Okay, get your bucket list out right now. Grab a pen, and add ‘attend an Indian wedding’.
From the colours to the music, the dancing and the food, an Indian wedding is a whirlwind of vibrant energy you don’t want to miss! I feel incredibly fortunate to say that I had the privilege of attending two days of an Indian wedding celebration in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Despite having never met anyone in the family before, I was welcomed with open arms, as everyone was thrilled to share their rich culture with me. Throughout the entire two days, I was overwhelmed with the hospitality I received – I was flung around the dance floor, participated in all the games, had all my questions answered, and my plate was never empty for long!
Upon arriving at the ceremony, donned in our traditional kurtas, my friend Anna and I were swept into a room filled with ladies getting their henna done as part of the mehndi ceremony – a pre-wedding ritual in which the bride and groom have henna applied to their hands and feet. The ladies explained to us that henna is a natural dye made from the henna plant, which is applied to the skin and lasts for about 1-2 weeks. The bride showed us her intricate pattern running over her hands and feet, depicting elephants and various symbols representing her heritage – the detail was unbelievable! She shared with us that it took around 5 hours to complete!!
All the female guests were lined up, ready to get their henna designs applied to their hands, and we were no exception. I sat down and observed in disbelief as two henna artists skilfully traced their designs onto my arms. The ladies told me that women traditionally have their partners’ names on their right hand, so they decided to do something special for me, designing an ‘NZ’ with a silver fern framing the letters to represent Aotearoa. This was a truly special moment – I had come as a guest to learn about their beautiful culture, yet they were just as eager to learn more about me and my roots.
Twenty minutes later, the henna paste was applied, and we were up for the challenge of filling our plates from the buffet, all the while being careful not to smudge our henna as it needed at least 2 hours to dry. On the best of days, I’m a clumsy person – so you’ll imagine this one was a bit of a struggle for me, but I was sure to guard that henna with my life while it set.
The next day was the haldi ceremony. We arrived at the venue to music blasting, people dancing and singing…and it was only 10am! We jumped right in, learning (or attempting to learn) the dance moves and being flung around the dance floor with the rest of the family. We played various games as team groom competed against team bride – I’ll leave it up to you to guess who took home the title.
The event ended with all of us guests showering the bride and groom in flower petals, flinging vibrant yellows and reds into the air!
After another exquisite meal, Anna, Adam and I found ourselves back on the plane, ready to return to Mumbai. Although we were unable to attend the final couple days of the wedding celebrations and performances, this small taste of an Indian wedding was hands-down one of the most incredible experiences!
As you can see by the picture, I loved the event so much that I wore my kurta the whole trip back to Mumbai – I had to make the most of it because who knows when I’ll be lucky enough to attend an Indian wedding again?
So make sure you’ve updated your bucket list because an Indian wedding is not something you want to miss!
Catch you in the next blog : )