Planning any wedding can be a stressful and disorganised time for anyone but coming from an Indian background I had a lot to take on – I had a grand event to organise. Every Asian wedding I have attended had been very impressive, but I wanted mine to have the wow factor and for people to be talking about my wedding in years to come. So as you can imagine I was putting myself under no pressure (ahem). I wanted my wedding to be one of great memories and I wanted the day to go ahead without any disasters. I was very fortunate that I had a great network of family and friends who were willing to pitch in and help with the ‘Asian wedding of the year’!
Anyone who has been involved in an Asian wedding will know that they are complex but splendid occasions. The list I had made to assist with organisational purposes was horrendous and at times I wanted to give up. So many intricate details need to be considered for the big day, and then there are the continuous celebrations before and after I became hitched. Before I did this I wanted to plan the date and location. Fitting in with my Hindu tradition I checked with an astrologer to match our horoscopes so these aspects of the wedding would be perfect.
In an Indian Wedding, there are several rituals and customs to be performed before the wedding day. In comparison to Westernised weddings the list of ceremonies are incomparable – this includes the ‘Rokna’ to ‘Mooh Dihhai Ki Rasm’. This could be a long time for guests and it is normal for them just to chat and eat through these ceremonies. That is why when planning an Asian wedding you must ensure there is plenty of food to eat – it is far better preparing too much than your guests going without. As the wedding is very much a community event I was very fortunate that everyone helped out and made vast amounts of food.
I wanted the day to reflect my background and culture and to represent the personalities of my husband and me. I wanted to be respectful of my heritage and keep within my traditions. The decorations I chose were extremely sophisticated but colourful and I knew all my little added touches would certainly impress. The fundamental solution to my wedding was thoughtful coordination and planning. I was so lucky to have people helping me that I knew on the day all those things that required attention would be looked after and I wouldn’t need to worry.
My endless planning and fantastic organisation skills for my wedding definitely paid off. I woke up early that morning to my Mother and close family already getting everything prepared and ready for the big day ahead. My Mother had made sure that everything was carefully handled and met all of my requirements. It was important to have everyone involved. My big day was certainly ‘Asian Wedding of the year’ and my friends have a lot to live up to.