Indian Weddings

June is the season of weddings. This year I am fortunate enough to attend four Indian weddings. Even though they are all Indian weddings, each of them is uniquely different from the other. Last weekend we attended a one of our good friend's daughter's South Indian wedding. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, Indian weddings are unique to the region that the bride or groom's parents are from.  Indian weddings are always magical, rich in the traditions, customs, silk sarees and jewelry that go along with it. Guests at the wedding are treated to a feast of mouth-watering Indian appetizers, curries, and desserts.

Flower studded elephants are welcoming the guests.

 Mandap is all ready for the grand event

The priest is getting ready for the wedding

The walkway is adorned with rose petals for the bride to walk on

All ready for the ceremony

Garland exchange during the ceremony

The view from the mandap

 

Religious rituals

With my daughter 

The next wedding post will be all about the reception.

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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 1: Sangeeth

I apologize for my long absence from blogging. In case you are wondering where have I been, I was on vacation in India attending my niece's wedding. I thought I would share my family wedding with you all. Indian weddings are truly a festival in itself with vibrant colors, food, people, rituals, traditions, music and fun.

This wedding was a three day grand affair.
Day 1:  Sangeet (music) and mahindi (henna) party
Day 2: Bride making and wedding
Day 3: Reception

One of the pre-wedding ceremonies is the Sangeet and henna party, Sangeet meaning music.  As the name suggests, the Sangeet is an evening of fun and dance usually hosted by bride's parents. As the musical festivities are going on, the guests get henna done on their hands for the wedding. The main significance of this ceremony is that the bride is being introduced to all the members of her new family.
Though the Sangeet was originally a North Indian tradition, it slowly caught on to the southern states. This wedding took place in the southern state of India, Andhra Pradesh. Remember, India is very diverse in food, culture, and traditions with regard to weddings. Each and every state has its wedding's own customs and traditions.

Bride entering into the Sangeet hall with her aunt, Raji.

Bride all glammed up for the event

The real stars of the wedding.  Haha! 

 Bride and groom watching the dance and music

Girls are performing the Dhandia (stick dance)

Of course, no Indian dance party is complete without Bhangra dance



Bride entering the dance floor






As the groom enters, confetti showers the couple



Soo in love...






Family and friends rejoicing the moment





Dancing away



Stay tuned for more of the wedding in future posts.

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.

Sharing at:

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Common Ground

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