04/04/07

      Ceremonies play an important factor in shaping  India’s culture. There are many, many different types of celebration each with different significance to them. They are all created and celebrated beautifully. These ceremonies would not be as pretty as they are without the proper clothing. The wedding is the most elaborate ceremony.

      An Indian wedding is very different from traditional western weddings. There are four days celebrated instead of one so the clothes are changed many times.

Sari

      Women

      The white dress worn in western weddings is unheard of in India. In India, the bride must be dressed colourfully and the dress wouldn’t be plain (meaning there might be additions such as sequins or mirrors); they might also have a pattern on them. Commonly a bride would wear a red or a red and white sari; however the selections of colours can vary. The sari must be wrapped generously over the head. These saris were meant to bring out the true beauty of the woman. In India, during a wedding the bride’s hands and feet must be decorated beautifully too. This is done with the use of henna or mehndi. There are many different mehndi designs which have significant meanings. The flower and leaf symbolize fertility. The peacock symbolizes love. You might see Ganesh-the God of good luck.

      A superstition in India quotes “You can tell how well a bride is being treated by her in-laws from how long it takes for the mehndi to wear off”.

      As weddings are considered one of the most special occasions out of all the Indian ceremonies, this is the bride’s most special day in her entire life. The bride’s make-up, hairstyle, and clothing should all match with each other. Her costume is also meant to symbolize the girl’s personality. Although a girl wants her make-up and hair to look good the most important thing for her is  her dress or sari. 

      On the bride’s special day accessories are absolutely necessary! The sari that a bride picks is considered as vital as the accessories she picks to go with it. A bride’s accessories are her bag, her jewellery, and her shoes. These three should go perfectly well with each other as well as the sari, hair, and make – up.  

     The most important of all accessories is the shoe. Sometimes a shoe is so important that it is the core of the outfit rather than the dress. At a wedding ceremony wearing sneakers or any other type of sports shoes is unacceptable (especially for the bride). The shoes you wear to a wedding have to be pretty but more importantly comfortable. The shoe that the bride wears would usually be designer shoes with a small heel. The shoe would also be decorated beautifully with beads or stones, the strap of the shoe would also be colourful. Nowadays women also wear flat shoes during their wedding.

Shoe

      The next most important accessory to consider is the bag. Many brides use knitted bags as they match perfectly with a bridal outfit. However, the bag is one of the few things that is not influenced by trends. The bag can be long, short, and whatever colour the bride desires.  The bag a bride chooses must reflect the bride’s outfit and her taste.

      Last but definitely not least comes jewellery. There is a large variety of jewellery that a bride can chose such as: necklaces, anklets, finger rings, earrings, pendants, and sometimes navel rings. Any piece of jewellery can be chosen so long as it matches the rest of the outfit.  The most favourable jewellery is one that is made out of gold or diamond.

      Hair

     During a wedding the bride’s hair is very important it must have no flaws and must be more formal than an everyday hairstyle. There are three things a bride can do to her hair to make it exceptional: A popular thing that a bride does before her wedding is to colour her hair. They usually go for simple colours such as shades of brown. Before a bride’s wedding she usually gets a haircut and styles her hair in a way that matches the girls facial shape and structure.

      Men

      Men do not spend as much time on their look during their wedding as their bride would. However, the groom still puts a lot of effort into their clothes, hair, and accessories. In India, the day of a groom’s wedding is the end of bachelorhood. It signifies new responsibilities that the man must now take on. 

      There are a variety of clothes that a man can choose to wear during his wedding. The clothes that a man can wear are specifically chosen for different times. For the real wedding day a groom would choose from sherwanis, Jodhpuri suits, and Kurta Pyjamas. Most men choose colours like copper, grey, or navy blue. These suits and colours are the ultimate item of clothing needed during an Indian wedding ceremony.

                           Jodhpuri                                           Kurta

      Accessories

      Unlike other weddings, in Indian wedding accessories are very important for the groom. All accessories that are worn would’ve have been tested to match the clothing the groom is wearing. For example if a groom is wearing a sherwani he would usually wear a diamond cufflink to match. Another popular accessory is the turban (pagri). These turbans could be made more interesting by adding designs or even tie-dying the turban. The turban can be worn with all three of the different suits. A piece of jewellery called the Kantha (long necklaces made of bead or white pearls) is said to finish any groom’s outfit.  To give a royal look the groom would usually carry around a sword or knife. These weapons would’ve been handmade. For a majestic look a groom would wear a waistband, this was supposed to be the ultimate in showing off the groom’s personality! Mojris are the traditional Indian footwear; these can be worn with the sherwani or Jodhpuri. These shoes were handmade and come in various designs and colours. If the groom decided to wear a western suit (not commonly done in India) he will use an accessory such as a cufflink. These cufflinks would have been carefully chosen to match the suit. These are some of the main accessories worn at an Indian wedding.  

Turban

      Hair

     Today Indian men are more concerned about their hair (especially during their wedding) than ever before. Nowadays, salons can make your hair look like a Bollywood actor or a model. Although, these styles are impressive the most important thing for the groom to do to his hair is clean it. It is absolutely unacceptable to have dandruff. The men too can choose to dye their hair before their wedding though they go for simpler, more ordinary colours than women. There are many hair-care products available in the Indian market to help a groom on his special day!