Weddings Around the World | Culture Cuddles #1

Culture Cuddles is out now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Ever felt like a fish out of water in a new country or stumbled through a conversation in a language you barely speak? Oh, you have? Then you’re in the right place! From cultural misunderstandings that’ll make you cringe to romantic gestures that get lost in translation – Uyen Ninh and her German Husband (to be) are trying to make sense of it all.

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Culture Cuddles is produced by Uyen Ninh and her German husband-to-be, with production support from YilmazHummel. The producers are Niklas Stündel and Freerk Sitter.

[imaginethat]

I am imagining that when you two get married, the minister/priest refers to German boyfriend as 'German Boyfriend'. 😂

[maggielovegood]

German boyfriend feels uncomfortable showing his face but is definitely not ashamed to sit so comfortably on the couch xD

[IunaIia]

I say we hide with face with Uyen's crocheted creations

[eve]

"Soon my name will be German Husband." 😂❤

[ChericeGraham]

Uyen's mismatched socks fit well with the laid-back vibe. This podcast is so much fun.

[michadybczak]

About breaking things: in Poland it's common that the weeding couple is throwing Champaign glasses on the floor, and then they clean it together - like a symbol of the normal, daily stuff that happens.

[niloofardordahan]

I dated an English guy when I was studying in the UK. The cultural differences were crazy. I am Iranian and because of our culture with poems/literature (persian), love is a very fantastical thing. Showing love is always super romantic & dramatic. Like you would tell someone you'd die for them (in different ways) at least 3 times a day. Even outside a romantic relationship, you'd tell a close friend, family member or children that "I'd get sacrificed for you" in casual conversation or even as a form of saying thank you. eg: sister: "do you want me to make more coffee for you?" me: "no honey, I'd die for you".
Even typing it in English sounds ridiculous but it's so enmeshed in our culture that we're used to it. We use it as a term of endearment and almost never think of the meaning. Now imagine me, from this culture, dating a very practical and logical English guy. I was 16, away from family for the first time and I just felt my bf didn't love me because AT MOST he'd just say I love you. I got used to it eventually but the first few months were terrible. The funny thing is, I'm now married to someone from my own culture but my time in the UK has made me cold from the point of view of onlookers because I'm far less dramatic in love
🤣

[Juneessary]

In Vietnam it is true that we don't have proposals. But when you take your boy/girl friend to meet your family and every one started asking, to your face, behind your back, to your parents, to your siblings, to your nieces/nepthew... when are you two gonna get married before you even think about it. If your partner doesn't flat out deny it, that's when you realize you're getting married.

[MurphysEveryWhim]

A not so happy intercultural relationship story: I am from the U.S., and in grad school, I started dating a grad student who was from south India. I enjoyed learning about his culture and meeting his friends. It was about 6 months into the relationship that one of his friends explained to me that I was just the girlfriend to be had until my boyfriend was pressured by his family to marry someone they arranged for him. I confronted my boyfriend, and he confirmed it. I wouldn’t have let the relationship get that far if I knew there was no chance of us getting married, but he never mentioned it, and I didn’t know enough to ask.

[vilmaalencar]

I'm Brazilian, married to a Swede, living in Sweden, we got married in Sweden because weddings in Brazil are usually huge and we didn't had the money for it. One Brazilian tradition I did was to write the names of my friends that were single on the underskirt of my dress, I took a picture lifting my skirt up to show the names for my friends who couldn't attend, there were a lot of side eyes from my Swedish guests.

[KaylaMarie-kvnf]

Uyens honesty about her rough origin was so awesome. She is so cute and full of light when she talks about all things, good or bad. I appreciate her good energy.

[VirgoLunaKnight]

I literally freaked out when german boyfriend read my comment 😅
Yes i said a whole lemon 🍋 ...its to be kept hidden but it will absorb all "negative energy"

[sandorpetra-andrea]

Been doing long-distance with my Dutch partner for almost 5 years and we're finally closing off the distance! Watching you guys living your best life happily together gives me a lot of hope and joy!

[mishiwastinghertime]

I love the community Uyen has built that loves to enjoy the content she produces while respecting the privacy of her German boyfriend.

She and Stephanie Soo have gotten some amazing human beings as followers and I really love to be the part of this community.

[joerodino]

I am an American and have lived in Germany and Vietnam. This Fall I am invited to a wedding in Vietnam. The bride is a dear friend and I know her entire family. I have never been to a wedding in Vietnam. Of course I am so excited, but realize this is to me an unfamiliar part of the culture. Your podcast came at a perfect time. Still I have many questions, but you guys answered many of them.
I love your YouTube videos! Thank you, hạnh phúc und Freude 🎉

[leannehowarth]

I'm English and I moved to New Zealand when I was 22 fully expecting to meet a kiwi guy and get married. I'd had enough of English guys and was glad to never have to date one again. I ended up meeting an English guy from the town next to mine in England and falling in love and marrying him. I think the only thing you can guarantee about love is its never what you expect.

[floggingvalentine]

Not married but black american: it's common in some black american families, after the wedding ceremony the bride and groom will jump the broom - a literal broom. This is from slavery when enslaved people were not allowed to be married bc you could not separate married Christians. Jumping the broom was the ceremony that was allowed to announce their wedding to everyone while not anger the masters. Some families practice this tradition after the wedding ceremony and it's fun because the higher you and your partner can jump the stronger your marriage will be. One side of my family does this regularly but the other doesn't so not everyone celebrates it but it's an important tradition that shouldn't be forgotten.

[everestfalls]

A man who prizes his peace and privacy yet still compromises for their loved ones, truly a man of culture.

[dammitjim]

OMG! You had me at 0:01 ... I love this already

[naomihirsch]

"do you want know how we fight evil spirits? A knife" 🤣💀 I choked on my water that was so funny