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Indian weddings have a meaning which is far mightier than just tying the nuptial knot. It underlies a long array of promises, commitments, responsibilities and love for a lifetime. The Indian Wedding can also be referred as a gala event marked with series of exciting jubilations. There is something special about each and every aspect of the Indian weddings.

Indian Wedding Preparations

It can be the Indian wedding cards which are decked with ample creativity and innovations, the process of Indian wedding invitation, which is absolutely an elaborate affair and the guardians of both the bride and groom make it a point to visit everyone who are to be invited for the occasion. Next, is the turn of the shopping itinerary, which is one of the benchmark of any of the Indian weddings.
It is a never ending procedure for sure and there is a myriad of things that are purchased for the purpose. It is really difficult to classify that which of them are more and which are comparatively low in importance. Although the most significant ones happen to be the Indian wedding dress for both the bride and the groom, the jewelries, the cosmetics and the various articles for gifting.

Traditions before the wedding day

Bariksha

: This ritual takes place when the bride`s parents have unofficially shown interest towards a particular groom, and the groom and his family have agreed. Withdrawal from any side at the end of this tradition is frowned upon but is tolerable.

Tilak

: It incorporates the bride`s parents going to the groom`s place to celebrate the relationship. A grandeur feast is arranged by the groom`s family to rejoice this occasion. On this event only close relatives of the bride`s family are present. Generally, the female wedding proposal is very rare.

Byaha Haath

: This ritual represents the sanitizing of the mind, body and soul of bride and groom. This ceremony is generally held during the daytime to prepare both of them for the wedding. `Uptan` which is a mixture of sandalwood, turmeric and rose water is rubbed on the face, hands and feet of the bride and groom by seven unmarried women of the families. After this ritual the bride and the groom are asked not to step outside the house before the nuptials.

Indian Wedding Barat

There are many traditions which take place in an Indian wedding function. `Barat` is an occasion in which the groom enters the marriage venue with his family and relatives. In an Indian Wedding Barat, there is a convoy which incorporates all the relatives, friends and family members of the groom. They reach the venue, dancing and celebrating and are greeted by the family of the bride at the gate of the venue with gusto. The ceremony in which the barati`s introduce themselves to the family of the bride is called Milni. The bride`s mother performs a tradition called Aarti before the groom and after this ritual the baratis are allowed to enter the venue.
The groom, along with his cousins, siblings, etc, sits on a white embellished horse as he proceeds to the wedding house. The Barati`s lead the convoy with music and dance. Nowadays, in order to give the Barat a splendid look, grooms like to travel in their lavishly decorated car. Sparklers are lit as the Wedding Barat move towards the wedding venue.

Indian Wedding Feast

Festival without sumptuous buffet is unimaginable and Indian weddings are like festivals. The food dished out at the marriage, to a great extent depends on the region where the ceremony is held. Just like the traditions which are followed in Indian marriages, food also varies depending on customs
The Indian Wedding Feast varies in terms of vegetarian and non-vegetarian depending on the customs of the groom and the bride. The chefs use all their cooking expertise to prepare these exclusive meals.
Indian weddings are sometimes rated in context of standard, excellence and flavor of the buffet served. Previously, food was dished out to every guest individually; however, with changing times the buffet system has become quite popular at most of the marriages. But nonetheless, one cannot rejoice Indian wedding without sumptuous Indian Wedding Feast.

Indian Wedding Games

There are various types of Indian wedding games such as Hiding the Shoes of the groom, Pillow Talk, Finding the Ring and Knotted String.
Hiding the groom`s Shoes is more of a trick that is played on him by groom`s sisters-in-law. She hides the groom`s shoes after he removes them before sitting in the marriage mandap. After the mandap ritual, the sister in law asks for an exorbitant sum of money in exchange of shoes. This game is like a prank in which negotiation between the groom and his sister-in-law takes place.
The newly married couple sits back to back in the Pillow Talk game. A pillow is placed between their shoulders to calculate the compatibility between them as they reply to every query asked by just nodding their heads.
In Finding the Rings, the wedding rings of both the bride and the groom are dipped in a bowl of milk. The couple is then asked to fish the ring from the bowl filled with milk. It is said that whoever gets the ring first wins, and will rule in the relationship.
In the game Knotted String, couples are asked to open intricate knots by using only one hand as fast as they can. This game is usually played to guess the future of their relationship.
This is still not the end, the grandeur of Indian weddings gets overwhelmed by loud music, party, grand feast, decorations and dance performances. They form the essential highlights of the Indian marriage celebrations. Wedding is an important event in every couple`s life. Wedding photographers and cameraman`s click photos to seal beautiful moments of marriage for the lifetime. Wedding Invitation cards are sent to invite the guests. Friends, families and acquaintances join in to give their blessings. Wedding gifts are presented to the bride and the groom. Wedding gifts is a way to set up the newly weds house like household items, electronic gifts, jewelry, decorative gifts.
There are also various traditions that guard the ceremony of Indian Weddings. They happen to be the consequences left behind by the diversity of culture prevailing in India. The planning, the extensive procedures and stringent norms that are followed during an Indian wedding never make the affair monotonous; instead, highlight it with a spiced up tone. The traditions more precisely denote the family bonding and the warm relationship overwhelming the Indian society. In other words, Indian marriages are the looking glasses to peep into the Indian lifestyle.