I'm standing in my saree blouse and skirt waiting for my Amma to wrap me in what seems like miles and miles of beautiful fabric. I'm wearing makeup for the first time since my arrival in India, and I have tons of bangles on. According to Amma you can never have enough bangles. She wraps me in the saree and pins everything into place (the pros don't need pins). I look at myself in the mirror and can't even believe it. White girl in a dark green saree, quite the sight to see. We drive to the reception hall and I can barely step out of the car because I haven't mastered the art of moving around in a saree yet. Before I even had time to breathe we were thrown into a cluster of people, colors, craziness! A camera was already snapping pictures of us and people were definitely staring. My Amma is quite the social butterfly and introduced me to all of her friends.
A little while later fireworks were blasting away as the bride and groom walked into the hall and the Carnatic music was blaring from the instruments. The bride was wearing an intricate saree and was adorned in jewelry. She looked beautiful. I asked my Amma when they had met and if they knew each other from before. She told me this was the second time they had ever met and they hadn't spoken to each other yet. My first instinct was shock. Isn't she scared???? I couldn't help but wonder what she was feeling in that moment. As much as arranged marriages are the tradition of India, it's still scary to have your whole life turned around in just a matter of days! I was nervous for her.
Next we moved inside the hall where we were given a variety of fresh juices and we took pictures with the bride and groom. Next came the food. This was the most intense food experience I've had in India so far. SO MUCH FOOD and it was all absolutely delicious. I didn't eat fast enough for their standards and the food just kept coming. The guests sitting around me were mesmerized by the sight of me mixing all my food and eating with my hands like a pro! And of course, it wouldn't be a proper wedding without dessert.
As the night came to a close, we took some final pictures with the family of the groom and with Amma's friends. I was exhausted. I can't believe they have two more days of this! The wedding traditions are absolutely beautiful and I am so happy I was able to experience my first and hopefully not last Indian wedding. I thought maybe with that massive crowd I would be able to blend in slightly. Nope. There were the starers, the people who stared but pretended they weren't, the gigglers, people who asked questions, and tons of confused guests. I was told I have a very nice nose, and that God blessed me with such light and beautiful skin. I told all the women that they're skin was just as beautiful and God had blessed them as well. It's interesting and sometimes sad to see what is viewed as "beautiful" in different parts of the world. Beauty is in the dark skin of these south Indian women dressed in colorful silk sarees who work hard all day long to make their family happy.
Unreal, overwhelming, beautiful experience.
xo
E
A little while later fireworks were blasting away as the bride and groom walked into the hall and the Carnatic music was blaring from the instruments. The bride was wearing an intricate saree and was adorned in jewelry. She looked beautiful. I asked my Amma when they had met and if they knew each other from before. She told me this was the second time they had ever met and they hadn't spoken to each other yet. My first instinct was shock. Isn't she scared???? I couldn't help but wonder what she was feeling in that moment. As much as arranged marriages are the tradition of India, it's still scary to have your whole life turned around in just a matter of days! I was nervous for her.
Next we moved inside the hall where we were given a variety of fresh juices and we took pictures with the bride and groom. Next came the food. This was the most intense food experience I've had in India so far. SO MUCH FOOD and it was all absolutely delicious. I didn't eat fast enough for their standards and the food just kept coming. The guests sitting around me were mesmerized by the sight of me mixing all my food and eating with my hands like a pro! And of course, it wouldn't be a proper wedding without dessert.
As the night came to a close, we took some final pictures with the family of the groom and with Amma's friends. I was exhausted. I can't believe they have two more days of this! The wedding traditions are absolutely beautiful and I am so happy I was able to experience my first and hopefully not last Indian wedding. I thought maybe with that massive crowd I would be able to blend in slightly. Nope. There were the starers, the people who stared but pretended they weren't, the gigglers, people who asked questions, and tons of confused guests. I was told I have a very nice nose, and that God blessed me with such light and beautiful skin. I told all the women that they're skin was just as beautiful and God had blessed them as well. It's interesting and sometimes sad to see what is viewed as "beautiful" in different parts of the world. Beauty is in the dark skin of these south Indian women dressed in colorful silk sarees who work hard all day long to make their family happy.
Unreal, overwhelming, beautiful experience.
xo
E
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| Bride and groom |
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| Amma (2nd from right) and her friends |
This is just great. Have fun Hkis. beautiful colours :)
ReplyDeleteTell amma that she and her friends look beautiful. Their sari is gorgeous. I love the colors! What an experience! Amazing
ReplyDeleteXoxo
What a beautiful experience!
ReplyDelete