Monday was the day of all of the main wedding ceremonies. We began preparing earlier today, learning from yesterday how long it would take us to get ready. Again, Mrs. Khandelwal was amazing and so helpful, lending us jewelry and telling me in particular, how to look more Indian. I wore lipstick for my first time haha. We then watched as the groom's family all arrived and we helped greet them with flowers. We were so included in this entire process! The bride's brother urged us to help out, and we were so happy to do so. We put flower bracelets on the female members of the groom's family. The groom himself arrived on a horse that was decked out in rich, colorful trappings. The entire thing was such an awesome spectacle.
Cait and I then watched the entire wedding ceremony. This must have been 3 hours long, but we were so intrigued by it all! The bride enters under this veil that was held up by male members of her family. She looked absolutely beautiful, and Cait and I are now convinced that a wedding is not a wedding, unless it is an Indian wedding. The coolest part was when they light the fire and the couple walks around it seven times.
After this, we waited in line to congratulate the new couple, after witnessing an Indian wedding tradition in which the bride's family steals the groom's shoes during the ceremony, which he then has to buy back from them. The whole thing involves a lot of good-natured bargaining, so fun to watch! We then saw the ceremony where the bride's family says goodbye. This was quite sad and emotional, and it was truly emblematic of how close-knit Indian families are. Getting to experience such a personal event as a wedding during our time here was truly an unforgettable experience, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have been welcomed so warmly by this wonderful family.
Does the bride always wear red?
ReplyDelete