August 29, 2015

• The Wedding.

  August 15th was the day of the wedding. I was happy that the day had arrived, because I knew that I needed to head back home. My original plan was to stay in India for two full weeks. But I couldn't do that and so I returned home a week earlier!   however, I was able to see the wedding and the gala affairs of this once in a life time event.

  The main ceremony of the wedding was held in the mosque. This was part of the complex which is a Trust that our family had started, houses an orphanage where I had gone a couple of times and worked with the little kids, doing physical exams on them. It also has schools, both elementary and high school, and a vocational school that my nephew had started a few years back, named after my sister. Therefore it was a grand gesture to have the ceremony in the mosque of this hallowed ground.

  The bride wore the palest of green, with a veil that was gossamer thin and was bordered with pure silver work  . In her neck she wore a pearls with diamonds large emeralds bordering the choker.

  This is a picture of the mother, Sadiya with the bride.

  

  Saniya's friend keeping her company before the ceremony started.

  

  

  That night there was a banquet, (another one! They were teasing my stomach!), and Saniya was dressed in  deeper green clothes. The parents and the sisters brought her to the stage for a final family togetherness.

  

  The backdrop is an intricately woven wall of red roses. Millions of them. There were about fifteen professional photographers who were clicking away constantly. My nephew has promised to send me the link. Not sure if I will be able to go through all of them in this life time! There were so many dignitaries at the banquet. Princes from the subcontinent, Saudi royalty and Japanese and other ambassadors were all there. I was so proud of my nephew.

  

  

  I am sorry that the above two pictures are blurred a bit. I think my hands were tired.

  The following day, the groom's family had a reception in a palace. I am so glad I didn't take pictures of their food court. I would have been crying now. The dishes looked amazing, and there were so many different ethnic foods from the Indian Subcontinent and from Europe. It was incredibly exotic, the whole atmosphere. Yes there were cakes too! Not the kind we have here with a bride and groom on the top of the cake., but more sedate and very tasty.

  

  And finally you get to see the groom.

  

  I was talking to her on the stage and she whispered to me," Alabeti these diamond neckwear and the earrings are so heavy.  I just want to take them off". Poor little princess!

  Like I said elsewhere, the flowers were fresh and their fragrance was heady and wonderful.

  

  And now I will post a couple of pictures of another nephew and his wife, and my cousin's wife and her daughter Rida. My nephew reminds me a little of my father;  my father was much taller though.

  

  

  This cutie pie danced to a very popular song at one of the events. I video taped it. I shall post it another day. Isn't she cute?  Following this event of the reception, the next night, my cousin and his wife pictured here, had invited the entire wedding party to their new home for a dinner. OMG! What food I missed!

  Hope you have enjoyed this trip and the photos that I have posted.  !5th August is also the Indian Independence Day. I took some pictures of that with my cell phone and will post them here on another day.
  Ciao.

   

   

  • 9:56 am
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