Traditional Indian Wedding Bindi

One small but beautiful detail that most Indian brides share on their wedding day is a bindi, the red dot that adorns their forehead between their eyebrows. A bindi on the forehead is a sign of marriage, and this guarantees the social status and sanctity of the institution of marriage. As the Indian bride steps through the doors of her husband’s door with the red bindi on her forehead, the bindi is believed to bring prosperity. Why between the eyebrows? This area is the sixth chakra known as the seat of concealed wisdom. The bindi between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the body and control many levels of concentration. It also symbolizes good fortune, which every bride wants on her wedding day! The traditional bindi is red or maroon, and is applied skillfully with fingertips to achieve the perfect dot. One Indian proverb says “A woman’s beauty is multiplied 1,000 times when she wears a bindi”- so true for all our beautiful Indian brides!

 

 

Image credits: Biyani Photography, The Indian Wedding Blog, Maharani Weddings, Tumblr, Maharani Weddings, Dolls of India

Traditional Indian Wedding Jewelry

In Indian tradition, women are given jewelry as gifts throughout their life. Soon after a child is born, the family starts saving for the gifts given to the bride to be worn on the day of her wedding. Jewelry that is given to a woman at the time of her wedding symbolizes wealth, power, and femininity. The tradition of Indian brides wearing bridal jewelry dates back 5,000 years and has strong roots across all Indian cultures. Indian wedding jewelry is an heirloom treasure, often passed down from one generation to the next. Each different state and region has a unique style and design of wedding jewelry. Popular jewelry items for traditional Indian brides include a heavy neckpiece and matching earrings, nose ring, bangles, toe rings, anklets, and many other ornate pieces. Gold jewelry is a beautiful addition to any bride on her wedding day, and the Indian traditions make it that much more special!

Photo credits: Maharani Weddings, Maazu, Bargello, Brides, High 5 Store, onewed

The 7 Blessings of a Hindu Wedding

There are many important aspects of a Hindu wedding ceremony- one of the most important is the fire ceremony. During this fire ceremony, the highlight is the Saptapadi, when the bride and groom, hand in hand, step seven times around the fire. This part of the ceremony seals their bond as husband and wife forever.

You may wonder why there are seven steps taken around the fire, and what each step represents. Here is a simple breakdown:

1. May the couple always be blessed with an abundance of comforts and resources, and always be helpful to one another in all aspects.

2. May the couple be strong and complement each other, mentally, spiritually, and physically.

3. May the couple be blessed with prosperity and riches- in all ways.

4. May the couple have eternal love and trust together.

5. May the couple be blessed with a happy family life and children.

6. May the couple live in harmony together- staying true to their promises to themselves and one another.

7. May the couple always remain best friends.

(Image credits:  Maharani Weddings, 14 Gaam, Adult Awkwardness,Entouraaj, Shaadi with Style, Brian Kraft,Brian Kraft)

Red and Gold: Traditional Indian Wedding Colors

For many couples, the bride and groom’s culture is a big part of choosing many details of the wedding, including a color scheme. The traditional colors of an Indian wedding are red and gold. The color red in India represents power and spirituality, and represents simplicity and purity in the East. As a bride, choosing to wear a red sari is a tradition that is in place because of the emotional implications of the rich color. Bright colors represent happiness, and gold is the most popular choice to pair with rich red hues. The combination of red and gold is a dramatic one, and represents wealth and good luck- what better ideas to represent at a wedding?! There are so many ways to incorporate these traditional colors into your wedding, whether it is a red sari or bridal gown, sparkling gold jewelry, or red and gold linens.

( bride and groom )

( table setting )

( red and gold sari )

( wedding cake )

 

 

Inspiration Gallery Feature On Grace Ormonde

Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style handpicked two photos from our Long Beach Hyatt wedding for Neil & Archana Kadakia, to be featured on on their Inspiration Photo Galleries! We’re honored to be a part of the Wedding Style collection of inspiration photos.

This was a fun shot of the bride’s family bringing her into the Indian wedding ceremony! See the photo here.

An elephant from “Have Trunk Will Travel” was the perfect touch of drama and awe at this glamorous Indian wedding! See the photo here.

Photographer: Jan Garcia Photography