Cultural Experience

Well, this weekend was a big event. We left Anderson overnight for the first time. Grandma & Grandpa Hash along with Aunt Lexie and her boyfriend Joel came down to stay with him. He had a very busy weekend and loved every minute. I'm waiting to get my other camera back from them so I can post some pictures from their weekend.

Luke & I left bright and early Saturday morning and headed straight for a 10:00 wedding in Chicago. It was an Indian wedding, so we had a big cultural experience.

We missed the first part when the groom comes in on a horse drawn carriage with his friends dancing along beside him and a band playing. When we arrived, this is what was going on

This is the groom at the entryway. I think he was being held up on a little stool, but I'm not sure. They were blessing him and dancing all around him.

We then proceeded inside. This is the area where the wedding was held.

The bride is carried inside by her uncles. I was having trouble getting good pics :-(

Here is the bride and groom mid-ceremony with a random picture posing session.

The wedding was a very cool experience - all 2 hours of it. It was so random though. People would just walk around, talk, and come in and out as they pleased. They even served ice cream during the ceremony.

Also, family members would sit under the hut with them. Here is a picture with everyone.

Except for the very immediate members though, others would just come and go up on the stage. It was so odd when you put it in perspective of our weddings. It was really neat though, and a much more joyous and fun occassion then traditional american weddings.

My camera died at the reception but I did get one picture of the bride and grooms first dance.

I wish I would have been able to capture everything that happened at the reception. Family members did special traditional Indian dances. The whole experience was very cool.

I had enough time away though and was very excited to return home to Bubba on Sunday afternoon.