Indian Wedding

It isn’t very often that I get to feature an entire traditional Hindu wedding on this blog. Hindu weddings are made up of vibrant colors and beautiful traditions. 

On September 24th, my nephew, Sree, got married in Boston to the most beautiful girl, Megan. Even though the bride is an Irish American, they both opted for a Hindu marriage ceremony. Although Hindu wedding itself is held on one day, there are a number of ceremonies that take place before and after the actual wedding ceremony. These ceremonies can take 3- 5 days depending on the opulence of the wedding party. 

Morning of the wedding:

The bride gets ready for the most important day in her life. She is wearing a traditional south Indian silk sari and is adorned with fine jewels.

Going over the details of the ceremony with her mother and future father-in-law.

All the bridesmaids are ready in their saris

 

All prayers in Hindu ceremonies start with invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesha, who, unlike any other Hindu deity, has an elephant head.

Meanwhile, the groom, Sree, is getting ready for the Baraat, away from the wedding hall. At this point, the bride and groom haven't see each other yet. Sree is dressed in a shewani (long jacket) and chudidar (pants). On his head he wears a safa (turban). He wears traditional Indian shoes for the ceremony.

My daughter, Silpa, with her cousin, Sree.

Baraat (The Wedding Procession):
Baraat is a colorful and vibrant ceremony where the elegantly adorned groom arrives to the marriage hall riding on a bejeweled, decorated horse.

Bridesmaids joining the crowd to welcome the groom

Groomsmen

Glowing groom

 Two cousins at the wedding

 

Friends and family enjoying the Baraat.

Here comes the groom, along with his family and friends, arriving at the wedding site with fanfare.

The groom gets down from the horse and joins the party and dancing

 

Groom's parents dancing away with their son

The bride's parents and groom's parents enjoying a moment together.

The company rejoice by dancing along the way

Megan's mother then welcomes Sree with Aarti (traditional Indian welcome ritual with a lamp) and feeds him a sweet, inviting her future son-in-law to the wedding Mandap.

Stay tune for more ohhss and ahhhhs in future posts about the actual ceremony. Yep, It was that beautiful!

For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my book, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen, at my website komalinunna.com.

I am joining  Saavy Southern Style and Outdoor Wednesday.