Introducing a new series: Wedding rituals around the world

I don’t know about you, but I have been obsessed with Fox’s New Girl since Jess first stepped foot into Nick, Winston, and Schmidt’s apartment, batting thick lashes over those big-as-a-saucer eyes. A recent plotline of the show became the foreground for the second season’s hilarious finale just a couple of weeks ago, and it inspired this first post in a series focusing on wedding traditions from cultures all around in the world. I’m referring, of course, to Cece’s big, traditional Indian wedding. After seeing photos from friends’ weddings, in which the women covered their hands in henna, and laughing endlessly over Cece’s accidental henna “beard” in the episodes preceding the finale, I decided I wanted to learn more about mehndi, a temporary and decorative skin decoration applied during special Hindu occasions such as weddings and festivals.The tradition of applying mehndi is just one of sixteen ritual adornments bestowed upon an Indian bride, and it occurs the night before the wedding. A skilled mehndi artist applies the henna to the bride’s feet, face, and hands using henna paste, while the bride’s female family members give her marriage advice. Both the bride and groom attend the mehndi ceremony, and often, the groom’s name is hidden within the design. Some superstitions say that the groom must find his name before he is able to go to sleep, and it is also said that the darker the design, then the happier the marriage will be. As a result, the henna paste is wrapped with tissue or plastic wrap for three to six hours to lock in the paste, and the mehndi can last as long as three weeks. Designs include intricate floral or freestyle patterns, such as the ones below (you can also take a look at our Pinterest, which will feature a special board for this and all future International Wedding Tradition posts!).Of course, mehndi is just one example out of many unique and beautiful Indian wedding traditions. I am excited to cover traditions from all around the world in forthcoming posts. Are there any unique traditions you would like to share with us at Something Lovely? Leave us a comment or send us an email—we love to hear from you!Photos from: www.youknowyoulovefashion.com, Google ImagesInformation from: http://www.maharaniweddings.com/2009/02/the-tradition-of-mehndi/http://www.culturalindia.net/weddings/wedding-rituals/mehndi-ceremony.html