Wedding Season

As we sit in our living room, the sounds of a saxophone playing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" waft through our living room... and that's how we know it's wedding season.  Winter is wedding season in Delhi, maybe because of the cooler weather, and today seems to be an auspicious day.  For good luck, Hindu weddings are planned to take place on auspicious days (according to the Hindu and lunar calendars).  The music will only get louder and louder... now our windows are rattling.  It's going to be a long night!

On the drive home recently, the subject of marriages came up in my conversation with my taxi driver.  He noted that Western marriages often end in divorce, while Indian marriages usually last forever.  This is his explanation why:  In India, families pay so much money for a wedding.  If the marriage doesn't last for the rest of their lives, it's a big waste of money.  I can think of a few better reasons to stay married, but who am I to judge...

Typical Indian Bride - BLING!!!

Mehendi hand designs

We haven't totally grasped the entire cultural aspect of Indian weddings yet, but we know they are lavish affairs which reflect on the wealth of the families involved.  There is no expense spared.  We have a few photos from a wedding last year to give you an idea of what they look like.

Wedding tent from afar

Wedding party dancing with marching band - love the shades cool daddy!

The groom arrives by horse-drawn carriage, yes, the groom!

Wedding party and family dances to the beats coming from a large truck with an amplifier in the back

Most Indian marriages are still arranged, but I've been told the brides now get a little more say in the process.  Talking with an Indian coworker, she said the culture of arranged marriages means the husband and wife learn to respect each other early on in the marriage and both understand they need to compromise in order to build a life together.  Here's a TV commercial for an online matrimony service that struck my funny bone.  Enjoy!