Lots of colour, giggles, family time, and so much love… when you combine all these ingredients in a single frame, An Asian Wedding Ceremony appears on the brain canvas!
Asian Weddings in the UK are distinguished by various ceremonies, events, and rituals. These marriages are a riot of colours and a lot of fun. Some Asian weddings last a week and are extravagant affairs. The bride and groom’s family and friends gather to celebrate this joyous occasion.
Asian wedding ceremonies and traditions have a long history with deep religious and symbolic meanings. People from Asian countries such as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh continue to follow their home countries’ traditions on all important occasions, including weddings. Wedding trends from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have been brought to the UK and are eagerly anticipated.
A typical Asian wedding consists of the following components:
- Mayun
- Drum beating (Dholki)
- Mehndi
- Baraat
- Wedding Vows usually called Pheras, Nikah, etc.
- Rukhsati,
- Reception/Walima
Cultural and religious differences may exist between these ceremonies. The bride and groom in Hinduism take seven rounds around the holy fire, the Sikhs four rounds of the sacred book, and in Islam, the marriage is solemnised by mutual consent, known as Nikah. The most important aspect of a Muslim wedding is the Nikah.
Here are a few differences that isolate UK Asian weddings from traditional western weddings:
· Hindu traditions:
Traditional Hindu marriages are held by the instructions of the Hindus’ Holy Scriptures, the Vedas. During this sacred ceremony, the bride and groom take an oath to practise self-control and collaborate for the benefit of the family and Dharma (religious law).
The rituals performed in a Hindu wedding ceremony may differ from state to state in India, and people in the United Kingdom prefer to celebrate weddings by their regional traditions.
· Sikh Marriages:
A traditional Sikh wedding is held in a Gurdwara (Sikh religious temple), and the banquet is held at home, in a hall, or in a hotel. The ceremony begins with Kirtan (hymn singing) by the bride and groom as they sit in front of Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book). After the Sikh priest explained the philosophy of Sikh marriage, Ardasare performed.
· Muslim Marriages:
The Nikah ceremony is a Muslim wedding ceremony. The Islamic religious ritual of Nikah joins a Muslim man and woman in holy marriage and includes several terms and conditions.
· Food:
One of the most important aspects of an Asian wedding is the food. The various colors and varieties of food make the spread at an Asian wedding both unique and fascinating. The format of traditional Asian weddings is such that the bride’s family is usually in charge of the cuisine for the special day, as well as its quality and cost. However, these days many people are not following this tradition.
· Wedding Photography:
Asian Weddings in the UK reflect the region’s diversity and attest to the region’s people’s fun-loving nature. All these variations make it necessary to capture all the happy moments most stylishly and traditionally.
UK-based Asians prefer to preserve their wedding memories through photography and videography. To capture the most important moments at a wedding, the photographer must be familiar with the various wedding traditions and the flow of each ceremony.