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Indian Wedding Traditions & Modern Inspiration

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Inspiring Ideas

This is part of a blog series exploring wedding traditions from around the globe and how they might be incorporated into a modern U.S. wedding.

Vibrant Table has worked with couples from a range of cultural and religious persuasions, but weddings infused with East Indian flavors give us a special thrill. Nothing says ‘vibrant’ like a rich tapestry of bright jewel hues, luscious garden blooms, layered textures and a celebration full of family, dance, and great food – just our kind of event!
Indian weddings not only celebrate the union of two individuals, they celebrate the joining of two extended families. To those more familiar with weddings of the Judeo-Christian tradition, you may be surprised at the roles uncles, siblings, and aunts play in many of the traditional customs. Likewise, a modern India-infused wedding may last longer and be larger than you are used to, as weddings in India last for several days days and include massive guest lists, many of whom are strangers to the bride and groom.The wealthier the family, the longer the wedding.
Even in the U.S., a modern Indian ceremony will likely last hours. Although formal, Indian wedding ceremonies are a bit more relaxed than you might expect. Carmen Shah, owner of Ella Events and whose husband is of Indian heritage, says that “Westerners are often amazed at how Indian attendees will often talk to each other during the long ceremony.”
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Customs

Due to its size and population, India is a diverse country and wedding customs are hardly homogeneous. Traditions will vary region to region but here are some of the most popular elements that can be found at an Indian-infused wedding in the United States.

MEHNDI (HENNAED HANDS & FEET)

The hands and feet of the bride, her family, and friends are covered in intricate designs of henna. The groom’s name or initials are often hidden in the design, and a wedding-night game is for him to find them. The Mehndi celebration generally takes place 1-2 days before the wedding ceremony, but the decorated hands are strikingly beautiful and a signature element of many India-American fusion weddings.

MANDAP (WEDDING CANOPY)

The mandap is the location and focus of Hindu wedding ceremonies.  Extravagantly decorated with flowers and tapestries, its four pillars represent the four holy Vedic scriptures and the parents whose love supports the newlyweds.

VIVAH-HOMA (SACRED FIRE)

No Hindu ceremony would be complete without the sacred fire, which dates from Vedic times. The sacred fire purifies and calls forth the holy witness. In vivah-homa, or the sacred fire ceremony, the couple circles the fire chanting mantras of their vows.

PLAYFUL GAMES

For me, this was the most endearing element of Indian weddings. They are full of playful games and teasing, particularly directed toward the groom. The bride’s sisters may hide the groom’s shoes, only returning them in exchange for money. The bride and groom may fish for the wedding ring in a bowl of milk, the winner destined to ‘wear the pants’ throughout the marriage. In the ‘pillow game’, the newlyweds are tested for their compatibility. They sit back to back with a pillow between them and answer questions with a nod, so that the guests can see their answers, but the new husband or wife cannot.

These playful games also occur in not just the reception, but even in the ceremony. When the bride and groom are instructed to sit, watch if the bride sits down quickly. She’s indicating that she is going to be the boss of the family.

As many weddings in India are arranged, these games are ice-breakers designed to help the bride feel more comfortable with her groom and his family.

BARAAT (GROOM’S ARRIVAL)

The groom and his family’s arrival to the wedding site is given a fan-fare not normally seen in the stereotypical American wedding. Traditionally, the groom arrives on a white mare, led by his relatives dancing and singing to joyful music. A white limousine is sometimes supplemented in a modern wedding.

OTHER INTERESTING TIDBITS

  • The bride is often walked down the aisle by her uncle rather than father.
  • Red and gold bangles are a traditional wedding accessory gfted to the bride by her maternal uncles.
  • When they arrive, the bride’s family may present the groom’s with garlands of flowers and gifts, starting with the eldest male member of the family.  Female family members may also be included.
  • Mangalsutra, a necklace the groom presents to the bride, has a similar role to wedding rings. The bride wears it all her life and it’s considered an omen if  she loses it. The style of mangalsutras have changed significantly in recent years as more women enter the workforce.
  • Turmeric is a recurring element in Indian weddings. Admired for its beautifying and cleansing qualities, tumeric is used in cleansing rituals and is part of the mangalsutra, the bridal necklace.
  • The traditional wedding color worn by Indian brides is red, which symbolizes purity, joy, prosperity, happiness, wealth, and good luck. As seen in these images, it’s not uncommon for a contemporary Indian bride to choose variations of red, such as magenta, or even diverge from this color entirely.

Modern fusions

There are a myriad of ways to fuse the traditional Hindu-Indian and Christian-Western wedding traditions. The options are limitless, but here are a few ideas from some of our intercultural couples.

This couple chose to have two ceremonies.

  • Honor both heritages with their own wedding ceremonies. Some of our clients have chosen to hold them on separate days, or hold the Hindu ceremony first, inviting Indian guests and American family and close friends only (as an all-day wedding may be difficult for some American guests.)
  • During your ceremony, your officiant could share the meaning and significance of any included rituals with guests. You might print these out on your wedding program instead.

  • Place cards with lotus in pinks, gold, and cinnamon

    Food being an integral part of any culture, choose a wide variety of dishes with both local and Indian flavors. The idea is to offer all guests flavors they are comfortable with but also allow them to try something new.  Your caterer can help you select a menu that is creative yet cohesive. For couples that want to offer traditional meals from both heritages, you might consider separate buffets.

  • Even if you choose to follow a traditional U.S. style ceremony, you can still honor the Indian heritage with themes, colors, and decor. Also, encourage Indian guests to wear saris and other traditional attire.

Shout outs

An especially huge thank you to Carmen Shah of Ella Events and her father-in-law, Prabodh Shah, for offering their insight, feedback, and corrections.

As always, we are indebted to the photographers who share their work with us. These photographers are featured in this post:

Carmen Shah with guests on her wedding day.

Share your ideas

Are you planning or did you have an Indian fusion or multi-cultural wedding? How did you choose to honor both heritages? We’d love to hear from you!

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A Year in Review: 2011 Highlights

Filed Under: Catering Chronicles

2011 has been an amazing year for Vibrant Table. We just wanted to share a few of the highlights with you, as you have been an essential part of our success. Thank you for your continued support!
  1. Vibrant Table Catering & Events was voted Best Oregon Caterer by the readers of Northwest Meeting & Events Magazine!
  2. Owners Art Fortuna and Kurt Beadell attended the Catersource “Top Gun” Conference. The “Top Gun” caterers represent the nation’s top 50 independent caterers, by region. Vibrant Table was honored to represent the Northwest. We gained invaluable knowledge from sharing experiences with some of the most successful caterers in the country.
  3. We welcomed the stellar Food in Bloom Catering and two of the Daily Cafes into our growing vibrant family. The Daily Cafes at Montgomery Park and Rejuvenation are now f&b cafes, and they’ve expanded their services to include drop-off corporate catering.
  4. We are happy to announce the formation of the VT Group. The Group consists of Vibrant Table Catering & Events, Food in Bloom Catering, and f&b cafe.
  5. Vibrant Table added some magnificent new venues in 2011! VT Group now manages the events and booking at Lan Su Chinese Garden and the Imago Ballroom. We also can also be found at Leftbank Annex and Domaine Margelle Vineyards.
  6. We had another outstanding wedding season at Zenith Vineyard, which also hosted a fun wine-tasting dinner with us for the fabulous ISES group.
  7. Portland gained attention for some remarkable events, including the Allure of the Automobile exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. Allure brought record numbers of visitors to PAM and attracted many new event clients.

the Best Photograph of 2011?

We scoured the thousands of images that our very talented and generous photographer colleagues have sent us. We picked some of our faves but can’t whittle it down to one representative image. Please help us by liking or commenting on your favorite 2011 image. Find them on our Facebook Page.

 

From left to right: Holland Studios, VT staff, Sara Gray Photography, David Barss Photography, Evrim Icoz Photography 

Buddhist Wedding Ideas & Rituals

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Inspiring Ideas

Inspired by a recent Wedding Network event at Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden, this post is the first of a series that will explore the wedding customs of various cultures and religions.

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One of the first things I learned from Jacqueline Mandell, Portland wedding officiant and Buddhist meditation instructor, is that there is no such thing as a standard Buddhist wedding ceremony. Instead, she says, Buddhist symbols and elements are infused into the customs of whichever country the couple is from. Once the world’s largest religion, Buddhism is most commonly practiced in India, Cambodia, China, Tibet, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Laos, Burma, Sri Lanka, indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam – covering a wide swathe of Asia rich in cultural diversity.
No matter the country of origin, Buddhists value qualities of love, wisdom, respect and follow a standard of ethics that nearly all religions support – do not lie, steal, cheat, etc. A Buddhist marriage ceremony often provides space for the newlyweds to meditate on transferring their Buddhist principles into their marriage, allowing for a more spiritual, mature union.
Jaqueline, who runs Pure Heart Sangha, finds that many of her clients are contemporary couples attracted to Buddhist philosophies, meditation or Asian cultures. others are practicing buddhists with different styles of meditation.
Having grown up in a somewhat-average American family, I personally know very little of Buddhism and was struck by the beauty, deep respect for family, and peacefulness that exudes from the five weddings showcased here.
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Buddhist Values & ways to represent them in a wedding

As there are no pan-cultural Buddhist wedding traditions, the ways a particular couple express their Buddhist values are designated by their cultural influences. Look for symbolic elements throughout the ceremony, reception, and venue.

  • Love, Respect & Honor – altar with meaningful symbols and photos of loved ones or ancestors, meditation, victory banners,  tea ceremony
  • Positive Space & Blessings – incense, prayer flags
  • Non-Harming of Life – vegetarian menu, though not all Buddhists are vegetarians. Buddha ate whatever was offered, demonstrating gratefulness, another key value.
  • Generosity — abundance of food, donations to a charity
  • Transformation & Wisdom – lotus flowers, candles, prayer, meditation, bells or gong
  • Joy & Happiness – golden fish
  • Connectedness – red string, endless knot, white ceremonial scarf
  • Protection – Buddha statue, victory banners, parasols
  • Purity – water, white ceremonial scarf

More juicy Tid-Bits

  • Some Buddhist monks do not officiate weddings.
  • In Buddhism, the body is respected as a holy vessel with the head, being the highest point on the body, symbolizing enlightenment. For that reason, it is disrespectful to touch another person’s head or point the soles of your feet toward someone, including Buddha.
  • Expect an abundance of food. It would be seen as a negative omen if provisions were to run out. Leftovers are most commonly given to family members or donated to relief agencies.
  • In many Buddhist cultures, public displays of affection are viewed negatively, so the newlyweds may choose to forgo a kiss at the close of the wedding ceremony.
  • Couples may change clothes frequently, and you may see lots of rich fabrics such as silks, brocades, and fine cotton.
  • The traditional wedding colors vary depending on the country or culture.
    • Red, Crimson, & Gold – China
    • Saffron & Brown – Thailand, Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam
    • Black & Gray – Japan & Korea
    • Red, Blue, Green, White & Yellow – Tibet
  • Common flowers are peonies, orchids, ikebana, roses, wisteria, and lotus

Share your Buddhist Wedding Experiences

Have you ever attended a Buddhist wedding? Did you include Buddhist elements at your own nuptials? Please share your experiences with future brides who may be looking for ideas in the comments below!

Shout Outs

Vibrant Table is indebted to the amazing photographers that so generously share their work. A special thank you to the photographers featured in this blog post – who spent precious time this busy wedding season searching for images we could share with you.

MOSCA PHOTO – Buddhist statue (VT modified for use in header), incense
SARA GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY – brown altar with family pictures on wall, bride in yellow dress handing tea to relative
EVRIM ICOZ PHOTOGRAPHY – tea pot with flowers, koi in Lan Su Chinese Garden lake with lotus, Lan Su waterfall with Chinese characters, altar with gong and incense
JAMIE BOSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHER – table with umbrellas (at Lan Su Chinese Garden), drum performers, fan with flowers, laughing Buddha placeholder, eternity sign
JESSICA WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY – Urban couple with red tea set

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About Vibrant Table

best portland catererVibrant Table Catering & Events is an award-winning, catering and event production company in Portland, Oregon. We provide services in Portland, Salem, Vancouver, and surrounding areas. We offer a wide range of services including custom menus, event planning, event design, floral and decor.

Favorite Staff Pics of 2010

Filed Under: Biz Buzz, Catering Chronicles, Soiree Spotlights

In 2010 we saw a year full of happy brides, alluring floral displays, captivating décor, and stately corporate gatherings.  So in the spirit of celebrating one of our best years yet, the staff here at Vibrant Table has chosen our favorite photos of 2010 to share with our readers.  These photos capture what we feel exemplifies the beauty, fun and vibrancy of life that creates the foundation of our company.  Each photo is accompanied by the staff member who chose it and a little bit about why they chose it!

We want to thank all of you who have helped make 2010 a year to remember, Enjoy!

Tell us your favorites in the comments below!

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OWNER ART FORTUNA & OWNER KURT BEADELL’S CHOICE:

Art: “This is my favorite because it shows all the people who have made it happen.”

Kurt: “This photo gives the company humanity. It gives everyone a face behind the company.”

Vibrant Table Employee BBQ • June 19th, 2010 • Oaks Park • Evrim Icoz Photography

Floral & Artistic director, Page Winograd’s Choice:

“Love this photos- the LOVE, the camaraderie, the laughter ;)”

Jacobs – Kuttner  Wedding • May 29th, 2010 • Jupiter Hotel • Jen Hecht Photography

Event coordinator, Meg Goldman’s Choice:

“I think this describes Karen’s personality really well!”

Karen Rich • Vibrant Table Staff Photoshoot • October 2010 • Evrim Icoz Photography

event coordinator, Auriana Albree & event manager, Sarah Wilde’s Choice:

Auriana: “I pick it for its simplicity and a reminder that, in the end, after all of the planning, a wedding is about the couple’s love for each other and wanting to share a life together.”

Sarah: “I like the way it showcases Portland as a backdrop, and as part of the charm of the event.”

Johnston – Conti Wedding • January 23rd, 2010 • Treasury Ballroom • Rebekah Johnson Photography

event coordinator, Stefan Holland’s Choice:

“It shows the class, style and service we provide.”

Schmitz – Walker Wedding • August 26th, 2010 • Garden Vineyards • Evrim Icoz Photography

event coordinator, Matt Brodeur’s Choice:

“All guests are welcome at Vibrant Table. Plus he is pretty awesome.”

Jacobs – Kuttner Wedding • May 29th, 2010 • Jupiter Hotel • Jen Hecht Photography

it manager, Steve Mitchell’s Choice:

“It almost reminds me of the crossed swords that you see at royal weddings, only this is more fun.”

Filart – Bahr Wedding • October 16th, 2010 • Garden Vineyards • Evrim Icoz Photography

event coordinator, Emily Michel’s Choice:

“This is my favorite, although it’s hard to choose.  I think it shows we draw a different type of client, one who thinks outside the box of the mainstream wedding.”

Salathe – Schenck Wedding • May 8th, 2010 • Portland Art Museum • Bryan Rupp Photography

accountant, Ramona FouTs’ Choice:

“I love the lines and angles and colors… it is interesting and intriguing…”

Macato – Tang Wedding • August 28th, 2010 • The Nines Hotel • Evrim Icoz Photography

beverage manager, Andrew Pendleton’s Choice:

“This is definitely the best photo of the year!”

Art Fortuna • Vibrant Table Staff Photoshoot • October 2010 • Evrim Icoz Photography

accountant, Sarah Cordts’ Choice:

“I’ve always liked reflection photos and this one is gorgeous!”

Jacobs – Kuttner Wedding • May 29th, 2010 • Jupiter Hotel • Jen Hecht Photography

marketing Coordinator, Faith Adams’ Choice:

“From an artistic standpoint, I love the sense of space in this picture – it’s almost extraterrestrial — but I also feel it especially symbolizes a wedding. The bride and groom may allow us to be a part of their important event, but it is all about them and their intimacy. We are merely privileged spectators. There may be other people in the limousine, but the focus here is Riza and Wayne, and I get a sense of how they interact as a couple. It’s endearing.”

Macato – Tang Wedding • August 28th, 2010 • Portland Art Museum • Evrim Icoz Photography

event manager, Kyle Kornegay’s Choice:

“This image not only shows the determination of a guest for the bridal bouquet, it reminds me of one of my favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz – and I can’t help but smile when I look at it.”

Weis – Boyle Wedding • September 18th, 2010 • Portland Art Museum • Evrim Icoz Photography

administrative assistant, Rachel Fortuna’s Choice:

“I love this one because it is such a fun and original idea that incorporates the feel of Portland into their wedding with the pedicab and sparklers.”

Solomon – Eppelheimer Wedding • May 30th, 2010 • Lan Su Garden • Jamie Bosworth Photographer

We hope you join us in creating more memories in 2011!

Recent Events: Disquieted

Filed Under: Catering Chronicles, Setting the Stage, Soiree Spotlights, Spectacular Spaces

Kurt's drawing for the "Disquieted" sign

The last decade has been marked by war, financial collapse, global terrorism and natural disasters. The Portland Art Museum’s Disquieted exhibit explores the ways contemporary artists have responded to such troubling times through their work. With 27 artists, the responses vary widely – from deeply sobering to light-hearted. For the opening ceremonies, Vibrant Table was challenged to create an event that incorporated both the theme of Disquieted and the broad range of perspectives within a package representing our signature, vibrant celebrations.

Creative Director Kurt Beadell and Floral & Artistic Director Page Winograd responded to the challenge with enthusiasm. Light, color and modern “refuse” became their mediums. (Don’t worry, spring blooms, your day in the sun will come.) Decor was scaled down, but by no means stark. Kurt chose fucshia as the dominant color because, “it possessed the shock value we were looking for.” Black velour was draped between The Fields Ballroom’s Doric columns to provide a darker, more modern canvas.

Shards of foamboard treated to look like industrial debris were hung in layers to create an 8-foot by 20-foot sign dominating the far wall of the ballroom. The exhibit’s name was then projected onto this backdrop, creating a fractured illusion that changed depending on where guests stood. A gobo of  scattered pins sprawled across the ceiling. Adding a bit of humor, Tim-Burton inspired genitalia – constructed of the disguised foamboard, saran wrap, newspaper and similar rubbish – guarded the hors d’oeuvre stations. Perched in a Juliette balcony, Gideon Freudmann Duo serenaded guests with an experimental jazz ranging from discordant to dreamy. The tables’ finishing touches included sleek purple carnation centerpieces and scattered LEDs casting an eerie glow.

THE VERDICT: Vibrant Table’s talented team developed a bold event design that both assaults and teases.

As always, an emphatic thank you to our vendors that have helped us put on another spectacular event: West Coast Drape, Hollywood Lights, Northwest Artist Management, Gideon Freudmann Duo, Evrim Icoz Photography and Ambient Sky.

Photo Gallery:

Photos by Evrim Icoz Photography.