The New Indian Bride

Guest post week comes to an end today and who better to end the week with than My Leading Man himself.  That’s right! Today’s guest post is from my dashingly handsome, perfectly picturesque husband!   I hope you enjoy what he has to say! 

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First of all, I would like to thank everyone who was able to join us for the wedding festivities.  We missed everyone who was not able to be there for our special day. The wedding was picture perfect and my bride looked gorgeous in her wedding dress (the color of which was kept secret until the day of the wedding).  Some how I managed to come fairly close to matching my outfit with hers (guess I should thank the guessing gods for that).  Oh and by the way, I picked my outfit in less than 15 minutes!

Special thanks to Deepika’s family and friends for putting it all together.  A special shout out to Tabi, Gunni, Puneet, Mom and all the uncles and aunties who spent countless hours making it ever so perfect and unique in its own way. Special thanks to Paul, Rani, Harbir, Sunny (Mr. Turban king) and all my friends and family for making it such a wonderful and memorable event.

There are quite a few moments that I will remember but the funniest one (at least for me) happened on the morning of the wedding.  After Sunny tied my turban, I was standing in the living room of my hotel suite when mom walked into the room and asked “beta Vishal kithe aa” when I was standing right in front of her!  Basically, she was not able to recognize her own son with a turban.

It was a day of dancing, pictures, food, wonderful people, good weather, blessings and love. Ohh…I forgot to mention spirits!

 As they say all good things come to an end. I say it’s just the beginning…

Today’s guest post is from my favorite colleague, the optimistic and wise Little Miss Coffee Time. Enjoy!

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When TNIB suggested I title my guest post “We’re not in Eureka anymore” we had a good laugh.  Being from Eureka has provided us with lots of entertainment over the years as it is such a small city in Northern California that can only be described as well….unique.  The largest wedding I have attended had about 100 guests and was held in a historic Victorian house.  So when I started to hear about all that goes into an Indian wedding I quickly realized it was not going to be like any wedding I had ever attended.  As I made my way to Southern California for TNIB’s multiple day celebration I quickly began to realize I definitely was not in Eureka anymore!

I have to admit I was a little nervous to attend a wedding of this size when I had only met a small handful of people before the wedding.  However, I soon realized I had absolutely nothing to be worried about.  From the moment I arrived at the Pretty in Pink Sangeet I immediately felt welcomed and a part of the wedding festivities.  I quickly made new friends as we ate, drank, and danced the night away.  The day of the wedding was no different.  TNIB’s wedding had all the little touches that made it impossible to not feel a part of the celebration.

From the very beginning, TNIB said she wanted a simple, elegant, and personable wedding celebration.  I say she pulled it off perfectly.  So here’s to TNIB and her Leading Man as they start their life together.  Thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of something so special!  I wish you all the joy and happiness that I know married life will bring you!

Our second guest post comes from my fabulous, spiritual, fun loving and limber friend Miss Made in Yoga. Enjoy!

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My New Indian Bride (NIB) got hitched two weeks ago and I had the privilege to be a part of this momentous occasion. The Indian culture prides itself on family, friends, festivities and food. After a weekend of indulging I am on my way home with new friendships a full belly and fun memories. Indian weddings last a week or so long and if they could be extended I am sure they would. My NIB kicked off the festivities on Friday night with the Sangeet which traditionally is a Ladies night except these days it’s another excuse to get everyone together and partay.

My NIBs sangeet was themed pretty in pink, and pretty it was. Everyone, including the men, sported some shade of pink and represented it beautifully. I was happy since pink is one of my favorite colors… Yellow might have been a different story, ha-ha. Sangeet translates to music/songs; the ladies sit around and sing folk songs for the bride. Somewhere between eating, singing, and dancing, strangers become friends.

My NIB wedding ceremony was bright and early on Saturday morning and she walked in looking stunning! More importantly check out the shoes… they are fabulous! The bright colors and fresh fruits that decorated the lunch ceremony were fun! AND regardless of daylight or night fall I love that my fellow Indians can tear up the dance floor. Everyone was on the floor, shrugging their shoulders and turning the light bulb, but no party is complete without some MJ and Prince…  all in all it was an amazing weekend.

Congratulations to my New Indian Bride, wishing you lots of love and happiness as you begin this new chapter in your life. Remember to always take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

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You can follow Made In Yoga at her blog: http://madeinyoga.com/index.php/miy-blog/

Post Script:  As Made In Yoga was driving from San Francisco to LA, she sent me this picture via text and wrote: “The hills are pink.  It’s a God Wink to be pretty in pink today.”  Apparently, mother nature wanted to be part of the pink action too!

I am so excited to present our first Guest Post from The New Indian Bride’s Sister. Thanks Bhan!

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Dreaming About This Our Whole Lives
 
Three days before the wedding, TNIB, three cousins, and me are sitting in TNIB’s favorite nail salon, Hands Down in Claremont, each having a different shade of pink applied to our toes.  In walks an elderly lady, dressed head to toe in lime green, topped with a blonde bouiffant.   We chat about her second home in Lake Havasu and, eventually, the wedding.  Finally, she asks me, “Well, have you all always dreamed about your wedding?”
 
Strange.  No, I haven’t.  Neither, really, has The New Indian Bride.  TNIB knew since she was in college, that her alma mater would be the ideal location for a wedding.  But details–flowers, dresses, food, music–maybe a fleeting thought, but not much more than that.  
 
In retrospect, maybe a lifetime of dreaming about “the big day” (ugh.  I hate this turn of phrase!) would have made figuring out all the wedding details a little bit easier.  Apparently, you’re supposed to put together an “inspiration board” of how you want your wedding to look.  According to the wedding shows on TLC, you need to come up with a wedding theme encompassed in a fancy phrase, like “Classic Mediterranean Escape.” 
 
Not really TNIB’s style, nor mine.  What TNIB had daydreamed about (and, if I’m honest, I have too in the last few months) are all the details about what makes a marriage.  We’ve reminisced about what we admired in our parents’ marriage and marvelled at our aunt and uncle who, well into their seventies, still look at each other with stars in their eyes.
 
In the end, we were more than a little harried by the wedding details.  We ended up pressing our whole family into work to make the details happen.  But, in the end, I’m glad that TNIB has imagined her marriage, and not just her wedding.