My First Indian Wedding

Last week I went to my first Indian wedding.  The first event I attended was a dance party with the groom's family.  After a long drive across town in Delhi's notorious traffic, we arrived to the home of the groom's mother.  My friend, and groom's sister, Deepali welcomed us and introduced us to all the family members who were bustling around with last minute preparations.

Dressed up and ready to dance!

A large tent had been erected in the courtyard of the housing complex.  When the music started playing, I discovered that the entire neighborhood would have the pleasure of enjoying the loud music whether they wanted to or not!  I suppose one of them couldn't resist joining in because later in the evening, Deepali pointed to an uninvited guest on the dance floor who no one knew!  It was a fun evening of singing, dancing, eating, and celebrating with the groom.

Drummers kept the dance floor lively

The wedding provided the perfect opportunity to buy some Indian clothing.  At first, I thought I'd buy a sari.  But others warned me I might have run out of time to get a sari properly tailored and that if I didn't get it on properly, I risked an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.  So I hit the stores to look for something else.  After trying on multiple outfits with the help of a very patient salesman, I was able to find an ensemble that fit my price range and didn't need any tailoring.

First outfit I tried on was the winner

On the wedding night, I of course was running behind schedule and was worried I'd get there late.  In this case, it was fortunate that Indian weddings never start on time.  We had plenty of time to admire the venue and eat some appetizers before the couple arrived.  The groom arrived first, making quite an entrance.  A procession of his family and friends, flanked by musicians and lighted umbrella carriers, led the groom down the street in his carriage drawn by a white horse.  After extended singing, dancing, and picture-taking, he entered the venue to await his bride.

Groom with his chariot and lantern bearers

After the groom's grand entrance, I expected even more fanfare for the bride.  But she arrived quietly, on foot, under a simple canopy with select family members.  She made her way across the floor, stopping often for photo ops, until finally reaching her groom, at which point the couple was encircled by both happy families.

The bride's entrance was more subdued

Although the couple would be participating in several religious ceremonies into the wee hours of the night, I noticed that many guest were starting to leave.  Clearly the night was drawing to a close for the guests.  After giving my congratulations to the newlyweds, I took my leave as well.  I want to thank my friends Deepali, Deepti, Yamini, and Sachin for being my cultural ambassadors for my first Indian wedding!

My fabulous wedding dates