Cards
They say if marriages are made in heaven, wedding cards make them known. What better way to make them known than sending out beautifully crafted wedding cards? But think of this, when it’s you that has to choose a wedding card design, you will know how hard it really is even if budget isn’t a constraint. So it is curtains for the good old postcard style of wedding cards.
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Take a brief look at the varieties of India wedding cards you can just pickup off the shelf. Wedding cards are usually foldable even in their simplest forms, these days and your choice begins here. The off white art paper used for making these have slight silvery shade overall with a raised image of Lord Ganpati on front top. You will see lots of floral or traditional patterns for borders either embossed or printed almost always in golden color. However, if the paper is in magenta or maroon, the only color that matches is golden, definitely not silver.
Recent trend is to have wedding cards in flip top style but here there is no choice of particular color and anything goes as long as it matches with your overall wedding theme. However, bright colors don’t go well with flip tops and more so when you choose to have silver threads to wrap them.
Scroll wedding cards, made authentically to the historic style are the current rage. Here the thing you need to lookout for is the choice of cloth and its color. And choose the one with a wrapping thread; say for example crimson red thread in case of leafy green scroll fabric. You can order scroll borders to have zari laces or nothing at all.
Hand painted and hand made wedding cards are quite popular but they not just cost you more but also take quite some time to make in big numbers. But, it is here, alongside gold and silver wedding cards that you get full control over their looks and feels. Your freedom with hand made wedding cards never ends with choosing just one design as you can have each card made differently; the choice of paper & color, sizes, calligraphic fonts and what not? You can also draw ideas from scrapbooks, have little things stuck on the front, little mirrors and the similar things.
India wedding cards don’t have distinct designs or customs for different religious affiliations, if card makers show Sikh or Muslim wedding cards, for example, just ask them whether you can have a similar design for Christian cards and see how he replies.
Pre-Wedding Ceremonies
If you did not know already, here it is- Indian weddings used to be a week long celebrations which only ended after seeing off of the groom’s party with the bride. While, bidaai (seeing off) is the only thing left out after the wedding it is the pre-wedding ceremonies that really are spell binding to everyone.
Much of the traditional pre wedding practices remain only as ceremonial customs today, however, three prominent of them are still in full practice in Indian and Pakistani weddings. Since pre-wedding ceremonies mark the beginning, they are held by both the parties at their respective places.
Sangeet, an event that heralds the beginning of wedding, is actually a fun filled music session. The family members assemble and sing and dance to the tunes of rather amateurish musician members of the family. Often sangeet (Indian for music) ceremony breaks out into undeclared competitions within the family members and the loosing side is often made to pay the wishes of the winning side. Naturally, the competing groups are male and female groups.
The next important pre wedding ceremony is Haldi (turmeric paste). The term may sound odd to new ears but definitely not after watching the ceremony unfold. Bride and groom are completely washed with turmeric paste following a rather ceremonial rubbing off of turmeric by their respective family members and relatives on their hands (palms in some families.) But what does it signify, after all, is the total cleansing of bodies as turmeric is said to have antiseptic qualities in addition to leaving a brightly glowing skin after a bath. So, what better way to begin your romantic journey than having a confident, glowing skin?
Mehndi (henna paste), also called as mehendi, is used to decorate the bride however, it is not uncommon for grooms to have mehndi. Mehndi artists or trained relatives draw intricate designs or floral patterns over their arms with palms receiving the maximum attention. If designs are on one side, the brides may want to have their grooms’ name pasted but hidden cleverly within the patterns on the other. Mehndi takes almost a full day to completely dry out so as to render its full resplendent color which only means they need their maids of honor and best men for everything round the clock by their sides.
In a way, you can say these aren’t just pre wedding ceremonies but beginnings of weddings. Baraat, (march of grooms’ party to the wedding venue) may be said to be the last pre wedding ceremony or the beginning of actual wedding in India.
Sari Dresses
Ask an Indian bride or her Maid of Honor how easy or hard it is to choose wedding saris and most certainly they would tell you it is the toughest part of wedding preparation for a bride’s party. Is it really so? We will see in this article.
Customarily, an Indian bride receives six saris in all, each of them designated to be worn on particular occasion that demands a certain protocol; and out of which five will be from the groom’s parents and the other one from her parents. If this is confusing enough, read further.
The first sari that the bride wears is the one presented to her by her parents at the first leg of the wedding whose rituals run till kanyadaan. This is because; it is assumed that till kanyadaan the bride still belongs to her family of origin and so the protocol. Immediately following kanyadaan, groom’s parents present her a set of five saris to symbolize the gesture they make her to welcome into their family. The top of the five should be worn immediately and till the end of all the rituals. The third sari is worn by the bride on the wedding evening or reception party hosted by the groom or his parents.
Now let’s simplify things a little further; all these saris are more or less based on red color or its shades although other brighter colors such as deep yellow or darker greens aren’t discouraged. The preference for red or any bright color is not customary but basically because of their beauty. The first three of the six saris are for wearing on the day of wedding, so they got to be of top design and value with attaching highest importance to the second one. What follows next is the choice of border and pallu colors besides choosing the patterns of zari embroidery. Normally Zari will be in silver and depending on individual budget you can have gold embroidered saris. Where and what pattern you need for zari is for individuals to decide. There is another kind of exquisite saris called Pitambara which is not so popular these days because of their bulkiness. Pitambaras are completely made from gold without the touch of silk or any other fabric. However, the first and the third saris can be lesser to the second one in comparison.
The last three saris are for wearing on subsequent days to temple and other closing functions. Obviously, the choice depends on your budget and thorough knowledge of protocols.
Customs
All weddings set forth tiny institutions regardless of cultural grounds on which they are done. When it is Indian wedding, the emphasis is more on upholding this aspect and all else, it is believed, will fall into place.
The customs on which Indian weddings are held bind the new couples to commit for each others’ well being, in every aspect of life, till death does them apart. It is really interesting to know how this works and what place the love enjoys in a wedlock.
The Indian wedding customs begin with Kanyadaan in a majority of cases, but for Brahmins and Kshatriyas it is Upanayana, preceding kanyadaan, which marks the beginning. Upanayana is a custom to recognize the attainment of manhood (read maturity) and that the man is ready for higher responsibilities for example running a family.
Well, Indian wedding customs stand on two principles which begin with the groom accepting the bride as his equal partner for life and for all aspects. The oath ‘Dharmecha, arthecha, kaamecha’ by the groom promises to the bride that he will see her as an alter ego (saha dharmini) in his ‘Duties, Professions and Pleasures.’ The groom takes this oath immediately following a sequence of rituals leading to ‘kanyadaan’ – acceptance by the bride’s parents for the marriage. Even though acceptance on the day of wedding appears ceremonial, it is customary before solemnization. Kanyadaan also signifies that the bride no more belongs to her parents’ family.
What follows kanyadaan is exchange of garlands between the couple and tying up of nuptial knot (mangal sutra) by the groom. Mangal sutra is a gold necklace studded with black beads of semiprecious stones and one or two traditionally designed pendants. It is this mangal sutra that ensembles a married woman in India and married women will never remove it for any reason as long as their husbands are alive. For a bride, wearing mangal sutra is a matter of pride and promise of protection made to her by her groom.
The final solemnization custom is through what is known as sapta-padi which plainly means seven-steps and it stands symbolically for all the steps the new couple takes jointly in their new life ahead. The seven steps are taken by the couple by going round a holy fire which again symbolizes that the couple had vowed by the fire to stay together till death.
Different Indian religious groups, not excluding Muslims and Christians, may have slight differences but all Indian wedding customs are built around this.
Summary
To get a better insight of India wedding traditions, it is necessary to understand the core wedding customs first. By customs, Indian wedding signifies an important event for the groom’s family which assumes the lawful parenthood of the bride, meaning that, she becomes a member of their family in entirety but more specifically for three critical aspects of that family. Thus the bride becomes an equal partner in groom’s familial responsibilities (Dharma), profession and properties (Artha) and personal pleasures (Kaama.) Given this background, it is the responsibility of brides’ parties to host the wedding party and the reception is hosted by the grooms’ parents as a way of thanking the other parties.
Recent trend is to have wedding cards in flip top style but here there is no choice of particular color and anything goes as long as it matches with your overall wedding theme. However, bright colors don’t go well with flip tops and more so when you choose to have silver threads to wrap them.
Scroll wedding cards, made authentically to the historic style are the current rage. Here the thing you need to lookout for is the choice of cloth and its color. And choose the one with a wrapping thread; say for example crimson red thread in case of leafy green scroll fabric. You can order scroll borders to have zari laces or nothing at all.
Hand painted and hand made wedding cards are quite popular but they not just cost you more but also take quite some time to make in big numbers. But, it is here, alongside gold and silver wedding cards that you get full control over their looks and feels. Your freedom with hand made wedding cards never ends with choosing just one design as you can have each card made differently; the choice of paper & color, sizes, calligraphic fonts and what not? You can also draw ideas from scrapbooks, have little things stuck on the front, little mirrors and the similar things.
India wedding cards don’t have distinct designs or customs for different religious affiliations, if card makers show Sikh or Muslim wedding cards, for example, just ask them whether you can have a similar design for Christian cards and see how he replies.
Pre-Wedding Ceremonies
If you did not know already, here it is- Indian weddings used to be a week long celebrations which only ended after seeing off of the groom’s party with the bride. While, bidaai (seeing off) is the only thing left out after the wedding it is the pre-wedding ceremonies that really are spell binding to everyone.
Much of the traditional pre wedding practices remain only as ceremonial customs today, however, three prominent of them are still in full practice in Indian and Pakistani weddings. Since pre-wedding ceremonies mark the beginning, they are held by both the parties at their respective places.
Sangeet, an event that heralds the beginning of wedding, is actually a fun filled music session. The family members assemble and sing and dance to the tunes of rather amateurish musician members of the family. Often sangeet (Indian for music) ceremony breaks out into undeclared competitions within the family members and the loosing side is often made to pay the wishes of the winning side. Naturally, the competing groups are male and female groups.
The next important pre wedding ceremony is Haldi (turmeric paste). The term may sound odd to new ears but definitely not after watching the ceremony unfold. Bride and groom are completely washed with turmeric paste following a rather ceremonial rubbing off of turmeric by their respective family members and relatives on their hands (palms in some families.) But what does it signify, after all, is the total cleansing of bodies as turmeric is said to have antiseptic qualities in addition to leaving a brightly glowing skin after a bath. So, what better way to begin your romantic journey than having a confident, glowing skin?
Mehndi (henna paste), also called as mehendi, is used to decorate the bride however, it is not uncommon for grooms to have mehndi. Mehndi artists or trained relatives draw intricate designs or floral patterns over their arms with palms receiving the maximum attention. If designs are on one side, the brides may want to have their grooms’ name pasted but hidden cleverly within the patterns on the other. Mehndi takes almost a full day to completely dry out so as to render its full resplendent color which only means they need their maids of honor and best men for everything round the clock by their sides.
In a way, you can say these aren’t just pre wedding ceremonies but beginnings of weddings. Baraat, (march of grooms’ party to the wedding venue) may be said to be the last pre wedding ceremony or the beginning of actual wedding in India.
Sari Dresses
Ask an Indian bride or her Maid of Honor how easy or hard it is to choose wedding saris and most certainly they would tell you it is the toughest part of wedding preparation for a bride’s party. Is it really so? We will see in this article.
Customarily, an Indian bride receives six saris in all, each of them designated to be worn on particular occasion that demands a certain protocol; and out of which five will be from the groom’s parents and the other one from her parents. If this is confusing enough, read further.
The first sari that the bride wears is the one presented to her by her parents at the first leg of the wedding whose rituals run till kanyadaan. This is because; it is assumed that till kanyadaan the bride still belongs to her family of origin and so the protocol. Immediately following kanyadaan, groom’s parents present her a set of five saris to symbolize the gesture they make her to welcome into their family. The top of the five should be worn immediately and till the end of all the rituals. The third sari is worn by the bride on the wedding evening or reception party hosted by the groom or his parents.
Now let’s simplify things a little further; all these saris are more or less based on red color or its shades although other brighter colors such as deep yellow or darker greens aren’t discouraged. The preference for red or any bright color is not customary but basically because of their beauty. The first three of the six saris are for wearing on the day of wedding, so they got to be of top design and value with attaching highest importance to the second one. What follows next is the choice of border and pallu colors besides choosing the patterns of zari embroidery. Normally Zari will be in silver and depending on individual budget you can have gold embroidered saris. Where and what pattern you need for zari is for individuals to decide. There is another kind of exquisite saris called Pitambara which is not so popular these days because of their bulkiness. Pitambaras are completely made from gold without the touch of silk or any other fabric. However, the first and the third saris can be lesser to the second one in comparison.
The last three saris are for wearing on subsequent days to temple and other closing functions. Obviously, the choice depends on your budget and thorough knowledge of protocols.
Customs
All weddings set forth tiny institutions regardless of cultural grounds on which they are done. When it is Indian wedding, the emphasis is more on upholding this aspect and all else, it is believed, will fall into place.
The customs on which Indian weddings are held bind the new couples to commit for each others’ well being, in every aspect of life, till death does them apart. It is really interesting to know how this works and what place the love enjoys in a wedlock.
The Indian wedding customs begin with Kanyadaan in a majority of cases, but for Brahmins and Kshatriyas it is Upanayana, preceding kanyadaan, which marks the beginning. Upanayana is a custom to recognize the attainment of manhood (read maturity) and that the man is ready for higher responsibilities for example running a family.
Well, Indian wedding customs stand on two principles which begin with the groom accepting the bride as his equal partner for life and for all aspects. The oath ‘Dharmecha, arthecha, kaamecha’ by the groom promises to the bride that he will see her as an alter ego (saha dharmini) in his ‘Duties, Professions and Pleasures.’ The groom takes this oath immediately following a sequence of rituals leading to ‘kanyadaan’ – acceptance by the bride’s parents for the marriage. Even though acceptance on the day of wedding appears ceremonial, it is customary before solemnization. Kanyadaan also signifies that the bride no more belongs to her parents’ family.
What follows kanyadaan is exchange of garlands between the couple and tying up of nuptial knot (mangal sutra) by the groom. Mangal sutra is a gold necklace studded with black beads of semiprecious stones and one or two traditionally designed pendants. It is this mangal sutra that ensembles a married woman in India and married women will never remove it for any reason as long as their husbands are alive. For a bride, wearing mangal sutra is a matter of pride and promise of protection made to her by her groom.
The final solemnization custom is through what is known as sapta-padi which plainly means seven-steps and it stands symbolically for all the steps the new couple takes jointly in their new life ahead. The seven steps are taken by the couple by going round a holy fire which again symbolizes that the couple had vowed by the fire to stay together till death.
Different Indian religious groups, not excluding Muslims and Christians, may have slight differences but all Indian wedding customs are built around this.
Summary
To get a better insight of India wedding traditions, it is necessary to understand the core wedding customs first. By customs, Indian wedding signifies an important event for the groom’s family which assumes the lawful parenthood of the bride, meaning that, she becomes a member of their family in entirety but more specifically for three critical aspects of that family. Thus the bride becomes an equal partner in groom’s familial responsibilities (Dharma), profession and properties (Artha) and personal pleasures (Kaama.) Given this background, it is the responsibility of brides’ parties to host the wedding party and the reception is hosted by the grooms’ parents as a way of thanking the other parties.
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