An Indian couple clothed in traditional clothing, sitting under a mandap covered in flowers as a priest performs wedding rites.

Homya and Mukul's Brisbane Indian wedding was a densely packed three days of Hindu wedding celebrations. When I think of Indian weddings, I think or colour and dancing, and multiple days. I think of ancient traditions and ceremonies full of deep meaning, and a rich display of culture and heritage that people can be proud of. And I think of the best wedding food ever. And more partying.

With Homya's family originating from southern India, and Mukul's family being from Punjab from the north of India, this Indian wedding had a mix of traditions. The first two days were held in Homya's family home in the south of Brisbane, and the final day's wedding ceremonies and reception were hosted at Cherbon Waters.

I'll be breaking their day up into the three parts, with a short description on the events covered that day, along with their meanings.

Wedding venue: Cherbon Waters / Henna Artist: Henna by Azra / Hair and Makeup: Makeovers by Shelly / Decoration and Styling: Chandni Events / DJ: DJ Amit / Wedding Cake: Lunaire Creations / Live Painter: Ashley Bunting

An Indian bride and groom pose for a photo in front of a highly decorated backdrop with flowers and adornments

DAY ONE

MEHNDI

&

SANGEET

Even if you haven't been to an Indian wedding before, no doubt you've heard of the Henna night, otherwise known as the Mehndi or Mehandi. An event dedicated to decorating the brides arms and feet in Henna, a thick paste-like dye that is applied to the skin, which then dries out and stains the skin. The remaining design is intricate, super-detailed, and unique. According to tradition, the darker the henna stain, the more love your marriage is supposed to have! And as a fun custom, the henna artist hides the groom's name somewhere in the design, making a fun challenge for the groom to find his name hidden in the art.

The henna designs weren't just limited to the bride though, each one of Homya's bridesmaids received their own personal henna design, although smaller and limited to the hands (see day two for a photo!) As you can probably assume, the Mehndi/Mehandi is a lot more on the chill side, with multiple hours needed to properly apply and dry the henna art. It was a great event for Homya to sit and relax, whilst guests sat, mingled, ate and drank, and enjoyed some music.

Until after dinner, where the day transitioned from the Mehndi over to the Sangeet - where the party begins, literally. It's essentially when the dance floor opens, and Punjabis are the wildest dancers I've seen. I've heard that back in ancient times, the Sangeet would last up to multiple days (up to 10!), but I'm not sure how long people can actually last without dropping from exhaustion!

The Sangeet also includes a few choreographed dances from certain groups: Homya & Mukul had the bridesmaids perfrom, Mukul's siblings, his aunties, and it ended with a dance between the bride and groom themselves. One day down!

A decorated backdrop in a backyard for a Brisbane Indian wedding ceremony
An Indian bride wearing a blue Sari faces an Indian man wearing traditional clothing
An outstretched arm covered in Henna art
A smiling Indian woman wearing a headscarf applies henna to an outstretched arm
A smiling Indian woman covered in makeup and jewellery holds up her arms which are adorned in henna art
An Indian bride covers her face with her Henna during her Mehndi
Two Indian men wearing traditional clothing dance as they hug each other
Photograph of an Indian wedding Sangeet in Brisbane, Australia
An Indian man and woman sit on a long couch as they watch dancers at their Sangeet
An Indian man and woman pose for a photo with their orange clothes drenched in water after their Haldi ceremony

DAY TWO

HALDI

&

HOLI

Day two was my personal favourite day. A messy, crazy, intense day that was unique to say the least. The Haldi ceremony is iconic, with it's bright yellow orange tones being a standout theme for this Indian wedding custom. Haldi is the Hindi name for tumeric, which is believed to bless the couple with cleansing and purification before their wedding day. Family and friends apply the Haldi in a paste over the face and arms of the bride and groom, and they then receive a shower of rose water from wedding guests again. No doubt it makes for incredible photos, and it's not a surprise why this was my favourite day.

Then came Holi, and things got messier and crazier. You should know about Holi, or the Festival of Colours, as it's India's most well-known festival. It's not actually a wedding custom, but it just so happened that Homya and Mukul's Haldi ceremony fell on the same day as Holi anyway, so they decided to make it a part of their day! Even though it didn't really have anything to do with the wedding, it's definitely one of the most fun things I've been a part of for any wedding.

After a well deserved shower and change of outfit, we got into a short bangle ceremony for Homya, otherwise known as the Choora or Chura ceremony. A multitude of thin red and white bangles are played on Homya's forearms, alongside two large gold bells hanging from her wrists. Traditionally, Indian brides are told to wear these bangles for 40 days, and it also means they're allowed to take a break from all intense housework for that time. What a deal!

Colourful orange, yellow and white flowers over a white curtain
Seven women pose in brightly coloured Indian wedding clothes
Two people sprinkle rice on the head of a young Indian woman during her wedding ceremony
A father kisses his daughter on the cheek during an Indian Haldi ceremony
A young Indian bride laughs as she has purple and orange coloured powder over her face
A closeup of an Indian woman with purple and orange powder smeared over her face
An Indian bride has water poured over her head by two other females
An Indian bride laughs as water drips down her face and body
An Indian man has tumeric paste smeared over his face by a woman
An Indian man smiles with turmeric paste all over his face as part of an Indian wedding custom
Three hands wash the face of an Indian man for the Haldi ceremony
An Indian man has a bucket of water poured over his head by multiple women
Young people laugh as they are covered in colourful powder for Holi celebrations
A woman laughs covered in fine orange powder during Holi
A large group of Indian people covered in colourful powder pose for a photo after Holi
An Indian bride has bangles placed on her during her Choora ceremony for an Indian wedding

DAY THREE

A black and white photo of an Indian wedding ceremony taking place

We made it to the final day; the day of the wedding ceremonies. Homya and Mukul wanted two wedding ceremonies, one traditional Hindu ceremony, and another for a western wedding ceremony. You probably know how a western wedding works, so I won't go into much detail about how that went.

After getting changed again, Homya and Mukul were ready to start their Indian wedding ceremony at the mandap - the large square altar where the Hindu wedding ceremony actually happens. Mukul made his way first, with a mini-Baraat - a singing and dancing processional towards the mandap with the groom's family. This might involve horses, bicycles, drummers and a band, but Homya and Mukul decided to keep it humble.

Homya then approached the mandap, with four brothers, brother-figures, or uncles holding a large veil by four corners. And when they finally met each other at the mandap, they exchanged flower garlands - which has huge significance in an Indian wedding, similar to the exchange of wedding rings. The priest then began the ceremony, chanting mantras in Hindi to bless the couple and their marriage, before lighting a flame in the centre of the mandap, which the Hindi ceremony revolved around.

After a quick afternoon reception and lunch, some speeches and more dancing (obviously), Homya and Mukul were ready to officially wrap things up, and take a break from their three-day Brisbane Indian wedding.

A mandap for a Brisbane Hindu wedding ceremony covered in red roses
A bride and groom spin each other at the marquee at Cherbon Waters in Brisbane
An Indian bride and groom exchange flower garlands at their Indian wedding ceremony
A Indian bride and groom wearing orange outfits during their wedding in Brisbane, Australia

Hope you enjoyed Homya and Mukul's Brisbane Indian/Hindu wedding photos. If you're looking for a photographer for your own wedding, let me know! Apart from Homya and Mukul's wedding, I've photographed Sikh weddings, Bengali weddings, Hindu weddings, and more Indian weddings in Brisbane.

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