11 December 2010 is a date to remember. It was my sister’s wedding reception at the groom’s hometown all the way in Sungai Petani. It’s the first wedding in our immediate family but what made it even more memorable is it’s an Indian wedding; my very first time attending an Indian wedding ceremony :).
We drove all the way there from KL to Sg. Petani a day before the ceremony. Fortunately the weather was good and we managed to drop by Ipoh for a late breakfast of dim sum which was yummy. However, my big plans to eat all the way to the north failed big time because we were too stuffed after the breakfast so we even skipped lunch. Oh, well…
It was an eye opener and i really had so much fun. The groom’s family was really friendly and nice people. They are very close knit too. They were so excited because all of us wore sarees to the reception – including my mom! It was so, so awesome!
Everything was so colorful. I even ended up as the bridesmaid for my sister – totally unexpected because we were completely clueless about the whole ceremony!
The hall and the stage was so grand!
Against the gorgeous backdrop, the groom and the bride groom were like the Maharaja and Maharani for a day :).
It took around 3 to 4 hours if i remember correctly. The groom other relatives arrived at the hall first to prepare while the bridegroom and her entourage (including me) arrived a while later in the bridal car. Sis then had to walk up the aisle accompanied by the bridesmaid and female relatives while holding a lighted oil lamp of such.
Unfortunately it was super windy at that time of the day so the fire went out halfway through the aisle!
Ah! That’s us the sisters on the stage – taken at the side during the ceremony.
Mom wore a green saree which really looks great on her. I wish dad wore Indian costume too.
I find Indian wedding ceremony very sweet. The whole ceremony is to celebrate the union of two people and it showcased the close relationship of the family and the respect they have for their religion.
The groom will feed the bride and vice versa. At a point they also exchange toe rings. To show respect to the parents there was a feet washing ceremony too.
Before the ceremony ends, the relatives will sprinkle flower petals on the newly weds as a blessing.
During the middle of the ceremony, the children carrying flowers walked aisle. Awww…
At the end of the ceremony, the groom will tie a thali necklace on the brides neck to signify their union. It’s like a wedding ring.
There were even a game of “pick-the-shell”. A special shell (or someone told me sometimes they use a ring) is put into a jar together with other ordinary shell. The bride and groom will take turns to draw a shell out of the jar. Whoever picked the special shell will be the boss of the house. LOL.
The newly weds!
