Anju & Vic

HINDU WEDDING IN TENERIFE

A Hindu wedding in Tenerife, in Barcelona or wherever is a different wedding.

In these years I have had the opportunity to photograph 3 Hindu weddings and learn a lot about this culture and its traditions, so I would like to share some interesting things about Hindu weddings.

– They usually last 2 or 3 days and during the first day a ceremony is held in which the bride and groom are given a paste made of turmeric, chickpea flour, lemon juice and rose water on their hands, feet and face. The yellow color of the paste is believed to brighten the skin before the wedding and bring good luck to the couple.

– The day before the wedding the Mehndi is celebrated. The bride and all the girls in her family have traditional motifs painted on the palms of their hands and feet. Henna is believed to enhance the beauty of the bride.

– In a Hindu wedding, the groom usually arrives at the wedding on horseback, preceded by his relatives, closest friends and musicians playing traditional drums. This parade is a real party that reflects the happiness that the groom and his family feel for accepting the new wife.

– While the bride enters, the groom cannot see her because a white cloth is placed in front of her. When the bride reaches the altar the cloth is dropped and the groom and bride exchange garlands of flowers, which represent their acceptance for each other.

– The bride’s father pours holy water on her hand and then joins it with the groom’s hand. The meaning is that the father officially lets his daughter go. The groom’s sister then ties the end of the scarf to the bride’s sari. This knot represents the eternal bond of marriage.

– At this time, a sacred fire is lit and the priest recites the mantra while making offerings to the fire. The groom takes the bride’s hand and promises both her and her family that he will care for her and protect her for the rest of her life. Then he will paint a red mark in the middle of her hair that will indicate that she is married.

– And to finish, the couple goes around the fire seven times, each accompanied by a prayer and seven promises. This is when the state recognizes the marriage.

Anju and Vic’s Hindu wedding was held at the incredible Hotel Abama in Tenerife and I was lucky enough to share it with some great professionals in wedding videography such as Reflejos Digitales.

Thousands of thanks to the great Jose Novelle for giving me the opportunity to share this great experience with him.