Wednesday Wedding Inspiration: Native American
As a lot of you know I went to Glastonbury a couple of weeks ago and came away feeling very inspired! I’ve never quite seen anything like it in my life, all of the different areas, the bands and not to mention the fashion! There were some CRAZY outfits, beautiful outfits and down right ridiculous outfits but nobody cared and everyone embraced it! I mentioned before I went that I loved the Native American head pieces that are available on Etsy at the moment and guess what? While I was there I found myself a beautiful one and pretty much refused to take it off my head for the whole festival!
What do you think? Very Tiger-Lilly from Peter Pan right?! This obviously set the cogs in my head into motion dreaming about the style of a Native American wedding and how god dam gorgeous it would be!
Think lots of feathers, fringes and dream catchers…
Are you in love with this as much as I am? This is right up my street!
Image Credits: ♥ Feather headdress bride – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥ Jewellery on cake – Lavender and Twine Photography ♥ Woven spirits – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥ Headdress bride on beach – Beck Rocchi Photography ♥ Jewellery Over Cushion – Lavender and Twine Photographer ♥ Aztec antlers – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥Invite on cushion – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥ Aztec plates – Lavender and Twine Photography ♥ Native American table – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥ Gold feather ring – Kate Szabone Etsy ♥ Antler bouquet – Lukas and Suzy Photography ♥ Aztec invitation – Dapper Paper Etsy ♥ Turquoise shoes – Lavender and Twine Photography ♥ Tipi – Lavender and Twine Photography ♥ I love you feather – Lauren Elsie Crafted via The Knotty Bride ♥ Feather head band – Spirit Tribe Etsy ♥ Bride holding antler – Chelsea Mitchell Photography ♥ Eye through dream catcher – Morgan Tiller Instagram ♥ Antlers on table – Lukas and Suzie Photography ♥ Dream catcher invitation – Pistols for Minted.com ♥ Headdress girl in dessert – Ania B ♥ Aztec stool – Lukas and Suzie Photography
Much bespoke love
Jess x
I am not a Native American but I think that this faux Native American stuff is sort of offensive. Just saying…
I am very sorry you feel that way. Could I please ask exactly what it is that has offended you?
well I am native and he is probably stating that all this stuff is extremely ceremonial and revered stuff in Native culture, like the headdress for instance white people call it a headdress but in our culture we call it a war bonnet and was often crafted from the amount of warriors killed in battle but even leaders like chiefs and sub-chiefs wore it as a sign of leadership (of course it was made from all the kills they made as warriors) so I wonder how many indian warriors died for that war bonnet 😛 I mean I don’t take offense and I am a Blackfoot Native I think it’s a nice homage but you should definitely study more into what symbolism this kind of stuff holds. I don’t know exactly what you do with it is on, but if you ever have it on at a party or drinking it’s kind of mocking to see someone wasted while wearing one of those… ever been to a redskins baseball game? look one up and you will know what I mean.
sorry football, not baseball xD
Hello!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I can understand your opinion and I thank you for drawing attention to a few of the wonderful facts about your native culture. This board was styled to inspire couples planning their wedding to use the themes and colours and perhaps some of cultural elements in their wedding as we find it all very beautiful! The head dresses have become a popular fashion statement at festivals this summer and that is why they have appeared here. I hope our readers will take note of your comment and use this theme with honour and pride to do it justice 🙂
Much bespoke love
Emily
x x x
Hi,
l understand that because there is a serious lack of education about Native American cultures in Europe that there is also a lack of knowledge about the issues facing modern Native Americans. Not only are Native Americans the most disenfranchised for our intellectual and artistic property in non-Native culture, but also have extremely high rates of youth suicide (more than any demographic in the US), alcohol abuse (having been a European import during colonial times), not to mention the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women in the US and Canada, who have been reduced to Disney or Peter Pan stereotypes of a hyper-sexualized 12-year-old Pocahontas or a boyfriend-stealing, Tiger lily. A Native theme is generally not a good idea at all, but there are ways to truly honor Native culture–do not wear fake headdresses (any headdress, these have a deep spiritual and hierarchal significance), try not to over-do it with the alcohol (that doesn’t mean you can have a couple drinks), avoid neon-colored “war paint”, and most important, buy from Natives, At Beyond Buckskin Boutique you can find tons of great fashions, street and couture, all produced by Natives or Native-collaborations. Be inspired, but keep it tasteful, don’t over do it. Remember, it’s because of European and American colonialism that a genocide of 100 million Native Americans/Canadians occurred, including subsequent losses of languages, religions, and traditional art forms. Check out the Native Appropriations blog for more information.
The question of who’s able to represent a culture becomes a question of power. There’s something wrong when an oppressed culture is being used as a theme in order to “honor” it, but there is no honor here, only many of us feeling sick to our stomachs. Hopefully you can check out the sites l listed, you might find them interesting!
Walk in beauty.
Chi Miigwech,
Jack
Ojibwe
Thanks for your thoughts on this Jack!
xxx