Guests are invited to be themselves. There is no expectation for you to wear Indian clothes. If you are not comfortable wearing traditional Indian clothes, any cocktail dress or ensemble that you would wear to a Western wedding is suitable

*We respectfully ask that you not wear the colors red, white, or black.*

Please use the Attire Tab on the top of page for further explanation and resources.

So What exactly is a baraat?!

A baraat is a celebratory wedding procession for the groom involving live music and dancing.

Who is the baraat for?

The baraat is meant to bring the groom to the wedding venue with much pomp and fervor and is a custom that originated in North India but is adopted by other Indian communities as well today. The groom, decked in traditional Indian finery, is usually seated on a ceremonial horse (or an elephant, chariot, or vintage car) as his guests lead the way, dancing. 

When is a baraat held and how long does it go on for?

The baraat is one of the key highlights of the main wedding day and takes place before the traditional vow exchange. An auspicious time is pre-determined to begin the rituals preceding the baraat. 

What are the customs and rituals?

In many communities, the first custom is to tie the groom’s "sehra" or veil (made of beads or flowers) that is then tied to his cloth turban. The baraatis all wear matching turbans too. Next comes the "sawaari" or the climbing on the horse (or chosen vehicle) followed by a short parade where the groom's family is welcomed by the bride’s family—and a ritual known as "milni" takes place at the venue’s entrance where the groom’s family and the bride’s family meet. The bride’s mother applies a tilak (ceremonial red dot) on the groom's forehead and performs an aarti to ward off any evil. This is then followed by the "jaimala" or garland exchange with the bride.

Guests are invited to be themselves. There is no expectation for you to wear Indian clothes. If you are not comfortable wearing traditional Indian clothes, any cocktail dress or ensemble that you would wear to a Western wedding is suitable

We do advise you not to wear the color red, white or black

Hindu weddings take place outside under a canopy known as a Mandap, but if the Mandap cannot be placed outdoors, it is built inside. Each of the four pillars of the bridal canopy represents one of the four parents.

Both sets of parents and any siblings stand up at the Mandap during the ceremony. Since the father is already at the altar, it is often the bride’s maternal uncle who escorts her down the aisle. The bride’s brother also plays a role in the ceremony. He places rice in the hands of the bride and groom, and they, in turn, throw it into the ceremonial fire pit.

The officiant, bride, groom, and bride’s parents sit beneath the Mandap. A Mandap is typically beautifully decorated towers or pipes enhanced with curtains, fabric, and flowers.

Front and center under the Mandap is the sacred fire. The fire can be small and confined to a brazier or dish for safety. “Agni,” the god of fire, is said to sustain life and thus gives life to the marriage.

The ceremony starts off with the bride’s parents giving away the bride in a ritual called Kanya Daan. The bride and groom then join hands and circle around the enclosed fire in a ritual called the Mangalphera, the walk around the fire.

The bride and groom walk around the fire four times, with each turn representing a major goal in life: Dharma, morality; Artha, prosperity; Kama, personal gratification; and Moksha, spirituality.

As they perform the Mangalphera, the Pandit (Priest), who chants verses during the ceremony, ties them together. Once they finish their walk around the fire, the couple rush to their seats, since it is said that whoever sits down first will be the dominant one in the marriage.

In another ritual, the priest takes the scarves the bride and groom are wearing and ties them together before walking them around the fire. They all are given a mix of flowers, rice, and herbs to offer to the holy fire, which is in the center of the mandap to complete the prayers. This practice is called Havan.

Seven steps are taken as they vow to support each other and live happily together. This is the Saptapadi. Each step represents a marital vow, a promise to be committed to each other and to take care of each other. The priest offers blessings for an abundance of food, prosperity, eternal happiness, children, harmony, and friendship.

Finally, the groom will apply a red powder to the center of the bride’s forehead and tie a necklace made of gold and black beads, and sometimes diamonds as well, around her neck, symbolizing that she’s now a married woman. This is called the Mangalsutra, the groom’s gift to the bride.

For happiness and prosperity, friends and families also throw flowers after the couple is married

A Luncheon will follow promptly after the Hindu Wedding Ceremony. It will be Vegetarian Indian cuisine, but we will have Vegetarian western food options as well. We encourage you to try some traditional Guajarati dishes!

Following the luncheon, guests are welcome to return to the hotel where they will have a break from approximately 1:30pm-5:00pm.

During this time we encourage you to rest and change for our western/non-denominational ceremony. Shuttle transportation will be provided to take guests from the hotel back to the venue at the Rockleigh Country Club. 

the first shuttle will leave the hotel lobby at 5:20, and the second will leave at 5:30

We recognize that not everyone may not be comfortable wearing formal western wear, please wear whatever formal wear is most comfortable for you.

A shuttle will be available to hotel guest to bring them from the hotel to the venue prior to the non-denominational wedding ceremony. The first will be leaving the hotel at 5:20, and the second at 5:30. There will be a return shuttle that will bring guest back to hotel following the reception. The first shuttle leaves the venue will leave at 10;30 and the second at 12am

We hope you will understand our decision to make the wedding a child-free event (no children under 16 years old), take the opportunity to let your hair down and celebrate in style

Still Unsure what Black Tie Optional means check out these articles that explains and gives great examples of what works and what doesn't

Black Tie Optional Attire Guide

How to Nail the Dress Code at a Black-Tie Optional Wedding

A non-denominational wedding is a ceremony that doesn't necessarily have a religious tone to the ceremony, but it can include some religious references throughout if the couple so chooses. 

The Typical format of a Traditional/Non-denominational weddings is as follows

1. The Processional
The processional is the first order of business at a wedding ceremony. This is when members of the couple's immediate family and wedding party head down the aisle and either find a seat or take their places on either side of the altar. The processional begins with the bride's mother and follows with the groom, best man, paired-up wedding party. It ends with the bride making her entrance escorted by her father who "gives her away" to the groom.

2. Words of Welcome
Once everyone is in place, the officiant will say a few words of welcome. The officiant may thank guests for bearing witness to the union as well as welcome everyone.

3. Introduction
Next, the officiant will offer an introduction and some thoughts on marriage. This could be a brief recounting of the couples love story, words on what marriage means to couple, or a statement about the ceremony to come and what it represents.

4. Readings
From there, if they are including readings of any sort in your ceremony, readers will be invited up to share a few words. They may have their officiant introduce each reading and reader or have things flow more naturally between readers.

5. Officiant Addresses Couple
This is when the officiant addresses the couple and talks about the responsibilities of marriage and the sanctity of the vows they are about to take.

6. Exchange Vows
After the readings have been shared, the couple will take turns reciting their vows. This is often the emotional part of the ceremony, especially if they wrote their own vows.

7. Ring Exchange
After each person recites the vows, the couple will place the rings on each other's fingers. It's considered a symbol of marriage. They may opt to perform the ring exchange quickly without vows, or they may say a few words about what the ring symbolizes before placing it on their partner's finger.

8. The Kiss
Now, the good part! After the couple exchanges vows and rings, the two of them seal their marriage with a kiss. They are officially married!

9. Closing Remarks
If the ceremony is a religious affair, this is the proper time for a final prayer. Typically, closing prayers are the same as final blessings after each religious ceremony and the officiant can call for the congregation to lift their hands to join in blessing them. If it's not religious, the officiant can say words of encouragement to the couple, bless them in their union, or read a requested prayer or poem aloud. Typical prayers involve asking for prosperity, faithfulness, and a strong bond.

11. The Recessional
This is where the officiant pronounces the couple married and turns to the guests to introduce the married couple for the first time and encourages guests to applaud and celebrate the newlyweds. Then, the newlyweds lead the recessional down the aisle as guests cheer for their union. The order is the reverse of the processional.

Reception to follow

We recognize that not everyone may not be comfortable wearing formal western wear, please wear whatever formal wear is most comfortable for you

Cocktail Hour will be from 7pm-8pm

Dinner Reception & Dancing will be from 8pm-12am

We will be serving traditional Indian cuisine (Vegetarian & Non-Vegetarian), We will also have Western/American cuisine options. 

We respectfully request no children under 16 at the reception. To allow all guests to relax and enjoy themselves, we have chosen to make our special day adults only. We thank you for your understanding.

Shuttle Service will be available to hotel guests following the reception.