On 9 July two friends of Indian descent were married in Southwest London.
Going in, I wasn’t sure of what to expect, but knew it would be a huge party and a fun day out. Unlike protestant ceremonies which can be done within 10-15 minutes, many Indian ceremonies last for DAYS! In India, my understanding is that they’re typically 3 days…and up to 500 will attend. Imagine?!?!?
This ceremony was abbreviated to just shy of two hours, but still quite long by comparison to more typical western standards. Traditionally, Indian wives would leave their families and be joined to their husbands upon marriage. Given the difficulties of travel, etc, wives would seldom, if ever, be able to see their own families again and, hence, many of the traditions of the Indian Hindu ceremony are a tad solemn.
While I’m sure to get loads of the details wrong, here are a few things I noticed:
- Bride’s Presence: A huge portion of the ceremony takes place before the bride even enters the room. Presumably, this is because the soon to be husband is negotiating for the bride’s hand?
- GORGEOUS Costumes: The bride and groom’s ivory, gold and red costumes are absolutely stunning!
- Best Reception Food Imaginable: Either Indian food naturally lends itself toward catering for the masses, or our friends found the most incredible Indian caterer to be found. YUM! Our table even requested seconds!
- Photobooth: What a cool idea?! The happy couple hired in a photobooth to take photos which would accompany each’s guest’s signature in the guest book.
Our friends have been together for 3 years +/- and they’re are a really handsome couple–and a perfect match. And though my sleep deprived mind made conversation a bit difficult, I was honoured to attend the festivities.