Final Wedding Post

The actual wedding ceremony took place inside the hotel. We were in a room with chairs forming a square around a square of cushions which surrounded a tent type thing in the middle. The close friends and family were the only ones to stay and attended. While we were waiting for the ceremony to start we talked to many of them. We learned that the bride's younger brother had been an exchange student with AFS in Chicago last year and is in 12th grade this year. There was a very nice couple sitting next to me who explained what was being said and happening during the ceremony.
The bride and groom sat on low cushioned chairs facing a ceremonial fire pit. The groom's family members sat on the cushions on the same side as him facing the fire and the bride's family. The ceremony was certainly longer than an average Christian wedding. The both the groom and the bride had to repeat several vows after the guru (panditji) as did their parents. In this case Ritu (our exchange student chairperson) was standing in for the groom's father and her brother who passes away recently. The bride was also given detailed instructions on how to be a good Hindu wife and how to move on to her family. After certain parts of the ceremony the bride and groom had to circle the fire. At one point, they switched the sides they were sitting on. The marriage was not considered complete until the seventh and final round. They threw fat and puffed rice into the fire which made the room a little smokey. There were several times that the groom and bride had to eat special foods such as curd and sweets. Like I said, there's a lot that I could say but I think the best way to do this is let the pictures show what it was like.
Through out the whole wedding there were servers passing around "cold drinks" (sodas), water,, coffee, tea and "dry fruits" (actually a variety of nuts).  The ceremony lasted for hours and it was about 5 o'clock in the morning by the time we got back to the hotel.
The bride and groom left even later than that and they, along with their families would sleep for a little bit but then they were all going to play games together. The games they play sound very similar to the get to know each other games and icebreakers that we play at home. That's exactly what they were actually, icebreakers and fun little games and tasks for the newlyweds and their families to get to know each other.

Ritu giving advice to the groom before he sets off on horseback. 

The groom with his headdress, beaded veil, and money necklaces.

The wedding procession.

The groom and little boy on horseback being blessed by family members. 

Hannah and Jordan in their formal wear.

The groom and boy. The boy is a relative or close friend who accompanies the groom to keep him company and protect him, in theory. He was compared to our ring bearer or best man. 

The bride's entrance to the reception.

The bride ascending to the platform. 

The couple exchanged garlands. With them are their younger siblings, the grooms sister on the left and the bride's brother on the right.

The groom giving the bride her garland.

Another garland for the groom.

As a speech was given they simply stood on the rotating platform together.

Me in a borrowed sari with my neighbors.

The bride posing before the ceremony. The long things that hang from her wrists are sort of like our flower bouquet. If she rests them on a woman's head and they fall off that woman will get married very soon. (They almost always fall off)

The groom and his mother right before the ceremony.

All the family members around the fire. The bride's parents are facing away, her sister-in-lad is in purple next to her. Across from the couple is panditji and facing us is Ritu, and the groom's best friend. 

Lighting the fire.

The bride and groom circling the fire.

Another round...

There are a few things that show your public status as a bride and one is a special necklace that is put on during the ceremony. Another is a red mark of tikka placed right below/ on the part. Newly weds also wear their wedding bangles for about a year after the wedding without taking them off.