My life-long dream of going to an Indian wedding finally came true on the 28th of September. When I was a little girl, my aunt Ashley showed me Bollywood movie clips of weddings that are so full of colors, dancing, and joy. I always wanted to buy a saree in India and get all dressed up for the four day event. So when I found out that my ministry host was officiating a wedding while we were in town, I was ecstatic to say the least.
We first bought our sarees a few days before with our ministry host’s wife, she is literally the sweetest lady I know. We felt like princesses being waited on having fabric draped over our Indian kurtas. To say the least, we looked stunning.
The wedding morning rolled around, and Stella, Emily, and I all got ready in our little room. It was so nice to wear makeup and fix our hair for the first time in a long time. We felt pretty again for a day. When we were ready, we had a small photo shoot with another teammate, and our driver came to get us at 9 am because the wedding was supposed to begin at 10:30. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The ceremony began at 12:30 after we had been sitting outside for an hour already. It was quite hot, but my team got to sit in the very front row (perks of being American). It was strange because the location of the wedding was just on a side street in the middle of the houses. Basically, there was no room for dancing or a party afterwards, but we did eat some good food.
Now the part you have all been waiting for…
Our pastor made my team sing in front of the entire congregation before the wedding. We sang Mighty to Save and Here I am to Worship. It was literally THE most strange thing I have ever done. It was a Christian wedding, so it is not to the scale of Hindu weddings, which is what I was basing my expectations on from the movies. Anyway, we got to sing some worship songs at an Indian wedding, how cool is that.
The actual wedding itself was nothing like I expected. The bride and groom didn’t even kiss! There was a lot of hustle and bustle throughout the ceremony with camera men set up right in the front. This wedding was an arranged marriage we think, so my expectation of a joyous event wasn’t exactly fulfilled. It was a very different sight. Later on I talked to my squad mentor and she said it was probably a cultural thing because there used to be “kidnapped brides” in India, so couples are supposed to have very stoic looks to honor that part of the culture. It was definitely an aspect that I think the Bollywood movies leave out. Afterwards, we just ate curry and rice outside then left to “take rest” at our pastor’s house before ministry. That was a very nice nap with some good chai tea when we woke up. I didn’t even like tea until India. Now I’m addicted.
Overall, I am definitely happy I went to the wedding, but I can only say I have been to a Christian wedding not a Hindu one, which is the type I had envisioned in my head. It was just so nice to get all dressed up and have a good time. It was a very cultural experience even though we sweat a ton and it was very crowded, but it will forever be a one-of-a-kind World Race experience. My dream basically came true, and I really hope that it isn’t the last Indian wedding I get to attend. So, if everyone would like to offer a prayer of blessing over the couple that would be great.
So, we got to go to another wedding as well. I would’ve just written about both together, but I actually wrote most of the blog before I knew I was going to another wedding. It was Sunday morning at 9:30. The wedding was in a small village church, and the atmosphere of this wedding was so much more joyous. The bride and groom smiled a lot more than the last one. Also, this time we were the only world race team there. It was a very nice small ceremony, and we all really enjoyed it.
Both weddings were still so cultural, and I really did enjoy the experiences. I feel like I have learned a lot about christian weddings in India, and they really aren’t that different than America. Weddings in India and America both symbolize a union together allowing yourselves to say “yes” to another person for a life-time. As a Christian, I believe that this union can only best be formed when the Lord is in the middle of it. If the two people can grow in Him and truly allow themselves to be guided by Him, then it will be a wonderful blessing in their lives. Praying over these two couples have given me an opportunity to speak that over their lives so that the Lord may overflow within them.
Other than that, India is still going strong. We have about a week before we leave for Nepal, and I am actually very sad about that. I have grown to love the people here especially my ministry host and his wife, the little boy who hangs around our compound, and the workers who take care of us, plus all of the villagers I get to meet each day. It is such a special place, and there is so much room for the Lord to continue working.
So, thank you all again for the support, love, and encouraging words. I love to read the comments on all of my posts so thank you for them. Please continue to pray for my squad. We have so many people who are sick, hurt, or are fully covered in bug bites. I am still fighting cold number two now, so thank you for praying and I ask for continued prayers. God bless until next time!
Enjoy some more pictures if you’d like!!!
