Desi Wedding: How To Plan A Traditional Indian Nuptials….Namaste Wahala Style

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. India is the largest country in the South Asia Region, located primarily in the centre of the subcontinent. 94% of the population in India are Hindus. Hindus in Indian often go for a traditional wedding.

Weddings in India vary according to the region, the religion, the community and preferences of the bride and groom and their families.

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The Proposal: Most Indian marriages are arranged with families picking spouses for their son and daughter. Indian couples traditionally become engaged after the bride’s family has formally accepted the groom’s family’s proposal.

There is no ring when they are engaged instead the bride usually gets a line of red powder applied on part of her hair. The bride also gets a black and gold necklace called the mangal sutra. These items symbolises a couple’s devotion to one another.

Indian wedding is split between the couple and their parents who both pay 50/50.

Indian wedding goes on for three days but sometimes last up to 5 days. The Hindu Ceremony, which takes place on the third day, usually lasts between two hours and is then followed by the reception.

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Wedding Attire: The bride and bridesmaid wear saris. Red being the prominent colours at Indian weddings. The bride wears red. The groom and groomsmen wear a sherwani, which is a long top and pants, and the groom usually wears a turban. The bride and groom both do as much as outfits changes as they want.

The guests wear traditional Indian clothes such as saris or lenghas for women and long-sleeved tunics and pants for men. However, if a guest wanted to wear something different and more of a Western option, they should should have their shoulders, legs, and arms covered. Male guests should wear long sleeves and long pants. Both men and women need to bring something to cover their heads during the ceremony.

Colours that guests need to stay away from is white because it is for funerals, black because it is considered unlucky, and red because its the colour the bride wears.

Set up: Indian weddings are held at hotel banquet halls or Hindu temples. They have a four-pillared, gazebo-like structure called the mandap where the ceremony will take place. They have Chairs which is set up in front of the mandap so that you have a view of the ceremony. The first row is reserved for family.

Weddings are vibrant, intricately planned, culture-rich festivities full of celebration and tradition. Hindu wedding ceremony is physical, spiritual, and emotional union of two people; it’s about the coming together of two families through prayer and celebration. Bold, vibrant colours are encouraged.

Celebrations: After the ceremony comes the wedding reception. This is usually a fun party where everyone enjoys. It will be full of Bhangra, Western and Bollywood songs.

Celebration includes speeches and guests singing, dancing and performances for the couple. It is then followed by a dinner. The food during the day may consist of two vegetarian curries, rice and dhal, puris or bathura’s, something savoury like samosas with chutney, popadums, pickles and something sweet.

Evening meal, includes lots of paneer, creamy curries, tandoori meat, and buttery naans.  Dessert table, which typically includes cake, kulfi which is Indian ice cream. There is no alcohol served or brought to the Hindu wedding ceremony and wedding ceremony is also alcohol free.

There is no kiss at the end of a Hindu wedding ceremony as it is considered too personal.Photo Credit: Getty