We love seeing weddings from different cultures, and learning about the various customs and ceremonies, and Indian weddings are always among our favourites with vibrant colours, rich accessories, meaningful rituals and fun festivities.
Indian weddings traditionally start with an engagement ceremony where the bride’s family and groom’s family announce to the guests that the families are uniting and that the next day a wedding will take place.
It was a short and simple evening, and we had fun greeting our guests from near and far and enjoyed a sit-down dinner with them the day before the big day.
On the wedding day, the festivities kicked off with the Baraat, which is the groom’s procession. It’s a time of celebration for the groom’s side of the family for the upcoming festivities.
There is (lots of) dancing and singing by the groom’s family and friends, that brings the groom, via horse, to the wedding ceremony.
It is tradition for the bride to be walked down the aisle by her maternal uncle. I followed this tradition and I’m so glad I did. Seeing my parents standing at the end of the aisle, waiting to receive me, was a very special moment.
My groom was no where in sight of course, as he was hidden away behind an opulent cloth (in olden days, the bride and groom’s very first meeting was a surprise reveal on their wedding day – talk about wedding day jitters!).
We decided to play along and our “first reveal” to each other, followed by the flower garlanding was a fun, lighthearted moment for us and our families.
Flowers, rice, and confetti celebrated our union.
After all the ceremonies, we had a short break for everyone to rest, change wardrobe, and harvest energy to dance and continue celebrating with us at the reception.
Following some tear-inducing toasts, our first dance as husband and wife to L.O.V.E by Nat King Cole and All You Need is Love for the Father/Daughter, Mother/Son joint dance.
We feasted, drank Champagne, ate cake, and danced away to some Indian favorites, 90s hip-hop and some old time Philly songs (in honour of my East Coast groom!).