Weddings are exciting events, and being invited to one is an honor no matter what culture you belong to. Knowing that your friend or family member wants you there with them on one of the most important days of their life should make you feel special and excited to attend. However, if your friend belongs to a different culture than you, you might not know exactly what to expect from the event itself.
For example, attending an Indian wedding is going to be a very different experience than you are used to. If you have been invited to an Indian wedding, here are a few things that you know ahead of time.
What to Wear
When it comes to attending an Indian wedding, the attire that is worn by the bridal party and guests alike is going to be quite different from those of weddings in the West. While most weddings that you are likely accustomed to attending might permit the wearing of muted tones and even black in some cases, Indian weddings are all about the color. Black is pretty much off-limits for an Indian wedding.
It is also important to note that the bride will be wearing red, which is the traditional bridal color. For this reason, you should avoid wearing too much red in your own attire. This would be the equivalent of wearing white to a wedding in a Western country. You can find a variety of Indian clothes online UK to choose from for the Indian wedding you are planning on attending.
How Long the Event Will Be
The weddings that you have likely attended before have all been more or less happened within the same timeframe. You probably arrived at the wedding some time in the mid to late morning and stayed at the reception until late into the night or early hours of the morning. However, the timings of Indian weddings are a bit different.
Traditional Indian weddings can last as long as three days in total, with each day being dedicated to a different ceremony or ritual that holds great significance. That being said, you might not be invited to some of the wedding, like the first night, as that is typically reserved for the couple’s family and very close friends.
The second day of the celebrations is typically for particular guests as well, with the third day being the more general celebration for all guests. Your invitation will indicate precisely which aspects of the wedding celebrations you should be present so that you can plan accordingly.
How to Give Your Gift
When you attend a standard wedding in the West, you will most likely see a table filled with gifts from guests and friends. However, Indian weddings are different in this regard. It isn’t typically customary at all Indian weddings for guests to bring wrapped gifts to the event. Instead, couples tend to prefer having gifts sent to their home instead. Some traditions even call for gifts of money instead of actual gifts from a registry.
