A wedding is always a time to celebrate and enjoy. Some people choose destination weddings to make the most special event in their life even more remarkable. Being a host for a destination wedding is fun as well as a considerable responsibility on our shoulders. Our team recently got a chance to host the wedding of a lovely couple from India, the land of cultural diversities. The experience was so special that it is worth sharing.
We knew nothing about Indian culture or tradition until the clients approached us and conveyed their requirements. They were Christians from South India. Chennai was the name of the city, and the language they speak is Tamil which sounded like a totally alien language for us! But it was great fun to listen to!
What they needed was not just a place to host their wedding, but complete support with the wedding planning and execution as they were new to our country. We were hesitant in the beginning as we had never set our hands on something like this before, but our team decided to accept the challenge and go ahead. The result was so amazing that the client gave us a heart-warming feedback. It was a great chance to learn about India and its people. So here is our Indian wedding story!
Indian weddings- A combo of tradition and modernityweddings in India are a combination of traditional as well as modern elements. The pre-wedding and post-wedding events are mostly modern and greatly influenced by western culture. The actual wedding ceremony is more like a sacred event and is done in the traditional style.
Pre-wedding gala
Pre-wedding celebration consisted of a grand bachelor and bachelorette party which was organized by us. They were real festivals with music, dance, wine and exquisite food. The Indians are so energetic, and they love dancing to their minds content. Any music with loud beats is fine for them, and they would rock it totally! The costumes worn by the bride, groom and their friends during the parties were mostly modern party wears but with an Indian touch.
Getting ready!
Indian Christians, especially the ones from the Southern part of the country would not compromise on their traditions at any cost, that too when it comes to an esteemed event such as a wedding. The costumes for the main ceremony were well designed by renowned designers like The Fair Lady Designer from Diadem Bridal Gowns, Chennai.The groom wore a perfect black colored suit and the groom presented her in a lovely white gown. The costumes were very similar to those worn in westernweddings.
The bride was so peculiar about her looks during the events so that she wanted someone from her own hometown to deal with her wedding makeover. She had the entire wedding makeup done by professional bridal makeup artist from Skulpt, Chennai. Both the bride and the groom looked extremely stunning in their wedding day appearance. The bridesmaids were dressed in beautifully colored sarees. Saree is a traditional Indian wear which enhances the beauty of women. The groomsmen were dressed up in neat suits.
The whole wedding venue appeared so beautiful with vibrantly colored sarees and other Indian wears; a diversity which is never visible in the weddings in our country.
Tying the knot!
Here comes the main ceremony! It was arranged in the church close to us. Before the service started, a few girls from the groom’s side came to the venue carrying decorated trays. One of the trays contained the wedding saree, the wedding necklace and the wedding rings. Other trays were filled with Indian sweets, nuts, etc.
The wedding service was done by the church Pastor. A pastor who was familiar with Indian wedding service was arranged. Being a favorite spot for destination weddings, our country has no scarcity for religious officials who are well versed in the religious services of different countries. So, arranging such a pastor was not a big deal for us.
The service was very similar to the service in western countries, but instead of exchanging wedding rings, the groom ties a gold necklace with a cross-shaped gold pendant (which is called ‘mangalsutra’ by them) around the bride’s neck. The rings were exchanged later. The groom also covered the blessed wedding saree over the bride. The saree was worn later by the bride, and she looked quite pretty in the traditional wear.
The grandiose reception
Just like the pre-wedding parties, the reception was also fully festive ones with a lot of dance and music. There was also a grand cake cutting arranged. Almost all the family members took part in the fun irrespective of their ages. The food was exquisite including various cuisines. Indian dishes were arranged by us upon their special request.
The entire experience was a journey to an incognizant territory for us! But the journey was fun and enriched with unique experiences. An Indian wedding which we can proudly boast of and mark in golden letters in our memoir!
Excellent!!The First Experience In Destination wedding sounds really great.Making a combo like tradition and modernity is a great job.I was confused in choosing a makeup artist for my cousin, but after reading your article, I got to know Skulpt Makeup Bar is best option to choose.Thanks for the helpful post.