I don’t dance, I mean I can’t. - Me
What! What do you like about our North Indian Weddings then? – Incredulous Friend
Well, there’s so much more to it, the mood, the festivities, the colours, all those traditions, the mehndi, it’s so exciting! – My response
Hmm. – Friend who is still trying to process my outrageous statement about not-dancing.
Having been my very first time attending a famous ‘Great Indian Wedding’ (at an age where I would actually remember and enjoy the ‘rasmo-rivaaz’) – I was beyond excited.
And so what if I wasn’t much of a dancer, right?
WRONG! If there’s one thing that defines TGIW it is DANCE. Yes, dance – not colours.
Right from the haldi ceremony to the mehendi, sangeet and baraat – there’s nothing we north Indians enjoy more than dancing at weddings (to my resigned acceptance).
But there is one affliction that stands at par with dancing, and that’s FASHION!
Which is why it’s been raining ethnic and fusion ensembles on my Instagram page, lately!
*Feels heart racing with joy at the thought of sharing these four fabulous outfits I planned for my cousin brother’s wedding*
Before I baaton some gyaan and share my wonderful Agra Shaadi experience with ya’ll, I just want to say – CONGRATULATIONS DADA & BHABI <3
Okay, moving on... mentally raise your hand if you knew it isn’t easy to attend a winter wedding. Unfortunately, I realised, a little too late - that there isn’t much scope for someone like me to dress up there (I shiver at 14degrees C).
Which brings to my first learning: The best laid plans can be blown completely off direction by cold harsh winter winds. Ok, fine. I might be exaggerating just a little bit here, but I was so disappointed that this pretty yellow dress was going to have to stay hidden in my suitcase. I mean, what better colour to wear during a haldi ceremony when you’ve got a no-revenge free pass to stick as much yellow haldi paste onto your brother as you want!
I know pantone says Rose Quartz and Serenity are here to stay for eternity, but I just love the idea of combining pinks and oranges. So, while others stressed about buying heavy embellished lehengas and gowns, I curated this very kitsch fusion outfit with pieces from my wardrobe and zero tiresome shopping trips to the malll. It’s TRUE.
These pink and bronze printed palazzos are from Biba, dating back to Diwali ’16. The rust peplum is from Faballey – totally worth the price and my stunning mustard embellished dupatta is a hand-me-down from mother dearest (it’s older than me :O). All I needed to complete the look was some chunky boho-indie jewellery in contrast colours and big hoops that I never say no to. Comfy, easy to layer if it gets chilly and most importantly – trip free for a long night of… you guessed it... dancing!
The most ‘dhoom-dhaamly’ celebrated part of the wedding, is the baraat. Here it doesn’t matter whether you know how to dance or not, coz everyone around you is, and no one’s looking at you! Luckily, I was well-informed about this tradition, (having seen so many picture-perfect moments in movies :p ) Which is why, I had a strategy in place, simple but devilish – wear a saree.
It’s the most celebrated Indian outfit, unquestionably perfect for a wedding, and delicate enough that no one expects you to dance too much in it.
Oooh I’m good ;D
All these tiny ceremonies of applying mehendi, haldi, bringing the groom to the bride’s doorstep to steal her away – boil down to one thing: The Saath Phere
A beautiful ceremony where the bride and groom are connected to each other by a holy piece of cloth and make seven rounds around a pious fire, promising to love and cherish and take care of each other in seven heart-warming statements.
Sounds magical, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, this ceremony inadvertently happens in the wee wee wee hours of the morning. Which is why, instead of being focused on the actual ceremony and sacred words being chanted by an (understandably irritant) pandit, we were all busy shouting for chai and biscuits to help us stay awake. What’s more, a full-fledged ‘flower fight’ broke out between the ‘ladke waalon’ and ‘ladki waalon’ right during the saath phere! Luckily enough, we were all well-dressed for it, in comfy suits and kurtas (for a long sleepless night).
Now, I know my little wedding travelogue doesn’t do true justice to what really happened during those 48 hours, because there’s romance, there’s playfulness, there’s pure fun and there is a whirl of emotions from happy tears being shed to loud uncontrollable laughter.
But what I do know is – The Great Indian Wedding, is truly great. I had the best time and took back some smashing memories :)
So much love to all of you who were there <3