Wedding Traditions of India
India is a land of diverse culture and religion. Indian marriages are well-known for their lavish ceremonies as well as their ancient traditions and rituals. Indian wedding rituals are considered some of the most serious of any other culture in the world.
And in India, marriage is not simply regarded as an event, rather it is considered a soulful affair of the merger of two souls. Many people end up marrying their best friend who they feel is their soulmate.
A wedding in India today may be very different than the weddings of yesteryear. While arranged marriages are still the majority in many parts of India, there are some who now believe that love for one another should be the reason to marry.
With the modernization of the Indian society and social awareness of the people, inter-caste and inter-religion marriages have also become more common. Once again, couples are wanting to marry out of love rather than adhere to the traditional arranged marriage.
An Indian bride is considered the epitome of beauty, elegance and style. Sari is the traditional attire of Indian women however, the very elaborate lehenga is the most preferred wedding attire amongst brides. Jewelry, makeup and hairstyle all play integral parts in the brides attire for her wedding day.
Did you know that an Indian bride would not be complete without the traditional sixteen adornments of jewelry? The Maangtika is worn on the forehead. The necklace is the most eye-catching piece of jewelry and usually has matching earrings and nose piece. The traditional nose piece is known as ‘Nath’, which is a studded nose ring with a long chain hooked up in the hair. Bangles, armbands, rings, waistband, anklets and toe rings are all worn to compliment the bride’s dress.
A wedding ceremony, in India or any other part of the world, is an anticipated moment in anyone’s life. It’s an event to cherish and create fond memories for the future.
Next, I’ll explore the bridal customs of the Philippines
Read MoreThe Color of Love
What color IS love? Does love even HAVE a color? In writing today’s post, I’m reminded of a discussion I had about Chinese wedding culture with an associate I work with.
In China, the color of love is Red. The color red plays a vital role in the wedding festivities of the Chinese people. Red is considered by them as a bold and lucky color. The color signifies love, prosperity and happiness; therefore, everything is in red – wedding invitations, gift envelopes and the bride’s wedding dress (if the couple is planning a very traditional wedding.
The most popular Chinese sign that goes with wedding invitations is the symbol of Double Happiness, shown here. This symbol is a declaration that the Bride-to-be and the Groom-to-be will be united in marriage.
In most areas of China it is the Groom’s parents who plan the wedding. When the engagement is announced, it is customary (in the Shanxi province) for the grooms parents to give the brides parents a gift. Sometimes the gift is a household item – sometimes it is money.
A Maid of Honor and Best Man are not always chosen for the ceremony but when they are, it is most likely a family member. It is customary for the couple to be married on the half-hour of their wedding day, rather than at the top of the hour. In this way, the couple begin their new life together on an “up-swing”, while the hands of the clock are moving upward.
The wedding cake 
is usually large, with many layers. These layers symbolize a ladder that the couple will ”climb to success” so the cake is cut from the bottom, working the way up.
Marriage customs differ depending on the region, however most Chinese couples embrace tradition to some degree. For more information on cultural traditions of Chinese weddings, visit this link: http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/asian_traditions/chinese_traditions.html
Next – Exploring the Indian Wedding Traditions
Read MoreWINDY DAYS & WEDDING VEILS
….just don’t go together. Sounds like that should be a song but it’s so true. While outdoor weddings are truly lovely, there’s nothing too pretty about your wedding veil blowing in your face. And it’s bad enough that this could happen as you say your vows, it can also happen during the picture-taking session.
Now there’s a solution to having to hold down your veil and it’s called Veil Weights. Created by Southern California Wedding Planner, Jill Watson, these beautiful pieces of magnetic jewelry can be easily attached to a bride's veil, thus keeping those veils where they were meant to be. After coordinating many weddings where windy conditions caused her brides' veil to blow here and there, disrupting the ceremony and videos, Jill decided they would be just the solution to a frequent situation at beach weddings. Jill notes that a veil will still have movement but they will keep it from blowing out of control.
The weights come in a package of 6 in four styles - Swarovski crystal in an oval or round shape or Mother of Pearl in oval or round shapes. Since they are magnetic they attach easily to the bottom of a veil. Instructions come with every set and after the wedding you can use them as magnets to hang up your beautiful wedding photos.
Jewels by Jan is excited to offer Jill's veil weights at $59.95 for a set of 6. Be prepared for the unpredictable ocean breezes and and keep in mind that anywhere the wind blows - at the beach, on an island or even in wine country, veil weights will keep veils under control.
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