Indian Wedding

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One of our goals while living in India was to experience an Indian wedding. Last week we had our chance when we attended a traditional Hindu wedding. It was very colorful, full of rituals, and long (and we were only there for one out of the four days).

It was fascinating to observe the different traditions being carried out. There was a Hindu priest that officiated the entire event. Unlike American traditions, in India the entire family is central to the union, not just the bride and groom. Throughout the entire ceremony, both sets of parents and siblings participated in many of the rituals. Although we did not understand any of it, visually we were able to take it all in, and It was beautiful.

There was hardly anyone there to observe the rituals, but the crowd grew ten-fold for the reception and dinner that followed. The irony is that nothing significant happened at the reception. Indians do not take the "bride and groom mingles while guests enjoy the meal" approach that is popular in the US. Instead, during the reception all 200 guests sit in rows and watch while, one by one, people join the bride and groom on stage to wish them well and pose for a photograph. After everyone has had their turn, we all moved to the next quadrant where the food was being served. The food stations were right out of a miniature golf course. Including flashing lights, waterfalls, plastic animals, and lots of bright colors.

The entire day was filled with tradition, symbolism, excitement, color, mysticism, and beauty. This was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Note: two red, upholstered thrones appear in many of the photographs. These were never used. I did notice at one point the videographer sit in one to get a better angle.