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Family Wedding Fun in Atlanta

written by Parita 14 Comments

Oh my!  What a weekend it was.  SO much laughter, SO many stories, SO much fun.  I honestly don’t even know where to begin.

Personally, I love looking at wedding pictures more than anything, so I’ll get to those in a minute!

But first, let’s start with Wednesday.  After my sister picked me up from the airport, we headed to Taco Bell to grab some dinner.  I hadn’t had TB in over 6 months, and I’m not going to lie, it was good.  Haha.

On Thursday, I worked from home during the day.  Let’s just say that working from home when your entire family is also home is not the easiest thing to do!  However, my mom made it a tad bit better by serving me some random food every 30 minutes or so.

food at home

So, this wedding was extra special because it brought together two different cultures and people from all over the world.  It was the wedding of my cousin’s daughter Niyati and her now husband Allen.  Niyati and Allen had all the traditional Indian wedding events but chose to have a more western reception.  Like I said, so much fun!

Mehndhi/Henna night

Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 035 Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 054

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Friday was the vidhi (religious ceremony).

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After the vidhi, we drove to the airport to pick up Vishnu!  YAY!

On Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early to get ready for the wedding.

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Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 202
Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 106
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And finally, on Saturday night we got all dolled up for the reception!

Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 247
Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 250
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Niyati and Allen - Happily Ever After 289
And a few people asked about my hair at the reception.  I can’t claim any credit…all credit goes to my mom.  She is seriously a jack of all trades.  All I had to say was, “I want a side bun,” and she made it happen…beautifully!  Here are some pictures of the back.

braided side bun 1

braided side bun 2

Thanks, momma!

Well, this is how my family does weddings in a nutshell!  We are a loud, crazy bunch but we sure know how to have fun!  I can’t wait for the next one!

Written on April 2, 2014 Related:Family, Weekend

Mehndhi Night

written by Parita 7 Comments

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

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The green you see in the picture above was just glitter.  The mehndhi artist thought it would look pretty in the pictures.

AFTER

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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. 

Par's Wedding 151

Par's Wedding 495

Par's Wedding 561

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? 

Written on July 23, 2012 Related:Indian culture, Wedding Planning

Happily Ever After

written by Parita 22 Comments

Hello hello!  Phew…this past weekend was a fun whirlwind.  I had been looking forward to my friend Purvi’s wedding for a very long time, and it came and went just like that.  I wish I could say that I took pictures of everything, but I can’t.  You see, I was one of Purvi’s bridesmaids, so I didn’t even think about taking pictures a lot of the time.  I was just trying to enjoy every moment.  Hence, I gave my camera to Vishnu, but based on the number of pictures he took, I think my fiancé was trying to do the same thing. Smile

Let me share what I can…

On Friday evening, I headed to Purvi’s mehndhi party.  I got there a little early so I could spend some time with the bride and the other bridesmaids.

P&B Wedding 007

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On Friday morning, I attended the traditional religious events that happen before most wedding ceremonies.  The yellow stuff you’ll see in the pictures below is a mixture made of turmeric, sandalwood, and a  few other things.  Both the bride and the groom have the paste applied to their body to purify it before the wedding ceremony.

P&B Wedding 029

P&B Wedding 049

The garba (dance event) was on Friday night.  The décor was absolutely gorgeous, but the bride and groom stole the show!

P&B Garba

P&B Wedding 065

Giving my speech Smile

And then on Saturday morning, we all got up early to get ready for the big day!  In one word, everything was…perfect. The camera was in the car at this time, so I’ll share some of Vishnu’s iPhone pics when I get them.  Sorry!

And finally, the weekend ended on a high note with a grand reception.  There were funny speeches, dances, a love story video, and an embarrassing pictures slideshow.  Too much fun!

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Congratulations to Purvi and Bandish!  I know your years together as husband and wife are going to be amazing!

*****

In other news, I found a job in South Florida!!!  Well, it’s more like the job found me, but that story is for another day.  If you remember, job stress was weighing me down quite a bit.  However, on Saturday morning, I got my official job offer!  Excited doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling.  Yay!

Also, since being home, I’ve been cooking up a storm.  Yesterday, I made my parents a warm salad with roasted vegetables and a slightly unique version of Mmmm Sauce.  And tonight I made veggie and black bean quesadillas for dinner – filled with black beans, corn, zucchini, onion, and green bell pepper. 

I also have quite a few wedding updates to share, but I’ll save al that for another post. 

Have a great Wednesday!

Written on May 30, 2012 Related:Friends, Hindu celebrations, Indian culture, Marriage

My Big Fat Indian Wedding

written by Parita 14 Comments

First off, I just want to thank you all for your comments on yesterday’s post.  I really appreciated all the different viewpoints.  I was definitely coming at it from one angle, and your thoughts helped me reframe my thinking a little bit. 

Now onto something I’ve been meaning to blog about before it’s too late in the game…the different components of an Indian wedding.  Smile

As you read this, please remember that this is all from my perspective and from what I’ve experienced.  The thing to understand about the Indian culture is that there are variations to almost everything you do and celebrate based on what region of India you’re from, what town your family grew up in, and what familial traditions were passed down over the years.

The Indian wedding celebration is just that…a true celebration.  It can last anywhere from two days to four or five.  There’s lots of dancing, singing, praying, laughing, eating, etc.  I’m going to break down the components based on what I know we’ll be doing for my wedding.  And yes, I know what events I’m having even though we haven’t set a date yet.  Winking smile I’m crazy like that!  Let’s start…

Two Days Before the Wedding

So two days before the wedding, we plan on holding a mehndhi (aka henna) night.  The bride and groom’s respective families usually hold there own night of dancing, singing, eating, and mehndhi.  Think of mehndhi as a temporary tattoo of sorts.  The bride and all of her female family and friends get it done as a way to adorn their hands, arms, and feet (usually just the bride).

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Source

Vishnu’s not a huge fan of this stuff.  He says it creeps him out, but I really don’t care.  I’ve been waiting my whole life for bridal Mehndhi…I’m going all out!!! 

One Day Before the Wedding

The morning before the wedding my parents will have a series of poojas (prayer events) at our house for me.  They are held throughout the morning and early afternoon, and different family members perform different parts of each.  For one of the ceremonies, the women of the family put a yellow paste all over the bride’s exposed skin.  From what my mom tells me, the whole point is to bless and purify the bride for the next chapter in her life.  Symbolism is a huge part of Indian weddings.

bride Source

The night before the wedding both my family and Vishnu’s family will get together for a garba celebration (a traditional Gujarati dance).  In actuality, garba holds a very spiritual significance and is celebrated right after Diwali (I’ll save all this for another post).  But the thing to note here is that everyone will come dressed in colorful outfits and will be ready to dance.  Personally, I see it as a way for both the bride and groom’s family and friends to get together and have fun.  I’m really simplifying it, but in my eyes, that’s the true purpose of it. 

garba

This picture is from my best friend’s sister’s wedding a few years back.  If I had to choose, the garba is probably my favorite event when it comes to Indian weddings.  So.Much.Fun!!!

The Day We’ve All Been Waiting For…

To be completely honest, Vishnu and I need to do a little research and understand what all the different parts of the wedding ceremony mean.  Here’s what I do know…again, this is all me…

– The groom and his family arrive and are greeted by the bride’s family.  They all get together and dance (we Indians love to dance). Smile

– The bride’s mother then blesses the groom and welcomes him.  Then, both the bride’s parents along with the rest of the entourage walk the groom to the mandap (a mini pavilion where the actual wedding ceremony takes place).

– The bride’s parents perform ceremonies for the groom.  Then two members of the bride’s family put a sheet in front of the groom so he can’t see the bride arrive. 

– The bride is led to the mandap by her maternal uncles.  Once she’s in the mandap, the sheet is removed, and the bride and groom see each other for the first time. 

– The bride’s parents then perform some more ceremonies.  This is called kanyadan.  Kanyadan is the giving away of the bride.  My mom always says that this ceremony is going to be one of the most important moments of her and my dad’s lives.  In the Indian culture, the giving away of the bride is really emotional and symbolic. 

– The bride and groom then go through a series of other ceremonies.  The most important of which is walking around the fire pit in the middle of the mandap four times.  Each circle symbolizes something different, and once the four circles (pheras) are completed, the couple is considered married. Smile

– Dharma – Duty to each other, family, and society
– Artha – Providing for material needs of the family
– Kama – Unconditional love
– Moksha – Striving for enlightenment

– And finally, the bride and groom take seven steps together that represent the guiding principles of married life or Indian vows…

1. Respect for each other
2. Caring for each other
3. Patience with each other
4. Honesty and faithfulness to each other
5. Building a happy and strong family together
6. Traveling the journey of life together with harmony and love
7. Remaining life-long friends

Annnnnnnnnnd…you’re done!  WOOT!

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This picture is from my cousin’s wedding.  Her ceremony was so beautiful and simple.  I’m hoping Vishnu and I can recreate something like this for ourselves.  Smile

And finally, the reception is just one big party.  If you’ve never been to an Indian wedding reception, I suggest you find a way to get yourself invited to one because it’s a blast!  More colorful outfits, great food, and dancing that goes on until the wee hours of the morning.  I.Can’t.Wait!!!

Well, I hope this super wordy post provided some new, fun insight!  I wanted to give you guys some perspective before I jump into the details with my upcoming posts.  My goal is to document the wedding planning journey as we approach the big day.  And if nothing else, I think it’ll be something fun for Vishnu and me to look back on. Smile 

Have you ever been to an Indian wedding?  What’s your favorite wedding event (Indian or not)?

Written on July 11, 2011 Related:Hindu celebrations, Indian culture, Wedding Planning

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