The romance of the tropical coast attracts not only free artists and creative people in search to Goa. Newlyweds, lovers and long-established families come here to be alone with their feelings. Therefore, a symbolic wedding in Goa is very popular. In addition to a magnificent photo shoot, an unforgettable atmosphere of friendliness and unity with nature will remain in your memory.
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My relatives, friends, acquaintances and readers have been waiting for a big Indian wedding for a very long time. It has become inconvenient to answer their constant questions with the same “yes, we’re thinking.., planning.., soon.., somehow...” We dragged our feet on this matter. Several times already we wanted to give up and do nothing at all, since the stars didn’t align right away. They got married in the registry office back in 2013. Is it too late to have fun again in 2018? But, of course, for India, a wedding is important. Many people of the previous generation do not understand at all what all these stamps in passports and certificates are. Papers! Nothing without 7 circles around the sacred fire and photographs on stage! Finally, everything turned out well - I’m in India, things were organized, my parents were able to come - we’ll get married again!
As often happens, at first the wedding was planned to be very modest. We were going on a long summer trip to Europe and considered it a more enjoyable and worthwhile investment than a wedding where we would just be there. 6 years ago we decided that our wedding puja would be held at our favorite mother goddess temple in Khajuraho. Simple and sincere. The pandid from this temple is also tired of waiting and asking every year, “When will it be?” He really liked the idea of holding an interethnic wedding on his territory. He had long ago figured out where we would build a fireplace and where we would lay out mats for the guests. Well, a small Indian buffet in the evening is, of course, necessary.
But the appetite comes while eating) Looking at the buffet tables with pink decorations, I said that I would rather shoot myself, but my wedding would not be there. I was not ready to send my Russian guests to a buffet table without spoons and scattered salads. Having visited the best hotels in Khajuraho, we chose the Clarks Hotel - a beautiful garden, an illuminated swimming pool, quality food and good service. The hotel immediately upped the ante. To one arch at the entrance and lighting, a stage, vases with flowers, a gallery, and decorated trees were quickly added. Now I needed a DJ. And a photographer. And a video. And ice cream. And cake - it doesn’t matter that in India this is not very common, and in Khajuraho it never happens at all. I want a cake! Now the program. You already know about the Indian program consisting of food and photos. But I wanted to entertain the Russian guests. Therefore, we invited the only entertainment option possible in Khajuraho - a local team from the state government, dancing and playing national instruments. And a couple of drummers to create a festive mood. When Anjul was already in despair from the endless requests of a nervous double-bride, I decided to calm down and asked for the last thing - a guy in a suit and with a stick, who knocks when new guests enter. Now everything was perfect! The guy, by the way, didn’t come in the end. Either Anjul forgot in the end, or the guy himself just decided to take an evening off in the Indian way and didn’t go to work.
Now the outfits. I immediately rejected the offer to rent a red dress, as many do in Khajuraho. I will have my own Indian wedding outfit! I had to go to Delhi to get him. Knowing that there would be no other chance and we would have to leave tomorrow, I found the dress in a record 3 hours. Not red! But very beautiful! We bought a wedding set of jewelry and sandals to go with the dress. We bought a mangalsutra - a necklace that a husband puts around his wife’s neck during the ceremony. And bichiyu - toe rings. They made an appointment for me to go to the salon for hair and makeup. And that was the end of my preparations. Anjul flatly refused the traditional costume that his mother so dreamed of. And from the horse. And from the turban. True, then in the temple the grandfather caught him and wound the turban. To make at least some semblance of a decent Indian out of this image in a European suit and tie)
At this time in Moscow, my parents were also actively preparing for the wedding. Mom ordered dresses and light Indian pants. We bought gifts for relatives. A whole bag of toys was collected for the children. Having met our parents in Delhi, we went to Khajuraho via the Taj Mahal. Mom, of course, was shocked by India. Heat, food, garbage, flies, beggars. After spending 2 hours at night at the station in Agra, waiting for a late train, she did her best to restrain the desire to run back to Moscow) “Nothing, now I’ll put you in a room, you can rest. Smile at your relatives, say hello, and I’ll quickly take you away,” I reassured her as we approached our hotel. But it was not there. Suddenly and out of nowhere, the roar of welcoming drums fell upon us, tired and bruised from the road, and hung with shopping bags. The wedding has begun!
We were greeted with flowers, rice, and a welcome tikka on our forehead. Then they lined up and started taking pictures with Anjul’s parents. Then everyone was seated at a table and drinks were handed out. Parents on both sides were embarrassed and didn’t really know how to behave. We met and exchanged compliments. That's it, now we could hide in our rooms and get ourselves in order. “Did you like the surprise? I organized everything!” — Anjuli ran up to me, pleased. “And we’ll throw you a henna party and a turmeric party!” In general, we told our relatives a long time ago that we would have only 1 wedding day, and no additional ceremonies. We got married, celebrated, and that’s it - we just continue to live. But I decided not to give up henna and turmeric. They were so emotional at Anjuli’s wedding)
The following days were spent in final preparations and wedding planning. Relatives arrived. Everyone wanted to look at my parents, talk, and hang around us. Mom, who generally doesn’t like fuss, behaved well. And my dad traveled all over Khajuraho with Anjula’s dad, visited our field, gave recommendations on the well being built there, showed photos of the family from his laptop, organized Skype with my older brother and niece - in general, he integrated in every possible way and entertained my Indian relatives.
I, like all brides, was very worried. Not only, as is usually the case, that “she’s fat and ugly, and the dress doesn’t look good, and her hair has stopped shining” (although that too, of course). But also for all the guests - and so that it would be easy for mom and dad, and they would not be tortured, and that they would have suitable food, and that they would not starve here for a week, and that friends going to the wedding would like everything. And what will they think, because they have not been to other weddings in India, and in comparison with Russian weddings, even with Anjul’s titanic efforts, mistakes constantly came out. What if there is not enough food? Or everything will become littered and no one will clean it up. Will the Khajurakh boys get drunk and behave shamefully? And so that Indian relatives feel comfortable, so that they like my parents and friends, no one accidentally offends anyone due to the difference in culture. In general, as I expected, the stress turned out to be terrible for me. Although now, having already gone through all this torment, I understand that it was not in vain. And we did the right thing by having this celebration instead of a small, quick ceremony with minimal effort. Everything was just great, and the memories will stay with us for a lifetime!
To be continued, but for now – a few photos from the first wedding)
Continued here: My big Indian wedding. Part 2. Bachelorette party and getting ready in Indian style.
Other posts:
On the way around Annapurna. A look at life and yourself from the inside out. One breath of freedom. Diary. The first day. Starting point. 2 votes.
Indians and yoga.
Indian newlyweds: image of the bride and groom
Not only the traditions and customs of Indian weddings amaze with their beauty, but also the newlyweds, who look bright and impressive at the celebration, because this day is considered one of the happiest in their lives. What Indian brides usually look like:
- The bride is wearing a fiery sari embroidered with gold threads.
- Hands and feet are painted with henna.
- An obligatory attribute of a woman's image is Indian wedding jewelry, in particular, traditional red bracelets, which “say” that the girl is getting married. There is a gold ring in the left nostril.
- The bride's hair is generously lubricated with aromatic oils and braided. The parting is decorated with fresh flowers and/or precious stones.
- A red dot (tilak) is always drawn on the forehead, and the eyebrows are decorated with gold beads.
Next to such a spectacular bride, the groom should look the part:
- On his wedding day, he wears tight trousers and a wide dress, belted with a bright red sash. His outfit is richly embroidered with gold, like the bride's wedding dress.
- The groom puts a bright turban on his head.
- A red dot is also drawn on his forehead, which is applied to him by the bride’s mother when the young man arrives at their home.
If you decide to organize a wedding in a national style based on the beautiful eastern country of India, then these are the images you will have to create together with the groom!
Hall decor
At a Russian-Indian wedding there should be not a lot, but a lot of flowers. According to Indian customs, the celebration hall must look rich and literally be buried in bright scarlet flowers. Florists make garlands from live and artificial plants, create magical compositions for decorating tables in oriental style and decorate interior items.
At an Indian wedding, special attention is paid to the place for the newlyweds. A presidium is made for them, on which there are two truly royal thrones: one for the groom, and the other for the bride. The podium is decorated with flowers, light fabrics and bright garlands.
It is also worth stocking up on a large supply of petals, because Indians like to generously sprinkle them on the young. Do you love India and are planning a Bollywood style wedding? Then call MONA Boutique Hotel, make an appointment with our managers and you will be one step closer to the wedding of your dreams.
Wedding mandap - place for Indian ceremony
One of the most important points in preparation for an Indian celebration is the construction of a small temple - a mandapa, in which the wedding ceremony will take place. It is a small tent made of bright expensive fabric, richly decorated with flowers, mostly yellow (as a symbol of wealth).
As you can see, an Indian wedding is a colorful and interesting spectacle that will give many unforgettable impressions to both the newlyweds and their guests! And if you like this style of celebration, then you may well organize your first family holiday in this theme. Believe me, all your family and friends will be delighted with an unusual wedding anniversary in Indian style!
Wedding preparations
The bride's preparation for the wedding begins a few days before the appointed day. She must go through three mandatory procedures. The first is painting her hands and feet with henna. Special patterns are called mehendi and symbolize the beauty and tenderness of the bride. Beauty salons offer huge catalogs of various mehendi compositions.
The second important procedure is to place a ring on the bride’s nose, called nath, which symbolizes her purity. According to tradition, every Indian girl aged 13-14 gets her nose pierced and has a ring placed there on her wedding day. These days it is often replaced by a small ring or a stylized nail.
The bride's forehead is then decorated with a red dot bindi as a sign of marriage. Modern bindis are not necessarily red - they come in a variety of shapes and colors. At the same time, a thin bracelet is placed on the bride’s foot, which also means that she is tied. Unlike the future wife, the groom does not have to prepare for so long, but he also gets a red mark on his forehead.
