, this is the most important trend in the wedding industry."

About Alina Vandaele

Alina Vandaele limits her wedding planning projects per year so that she can approach each couple individually and give her personal attention to every detail. Alina gives a hint of the services she offers: "You can hire me for the complete organisation of your wedding from A to Z, for the styling of your wedding and as a ceremony speaker to lead your personal and meaningful ceremony. I am also happy to help you formulate and organise your marriage proposal."

Read more on this topic via these links:

• We, engage a wedding planner?
• The benefits of a wedding planner at a glance
• Planning your wedding without stress? Here's how to do it!
• Destination weddings