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Published: December 13th 2009
Seems we’re destined to have the full wedding experience-layer upon layer..After participating in the wedding ceremony in a simple village wedding, we became caught up in a much larger wedding in Udaipur. We’d left the hotel to go to the Internet Café, and suddenly came across this wonderful wedding procession…the groom on his white horse following behind the guests, laughing and dancing their way down the street. On each side of the procession there were 4 small children around 8-9 years old ,each holding up (as high as they could),a 4 tiered electric candelabra stand to light the way (it was well after dark) The lights were powered by a portable generator on a small trailer pushed by children and the wires stretched al along the sides to each of the kids. (The procession of guests inbetween) And of course the band was playing, it was encroached right into the middle of a very busy main road etc etc. All in all a wonderful sight…so of course we were over there like a flash, asking if we could take photos, then they asked me to join in the dancing,…which led to an invite to the wedding. So after setting out from
the hotel at 6:30ish we didn’t get home until midnight.
It was great..everyone made us feel like very honoured guests, and it was very interesting because we hadn’t realised they actually have the wedding photos and reception before the actual ceremony. The grrom arrives on the horse through the special entrance to be received under the gateway by what looked like his (or the brides?) oldest female relative, along with all the senior ladies (no men) who go through a ritual of blessings. Then he went off to a separate room and entered the main reception hall with his wife to be (hitherto unseen)to sit on the marriage thrones on the stage, where they exchanged flower leis. (We thought this may have been the exchange of vows but apparently not). There were probably 250 or so guests. All the ladies sat on one side of the room and all the men on the other. For the next 3.5 hours the Bride and Groom y stayed put on stage - no speeches at all, only nonstop photos as each individual and family group came up (often more than once) for their photo with the bride and groom. We had to take
our turn as well. In the meantime snacks and drinks we circulated to everyone in the hall…there was also a restaurant set up in the building next door catering for the real eaters…so we were shepherded around to that to taste all the food, and then told that the sit down dinner would be later (No way we could fit any more food in!) This went on till midnight, by which time we were too tired for the actual ceremony…which apparently must be fairly private, because a lot of guests had already left by 11pm. (Not a bad idea - food & photos first!)
Again, have some lovely video footage, that will have to be added at a later date
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