A Multicultural Love Story: Bilingual Fusion Wedding at Shangri-La The Shard
- Rosalie
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
When Maria and Kit first told me about their vision for their wedding, I was instantly captivated. They dreamt of a ceremony that blended their Chinese and German heritages, infused with personality, meaning and beauty. Additionally, the venue they had chosen, Shangri-La The Shard, boasts breathtaking views of London . It quickly became clear: this bilingual fusion wedding would be a true celebration of Kit and Maria's love, elevating their unique story to new heights!
With our heads quite literally in the clouds, we co-created a wedding ceremony that felt like a dream. It was elegant, deeply personal, and joyfully reflective of who Maria and Kit are—not just as individuals, but as a partnership that bridges continents and cultures.
A Bilingual Fusion Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony was bilingual. While English led the way, we honoured Maria’s German roots and her guests with meaningful summaries woven throughout in German. Switching between languages can be quite the tongue twister, but witnessing the joy and surprise on people's faces when they are greeted in their mother tongue is a gift and an honour to provide.
Love In A Breathtaking Setting
The venue itself offered more than just spectacular views. Its name, Shangri-La, became a source of inspiration. Described as “an imaginary, beautiful place, often far away, where everything is pleasant and dreams come true,” it set the perfect tone. Maria and Kit’s ceremony was just that—a timeless, elevated moment where love, culture, and future possibilities converged. Add in a stunning flower arch by Rachel Morgan Wedding Flowers, live romantic melodies by Marju Violin, and the London skyline as our canvas… it was breathtaking in every sense. Kit and Maria wanted to offer their guests the most wonderful time and their generosity and love towards their loved ones was palpable.
An Engaging Retelling Of A Multicultural Love Story
Maria and Kit collaborated with me on every detail of the script, though they left one part—a retelling of their multicultural love story—as a surprise. They entrusted me with their memories, interests, traits and unique moments, and it was a joy to shape those into a warm, humorous, and engaging narrative, reminding people how we had all ended up high in the sky to witness Kit and Maria's I Do's! I even threw in a few quizzes to see how well their guests really knew them.
As we moved toward the vows, we paused to reflect with a timeless passage from the I Ching, Book of Changes as a nod to Kit's Chinese heritage:
"When two people are at one in their inmost hearts / They shatter even the strength of iron or of bronze / And when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts / Their words are sweet and strong like the fragrance of orchids."
A Multicultural Tying Of The Knot Ritual
For Kit and Maria, it was important to acknowledge that their wedding ceremony was as much about them as their family and friends, who had travelled from all over the world to witness their commitments to each other. To honour and celebrate this, we included a multilingual, multicultural “tying of the knot” moment. After exchanging rings, 12 family members and friends stepped forward, each offering a blessing in their mother tongue—Cantonese, German, Thai, Polish, Italian, Hindi, Czech, Greek, Dutch, Mandarin, Malay, and Spanish—as they draped a ribbon over the couple’s hands. A tapestry of languages, woven together in love.
Together, hand in hand and wrapped in the blessings of their global family, Maria and Kit walked back down the aisle. Ready for new adventures. Ready to write the next chapter of their shared story. With the world quite literally beneath their feet, they stepped forward as one.
A Beautiful and Bespoke Wedding Ceremony
As I often say, my role is simply to give back what couples give to me. And Maria and Kit gave me everything—warmth, trust, laughter, and a love story filled with colour and character. Their generosity made it possible to craft a beautiful ceremony that was heartfelt, lighthearted, deeply meaningful, and uniquely theirs.
To close, I’ll let their words speak for themselves:
"We received so many compliments about the ceremony - everyone said it was the most moving ceremony they had ever been to and they felt as though Rosalie had known us for years. We truly loved all about the ceremony. The parts we knew about in advance - which were even more beautiful when retold and brought to life on the day, the part we did not know about - which was so wonderful and clever, had the guests engaged and gave us a beautiful surprise, and Rosalie leading us through our vows and our unique spin on the hand fasting ritual.
It was just "us" and it felt perfect, and we cannot thank Rosalie enough. She made it so easy being open and sharing private memories with her via her questionnaire for her to be able to tell our story. "
Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Yip. May your journey be filled with magical skylines, unexpected joys, and a love that continues to rise—higher and higher, forever and a day. ✨
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