Best Indian Wedding 2017
To have been published among the most beautiful Indian weddings of 2017 in the Maharani Weddings Magazine is an honour for us and a source of great satisfaction. In fact, the ceremony in question was particularly suggestive and from the beginning stimulated our creativity, both for the charm of the ritual itself, so different from the Western one that we are used to, and for the charisma of the place chosen to celebrate it.
In fact, for their traditional Indian wedding in Italy, Aditya and Tarnjeet opted for the unique scenery of Tuscany, not by chance one of the favourite regions for couple from all over the world to exchange their promises of love and unite their lives.
And so, this is how we spent four unforgettable days in Barga, an ancient and characteristic village in the province of Lucca, step by step, following and immortalising the ceremony, which fully respected the demands of Indian tradition in this regards.
The day before the wedding, as if from a script, the bride’s hands and feet were painted with henna in the Mehndi technique, a ritual that corresponds to a large extent to our bachelorette party with friends and her relatives.
The “I do” moment was very emotional: the groom arrived in a procession accompanied by family and friends celebrating, to be welcomed by the bride’s family, Tarnjeet dressed in a long and lavish red dress, an auspicious colour synonymous with happiness and prosperity.
During the Hindu ceremony, the couple exchanged the classic gifts that the traditional ceremony demands, i.e. garlands of flowers, fruit, butter, yoghurt and honey before dedicating themselves to the Saptapadi, “seven steps“, the most significant ritual of the wedding. Aditya and Tarnjeet took the seven steps together around the sacred fire lit under a large gazebo adorned with flowers, reciting invocations and outlining promises for their married life just begun, that they hope to be as long and happy as possible.
According to Indian religion, after this passage, the couple officially become husband and wife.
For the groom, it is time to give to his partner the tangible and visible symbols that indicate the condition of a married woman: a choker with the emblems of Vishnu or Shiva, two deities, which he fastens behind the nape, and the faith, or rings to put on the toes. But it is not over yet, because only after the new husband has placed some red powder on the head and forehead of the woman he loves, can she be considered, in all respects, to be his wife.
And then comes the moment of the party itself: friends and relatives gather around the couple, they pay homage with gifts and throw many petals of fragrant flowers on them as a sign of participation and joy, just as we usually do with rice or confetti.
Aditya and Tarnjeet joined in marriage according to the Mandap ritual, and it was extremely enjoyable to continue the day with a delicious banquet held in the garden decorated with colourful flowers.
We could not have asked for a better location: the Renaissance Il Ciocco Resort and Spa in Barga, in one of the best venues in the area, delightful not only for its comfort, attention in providing the services offered and the genuineness of the kitchen, but also for the enchanting atmosphere that surrounds it; the spectacular landscape of the Apuan Alps and the lush countryside of Lucca. The festivities continued late into the night after the newlyweds and guests immersed themselves in the wildness of the traditional Indian dances in the resort’s club, where everyone was able to melt the accumulated tensions and tiredness, letting go to moments of pure leisure and laughter.
But could such an original and seductive event end like this?
The pos-wedding photos had to be at a location of similar standing and so we spent the last day with the newlyweds at the famous Grotta del Vento, located in the Apuan Alps. The limestone galleries full of “living” stalactites and stalagmites, little lakes and watercourses that cross this stimulating place, constituted the perfect backdrop. And this indeed sealed, in the best way possible, the work that we had undertaken from the beginning with a high level of commitment and excitement.
The full wedding story: Aditya and Tarnjeet
