Next up, we had the Haldi ceremony at The Omni. Haldi, a yellow turmeric paste, is applied to the bride and groom to ward off evil spirits and provide powerful healing properties. To make sure nowhere is missed, friends and family have a little too much fun rubbing in the haldi for their own blessings to the couple. That evening was followed by the Sangeet. Full of music and dance, the couple was brought in and given seats front and center to admire their guests and family who poured their hearts into special performances for the couple followed by Bollywood Tunes, Punjabi beats and a dhol drummer which kept the dance floor packed the rest of the evening. Henna was on-site for those still wanting to get a simple design done on their hand, and no shortage of food and drinks were available to those in attendance.

Saturday was the big wedding day - a Baraat kicked off the wedding ceremonies before a Priest for the bride’s portion and a Pastor for the groom’s portion kicked off a joint wedding ceremony to fuse both cultures and families in one harmonious ceremony. This was followed by cocktails and appetizers on the lawn, and guests being invited inside for dinner and endless dancing until the very last minute allowed by the venue. The bride’s brother then graciously rented out a spot in Austin where guests were shuttled to for the official after-party!

The wedding festivities kicked off with a Mehndi where guests were able to enjoy their own henna design. The Bride is to have the most intricate Henna, with both sides of her hands, up to her elbows and her feet - this extravagance helps set her apart from everyone else during the wedding festivities. Henna is said to have natural medicinal herbal remedies, and when applied to the brides hands and feet, provides cooling of the nerve-endings of the body, preventing the nerves from tensing up.