Watching Amazon Prime’s latest big fat Indian wedding show, “Made in Heaven,” was a pure delight. This show highlights how in the name of tradition, principles can take a back seat, and merging of new with the old is never as easy as it seems. India surely has come a long way within a decade but it’s just tip of the iceberg. The younger generation is more willing to be as accepting as their counterparts in other countries but the older generation, educated or not, is stuck in the archaic rules and dogmas. It’s refreshing to see the leading character of the show to be Gay, and his struggles with living in a homophobic society. You just have to see the show about the glitz, glamour, and the dark secrets behind the million dollar weddings.
I happened to be in India at the perfect time since I got to experience my nephew’s wedding. Can’t believe how fast all my nephew’s and niece’s are growing up and soon they will be starting their own families.
A typical Indian Hindu wedding is usually a couple of days of soirée and on “the” day it is attended by at least 5,000 guests. The morning begins with a seated breakfast and, then the groom comes on a horse with his family and friends who dances to the beats of Bollywood music. This is always the fun part of the wedding. Next comes the moment where the groom is greeted by the brides family at the entrance with fun banter. Then the groom and bride exchange garlands. They are guided towards the mandap where the pandit (priest) officiates the marriage rituals by chanting Sanskrit mantras and, the bride and groom circle the fire seven times to make a commitment to each other. Kinda similar to exchange of vows in a Christian wedding.
The finalé is the wedding reception in the evening where the bride and groom are on a beautifully decorated stage where they meet guests and take pictures with them. My nephew was exhausted standing on the stage for hours meeting all the guests but there was nothing I could do. The buffet style food spread was very elaborate and the best part of attending a wedding is that I get to meet all my cousins and relatives I’ve not seen for a very long time. At midnight, finally, the bride and groom got a chance to get off the stage and have a sit down meal with close family members.
By the time we came home it was nearly 2am. I was pooped out and stayed in bed most of next day.
From one event to the next is what ended up happening. Now, I’m going to be busy the next few weeks planning my parents surprise 50th wedding anniversary. After being to over 12 venues, I’ve finally nailed down on the rooftop venue. My cousin has hosted an event there so he will be joining me to help with negotiating the rates. That’s one of the things I don’t like in India, they never have a fixed price. Hiring the decorators, event organizers, DJ, photographers, selecting the food menu, designing the clothes, and inviting all the guests would be quite an ordeal. The fun part is when the guest list keeps on expanding. So far, the guest count is 100 but I’m sure by next week, it will end up being 200 which is the cut off limit. Remember, this list only includes very close family and friends. Of course, there will be lots of family drama and it’s better if I don’t air the dirty laundry because it has already begun. Haha.
Just as in the “Made in Heaven” show, everything works out great in the end🤞
