Schedule

Mehendi/Dinner

Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 7:00 pm - Fri, Feb 17, 2023, 12:00 am

Free valet parking

An art of painting elaborate designs and patterns using a paste made from ground leaves of a mehndi tree, which is combined with tea water and clove oil. During the mehndi ceremony a professional henna applicator is called to the bride’s house to apply mehndi onto the hands and legs of the bride. The first application of henna is put onto the palms of the bride, and then onto her arms and legs. The evening is filled with laughter, dance, music in which all family members and friends participate and henna artists are also available throughout the evening to put mehndi for guests attending the event. The celebration of the wedding mehndi ceremony is believed to be an auspicious occasion for the bride and groom as it symbolizes happiness, prosperity, love and strength in marriage. The mehndi continues to remain on the hands and legs of the bride all night to ensure it comes out darker for her wedding day. As legend has it that the “darker the mehndi the deeper the love”.

Pithi

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

PITHI A paste made out of chickpea flour, turmeric, sandalwood powder, herbs, aromatic oils, rose water and other ingredients. The pithi ceremony is a joyful, playful and fun occasion in which family members and friends bless the couple with well wishes by rubbing the pithi paste onto the bride and groom’s arms, neck, face, hands and legs. The paste is believed to be an excellent cleanser for providing skin glow, soft skin and shine. Modern interpretation of this ceremony often involves friends "showering" the groom with condiments, eggs, flour, and other household food items to bestow him good luck. This interpretation will not be observed here :).

Nikkah

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

The Arabic word for marriage is nikkah, meaning uniting. It is a religious marriage ceremony with the bride and groom in accordance with the Islamic customs. During the ceremony, the bride and groom sit next to each other as the "mukhi-saheb" (similar to a priest/member of clergy), reads the marriage contract. Nikkah is recited in Arabic by a member of the community, or a family member. However, the marriage contract contains similar clauses as the traditional and civil ceremonies, which is a requirement prior to the nikkah ceremony. BANDAHANI SHAWL The groom’s mother wraps a protective shawl, known as a Bandhani, over the couple, and symbolically leads them over the threshold of the family home.