LatinaLista
February is National Wedding Month. Not too hard to guess why — the 2009 American Wedding Study released by Brides.com found that 10 percent of proposals take place on Valentine’s Day.
The survey also found that 86 percent of brides-to-be followed the “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue tradition.” But what about cultural tradition?
Until now, if Latina brides wanted to incorporate some aspects of their culture into their wedding, their only resources were their mothers, or tias or abuelas. And no one’s putting down tia’s or abuela’s helpful advice but this is the Internet age.
It just makes sense that there should be an online site that speaks specifically to Latina brides — and now there is.
Launched in October 2009, Para Ti Novia is a bilingual site catering to Latina brides-to-be.
“I created this website as a reflection of who I felt the new Latina was – young, confident and stylish,” Candice Lapin, founder of Para Ti Novia, wrote Latina Lista in an email. “I wanted the website to reflect a new bicultural, bilingual experience happening in our country.
“I felt like there has not yet been enough content geared towards young modern Latinas. I was inspired by Latina magazine to really begin developing niche content that reflected a new multi-cultural experience happening in the U.S.”
Taking her cue from existing wedding planning sites and infusing that Latina twist throughout it all, Lapin made sure that brides could use Para Ti Novia to completely plan their weddings.
It’s a site where brides-to-be can create their own online planning notebooks, link to their gift registries, get help finding vendors, if they live in one of the cities/states on the Para Ti Novia’s growing vendor list and — the best part — get ideas for everything from setting a budget and what kind of shoes to wear or hairstyle to have for the big day to do-it-yourself projects like creating original wedding invitations and bridal shower favors to even choosing the cocktails served on the day.
Para Ti Novia founder Candice Lapin
There is even an online store where the traditional cultural items like the lassos, arras and Bible used in the wedding are sold.
And for those times when the bride-to-be has reached her wit’s end and wonders if other brides are going through the same things, there are even stories shared by other brides as to how they got through it.
A wedding has so many details as it is that when cultural observances are thrown in on top of that, well, it can get overwhelming. It’s nice to have extra help — especially the kind that doesn’t get mad because you choose to do it your way.
