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Indian Engagement Ceremony Photos
29 Mar2010
Indian Bridal Mehndi and Bangles
Traveled with Air France on an unusually nice flight. We survived an Indian engagement ceremony. In India. With Swedes. And an occasional stomach problem.
Now that we have our Swedish engagement done, it was time for the Indians to take over and show what a Hindu engagement is about. An Indian engagement can be a large or small affair. A small involves 30-50 people. Okay, that is not small for Swedish standards but considering in India, we invite everyone for a wedding, 30 people is super duper small.
Giving Blessings
We invited only family, i.e. my dad’s brothers and sisters and their family, my mom’s brothers and families and my grandmother’s in laws. Despite having a few extra people show up, we still had only 40 people.
For the ceremony, there are two parts: introduction and ring ceremony. We did this in a mainly Maharastrian style. How it differs from other Indian engagement ceremonies is anyone’s guess. The first part of the ceremony took 20minutes and involved giving blessings to the bride and bridegroom’s family, exchanging gifts and changing. I wore a very typical Maharastrian Paithani sari.
After the changing, we exchange rings and mithai (sweets). Traditionally you exchange sweets to ‘live a sweet life’ but modern tradition is to exchange rings as well. For the second part, I wore a typical Gujarathi chenia choli. This chenia choli is hand made Kutchi style with embroidery, ablah (mirror work), and bandhani (tye dye) design.
Both were lovely!
Grandmothers
Respectfully bowing to my maternal and paternal grandmothers. They are awesome.
We’ve come a long way since last year when he met the indian family for the first time. And now we’re planning a wedding. Strange how the puzzles in life fall into place.
Wait, there's more to read!
24 Responses to Indian Engagement Ceremony Photos
Juni
March 29th, 2010 at 17:02
So Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this important time in your life :) Many Blessings you both!
Linn @ Swedish home cooking
March 30th, 2010 at 22:35
I’m having a lot of fun reading your blog! I’m from Sweden, but live in Paris, just moved form San Francisco. I’ve started an online cooking show where I cook modern Swedish Homemade food. Please check it out!
Miss C.
March 31st, 2010 at 14:26
Wow, I love the Mehndi and bangles and your sari is so beautiful! Here’s wishing you both the best!
Sapphire
April 1st, 2010 at 14:22
Thanks Juni and Miss C. It was a wonderful week!
Linn, I love your Swedish Cooking channel. Do you also have a blog where you share the recipes?
poppy
April 1st, 2010 at 17:15
Indian fabrics are fascinating! I love all the intricate embroidery, mirrors, and vivid colours. And you look ravishing! So wonderfully sweet of the Swedes to fly all the way to India for the engagement I think. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sapphire
April 2nd, 2010 at 08:04
Thanks poppy for the lovely comment! It was a wonderful few weeks, and the Swedes had a blast too.
Angela Chambers
April 2nd, 2010 at 22:24
Interesting — I just returned from a monthlong trip to India, and now I’m about to get married and move to Sweden, but the Indian culture is now much more familiar than the Swedish, so I’ll be following along for your insights!
T
April 3rd, 2010 at 18:56
Such beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing them with us!
sapphire
April 4th, 2010 at 13:06
@Angela – Where did you visit in India? Will you post photos to your blog? Good luck on the move to Sweden. I commented on the post about your cat’s agriculture papers.
Thanks T!
Puntino
April 4th, 2010 at 15:45
Hi sapphire,
Congratulation! I like the Indian the vivid and lively combination of colors used for traditional Indian clothes, mostly clothes that people dress during important celebration.
How was the meeting between these two different cultures, Swede and Indian?
Angela Chambers
April 5th, 2010 at 23:33
I visited northern India, mostly in Chandigarh, but also to Dehradun, Yamunanagar, Panipat, Shimla, Poanta Sahib, Delhi and Agra. I’ll post photos soon!
Poppy
April 6th, 2010 at 09:38
Hi Sapphire,
Just curious, did you get any objections or comments from family or relatives on your dating/ marrying a Swede instead of an Indian? Although my family has an international outlook with friends from many countries and all continents, because of the differences in Western and Asian culture, I think it could have been easier for them if my boyfriend were of the same race instead of being Swedish. I’m happy to say however, that they totally accept my choice and are very warm and friendly towards my Swede.
Sapphire
April 6th, 2010 at 09:51
@Puntino – Thanks! I love how colorful everything always is in India. Let me think about your question a bit more.
@Angela – I’ve only been to Delhi and Agra from what you mention above. Do post photos and what you think of India.
@Poppy – It’s the same for me but since I grew up in the US and spent my life living there and Europe, to say I should marry an Indian would be really dumb. My parents and grandparents are very happy and they don’t seem to mind at all. I think the rest of the family was a bit unnerved but they always had bets that I would marry the “American doctor” … :P Just turned out to be a “Swedish programmer”
Have you lived in India? or somewhere else? How long have you been with your Swede?
abby
April 7th, 2010 at 02:03
Sapphire- I die. You and your whole family look gorgeous, simply stunning. So beautiful!
Sapphire
April 7th, 2010 at 15:01
Hi Abby, thank you so much! If you have any costume questions, definitely post them (not that I’m an expert or a half-expert by any means)…
Atlantean
April 8th, 2010 at 11:53
Wow, great wedding it seems! I agree with poppy regarding Indian fashion and tradition. I think it’s great that you united both cultures (and families) this way.
Have a long, happy married life!
Gem
April 14th, 2010 at 14:17
BEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations Sapphire, this looks incredible! I can´t wait to see the photos of the wedding ;) lots of great wishes for you and your husband to be :D!!!!!!!!!!
Joyce
April 18th, 2010 at 22:02
Beautiful! Love the pink and green sari!
DeepSoul
June 11th, 2010 at 13:48
Congratulations Sapphire! Very lovely photos and occasion. I wish you two the best! :D
Daniel Evans
June 30th, 2010 at 15:23
i just thought that married life is the happiest point of my life.*.;
Happy 3rd Birthday Lost in Stockholm!!!
August 12th, 2010 at 11:31
[...] you”s) to irritation with buying alcohol and renting an apartment to a happy swedish and happy indian engagements to the sad truth that violence is in Sweden [...]
Robert Collins
September 12th, 2010 at 13:35
married life is the happiest part of a persons life if the wife and husband really love each other~..
Jessica
September 21st, 2010 at 20:43
Congratulations Sapphire! It looks really beautiful, I think Indian women always look so graceful! I love the saris!
Stacy
December 1st, 2010 at 03:41
I am a new reader and am finding your blog so very interesting. Would you mind answering a few questions so I have a better understanding?
1- how long were you dating?
2- when is the wedding?
3- will it be interfaith?
BEST WISHES and Congratulations!