Following up on Friday’s post of Groomals, we have Kavitha & Fred’s gorgeous Indian ceremony in the fragrance garden of Red Butte Garden.

Indian ceremonies are known for a few things: their duration (though this one was highly modified to just a couple of hours); their amazing colors; their complex symbolism; and their sense of fun and celebration! Sharp-eyed readers may have noted that our groom Fred’s ancestors probably hailed from somewhere a bit further east than India, and so it was great fun to watch someone be at the center of all this pageantry without really knowing what was going on.

Fred weathered it like a champ!

Kavitha receives a blessing from her family prior to the ceremony.

Kavitha’s bridesmaids in waiting.

Kavitha and Fred get a first good look at each other in their full regalia.

One of the things that I love about Indian ceremonies is the sense of it in part being a kind of
trial or test for the couple. A lot of games are played throughout the ceremony that
require them to prove themselves or to work together. Here Fred is surprised to be
lifted up on the shoulders of his groomsmen so that he can ‘capture’ his bride with
a garland of flowers.

Of course, its a competition….

…and here we see Kavitha throwing down the challenge.

Teamwork.

I just got a kick out of this – the laptop was held for the duration so that a remote family member
could be at the ceremony through the magic of Skype.

The coconut is an important symbol.
I never really caught for what but…its important,
that’s all you need to know.

Another sort of game involves pouring handfuls of rice over each other.
This was something that Fred could really get behind and as a result
he did it rather too early – hence Kavitha’s look of surprise.

Thanks, Kavitha and Fred, for having me along on your day.

Next up – the reception!

Tags: indian, red butte gardens

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