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Haldi and Mehendi Ceremony
Meena and Austin
Planner: Laura Ferreyra and Cinthia Rochez | Grand Cayman Marriott
Decor: Dora Feher | Celebrations
Cake Maker: Chef Bala | Marriott
Photographer Partner: Jenna Leigh Photography
Tradition of the Haldi and Mehendi
We decided to make our own tradition with the Haldi (turmeric) and Mehendi (henna) ceremonies, incorporating the two into one big celebration. We also included both sides of the families to celebrate together. All the fun was just doubled! It was a colorful event with shades of traditional yellows and greens, along with many others. It was memorable and special to receive so many love-filled blessings!
On Saturday July 1st, the day before the wedding, Meena and Austin were greeted by all the wedding guests in the Marriott courtyard with music, dancing, laughter and tears of joy. Meena made her entrance with her mother to the song, “Mera ghar aayi ek nanhi pari,” which translates to “ My home has been blessed with a precious fairy (her daughter)”. Meena wore a beautiful yellow, green and magenta lehenga designed by Haya Creations and Austin wore a handsome yellow kurta pyjama from Poshak of Houston.
Guests were offered sunglasses inscribed with Meena and Austin’s names, and the gracious Marriott staff served delicious sweet potato fries, fruits and lemonade.
Indian wedding tradition calls for a Mehndi ceremony to be held the day before marriage as a way of wishing the bride good health and prosperity as she makes her journey on to marriage. It is a colorful, festive ceremony with family members wearing shades of green. Meena had her mehendi done a few days earlier by Shilpa in order for the color to be darker for the wedding ceremony. In the Indian tradition, it is believed that the darker the color of the Bride’s Mehndi, the more her husband will love her. Mehndi is also associated with good luck. The rest of the women had their hands adorned with intricate mehendi designs by Shilpa during the Haldi/Mehendi ceremony in the courtyard of the Marriott.
The Haldi or turmeric ceremony was also celebrated in the courtyard. Haldi is an Indian spice that possesses anti-inflammatory, healing, beautification, and purification properties. Its beautiful mustard yellow hue is auspicious in Indian tradition, representing a life of prosperity for the couple about to begin their new life together. A common reason why Haldi is used for this ceremony is to rid the couple of Buri Nazar, the Sanskrit term for evil eye. Even though the Haldi can create quite a mess, the bride and groom wear a traditional lehenga and kurta pajama respectively. While the ceremony is going on, family members gather around to sing traditional songs pertaining to the ritual. Members of the family take turns placing a small (or large!) amount of Haldi on the Bride and Groom offering their blessings. In this ceremony family members traditionally wear shades of yellow. Meena and Austin were great sports, and all had fun giving their blessings to the happy couple.
With the haldi’s comforting scent and color baked into their skin, Meena and Austin started yet another new tradition (with our wonderful photographer’s nudging) – a post-Haldi Trash the Dress! They took the plunge in the beautiful Cayman water for a real cleansing and had a gorgeous Bollywood style photography session.
