India - Day 5

(Original post date - January 11, 2017)

Day 5

As Lori and I talked into the wee hours of the morning, I was suddenly hungry. She said that was a good sign. And she was right because the storm had subsided, and I was able to sleep through the night without any more trips to the bathroom. When it was time for breakfast I ate a banana for good measure. Then we met Cynthia downstairs at 9:30 to go to the hotel where the wedding would take place. We made sure to bring what we needed for the day, including sweaters.

Once we arrived, we settled into the room the newlyweds would be sharing which was FREEZING due to the A/C blasting. I shut that &*%# down as soon as possible. But good thing I brought my sweater. I watched everyone eat breakfast and then we went up to the roof to do the rehearsal and talk logistics. I kept my sweater on despite the fact that the Indian sun was beating down with a fury. I think I might be turning into my grandmother who wore a sweater and complained of being cold no matter the temperature. Thankfully I haven’t quite reached the point of being elderly because I did eventually get hot and have to remove the trusty sweater. But not before everyone had a chance to laugh at me.

It was determined that I would stand behind Cynthia and deliver the ring when called upon. In the end there were still a few questions about when to sit and stand and walk, etc. but we left that to chance and headed back inside to eat sandwiches with the crusts cut off for lunch. And then to kill time we played a most fabulous (and new to me) game called Dutch Blitz while listening to 90s pop music. Arun even stopped by and played with us. I recommend every bride and groom play this with their wedding party right before the big event. It’s loads of fun.

Arun left when the hair and makeup ladies arrived to make Cynthia look like Jasmine from Aladdin and to drape mine and Lori’s saris.

This whole process took much longer than expected so the wedding did not start on time, but once we got up to the roof, everything was just beautiful. As I walked down the aisle to my designated spot, I noticed candles all along the floor causing me to panic a bit internally. No one caught on fire though, and the ceremony went smoothly. Then we stood around the Mr. and Mrs. and watched them cut the cake which I assumed would be disgusting as most wedding cakes are. How wrong, how horribly and wonderfully wrong I was! Cake was served before the meal (without plates – Indians often eat with their hands, even if it’s American style wedding cake baked by a Dutch wedding planner) and I am STILL thinking and dreaming of this cake. Not only was it the best wedding cake I’ve ever had, but the best cake period. What I wouldn’t give to be standing in a sari on top of a roof in India quickly shoving that cake into my mouth before it crumbled to the floor from my amateur fingers.

We also took some quick photos with the bride and groom before the guests could line up for their chance to do so as well. And then Lori and I gathered up some leftover flowers to toss surprise rose petals on the marriage bed and remove our belongings from their room.

(Bridal party without the bride and groom)

At one point during the reception, a little girl I did not know asked me, “Auntie, have you seen my mom?” and my heart just about melted. I had not seen her mom, but I wished I had so that I could help her. The way she called me auntie was adorable. She wasn’t in any danger or anything, and when I told her I hadn’t, she skipped along to play with her friends, leaving me with baby fever.

Lori and I were tasked with giving a quick last minute speech during the reception, but somehow the speeches got overlooked. To be honest, I was relieved. Once dinner and mingling was over, Arun’s brother Kirian drove us home and we helped each other fold up our saris, an activity I can’t even imagine doing solo (they are so so long!). Then we shared a tiny bottle of red wine (taken from an airplane) out of tin cups and went to bed.