An Indian Wedding in Boise

I have coordinated Indian weddings in the past, but always the groom was Indian. This was my first traditional Indian wedding with an Indian bride (the groom was not). There are numerous differences. In India, the celebration can last up to five days. This one started on a Friday with the bride's mendhi, the application of henna tattoos to her hands and feet. Yes, we have a mendhi artist in Boise.

On Saturday, we had a mendhi for all the guests though only ladies were able to receive a tattoo. The event lasted two hours, with food and music.

The actual wedding ceremony occurred on Sunday morning. We gathered at the event center at 7 a.m. to erect a mandap, the "shelter" under which the couple, their parents and the officiant sat during the ceremony. It looks much like a Jewish chuppa and was elaborately decorated with flower garlands, lights and fabric.

The ceremony begins with the groom's procession, called a barat. In India the groom would arrive on either an elephant or a horse. Since elephants are hard to come by in Boise and a horse would have also been an issue, this groom arrived in a convertible surrounded by the wedding guests who were singing and dancing.

The groom proceeded to a predetermined location where he and his parents were greeted by the bride's parents and the officiant. (In India, he would have processed to the bride's home.) He was greeted with a garland of flowers and a sweet treat, then escorted to his place under the mandap. The bride's parents then escorted her to join him and the ceremony commenced. In India, they might be seeing each other for the first time if it was an arranged marriage.

After the ceremony there was a break, then guests returned in the evening for a somewhat Western style reception. During the reception, the groom "bargained" with a representative of the bride's family for the amount he was willing to pay for her. In India that would have been a serious affair. Here, it was all in fun. Her bride price was about $40.