Indian Jewelry, Indian Wedding Jewelry

Jewelry has always been an integral part of fashion to Indian women. Especially on the wedding day an Indian bride is decked up with a number of ornaments and jewelry pieces. An Indian marriage can not be thought without jewelry. Without jewelry pieces the look of the bride seems incomplete. Indian wedding jewelry is chosen with great care to match the bridal dress. Gold jewelry is mostly preferred for Indian marriages as this metal is considered to be very sacred for weddings by the Indian communities. Though gold jewelry is the traditional choice of many but nowadays Indian brides also prefer wearing platinum, diamond, silver and white gold on their wedding day.

 

Since wedding is an important occasion in a woman’s life she wants to look most beautiful on her day of marriage. Bridal jewelry enhances her beauty. In India due to regional and cultural differences the pattern and design of jewelry can differ from one state to another. In the eastern part of India mostly jewelry of beads are worn whereas brides from western India prefer wearing jewelry ornamented with stones and mirror works. Brides from northern part of India have fascination for ornately crafted jewelry and brides from south Indian states prefer wearing jewelry of temple designs.

 

Some of the Indian wedding jewelry pieces are more or less same everywhere. Mangtikka or Shringar Patti is worn on the hair parting. Generally Indian brides wear heavy necklaces with matching earring pieces. Nose ring is another popular jewelry piece worn by an Indian woman on her wedding day. Indian bridal jewelry is incomplete without set of bangles. Rings and bracelets are also worn by Indian brides. Anklets and toe rings also form part of Indian jewelry. Mangal Sutra is an indispensable piece of Indian wedding jewelry. This necklace symbolizes the union of husband and wife through the auspicious ritual of marriage.

 

Apart from the traditional pieces of jewelry, contemporary Indian fashion jewelry has also become very popular among young women. Costume jewelry or the contemporary fashion jewelry are quite affordable than expensive gold, silver and platinum jewelries. They are available in wide varieties of designs and styles. Costume jewelry can be designed from semi precious stones, glass beads, metals, kundan etc.

 

Indian Wedding Photography: Its Uniqueness

 

 

Indian wedding, which is usually marked with joyous celebrations, pompous arrangements and dazzling decoration, is increasing adopting new trends and technologies for adding more Indianess in it. The latest addiction is photography, which has helped it to become more colorful and more sizzling than ever. The days of painting or portrait is long over, now it is the time to capture the memorable moments of an Indian Wedding within a colorful frame. As Indian Weddings are significantly different from its western counterpart, it is really a challenging task for a photographer to reflect the very Indian touch in the wedding in a subtle manner. The wedding pictures should not be too fancy or too traditional. It should be an ideal fusion of both by making adding a traditional touch in it.

 

Capturing The Rare Moments

 

The tradition and the cultural diversities of Indian Wedding are unique of its kind. Without having fair understanding of the importance of Indian wedding traditions, a wedding photographer might find it extremely difficult to capture the very essence of a wedding. The symbolic values and the significance of religious rituals should be reflected in the wedding photographs carefully. Crucial moments such as arrival of bride, exchange of garlands, holding hands, tying the mangalasutra, tying of knot etc should not be missed at any cost because these are the rarest moments of lives that people will keep remembering years after years.

 

Should Be Public and Not Personal

 

The main attention of a photographer at an Indian Wedding should be the depiction of the active participation of neighbors and relatives. Indian wedding appears more or less like a platform for public gathering and therefore, their participation should be framed properly and with due importance. A photographer should not take the photographs of only the bride and groom; attention should also be paid to other members while taking photographs, as they are also an inseparable part of this joyous event.

 

Be Proactive

 

A photographer has to be proactive at an Indian wedding otherwise; he would mess up the entire thing. He should be well versed with the wedding proceedings if he really wants to capture some of the rare moments in his frame. Before the start of an event, photographers should take proper place to get the right angle.

 

The Future Prospect of Indian Wedding Photography

 

The future of Indian Wedding photography is promising. Now, this is now an 800 billion industry, which is poised to grow at 25% every year. Therefore, one thing is clear that there is enough space available for Indian wedding photography to thrive and expand in coming years.

 

Common Things about Indian Wedding Décor

Wedding ceremonies in Indian communities involve elaborate and majestic events. The Indian wedding celebration can continue for a couple of days to weeks. Since India is a vast country and consists of people from different states practicing different customs and cultures, the wedding celebrations and their way of décor change accordingly.

 

Indian weddings are associated with bright colors, fireworks, fine décor, flowers and light. A lot of time and effort are spent to beautify the houses and the space where the holy occasion takes place. The families of both bride and groom dress up in their best attire and get busy in decorating their homes and playing the perfect hosts to their guests.

 

Flower is an essential ingredient of decoration used in the Indian homes during wedding. At an Indian wedding you will find the whole place being wrapped in various beautiful flowers like baby roses, orchids, lilies, marigold etc. Often both fresh flowers and silk flowers are together used for decorating the homes. Generally flowers of bright colors like red, orange, yellow are profoundly used in Indian wedding décor.

 

Use of varied colors is seen in Indian wedding décor. You will notice bountiful use of colors like red and gold in an Indian wedding. These two colors are supposed to bring fortune and prosperity in the lives of the new couples. You will see a lot of crackers and fireworks are being burned by the youngsters to celebrate the happy occasion.

 

In Indian weddings, the Shamianas are richly decorated with colorful carpets and drapery. In Indian weddings, uses of candles are also seen. It is customary among the Indians to light up their homes during weddings with diyas. Also for decoration purposes small lamps or diyas are kept afloat in water.

The mandap or the place where the wedding ceremony takes place is elegantly decorated. The home décor generally depends on the culture and custom of the families which may vary from one region to another. A wedding ceremony not only indicates union of the new couple but it also initiates a bonding between two families. Thus stress is given to make this occasion more enjoyable and at the same time very memorable for the families and guests.

 

It is not only on the wedding day that the homes are cleaned and beautifully decorated but the family members get busy to beautify the homes from pre-wedding ceremonies. Sangeet, Mehndi, Haldi and Milni are some of the pre-wedding events when the house is elegantly decorated with flowers and lights.

 

Indian Wedding Tradition

Indian wedding is always tinged with a traditional touch, which truly reflects the rich cultural heritage and the rare cultural diversities of India. Unlike in other countries, in India the concept of wedding is always associated with a sense of joviality, merriment and a festive mood that always makes a wedding special. What is remarkable about the Indian wedding tradition is that it is extremely elaborated in form and often it spans for a week and in some cases more than a week, which is unmistakably absent in other wedding traditions of other countries. In fact, Indian Wedding, more particularly Hindu wedding tradition, is a joyous and colorful occasion, which is participated by a large number of people of different age groups and this reflects the true joyous spirit of India.

 

Ritual and Traditions

 

Marriage is still considered as a sacred moment in Indian culture and which is why different types of rituals and traditions are being performed. Despite the regional differences, most of the Indian weddings are more or less the same. It usually covers five different types of rituals, which are described thus: Misri, mehendi Party, Sangreet Party, Saptapadi and Haldi. First comes the Misri. During this ritual, wedding rings are exchanged between bride and groom in the presence of a Brahmin – a Hindu priest. Misri is followed by Mehendi party in which henna tattoos are painted in the hands and in the feet of the bride. Sangreet party is celebrated with traditional dances and songs right on the eve of the wedding. The last one is Haldi in which turmeric powder is applied on the body and the face of the bride and groom. These long and elaborated rituals are conducted during almost every Indian marriage.

 

Uniqueness of Indian Wedding Tradition

 

What is unique about Indian wedding is that it is not just about the bride and groom but it is also about the entire community. What is even more amazing is that, most of the Indian marriages are arranged marriages. Unlike in love marriage, which is quite common in Western countries, in arranged marriage, the parents of the bride and the groom make the primary selection on behalf of the son and daughter.

 

Food Served in Indian Wedding

 

Apart from pompous celebration, Indian weddings are also famed for serving the guests with mouthwatering delicacies. Proper care is taken to prepare a menu that can titillate the taste buds of the guests. Sweets hold an important position in every Indian wedding irrespective of the regional differences.

 

In fine, in India wedding is not just the unification of two people, rather it is celebrated here, as the unification of two families and this is the reason why it is celebrated with huge fanfare and enthusiasm.