After a brief delay due to the pandemic, Emily and Tejas finally had their Indian-American wedding at Wintergreen Resort this past summer! It was a three day event and I am so grateful I was there for the entirety of it. I met their family and friends and learned about traditional Hindu wedding traditions.
Thursday
On Thursday, they started with a welcome party during Emily’s bridal henna appointment. This is also known as Mehndi. The artist did a spectacular job on Emily and all of her bridesmaids walked away with henna too!
Friday
On Friday, Emily and Tejas, along with their family and close friends, participated in a traditional Haldi ceremony. Everyone prayed for Emily and Tejas, as well as for Tejas and his family. Later that morning, Emily and Tejas’ family and friends smeared turmeric paste all over the bride and groom – and I truly mean all over! One friend even put some in Emily and Tejas’ ears. This brings good luck to the couple as they start their new lives together. In the evening, family, friends and the wedding party met for the Sangeet. This was a time of toasts and dances, where almost everyone performed a dance for the new couple. The two even had some cousins overseas submit a video dance. It was a blast!
Saturday
On Saturday, everyone woke up bright and early for both bridal and groom preparations. Anthony joined Tejas and his groomsmen for getting ready time, which included snake whiskey, before leaving for the Baraat. I have to say, I was so bummed I missed this part! Tejas rode a white horse and processed throughout the main road at Wintergreen Resort. Dhol players provided music for the processional to dance to as they made their way down a quarter of a mile trek. Once the Baraat was over, we all met at the mountaintop for the ceremony. The couple started with a traditional Hindu ceremony followed by an American one, which the bride’s aunt officiated!
After the ceremonies and photos, the couple changed for cocktail hour and the reception. Both Emily and Tejas chose to wear traditional Indian clothing for the ceremony. Then, they changed into American clothing for the reception. Emily donned a beautiful red dress and Tejas wore a lovely grey suit. We took a few more photos before the sun went down. The evening continued with dinner, toasts, more choreographed dances and lots of time with family and friends. A massive thank you to these two for allowing us to share in their special Indian-American wedding at Wintergreen Resort!
