Annnd the wedding posts begin!
The kickoff event was mehndhi night, which was held the Thursday before the wedding. Mehndhi is also known as henna. Instead of explaining exactly what it’s all about, I’ll create a more vivid image by sharing some pictures.
BEFORE
The green you see in the picture above was just glitter. The mehndhi artist thought it would look pretty in the pictures.
AFTER
So, I was really restless all morning. I just wanted the fun to start!
The mehndhi artist arrived at the house around 4:00 pm and started right away. I’m happy to note that she was really fast. If I remember correctly, she was done with both my hands and feet in a little over two hours.
Once friends and family members started arriving around 6:30 pm, they too got mehndhi put on their hands.
A good friend and former colleague of mine told me to look around every now and then and soak in moments from each and every event. And I did just that. I still remember seeing my sister showing off her mehndhi, my grandmother looking on with such happiness in her eyes, my parents laughing and mingling with friends and family members, my friends getting their own mehndhi done, and my family filing in one by one.
Something else I remember about this night was the anticipation for the fun to come. I could feel the excitement radiating from most everyone there. It was truly a night to remember!
Before heading to bed that night, Purvi and I spent a good 15 minutes rubbing off my mehndhi best we could. I then rubbed some Vicks Vapor Rub on both my hands and feet, slipped on some plastic bags, and called it a night. My friends helped me wash my face, take off my contacts, and do a few other things (they’re the BEST!).
I woke up the next morning praying that my mehndhi was dark red. And it was! There’s an Indian saying that the darker your mehndhi, the more your husband loves you. I would say that I’m pretty loved!
Next up…the vidhi (the religious prayer event) on Friday morning.
Have you ever had mehndhi put on your hands?