South Asian Weddings

Tips for a Blended Indian-Western wedding?

Any thoughts on how to do a combined Indian/Western wedding?  Have two shortened ceremonies the same day and do a costume change?  Separate into two?  

My dilemma is that if we move the Indian ceremony to Sunday, I am afraid some people won't stay for it; however, if we have it on Friday or even on Saturday before the Western one, it means no mehendi ceremony b/c I don't want henna with my white dress.

Thank you so much!

Re: Tips for a Blended Indian-Western wedding?

  • Any thoughts on how to do a combined Indian/Western wedding?  Have two shortened ceremonies the same day and do a costume change?  Separate into two?  

    My dilemma is that if we move the Indian ceremony to Sunday, I am afraid some people won't stay for it; however, if we have it on Friday or even on Saturday before the Western one, it means no mehendi ceremony b/c I don't want henna with my white dress.

    Thank you so much!
  • smith5jmsmith5jm member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    edited March 2013
    Welcome!  We are just doing one ceremony/reception and combining traditions from both.  The idea of having 2 separate ceremonies  seemed like too much for me, although it seems like alot of people do that.  Below is a good thread where people talked about how they combined wedding traditions. 

    http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_south-asian-weddings_america-punjabi-blended-wedding-reception
  • Hi!
    Our ceremony will start as a Hindu ceremony (abbreviated) and then we will transition into an exchange of vows. I'll be wearing a sari for the whole ceremony and he will be in a suit with a duputta. For the reception, I am going to wear a white wedding dress. 

    We did this to avoid having two ceremonies and to have enough time for me to change into a white dress and still fit in photos in both sets of attire.

    Would love to hear your suggestions or what you end up doing :) 

    Figuring out a timeline for the day has been a challenge for me. 
  • We are doing ours on Sunday with a church ceremony at 1 and then pictures after that. We are combining the cocktail hour at 5, Indian ceremony at 6 (abbreviated) and then reception till 10 all in the reception hall. I'll be wearing a white wedding dress in the morning and then changing to a lengha before the cocktail hour. We are doing the mehendi at lunchtime the day before. If you are worried about people not staying for it on a Sunday you could also start earlier in the day and end the reception earlier so that people living within a few hours away can still get back home if they decide to. Guests coming from outside of the country would probably have to take off time from work anyways to go to the wedding.
  • We're doing both in one, which might look a little nutty, but we're happy with it!

    I took the pieces I liked from both the Hindu ceremony and the western ceremony and put them together. I'm wearing a lengha, my groom is wearing a kilt! I am not going to change outfits at all because I just love my dress too much.

    We are going to have a quiet purely Hindu ceremony in my hometown later, but the main event is going to be a total blend!

    I wrote out a bunch of details of how I'm doing it on my blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2013/03/wedding-blending-ceremony-elements/
  • We're also having a blended ceremony.  I'm half Jewish and have Catholic, and he is Hindu.  We are doing a western vow and ring ceremony, a bible reading, the mangal sutra, seven steps, and a glass breaking.

    May 2013 February Siggy: Invitations

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