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Every wedding day is unique to that couple, and at Grove House and Parkstead House the specialist Events team are on hand to ensure that your wedding day is as special and unique as you wish it to be. To celebrate the most romantic month of the year we take a peek into Natalie’s experience at her  friend’s wonderful wedding in Mumbai!

When my partner informed me that we had been invited to attend his friend’s four-day Indian wedding in Mumbai, we were so excited. Michael has been good friends with Bhavesh since they studied together at university in London, and there had always been talk of going to visit Bhavesh in India when he got married and the opportunity to take part in a traditional Hindu wedding was a opportunity that couldn't be missed and one that has given us memories to last a lifetime.

The four-day wedding extravaganza began on a Saturday with a pre-wedding religious celebration at Bhavesh’s parent’s house to prepare him for the marriage. After the Hindu priest blessed him at the most auspicious time of day (the early morning) the family took over the celebrations. Bhavesh’s close family were in attendance and the women led the festivities as we circled Bhavesh and attempted to rub turmeric onto his face and hands as part of a cleansing ritual.  This was followed by the Mehndi ceremony, where all of the female members of the family had their hands beautifully decorated with henna. As Michael and another friend, Rob, were in attendance, they were given small Mehndi designs on their hands too, much to the amusement and teasing of some of the groom’s male relatives!

On Sunday evening we attended the DJ Party, a rather more modern part of the celebrations. The groom’s entire family and friends partied on the roof terrace of their apartment block well into the night. We learned how to dance like Bollywood superstars as well as some of the moves to the more traditional songs that we would need to know for the wedding procession the next day!

The day of the wedding began very early (which wasn’t such great news for us after the party the night before!). We first went to Bhavesh’s parent’s house, where his sister helped me and Rob’s girlfriend Andrea into our sarees. We then had our hair styled and finished off our looks with make-up and elaborate jewellery. The transformation was amazing, we felt so glamorous! Next it was the boy’s turn to get ready. They looked marvellous in their traditional wedding outfits. Now that we looked the part, it was time for us to go to the meeting place where the groom’s family would start the wedding procession from.

The wedding procession was the highlight of my entire trip. The groom rode an elaborately decorated white horse through the streets of Mumbai to the wedding venue where his bride and her family awaited him. There was a live band playing and everyone was dancing as we followed Bhavesh on his horse. We were greeted by smiles and cheers from everyone we met along the way, with many of the local children joining in the dancing. The occasion was one of sheer joy.

At the venue we met the bride’s family and the wedding service began in earnest. The ceremony was approximately three hours long and involved several symbolic rituals taking place, each one having a specific religious meaning. These included a ceremony where the bride and groom take it in turns to lead one another around the sacred fire lit by the priest, whish symbolises promises made to one another. The final ceremony is where the bride and groom’s family throw fresh flower petals over them, which represent their blessings for the new couple.

After the reception party, we went back to Bhavesh’s parent’s house, where a religious ceremony took place to welcome Binal into the family. This ceremony included a game where the bride and groom have to try and find a gold ring that is placed in a bowl of red water. Whoever finds the ring first is said to be the most dominant person in the relationship. Much to Bhavesh’s disappointment, Binal won! The very last ceremony is the puja, which is conducted the morning after the wedding and is a blessing for the bride and groom’s future life together.

Attending a Hindu wedding is an elaborate, exciting and joyous experience. We learnt so much about Hindu culture through attending the wedding. To us, one of the best things about the wedding, not to mention the entire experience of visiting India, was how welcoming and generous everyone was, and how inclusive and kind Bhavesh’s family and friends were. We will always treasure our memories of our trip and can’t wait to go back!

Congratulations to the happy couple from all at Grove House and Parkstead House. If your looking for a unique venue visit our webpages to learn more.