Colors of an Indian wedding

Last weekend, I attended my friend's son's Indian wedding in North Carolina.  Since I have written a lot of posts about Indian weddings, I thought I should concentrate this post on the colors of an Indian wedding. All Indian weddings are colorful and grandeur, enriched with traditions and culture. Color plays a major role at any Indian weddings. Red and gold are the most popular colors for brides but the bride can choose any color she desires. Colors and styles can vary based on the cultural and religious diversity of the people from India (remember, every state in India has different traditions). All traditional Indian wedding attire is woven with gold threads. Whatever color the bride chooses, extensive gold ornaments are a must for any traditional Indian bride.

The bride chose green and purple for her wedding sari. 

The day before the wedding, groom making 

Thirty-five Western women wore saris to the wedding. I was part of the team that got them ready in their saris. They all looked great and carried themselves with grace.

The bride was at the Gowri pooja (traditional ceremonial prayer) before the wedding

The groom is arriving to the wedding site with all his family and friends. The groom's parents are rejoicing in the moment.

Groom's mother and his sister

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

Groom's men in traditional attire

Groom's parents 

Bridesmaids in pink saris

Ninety year old grand parents of the bride, wearing Indian attire, sitting in the madap and watching the Hindu wedding ceremony very closely. Beautiful! Don't you think?

Almost everyone at the wedding had henna on their hands

Love this golden embroidery 

Beautifully dressed guests 

Hope you enjoyed the colors of an Indian wedding.

For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply

Indian at my website komalinunna.com.

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Indian Wedding

Last weekend I attended the Indian wedding of Mythili and Shawn in New Jersey. As always, Indian weddings are not only known for their grandeur and being colorful, but are also filled with religious rituals and celebrations that lasts for several days. There are numerous sub-cultures within the country. Did you know that in India every state has a different language and and its own traditions? In this case, the bride's parents are immigrants from Andhra Pradesh (Southern state) and groom's parents are from the Sindhi community of Uttar Pradesh (Northern state). Traditional  Indian marriage rituals are meant to unite not only the bride and groom, but also their families.
For many Indian families, it is important to maintain close ties with the immediate and extended families. 

The wedding ceremony begins with the arrival of the groom.
Shawn is arriving to the wedding mandap on a horse with his family and friends to meet the bride's family.

The bride's parents are waiting at the wedding venue to greet the groom

None of the auspicious occasions begin without a prayer to Lord Ganesha. He is supposed to remove all obstacles in life.

The waiters are waiting for the guests to offer drinks before attending the wedding.

 Transparent wedding tent gives the illusion of an outdoor wedding

A traditional Indian wedding mandap is decorated with garlands of marigolds and torans of mango leaves.  In this case, the bride choose modern approach with hydrangea and purple instead of the traditional colors of red, orange and gold.

 No wedding is complete without live music

Priest is explaining the vedic traditions of an Andhra wedding

Groom and his father

Bridesmaids

Bride is entering with her parents

The ceremony

Stage at the reception on the following day 

Beautiful flowers at the table

Exquisitely dressed women at the reception

A feast fit for a king

The dance

The finale, the cake

Congratulation Mythili and Shawn! We wish you a lifetime of happiness.

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

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Indian wedding 3: The wedding ceremony

This is the continuation of my niece's wedding in India.

Indian wedding ceremonies last at least three days. After the sangeeth and bride making ceremonies, here is a glimpse of the actual wedding ceremony.

A typical Indian wedding is a very colorful affair.

The bride is all dressed up with exquisite saree with matching jewelry for the biggest day of her life, her wedding day.

Though the bride and groom steal the show, the friends and relatives of the bride and the groom all dressed in their best clothes for the wedding.

Fresh coconut is decorated with jasmine flowers and used in the ceremony

Bride and the groom were separated by a thin screen in part of the ceremony

Friends of the bride and groom in traditional attire

A traditional Hindu wedding ceremony takes longer than three hours. In most South Indian weddings, it is customary for both the bride and groom to wear a black spot on their cheeks to ward off the evil eye.

Couple seeking blessings from the grandmother

The bride and groom changed clothes many times during the ceremony.

Exquisite collection of bangles. Don't you think?

The priest had them play some fun games during the ceremony.

Conclusion of the wedding

Us four sisters at the wedding

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

Sharing at:

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