Day-time weddings always make me think of weddings in the US or Europe. So different then such wedding In delhi. People come to church at noon, attend the wedding, and then go for a nice afternoon reception. We’ve all seen the pictures. In India it is so often the complete opposite. So many weddings often start in the early hours of the AM, and end just before sunrise. Not an easy thing for the couple, or the guests for that matter.
It always made me laugh. In such a wedding, so common in north India, the reception would start around 18:30. The groom’s barat procession would come at about 19:30-20:00 and give the note for the party to start. Once the groom arrives, the couple are seated together to welcome all the guests for the long blessing and photo opportunity line. Dinner is served at about 22:30 and lasts until about midnight, when all the guests, except the immediate family, leave! yes, yes! Only then, sometime half asleep, the couple and the close family wait for the auspicious hour determined by the pundit. This hour is usually around 2AM. Only then the actual wedding starts. Two hours later, and countless reciting of ‘Swaha . .a‘ at the end of the mantras, the wedding is over. Then comes the vidai ceremony. The couple bids farewell to the family and leave as the sky starts to turn blue. WOW.
But really, no need to stress. Winter has already come to Delhi, but the days are still nice and warm. It is just the perfect weather for a Sunday morning wedding. I have just attended such a wedding last week, a small and happy wedding. It was chilled out and relaxed, and felt more like a picnic with friends than anything else. Good company, smiling people, nice food for Sunday brunch. no stress what so ever. I loved it.
* It is unfortunate that the bride had asked me to refrain from publishing recognizable pictures. I wish it was not this way as the pictures are simply awesome, but I must respect her privacy. What I did put up here will have to do, and simply imagine the rest.
