Wedding TBC

We all know that India is a land of cultural diversity, which incorporates a number of communities having different cultural values. Amongst all the regional communities in India, wedding rituals in Marathi matrimonial are simplest. However, the customs vary according to the caste of the residents.

Alike other communities, Maharashtrians are also specific about selecting the life partner for their children. Parents prefer to choose the bride and groom for the children themselves, as they believe that the choice made by the elders is always best. Maharastrians are specific about choosing the bride and groom from the same caste they belong to, and the match must be of equal standing. However, with changing trends and respecting the feelings of their children, parents in Maharashtra are also accepting inter-caste marriages in Marathi matrimonial

After finalizing the match, horoscopes are matched, as the Maharastrian community is very specific about this matter. Family pundits match the compatibility of the stars. This custom is known as Guna Milan, and it is important that 16 Gunas must match for the boy and girl to tie the knot. After the horoscopes are matched, the elders of both the families meet and discuss the issues such as date, time, venue, etc.

The pre-wedding ceremonies in a Marathi matrimonial are:

Sakharpuda
Kelvan
Haldi
Chuda
Muhurta patra

1.Sakharpuda
Also known as engagement ceremony, Sakharpuda is held some days before the wedding. The bride-to-be is given sari as a token of love and acceptance from the family of groom-to-be. Green bangles and a sugar packet are given to the bride, symbolizing the engagement. Sakharpuda is the official announcement of the Marathi matrimonial and wedding invitation cards are printed after it.

2.Kelvan
It is a kind of feast, which is organized at homes of both bride and groom. Relatives and friends are formally invited to join the meal hosted by the families.

3.Haldi
Haldi is another special Maharashtrian custom, where celebrations are conducted at their homes. Mixture of turmeric, mixed with aromatic oils, cream is applied on the face, and other body parts of the bride and groom to make their skin glow. The bride and groom are then given a bath with sacred water. Both the bride and groom are barred to step out of the house after Haldi ceremony.

4.Chuda
During the Chuda ceremony, the bride and her relatives and friends wear green bangles, amidst a fun-filled environment, where women sing wedding songs, and enjoy the custom. The green bangles are mixed and matched with gold or pearl bangles. The bride is allowed to remove the Chuda only after 1 month of the wedding. Green is the sign of rejuvenation and freshness, so it is widely adopted in Maharastrian culture, which can be seen in the decoration of the wedding venue, and dressing of the bride and groom.

The marriage ceremony in Marathi matrimonial starts only after a Muhurta Patra is set up. The Muhurta Patra is set to measure the time for counting the auspicious moments of the marriage. The water filled in the Muhurta Patra measures the drops of water falling down from the Patra. Meanwhile, the bride dresses in a yellow or green sari. The specific sign of a Marathi bride is a half moon bindi on her forehead. The half moon signifies good luck and prosperity, and is a symbolic representation of worshipping of goddess Parvati.

The wedding rituals are very elaborate and need some special consideration. This article aims towards giving an idea about the pre-wedding rituals in Marathi matrimonial.

The Grushie or Wedding Scramble is a wedding tradition which comes to us probably from Scotland originally; Possibly, when they were seeking refuge in Ireland during one of their many wars with England. Before that, the influence was likely purely Irish, which was a favored place to hide from the English, lick their wounds and regroup. Prior to this, the tradition may have it’s influence from Rome. The Roman wedding tradition of paying by coin at various steps in the proceedings probably held some influence here. Since it was Rome who first brought the concept of coin to the Celtic tribes as a means of trying to corrupt them economically, this may have transmuted an earlier Celtic tradition.

The word Grushie in Scots means ‘healthy and thriving’, so in truth, this tradition is about prosperity and getting the bride and groom off to a good start. The best way to do that is by giving back a little. At the end of the ceremony as the bride and groom are to step into the carriage, the bride will throw her bouquet to see who may indeed be the next lucky bride.

Well for the men, there is the Grushie, which was traditionally a handful of coins tossed alongside the bouquet. The person who tossed it was generally related to the groom, his father, elder brother, sometimes the Best Man and even upon occasion the groom himself. There are different traditions for different places and times. Some places require thirteen coins; some require the highest denomination that can be readily afforded, while others recommend the least amount in denomination but the most in quantity. There are even some tales which talk about throwing bags of coins (small though they may be) while others sometimes talked of gifting them as party favors for each guest.

Today, Modern Grushies have survived and are often aimed at the children, where like a pinata falling, handfuls of candy, coins and small toys are tossed for them to scamper after, which is likely why in Scotland this tradition is now called a Scramble.

No matter what the source for this custom was, it is a useful and supportive tradition. It supports the cycle of prosperity for all concerned so in that sense it goes beyond merely the happy couple and moves into the wider community. In this sense it is also an honoring for the place and for the energies therein, always a strong sentiment for Celts of all tribes and affiliations.

We live in a country where weddings are larger than life; and to dress impeccably for a wedding is expected out of both men and women. This is why some exclusive wedding shirts and Indian salwar kameez must be a part of your wardrobe. We help you choose the right one, based on your needs.

Wedding shirts for men:
Wedding shirts are very important attire in any mans wardrobe. Whether you are a groom looking for wedding shirts to go inside your suits or are the grooms brother or best friend, your outfit will make a stark difference to the wedding reception and the pictures captured will serve as memories you cherish forever. Hence, picking the right wedding shirts is important, and special care must be given to the colour, cut and detailing.

If it is a church wedding it is much easier because you cannot go wrong with the standard tuxedo wedding shirts. These are stylish tailor made wedding shirts which are fixed with cuff links and collar studs. These wedding shirts make sure that you stand equal to the bride who will be in her lovely gown. Grooms wearing custom dress wedding shirts with embroidery or custom accent have become the fashion nowadays. There can be various accents like the plain interior cuff and custom made plackets, collars or cuffs on wedding shirts.

For functions prior to the wedding like the Mehendi or a pooja, you do not have to necessarily wear a tuxedo shirt. A plain neutral or light coloured shirt with broad collars for a cravat or a tie makes good formal wedding shirts. You can also think of stylish shirt accents with side pleats and French cuffs as wedding shirts.

Try and avoid wearing shirts with textured materials or pin stripes as wedding shirts. When weddings are held during summer wedding shirts made of linen can be used. Whatever the fabric you are using for your wedding shirts, it has to look fashionable and classy.

Indian salwar kameez for women:
While many women do prefer sarees, salwar kameez are far more common for special occasions. The Indian Salwar Kameez has become the most favoured costume among the numerous costumes available in India, and it is not uncommon to see foreigners sporting smart Indian salwar kameez designs these days too. Traditionally it is supposed to have started its journey from the Indian state of Punjab. Now the Indian Salwar Kameez comes in different variations and styles and it has become an integral part of the wardrobe of any woman.

Churidar Kameez is the most favourite variation of the Indian Salwar Kameez. It is almost like the Indian Salwar Kameez but the difference is that the woman wears a churidar instead of the normal pajama. Churidar is the slimmer version of the salwar giving more emphasize to the ankles and knees and has a slimming effect. Kurta or Kurti Kameez is the other variation which is very famous among the youngsters now. Kurti or Kurti means a shorter kameez and women prefer to wear these Indian salwar kameez without the dupatta (the cloth used to cover the bosom). Many well-known brands are coming out with this kind of Indian Salwar Kameez because of its demand.

All women want every aspect of their wedding day to be perfect, and although its your wedding dress that will probably be your biggest buying decision, your wedding shoes are no less important. There are so many aspects that need to be considered, and as youll only have your big day once (if all goes according to plan), its important to get them just right, from the heel height and the style to the colour and the fabric.

What with all the excitement, and it being such a long day, its most likely that on your wedding day your feet will swell up. Therefore its a good idea to try on your wedding shoes towards the end of the day to replicate these conditions, as feet tend to swell up as the day goes on anyway.

No matter how much you fall in love with a pair of shoes at first sight, its important not to impulse buy on such an important item of footwear. Before you buy, here are some of the aspects you need to think about:

Comfort is key
Although of course you want to look fabulous on your wedding day, you really dont want painful shoes to ruin your enjoyment. Make sure you find a pair that dont pinch or squash your toes under no circumstances try to squeeze into the wrong size just because you love the style. If youre not sure of your width fitting its really worth measuring yourself as it may be that you need wide fitting shoes. If so dont worry, there are some beautiful wide fitting bridal shoes available that will be sure to keep you comfy.

Find your style
There are so many different styles of bridal shoes available so its really a matter of what best complements your dress and personal style. Court shoes and sandals are both popular, or for the best of both worlds you could choose a slingback that will give you the look of a closed-toe shoe with the adjustability of a sandal at the heel. If you have a traditional wedding dress, a lace up Victorian style boot is a quirky option that will keep your ankles supported on such a long day.

Get the height right
The height of your wedding shoes is so important as you will need to get your dress altered to the exact length to suit your shoes. Whilst a high heel is glamorous you need to consider how easy they are to walk in you dont want to be stumbling down the aisle! Plus youll find a large heel puts more and more pressure on your toes as the day goes on and you need to be ready for the evenings dancing. A medium heel or low kitten heel is a safe bet, but theres no reason why you cant wear a flat ballerina pump instead. If your husband-to-be is a little on the short side, wearing flat shoes will ensure you dont tower over him in your wedding photos.

Contrasting or complementary colour
Its traditional to match the colour of your shoes with your dress. If you go for this approach make sure you get an exact match, be it pure white, ivory, cream or any other variants on the classic bridal colour palette. However, if youre going for more of a contemporary look you could go for a colour from the wedding theme instead. As well as looking more funky, it may mean that you get to wear your shoes more often, rather than relegating them to the back of the wardrobe when your big days done and dusted.

Fabulous fabrics
Silk or satin covered shoes are a traditional choice for brides, but white or cream leather wedding shoes are another versatile option. For brides on a budget theres no reason why you cant wear synthetic shoes as long as theyre comfortable.

Bride’s Dowry, part of the Chinese Wedding customs and rituals from the 3-Letters and 6 Etiquette’s. This part actually consists of the most things or accessories for the bride to prepare or to buy. The Dowry is actually the gifts from the bride’s parents for her to get married and these are the things that she will bring to her new home once she got married and moved in with her husband.

Back in ancient China, no doubts that a lot of Chinese Wedding’s bridal accessories have been missing compare to what we have today. That is the reason why we sometimes called it contemporary Chinese Wedding. It has been simplified. Totally changed but the root is still there.

The most important Bride’s Dowry usually consists of the followings. The Dragon & Phoenix or the Mandarin Ducks Bed Sheet. The color will be in Red cause the color itself represents auspicious for the Chinese. A lot of people still think that this item, the bed-sheet should be bought by the Groom instead. The truth is the other way round. This is the very first item of the Dowries. The parent will look for this first before any other thing else. It is belief that this bed sheet will bring them the luck and good omen of getting a child or a boy as soon as possible.

The second item will be the Potty Set. It consists of a potty, spittoon, round tray, basin and a baby basin. Nowadays, most of the Chinese couples that I found in Malaysia are trying to opt this out. This is actually very wrong. They dont even know what they are missing out. As I totally understand that most of them dont want children as soon as they get married. They are actually afraid the having children will tie them up. This set is actually meant for them to have children. In Chinese we call it

Red Wooden Clog – a pair for each of the couple wear inside their new home after they got married and also meant for the couple to be successful after they got married. It usually will be placed on top of the war drop and the higher it goes, the more successful the couple will be in the future.

Pair of charcoals actually meant for two things. The first one is meant for the bride to bring luck and prosperity to her husband. The second one is for the bride to use. Back in the old days, the charcoal will be lit and placed on the ground right in the middle of the grooms house front door for the bride to enter the door by crossing over it. This is to spell off evil spirit from entering the house.

Red or wedding umbrella- for the bride’s elderly usually the father will have to use it when sending the bride out of the house when the groom comes fetching her on the wedding day. The reason is her father is blessing them to have lots of children.

A pair of paper fans will also be needed on the big day. One will be used during the wedding day before the groom come to fetch her. Once she is inside the car, then she will have to throw the one she is using and change to the other one and continue to hold it until they reach the grooms house. The first one will be thrown out to leave part of the good luck and prosperity back to the brides home instead of bringing all over to the other side.

Chinese Wedding Tea Set is also a must. A new set is needed for the bride to bring it over the new home for her to serve tea grooms elderly during the tea ceremony. This is actually one of the major events in Chinese Wedding.

Lastly it will be the 8-boys cushion for the needles. For the Chinese, this is meant for more boys. This is a very good omen for them.

The above are only partly of whatever that has to be done. Betrothal Gifts is another custom that Chinese are still practicing until today.