We went to India.
Yes, you read that correctly. WE WENT TO INDIA. Now, as we're back home and I'm looking back on our adventures, I'm a bit shocked that we went - we made it there AND home AND we had such a great time. It was so amazing seeing our family on the other side of the world... literally!
The wedding lasted three days. It was so fun to experience a wedding in a different culture. I'm so happy that we were able to see it, I'm happy the kids were able to experience it. They got to be a part of the wedding (by stealing the groom's shoes, you can see in a photo the groom got his shoes back by exchanging the shoes for MONEY, I didn't know this was a thing and it was pretty hilarious to watch). The wedding took place at the Udaivillas in Udaipur. Udaipur is like an hour and a half plane ride from Mumbai or an hour and a half plane from New Dehli, super easy to get to (but be warned if flying Air India there are weight restrictions and we really pushed the limits for our 10 day stay).
This post just has straight wedding photos. I'll do at least two more posts - one for Mumbai and one for New Delhi. But here, just wedding photos!
After stealing shoes, the groom has to pay the bride's family to get his shoes back.
Towards the end of the ceremony (this was hours long, I chose the wrong spot to view, the kids eventually moved onto a hill to be able to see and I should have moved sooner).
An elephant to greet us.
Traditionally, in India, the couples are arranged and they don't see each other until the ceremony. Because Emily & Arun knew each other, this was an exchange of necklaces instead. Traditionally it would have been an unveiling ceremony.
The bride's family is welcoming the groom's family to the ceremony. We put jeweled necklace thingys around the necks of the groom's family.
All the ladies did henna. Mine lasted about a week. I suppose that's what traveling dry hands, lots of hand washing gets. Supposedly it lasts longer. So fun and so pretty!
