India is a land of diverse culture and religion.  Indian marriages  are well-known for their lavish ceremonies as well as their ancient traditions and rituals.   Indian wedding rituals  are considered some of the most serious of any other culture in the world.

And in India, marriage is not simply regarded as an event, rather it is considered a soulful affair of the merger of two souls.  Many people end up marrying their best friend who they feel is their soulmate.

A wedding in India today may be very different than the weddings of yesteryear.  While arranged marriages are still the majority in many parts of India, there are some who now believe that love for one another should be the reason to marry.

With the modernization of the Indian society and social awareness of the people, inter-caste and inter-religion marriages have also become more common.  Once again, couples are wanting to marry out of love rather than adhere to the traditional arranged marriage.

An Indian bride is considered the epitome of beauty, elegance and style.  Sari is the traditional attire of Indian women however, the very elaborate lehenga is the most preferred wedding attire amongst brides.   Jewelry, makeup and hairstyle all play integral parts in the brides attire for her wedding day.

Did you know that an Indian bride would not be complete without the traditional sixteen adornments of jewelry?  The Maangtika is worn on the forehead. The necklace is the most eye-catching piece of jewelry and usually has matching earrings and nose piece.   The traditional nose piece is known as ‘Nath’, which is a studded nose ring with a long chain hooked up in the hair.  Bangles, armbands, rings, waistband, anklets and toe rings are all worn to compliment the bride’s dress.

A wedding ceremony, in India or any other part of the world, is an anticipated moment in anyone’s life.   It’s an event to cherish and create fond memories for the future.  

Next, I’ll explore the bridal customs of the Philippines

In China, the color of love is Red.  The color red plays a vital role in the wedding festivities of the Chinese people.  Red is considered by them as a bold and lucky color.  The color signifies love, prosperity and happiness; therefore, everything is in red – wedding invitations, gift envelopes and the bride’s wedding dress (if the couple is planning a very traditional wedding.

The most popular Chinese sign that goes with wedding  invitations is the symbol of Double Happiness, shown here.  This symbol is a declaration that the Bride-to-be and the Groom-to-be will be united in marriage. 

In most areas of China it is the Groom’s parents who plan the wedding.   When the engagement is announced,  it is customary (in the Shanxi province) for the grooms parents to give the brides parents a gift.  Sometimes the gift is a household item – sometimes it is money.

A Maid of Honor and Best Man are not always chosen for the ceremony but when they are, it is most likely a family member.   It is customary for the couple to be married on the half-hour of their wedding day, rather than at the top of the hour.   In this way, the couple begin their new life together on an “up-swing”, while the hands of the clock are moving upward. 

The wedding cake is usually large, with many layers.  These layers symbolize a ladder that the couple will ”climb to success” so the cake is cut from the bottom, working the way up.

 Marriage customs differ depending on the region, however most Chinese couples embrace tradition to some degree. For more information on cultural traditions of Chinese weddings, visit this link:  http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/asian_traditions/chinese_traditions.html

Next – Exploring the Indian Wedding Traditions