Maria & Manish August 5, 2006

[mariaandmanish]

I know, that with only 10 (ahhh!) days til my wedding, it's a little late to be starting a wedding journal. But... hey...!
Really, though, I just finished my programs for my ceremony and wanted any opinion on it to see if you think there might be somethign I need to change...not on the ceremony itself, perhaps... but the beginning or the Wedding Party list, before I print them all out and put them together.

Front Cover:

Welcome to the Marriage Ceremony of


Maria


&


Manish


Saturday, August 5, 2006

[mariaandmanish]

page 1:

Hindu Wedding Ceremony
Hindu wedding ceremonies are rooted in Vedic traditions, with every step signifying various aspects of life that are to follow after marriage. The Hindu wedding takes place under a canopy, known as a Mandap, which is traditionally decorated with fresh flowers. The ceremony is performed around a fire, which symbolizes the presence of God, and is conducted mostly in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language.

Baraat (Wedding Procession)
Accompanied by his family and guests, the groom arrives at the site of the ceremony amid much celebration with music and dancing.

The Welcoming of the Groom
The groom, his family and guests are greeted by the brides parents at the entrance. The mother of the bride welcomes the groom with an Aarti, or prayer, and welcomes him to the ceremony. After receiving the blessings from his elders, the groom is escorted by the parents of the bride to the Mandap, accompanied by his parents and groomsmen.

Ganesh Puja (Woeship of Lord Ganesha)
The priest begins the ceremony with an invocation to Lord Ganesha so that his divine grace, power, love, and spiritual strength may remove all obstacles for the bride and groom.

Kanya Agamon
The bride arrives and is escorted by her maternal uncle and sisters to the Mandap.

Mangalashtak
When the bride arrives, a curtain is kept in front of the goom so that he cannot see the bride. As the curtain drops, the pundit recites the Mangalashtak to announce the bride’s arrival and bless the couple. The bride and groom then exchange garlands to signify their acceptance of each other in marriage.

Gat Bandhan (Tying the Nuptial Knot)
The pundit unites the bride and groom in the gat bandhan. Tying the couple’s outer scarf garments symbolizes an everlasting bond of body, mind, and heart.

Kanyadanam & Hastamelap (Giving away the Bride & Mother’s Concurrancce)
The bride’s father joins the hands of his daughter and the groom, declaring to all gathered that he hands her to the care of the man of her heart. The bride’s father seeks a pledge from the groom of his enduring love.

[mariaandmanish]

page 2:

Havan & Mangal Phera (Holy Fire & Auspicious Encircling)
The pundit lights the Agni (sacred fire) and makes offerings to it while chanting sacred verses from the Vedas. The bride and groom jointly circle the fire four times, seeking the four basic goals of life and offering their commitment to each other.

The groom leads the bride in the first three pheras (circles around the fire):

I shall lead my life to the path of Dharma (righteousness and duty)
I shall lead us towards Satyapusti (prosperity)
I shall lead us towards Karma (energy and passion in life)
The bride leads the groom in the fourth and final phera signifying they are both able to lead:

I shall lead us toward Moksha (Salvation)
Sindoor and Mangal Sutra
The groom applies sindoor along the part of the bride’s hair as a symbol of his love, affection and commitment to her. This act represents their new status as husband and wife. The groom then welcomes the bride by placing a Mangal Sutra (sacred necklace made of gold and black stones) around her neck. This act brings the blessing for a long, healthy, wealthy and wise life for the groom. The bride and groom also exchange wedding bands at this time.

Saptapadi (Seven Steps)
Bride and groom walk the Saptapade to symbolize their common journey in life:

Together we share in the responsibilities of a home and children.
Together we will summon the strength and courage to accomplish all of the needs of a home.
Together we will prosper and share our wordly goods.
Together we will fill our hearts with great joy, peace, happiness, and spiritual values.
Together we will raise strong and virtuous children.
Together we will remain life-long partners and friends.
Together we will cherish our eternal bond, in happiness and sorrow, so that we may gain salvation.
Aashirvad (Blessings)
Performing the marriage ceremony, the pundit blesses the newlyweds on behalf of the Gods and Godesses. The bride and groom seek blessings of their parents, family members and elders by bowing down to their feet.

[mariaandmanish]

I have deleted this page due to mistakes iwth it.

[Valmai]

It all sounds wonderful - good luck with it and cant wait to see pics xxx

[brewsells]

It looks wonderful Maria. I like how you explain how the traditional Hindu ceremony is done and what the things symbolize.

[mariaandmanish]

We chose our wedding songs on Wednesday and emailed them to our DJ. We also included some other slow songs that we both really love and asked that they be played during the reception. Here are our songs:

Our Entrance: All I Want is You -- U2
First Dance: Groovy Kind of Love -- Phil Collins
Cake Cutting: Forever in Love -- Kenny G ( I love how it's all instrumental...just relaxing and beautiful)

We've also asked him to play:

Lady in Red (match my dress) and In Your Eyes (I love that movie it was in... anyone remember what it was called?)

[mariaandmanish]

Also, my best friend from college threw me a surprise Bridal Shower on Saturday afternoon. It was so sweet. She called a friend of mine from work, and my FH and arranged it all. My FH's whole family was there (except his parents) as well as some friends.

Unfortunately, for my friends, I'm very observant about things around me and had already figured out that the "last dinner, hanging out" was really a bridal shower, but it was great. I just felt honored that they would do it for me.
They're going to email me pics, and when I get them, I will post them.

Other than that, going to spend the next 5....ahhh! days trying to relax and enjoy the time. I have an appointment for a "sunless tan" tomorrow, and a facial on Tuesday. Most of the wedding arrangements are done, thankfully, and I just have to call the florist to update information, and send my seating chart and final count to the reception hall. Family is arriving on Wed, so as of then, it's real countdown!

I will be gone from Thursday through August 12, when I get back from my honeymoon. Then, I'll be a married lady!!!!

[WhiskeyGirl]

We look forward to the pictures Maria!! :D stay calm over the next five days!! I'm so excited fo ryou!!!

[mariaandmanish]

Well, we're pretty much down to the wire now! yippee! Only 3 more days until I am Mrs. . Wow, that looks weird even to write it... makes me think of both my FMIL and my FSIL. hehehe....

Anyway, we've finished confirming all of the relevant people and items, and just need to get final costs for things. We "practiced" dancing tonight to our First Dance song. FH is such a jokster... and he kept fooling around and acting like a dork. I was literally rolling on the floor laughing. And my FBIL decided to get the whole thing on tape... for "posperity"! Lol.

So, tomorrow the real fun begins. My sister and neices and nephews (she has 4 kids) are flying in from Florida and I will be picking them up at the airport at 2:30. I'm really excited about this, cause I haven't seen my sister since last April when I went their to visit. My mom is also arriving from Maine tomorrow, but not until 7:30 and she will be staying at the hotel near the reception hall (2 hours away) so I won't see her until I go down there on Thursday. My FBIL is being nice enough to pick her up and take her to her hotel for me. I'm really pretty lucky with most of my in-laws!

Then, tomorrow night is also a friend's 21st bday, so we're having a small bday party for her at my house. And then, when the kids go to bed, I think we're going to take her to a bar for an hour.

Thurs, I'm off to Jersey for the pre-wedding stuff. I have to go to the county court and pick up my marriage license so that the wedding will actually be legal (yay!) and I also have to pick up some last minute things for the henna party on Friday, and the wedding and reception on Sat. Plus, I will have to take my favors over to the reception hall so that they can put them out on the tables.

[mariaandmanish]

As of Sat at the end of the reception, FH and I are driving back here to our home, showering and changing, and heading out to the airport for our beautiful honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico. (Cross your fingers we get only beautiful weather, and no hurricanes). We are also keeping a bottle of champagne in the fridge, and 2 of our champ. glass favors here so that when we get home we can have our own private toast.

Then, Mexico for 6 nights, 7 days. Beautiful sun! Beach! Jungles! I can't wait!! I'm going to take SO MANY PICTURES!!! my computer will eventually overflow with them if i'm not careful!!!

[Smile1Jen]

Its getting closer, I hope you have an AWESOME wedding day, Im sure it will though!

[WhiskeyGirl]

Maria

I so cannot wait to see pics from your wedding!! And your honeymoon sounds wonderful!! You are so close Honey!! Hang in there!! :D

[StaceyMc]

Good luck! I can't wait to see pictures of all of your events and your ceremony.

[mariaandmanish]

This is basically my last post before the big day. I picked up family today, my sister and her four kids who just flew in from Florida. I actually flew them in because they couldn't afford it. Plus, out of all the people I invited to my wedding, they're the ones who lived the farthest and could not get here without my help. So, they all made it and have really made it real to me that I will be getting married in 3 days... almost 2!

My mom just arrived as well and my FBIL went to the airport to pick her up for me. So, that's it. Last minute phone calls and worries, nothing out of the ordinaryor too difficult. No one has canceled on me yet! lol!

I packed for my honeymoon tonight, and so did FH, so now it's just getting to bed and moving on to Jersey in the morning.

Thanks, everyone for the best wishes! I will make sure that I post pics as soon I can when I get back! I hope that everyone has a great week as well!

[WhiskeyGirl]

I just want you to know that I want to wish you and Manish the very best! And much happiness on your wedding day...of the short time I've known you I have come to know what a wonderful Chica you are!! You are beautiful and kind and caring and Manish is a lucky man! Congratulations to the both of you! Best wishes. Travel safely!! Take care and have a wonderful, beautiful wedding day!! :D (And you know we can't wait to see pictures! ;))

[Kacie_bride]

Good luck Maria! I hope your wedding is everything you always dreamed of! I think you will be okay regarding the hurricanes. There is a tropical storm that they think may enter the Gulf of Mexico early next week and will probably be a hurricane soon, but the projected path thus far does not look like it is going to go anywhere near Mexico. We are keeping a close eye on it here in Texas.

[Valmai]

Best of luck Maria, hope you have a fabulous day and it turns out to be all you want. Enjoy ur honeymoon and hurry back with Pics for us all lol xxx

[brewsells]

Good luck Maria!! Have a beautiful wonderful wedding day. I wish you and Manish all the joy and happiness in the world!