Our wedding ceremony was a daytime wedding and began around 10 or 10:30 am. Our ceremony took place in a neighbooring city, about a 1 hour drive away, in a special wedding place called Shaanti Kunj. We had to be at Shaanti Kunj by 9am, meaning we would have to leave the house between 7:30 or 8, which meant I had to wake up by 4am to start getting ready :-O. (Unfortunately we all missed the alarm clock and woke up almost an hour late because of a late night before with the mehendi and had to rush in getting ready). It takes a loooong time to get a bride ready in an Indian marriage.
Abhinav's aunt and mother did everything for me in getting ready, from doing my hair and makeup to wrapping and pinning my saree to helping me use the toilet with all of that material and jewelry on. Abhinav's aunt, uncle, grandma, and cousins were staying with us in the house already and many more family members came to the house in the morning to ride together to Shaanti Kunj. By 8am we were all loaded into cars and on our way.
The wedding ceremony took a little under three hours time and during that time a lot happened. Abhinav, me, family members, and a priest sat around a fire and throughout the ceremony there were different things that had to be done (such as prayer, giving some offering, putting some wood into the fire, and more); some performed by Abhinav and me, some by parents and other family members and some by the priest. Near the beginning of the ceremony there is a part, called Jai Mala, where I had to put a large garland of flowers around Abhinav's head and he also had do the same to me. It means that I accept him as my groom and he also accepts me as his bride. Towards the end of the ceremony we walked around the fire seven times, representing seven promises that Abhinav makes to me. The first four times I was leading, and the next three times Abhinav led me. Then we walked around the fire one time side-by-side.
Next, Abhinav had to take a red powder called sindoor and put it in the part of my hair going to my forehead. In India, you can see that a woman is married by three things: the sindoor in her hair, toe rings on both feet, and her necklace (mangalsutra). So the next part of our marriage was Abhinav giving me my mangalsutra necklace.
After the ceremony we had a lunch reception where I met a lot of his family members, and then afterwards we all returned home. It was a very long and hectic day, but with very good memories.
Abhinav's aunt and mother did everything for me in getting ready, from doing my hair and makeup to wrapping and pinning my saree to helping me use the toilet with all of that material and jewelry on. Abhinav's aunt, uncle, grandma, and cousins were staying with us in the house already and many more family members came to the house in the morning to ride together to Shaanti Kunj. By 8am we were all loaded into cars and on our way.
The wedding ceremony took a little under three hours time and during that time a lot happened. Abhinav, me, family members, and a priest sat around a fire and throughout the ceremony there were different things that had to be done (such as prayer, giving some offering, putting some wood into the fire, and more); some performed by Abhinav and me, some by parents and other family members and some by the priest. Near the beginning of the ceremony there is a part, called Jai Mala, where I had to put a large garland of flowers around Abhinav's head and he also had do the same to me. It means that I accept him as my groom and he also accepts me as his bride. Towards the end of the ceremony we walked around the fire seven times, representing seven promises that Abhinav makes to me. The first four times I was leading, and the next three times Abhinav led me. Then we walked around the fire one time side-by-side.
Next, Abhinav had to take a red powder called sindoor and put it in the part of my hair going to my forehead. In India, you can see that a woman is married by three things: the sindoor in her hair, toe rings on both feet, and her necklace (mangalsutra). So the next part of our marriage was Abhinav giving me my mangalsutra necklace.
After the ceremony we had a lunch reception where I met a lot of his family members, and then afterwards we all returned home. It was a very long and hectic day, but with very good memories.
Getting ready
Toe Rings and Anklets.
Fully ready now, it doesn't even look like me :P
Hands with mehendi, bangles, and rings.
Abhinav during the ceremony.
I'm putting the garland around Abhinav (Jai Mala). Others are throwing flowers on us.
During the ceremony.
Abhinav putting sindoor in my hair.
Abhinav giving me the mangal sutra.
Finished! Abhinav's mom and dad with us.
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