nothing like waking up on your wedding day to have your closest friends and family smack mud all over your face. i love traditions. they transcend time. they remind us that those who went before us also had a plan, an idea, a vision. india is packed with tradition. and the weddings are just one example of it. we started off the previous day with our indian wedding prolgoge. now, the official ceremony day began with an ancient beautification regime. once the mud dried and did its magic, the bride continued her beautification with local hair/make-up squad. the groom, however, had his barat. traditionally, the groom would travel via a car, horse or elephant from his hometown to the bride’s hometown with each street filled with dancing, brass bands, and locals joining in the celebration of his impending union. jon road an exquisite elephant surrounded by family, friends, and locals dancing around the property and eventually into the palace courtyard. this traveling bachelor party beats anything vegas could offer.
once dethroned from his ride, jon and his mod squad arrived at the wedding ceremony where his stunning bride, praggya, was carried to him. i admire the small yet meaningful traditional acts, such as praggya’s brother’s taking off her shoes for her and handing her over to jon while they exchange leis. the ceremony was filled with incense, readings, spiritual instruction and laughter. the rest, i will let the photos share with you.
tomorrow, i will separately blog the bridal portraits.
xo bethany
