Hey all, Shriya here! This week’s #WeddingThrowbackThursday features my awesome parents – Suwarna and Milind! My mom and my dad met through their respective parents, who arranged the marriage for them. Despite the fact that they had a very traditional and almost outdated arranged-marriage almost 23 years ago, they’re surprisingly one of the most liberal set of Indian parents I know! Here is a look back to their old-fashioned days, at their religious wedding ceremony in Dadar, Mumbai in October 1990.
There is a major height difference between Suwarna and Milind, if you couldn’t already tell – but luckily my mom managed to place the garland of flowers around my dad’s neck. The garland signifies the end of the wedding ritual in Hindu ceremonies – after which the bride and groom walk around the sacred fire seven times to strengthen their bond as a couple.
In Maharastrian weddings, pujas are performed almost every step of the way. The Gowrihar puja is practiced to commence the auspicious ceremony, when the bride’s parents give her away. Suwarna wore a golden yellow sari with red bordering – a traditional outfit for a bride to wear during the religious rituals. The flowers adorning both my parents’ heads are also part of Maharastrian tradition and are worn throughout the entire ceremony.
You ca’t tell from the picture, but my mom used to have knee-length black hair that she had to wear in a long, thick braid – which is pretty difficult to maintain in Mumbai’s humid heat! Needless to say, she was a uniquely stunning bride.
This is a picture of my mom’s youngest sister admiring an ice swan at my parents’ wedding reception. You can tell we are a family of rebels, because along with my mom’s hair, I am not sure how this gorgeous ice sculpture survived sweltering temperatures either.
Suwarna and Milind’s Maharastrian ceremony was traditional, religious, and didn’t miss a single step! My mom is showing off her delicate mehendi design to my dad, who is probably feigning interest or just posing for this photo.
For the reception, the bride wore a lovely blue sari with gold embroidery, and the groom wore a simple yet sharp black suit and a tie with Indian peacock designs. Here is a fun fact: my mom actually chose not to wear ANY makeup to her own wedding, except for a bit of lipstick – so that beautiful glow of hers is all natural! Although abstaining from makeup is too bold a move for me, I definitely get this valiant attitude from my mom.
Here is a picture of them 20 years later – after my mom discovered her affection for makeup and how to conquer height differences with heels, and after my dad decided mustaches aren’;t that cool anymore.