Dreaming about your Indian Destination Wedding in Gibraltar, Spain Main Land and Canary Islands?
Here at Hour Weddings, we pride ourselves on organising lots of different events from business launches to the perfect wedding. One of the most intriguing types of weddings, we specialise in organising, is Destination Indian weddings in Gibraltar, Main Land Spain and Canary Islands as the CEO of Hour Weddings, Mrs Monica Viroomal Coumbe, is of Indian descent herself. So, you really couldn’t choose a better company to organise your wedding.
If you’ve never seen, or been, to an Indian wedding in Gibraltar, you’ve missed out on an amazingly colourful, deeply spiritual and high spirited event that usually lasts 3 days.
Aside from the number of days it lasts, an Indian wedding in Gibraltar sets itself apart from other weddings for the number of guests who attend the party on the final day. Indian philosophy is, the more the better. So, it’s not uncommon to see 500 plus people at a small Indian wedding.
If you’re fortunate enough to be travelling through in India, it’s quite common practice to be pulled in off the street to attend the wedding party of a couple you’ve never met. One of the beautiful aspects of Indian culture is that it is extremely welcoming.
The first day of the ceremony is usually a quiet family affair with just the bride, groom, their respective families and intimate friends. It’s known as the Ganesh Pooja, which is performed by a priest who calls upon the Hindu Deity known as Lord Ganesha to bring good luck and remove any obstacles the couple may encounter throughout their married life.
Normally for the wedding, an area is set up, known as the mandap, which is typically a raised ceremony area, with elegant seats, reserved for the bride and groom in addition to a few extra, laterally placed seats, for the priest and the bride and groom’s parents.
The second day is dedicated to the bride and her guests painting their hands, and feet, with intricate henna designs. This ceremony is known as mehndi, which is usually followed by a grand dinner in the evening.
The third day is the day of the actual wedding ceremony itself. It can, typically, last anything up to 4 hours before culminating in a big feast with dancing and plenty of contagious happiness. During the ceremony, the priest lights a fire around which the couple walk seven times. Each of the seven circles, the couple make, around the fire, represents a sacred vow the couple make to one another, which is as follows:
With the first step, we will provide for and support each other.
With the second step, we will develop mental, physical & spiritual strength.
With the third step, we will share the worldly possessions.
With the fourth step, we will acquire knowledge, happiness and peace.
With the fifth step, we will raise strong and virtuous children.
With the sixth step, we will enjoy the fruits of all seasons.
With the seventh step, we will always remain friends and cherish each other’.
At the same time, the couple are adorned with garlands of flowers and the bride receives a gold necklace as well as having red powder applied to her hair. This ritualistic part of the ceremony symbolises the couple’s devotion to one another.
Here in Gibraltar, and in neighbouring Spain, we have an array of venues that can make your Indian wedding a dream come true. In fact, we’ve already organised Indian weddings in Tenerife, on the Costa del Sol and in Gibraltar. However, we are now excited to introduce two new wedding destinations to our catalogue: - Italy and Portugal.
Ask us for more information. We’d love to hear from you and celebrate your special day with you!