Fabulous Sikh Wedding Dresses and Accessories

Sikh weddings are known as “Anand Karaj” which means a ceremony of bliss. The brides wear a traditional outfit known as a sari. If you’ve ever attended an Indian wedding, then you will notice that all the brides and guests wear colorful clothing because it symbolizes happiness and luck. It is essential for the bride to wear vibrant colors like red, orange, and purple and to avoid colors like black or white (the color white represents death in Indian culture). What the bride wears at the ceremony will always differ from what she wears at the reception. Unlike the ceremony, the reception does not have to be entirely exclusively Sikh themed–many couples have opted to Westernize their receptions. Like the receptions, brides have been known to wear more Western-inspired dresses and to use the color white in their reception theme.

Here are some traditional Sikh or Indian bridal attire and accessories to give you an idea of just how colorful and fabulous Sikh weddings are!

Clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

Clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

Dresses

 We hope you get a chance to attend a Sikh wedding in the future so you can experience how another culture celebrates the union of two individuals.

 

 

Long Beach Hyatt Indian Reception Setup

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we had the pleasure of working with Neil & Archana to create a gorgeous and exotic Indian wedding at the Hyatt Hotel in Long Beach, CA. Although this is just a preview of the spectacular two-day event, here are some pictures of the reception setup.

The gorgeous elephant, an iconic symbol in Indian culture

Reception colors were royal blue, white, and silver. Tables were named after the couple’s past and future travel destinations.

Setting up for a 500+ person reception was not a small task! Alongside with our assistants, the catering crew, linen vendors, A/V and lighting, and floral we were able to finish in a few hours.

The dramatic white backdrop for the sweetheart table.

Can you see the fabric hanging from the ceiling in the picture below? It’s for the aerial acrobatic entertainment during the reception!

Thanks to Gene Higa Photography for these amazing pictures!

Venue: Hyatt Regency in Long Beach

Stationary: Simply Posh Design

Linen and chairs: Kumba Entertainment

Floral: Isari Flower Studio & Event Design

Indian Weddings: Mandaps

Indian weddings encompass tradition and grandeur by bringing in bright and luxe details to their decor. One of the most recognized features of an Indian wedding is the “mandap.” A mandap is a covered structure with pillars, similar to a canopy or gazebo, used during wedding ceremonies. Traditionally they’re made of wood and adorned with garlands of mango and banana leaves, coconuts, kalashas (pots filled with water) and other natural elements. Now mandaps can be constructed with other modern and high-end materials. Within the mandap are two royal chairs for the bride and groom, side chairs for the parents, and a pedestal for the sacred fire.

Not many people are familiar with the rituals and celebrations involved with Indian weddings, but the fascination is growing. Just recently, an Indian wedding was featured in the CW hit TV show, “90210″!

Although mandaps are used in Hindu weddings, you can get inspiration from the elaborate details and use something similar in your own wedding!

We love the different ways people decorate mandaps. The detail, colors, and elements used help to celebrate the union between the couple.

Photo credits from top to bottom: Wikipedia, personal screenshot image, Alankar Decors, Balamani Bride, Celewire, Maharani Weddings, Singh’s Production, The Wedding Travelers, Weddings by Georgia, Mandaps Maker, Wikipedia

East Meets West

Normal Indian weddings do not have bridal parties, but this bride wanted to Westernize it and include a bridal party. Nina Gookli and Adam Bramer had the traditional Indian ceremony but put a little Western spin on it by having the bridal party walk down the aisle as well. Pandit performed the beautiful ceremony with both Nina and Adam dressed in Indian formal wedding attire. In going with the theme of fusion, they opted for an outdoor ceremony with an indoor reception at the Sheraton Harbor’s ballroom.

The bride then changed from the red sari to the white dress, which normally is not worn in Indian weddings but the bride as I mentioned was Westernized

Nina chose tropical flowers like Birds of Paradise that were vibrant in color that complimented her theme: East meets West.

The couple had a sitar player during the cocktail reception where Indian food was served. Their grand entrance  was more traditional in terms of Western weddings with the bridal party and then the couple entering.

Venue:  Sheraton Hotel & Marina

Photographer: Betwixt Studio (formerly known as Theorie)

Cake: St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro

Mandap and Flowers: Krushna Mandap

Catering: Indian Princess

Indian Weddings- Bridal Puja

Indian weddings are stunning productions, but they’re also known for being very spiritual. One of the religious rituals performed before the wedding day is a puja by both the bride and groom. Each is done separately with only the bride’s family present, and the groom with his family. We’ll discuss the bridal puja traditions here.

Puja is a religious offering to a deity, spirit, or divine presence and can be facilitated for many occasions, before beginning a new venture in life. The bride can perform the puja in a temple or at a home, as long as she has a shrine set up with elements that represent the deity, i.e. prints, sculptures, portraits, elements of nature.  Size or grandeur are not deciding factors in the importance of the shrine. You can offer fruit, food, flowers to honor the gods; incense is lighted and a lit lamp, aarti, is waved in front of the deity. Before you invoke the spirits, one must be in a mental and emotional state of joy and serenity, as you would want to receive the spiritual blessing in a pleasant environment.

Photos provided by various sources. Thank you to Gsravya Blogspot, Logukrishnan.net, 14gaaam