Wedding Invitation

Card _ Cover
Originally uploaded by Sarah in Nepal

Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from India! It is less than a month until our wedding on
November 23rd and 24th. I’m thinking a lot about family and friends in the U.S.. We had our official engagement ceremony on September 15th. The engagement was a small function, with typical Indian
traditions – flower garlands, exchanging of rings, and giving of gifts.

The wedding will also be done in Indian style. In an Indian marriage,
the Bride’s family hosts a party with food and music. The Groom’s family comes in a procession with drums. After the Groom arrives, he takes a seat on a decorated stage. The bride is then brought out to him, wearing red, accompanied by female relatives and friends. They then exchange flower garlands, which is called the “Jai Mal” (Garland Ceremony). Food is then served and there is music and dancing. Most of the guests leave after eating and family members stay for the actual marriage. Our wedding will also begin this way, but, rather than continuing late into the night with the wedding ceremony (vows, etc.), that will happen the next morning at another location (a Catholic retreat center). The ceremony will be a mixture of Indian and Western traditions and will happen in English.

We ask for your blessings and prayers for our wedding. We will miss all those who aren’t able to travel this great distance. We look forward to visiting the U.S. as soon as work and visas allow.

This photo shows the cover of our wedding invitation. For more photos visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/94443103@N00/. We'll try our best to update with wedding photos as soon as possible.

With Love,
Sarah and Lijo