Cultural weddings

Last weekend I attended a very interesting and very wonderful Indian wedding. A friend of mine. She's my former doctor and we've become good friends. She moved out of the area and went to a different hospital. We maintained a very good friendship and on her most awaited occasion, she tied the knot to a fellow doctor who's born here but observe a very strong traditional Indian values.

The food, music, decorations, but most of all the rituals involved, all took time for preparation and voila a most memorable ocassion that was relished by everyone who witnessed that lovely day.

I'm a Filipino and we do have similarities in the affair if we follow the old wedding rituals.

From beginning to end it takes about 3 to a year preparation.

The most interesting is first of all, we don't marry for love. It's pre arranged by our parents and elders. On the first stage, the broom party makes the proposal, in a formal called out meeting. Discussion about how many will be paid as demanded by the bride to be family. It originally entails from asking them how to provide a land, an animal for farming and money to start a life. A payment for the parents who raised her and if grandparents are involved, them, too.

Anyways it's a very time consuming and very grueling mostly for the groom's family because if the demands are not met, then no wedding.

Meantime the couple to be can't even see or talk to each other.

Anyways a very colorful and interesting part of the old tradition.

My sister went through this. They were married forever until my brother in law passed away 5 years ago.

I moved to the US and of course married my husband for love. Divorced after 30 lovely years with four wonderful children.

It'd be nice to share your stories if you experienced a very interesting, at times strange tradional wedding.

Thanks all for your read and or comments.

Happy weekend everyone.