Mumbai Wedding

When we were nearing the end of our tour with Dilip, we were driving down this big main road when he pointed out some activity at the side of the road, “That’s a wedding” he said, so we asked him to stop so we could have a look. We jumped out of the car with our cameras and the first thing we saw was a man on horse - The Groom. He was all dressed up in finery with a feather in his turban and a band was playing all around him. Drums were beating and people were dancing. He looked a bit overwhelmed by it all. They were making their way very very slowly towards the wedding hall about 100ft further down the road. Everywhere we looked there were ladies in the most beautiful sarees and Dilip explained these were their special wedding sarees, some cost 1000‘s. Lots of beautiful ladies but no sign of the Bride. We asked a few people and they said she was safely hidden away inside for now but would come out shortly. We decided to wait a while until she came out and in the meantime, we just enjoyed watching everything going on. There were waiters outside with drinks they were offering to the wedding guests so we were delighted when a man told them to offer some to us too as it was very hot. The Groom was still a long way off and then we found what we believe was the Grooms family. One lady was wearing just the most beautiful saree there was there, and we think she was his mother. She had a ceremonial pot she would put on her head. Anyway, she kept smiling at us and we think she was happy to have us there and taking an interest. Like any mother, she was proud of her son and was happy to show him off on his big day! Then a younger man - all in finery again - but not on a horse - who we later found out was the Bride’s brother, got chatting to us and asking us where we were from. Then he said “please come inside and have a look around”. Not ones to miss an opportunity like this, we said thank you and sped off inside with our cameras and left our guide outside. Inside was very ornate, flowers and chandeliers and food tables everywhere. There were that many waiting staff they outnumbered the guests inside at that point. We wandered around feeling really out of place and extremely under-dressed as everyone was in beautiful clothes and we were just in our shorts and flip flops! The staff were all prompting us to eat but we felt uneasy about it. We took a token nibble from a hors d’heurve tray and a small bottle of water. Then we were spotted by the Bride’s brother again who was now inside. “Have you eaten?” he asked us. We tried to be polite and say we had had a nibble but he saw straight through us. “I want you to try EVERYTHING!” he said beaming. So feeling properly invited now, we took up the challenge to try everything. Realising it was all vegetarian too we were in our element but there was just so much food and choice we selected small amounts of a few of the curries and stood there eating them. Needless to say it was all delicious but much spicier than any food we had had in India so far. Then with our hands already full, the waiters kept bringing samples of more food for us to try. “Oh i see you have no vegetables” they would say then disappear only to return with some for us. With our hands and mouths already full we were powerless to resist or argue! Then came the drinks. Beautiful blackcurrenty flavoured lassie or smoothie type drinks. We had to stop eating to free up a hand to take the glass, then they would put more food on our plate where we had eaten some and made a space. Other guests would stop and ask us “How are you enjoying an Indian wedding? Make sure you eat” It was hilarious! Then at last we saw the bride come out covered in a drape held by her friends and female members of her family. At last we had en excuse to put our plates down and we followed her. The Bride and Groom met at the entrance to the wedding hall and the tradition is they throw a flower garland over each others heads. The Groom has to try and duck out of it - and hence avoid capture we think - but she got him, all this whilst balance up on the shoulders of the guests. While we were there watching this, a group of girls stood in front of Jody started to chat to her. They introduced her to the Bride’s mother who didn’t speak any English. Not really knowing what to say to her, Jody said Congratulations which the girls translated for the mother. Then they all laughed so we are not sure what they found funny but maybe it means something else here. Then the Bride and Groom go and do the official bit and that’s when the partying really starts. So saying our thank yous and farewells we slipped out to meet our guide and decided that Indian weddings were much less stuffy than the typical English weddings and much more fun!