Indian Weddings

Globally, a wedding is all about three C’s- ceremony, commitment, and celebration- but so much of the experience depends on who and where you are. If you have seen ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ and have thought, ‘Wow, this is huge and stunning!’, then we must suggest you try attending an Indian wedding for once in your lifetime to see how incredibly Indian weddings are different. Because there are weddings and then there are Indian weddings and trust us it makes a heck lot of difference when you get to be a part of an authentic Indian wedding. Indian weddings have their own charm and vibe. Filled with plenty of singing and dancing (all the credit goes to their connection with Bollywood), vibrant shades of colors that you could possibly name, and lastly the celebrations and ceremonies that go on and on like forever! Capturing an Indian wedding is nothing less than a dream for our Indian wedding photographers as Indian wedding photographs speak for themselves. Beyond documenting the best of wedding moments, our South-Asian wedding photographers put great emphasis on framing all those priceless moments with excellent creativity. 

No wonder Indian weddings are large, shiny, and extravagant, with ceremonies lasting as long as six to seven hours. One of the main reasons because of which Indian weddings are huge is that the bride and groom’s family invites everyone. Completely based on one’s regional culture and religion, wedding rituals may vary. Usually, every Indian wedding is a multi-day wedding celebration that has a Haldi (turmeric) ceremony followed by a Henna ceremony, a Sangeet (singing and dancing) ceremony, and lastly the wedding ceremony. The culmination of all these ceremonies, however, is the final wedding day which in and of itself consists of significant moments of religion and culture that pull together to create a beautiful celebration of marriage and Indian culture. Here is a pro-tip if you ever get the chance to witness an Indian wedding- when you have planned to go to an Indian wedding, kindly do not expect to have any other plan. Just expect splendid saris, lots of red, kind of food festival, colors, idiosyncrasies, and no kissing (for sure)! 
 

No doubt at times it gets tiring with so much happening around, but then for the kind of fun and memorable experience the Indian weddings have to offer, it is truly worth a while. So, let’s dive into the pool of Indian weddings and see in detail what Indian weddings are all about! 

Full of Culture Bank

Indian weddings are full of a vibrant and distinctive culture. Every wedding reflects the incredible culture of the country in the best way possible. This eventually means that if you are attending an Indian wedding especially in India it will be like exploring a part of the country. Indian weddings surely give a plethora of photography opportunities to our Asian wedding photographers to capture the true essence of Indian weddings in the best of frames. From traditional food to stunning attires gleaming in different shades of red and pink to amazing rituals, you will have the opportunity to cherish everything in an Indian wedding extravaganza. Unquestionably, Indian weddings are tonnes of fun especially when you are the guest. You will surely be treated in a most-special way (yeah the one you actually see in Bollywood movies with garlands and stuff!) with fantastic transport arrangements all done right. While you have made plans to attend an Indian wedding especially in India, then trust us you don’t have to stress about your stay as the accommodation will be pre-booked and a great food menu will be selected in advance to offer you the best of Indian cuisine. All in all, your experience of attending an Indian wedding will be about witnessing the warmest of all hospitality and a large part of the country’s culture.

The Multi-Day Timeline

Every Indian wedding is quite a party; it usually lasts three days! (yeah you read it right, three days of non-stop fun, dance, and entertainment). If you wish you can hang around the whole time or can only choose to make your presence on the big day. The first night is more of an intimate family celebration, as it majorly consists of the bride, groom, and their closed family members only. The first day before the wedding is when the priest performs the Ganesh pooja (worshiping of Lord Ganesha). The second day is the Mehndi (henna) ceremony, where the brides and all the female members of the family get those intricate and lovely henna drawings, you might have seen before, done on their hands and feet. The second night is when the wedding guests attend; it’s the Sangeet function, and it involves a feast and dancing. Day three is when the main ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception occur. Your wedding invitation will let you know which parts of the wedding you’re invited to.

Interesting Rituals and Traditions

The plethora of rituals and traditions always makes Indian weddings quite special and unique. Right from applying turmeric on the lovely faces of the bride and groom, to applying henna on the palms and foot of the bride and groom, to the hiding of shoes of the groom by the bride’s sisters and friends, Indian weddings are full of endless intriguing and unique rituals and traditions that everybody enjoys wholeheartedly. These amazing and unique rituals will give our professional and talented Indian wedding photographers opportunities to capture the true authenticity of any Indian wedding. 
 

There are some funny and memorable moments that take place, such as when the guests look for the bride or the groom, quite different from the flower-throwing ceremonies that beautiful American brides have. Indian weddings are full of juicy gossip, so if you have ears for endless gossip, then surely you will have the best time of your life witnessing Indian weddings!
 

Though Indian wedding ceremonies are religious, they are also full of emotions and candid moments for our wedding photographers in Asia to capture priceless moments! Our professional team of Indian wedding photographers always strive to document a unique combination of wide-angle photos and close-up photographs from a variety of different angles, anticipating and lovely smiles, and all the emotional moments, everyone will witness during the Indian wedding ceremony. For example, we know that after the couples walk around the fire, there is enough opportunity for our wedding photographers to capture some amazing laughs and tears of joy! 

An Endless Food Fare

There is no denying the fact that Indians love to eat and prepare some fancy and mouth-watering dishes. And guess what? What will be the best time to give all these delectables a try? Obviously, the wedding time! The hosts prepare the best of the regional foods along with the most popular cuisines in India to treat their guests with an unsurpassed gastronomic experience. Indian weddings and food always go hand-in-hand! An Indian wedding is incomplete with an extravagant food fare as it is also one of those things that the guests gossip about post attending a wedding in India, especially! Your food options usually begin from the savories served as starters (both veg and non-veg) to the main course that will deal with some 50 different dishes or more and then round desserts that again will be pretty high in number. So, it wouldn’t be an overstatement if I say that an Indian wedding is practically a food tour. So, gear up and prepare yummy tummy for some gastric adventure!

There’s a splash of colors

Nobody is a stranger to Indians’ love for colors, and Indian weddings are the perfect example of it. Weddings in America and weddings in India are just the opposite of each other. American weddings are usually white weddings whereas Indian weddings are truly a visual treat for everyone. Men and women wear clothes in such incredible colors that you might not even know the name of (even Google will not be able to tell you) but together they all look fabulous (period). The bright and poppy Indian costumes will make you fall head over heels in love with the different hues of colors. Neutrals are a no-no; eye-catching dresses or saris are the typical attire. Undoubtedly, you will experience a splash of colors once you have made up your mind to attend an Indian wedding, especially in India. The costumes alone will make you feel excited to find out what else the wedding has in store for you. After the wedding costumes there comes the jewelry! Ohhh! Let us tell you in advance that you will fall in love with it. Since there is a decorative piece for almost all body parts i.e head, forehead, ears, neck, waist, feet, and arms; elegance is something you’d become a fan of. Although it is still an emotional moment for everyone, it is actually joyful. The rainbow of colors makes Indian weddings much more lively and incredible. 
 

Apart from wedding costumes and jewelry, Indian wedding venues are usually very vibrant and colorful. There are decorations all over the place that makes the venue even more interesting and camera-friendly. Our excellent team of wedding photographers will not stop documenting a bucket full of wedding photos throughout the celebration. 

Endless Impromptu Events

Do you know that Indian weddings are full of events and sometimes not-so-eventful experiences? And if you have a funny bone you will peacefully sail through all this, as no matter what happens at the Indian weddings, it always ends in complete peace and harmony! We mean what are your odds of watching a completely drunk uncle (either from the bride's side or from the groom's side) pick up an argument with the caterer only because the pieces of paneer (the tasty cottage cheese) in the curry are not enough (pun intended). Yes, that is likely to happen at an Indian wedding, and also impromptu dances are quite common, overall, you’d be in for a lot of surprises, so pull up your socks, take a deep breath and be prepared to roll into an Indian wedding.

The Longer Celebrations

Most weddings happening around the world are usually for an hour, and then guests and couples have the entire night to party. However, Indian weddings can go on for months, and that is the beauty of this grand and flamboyant celebration. It is absolutely true that the last three days of the wedding are undoubtedly the most exciting and happening ones, but the ceremony proceedings have their own charm and elegance as these small celebrations keep everyone excited all the time. There might be a lavish or small engagement ceremony followed by other traditional rituals and ceremonies that bring not only the couples but also their families closer. There are also other traditional practices that the couple will do based on the family’s desire. It means that if you get an invitation to attend an Indian wedding, you have to prepare to be out of town for several days.
 

Never say no to an Indian wedding invitation just because of its longer celebration as trust us, experiencing these celebrations is an opportunity of a lifetime. Even if you’re not Indian yourself, you’ll still feel like you’re a part of the family throughout the celebration.

Local Experience

As already mentioned above, Indian weddings are a reflection of the culture of the country. So just to add to that point, we want to say that Indian weddings are perfect to learn about a particular culture in extreme detail. Yes, from what is eaten in a specific region to which is the popular dance form, you’d learn all the little details, and trust me, it is such a satisfying feeling. So, if you are a curious enthusiast and want to learn more about Indian culture you must attend an Indian wedding for sure. The best part is, you don’t have to wander from place to place to get all this information, it always comes to you when you attend an Indian wedding. You can simply enjoy the comfort of your couch or the discomfort of the mat sometimes, to learn tiny details of one of the richest/rarest cultures in India!
 

Truly a wedding in India is your best bet to savor the finest of the country and guess what, the happiness is contagious!