April marks the start of peak wedding season in the United States. For most couples — especially Americans — a wedding is the one day when love and pageantry collide. Grooms wear their best tuxedos, and brides are adorned in intricate white dresses and veils. They exchange rings and vow to devote their lives to one another in front of family and friends.
The Middle Tennessee Indian Association showcased a different kind of wedding, trading black-and-white attire for jewel-toned fabrics and wedding rings for the mangalsutra. On April 10, the organization hosted its first mock Indian wedding in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
The event was a three-hour snippet of the usual days-long traditional Indian Hindu wedding. Guests were invited to wear either traditional Indian or elegant black tie attire as they celebrated the mock wedding’s bride and groom, played by sophomores Alayna Lalani and Vraj Patel, respectively.
The festivities kicked off with the bride and groom’s entrance. Patel entered first, performing a choreographed dance with his party. Lalani entered under a purple blanket carried by other male students, replicating a tradition in which the men in a bride’s family walk her down the aisle.
Next was the engagement ceremony, which traditionally takes place the day before the wedding. During the engagement, the couple exchanges rings. For the purposes of this event, Lalani and Patel exchanged ring pops.
Since a traditional wedding ceremony involves specific religious or cultural rituals, the mock wedding skipped to the reception, which included dance performances, games, and samosa chaat with mango lassi. Unlike wedding dances in the United States — which are usually performed by the couple — Indian wedding dances are performed by family and friends, allowing the bride and groom to watch and enjoy the outpouring of love from everyone. Games at Indian weddings are also not just for the newlyweds; in fact, they require the participation of many guests.
One notable game played at the event was musical chairs, which looked different from the American version. Sophomore Hakin Terry, a first-time Indian wedding attendee, got second place in the lively game. He was invited by a friend who was a member of the MTIA and didn’t know what to expect from the cultural event.
“This was beautifully made, and I’m really hoping to see one in real life in the future,” Terry said.
Junior Henry Vance, also a first-time Indian wedding attendee, echoed this sentiment. Vance is friends with one of the organization’s officers and expressed interest in attending. Like Terry, Vance’s experiences with Indian weddings and culture stemmed from internet videos. After attending this event, he voiced enthusiasm about returning to a future event.
“I think it’s really cool seeing the cultural dances and the games they played and the ceremony they did. I thought it was really amazing,” Vance said.
Junior Archie Patel, MTIA’s treasurer — and no relation to groom Vraj Patel — explained the importance and intricacies of weddings in Indian culture. Depending on the region, religion or culture, every wedding looks different. What is consistent is the couple’s love for one another and the bond between their families.
“When you get married to that one person, it’s said that you don’t marry for one life, you marry for several lives,” Archie Patel said. “It’s a big significance for the bride and groom.”
Lalani, whose childhood dream was to experience an Indian wedding, said that the nuptials were a “perfect introduction” to Indian culture.
That was the aim of the MTIA’s president and emcee for the night, senior Om Patel, who is not related to Vraj Patel or Archie Patel. Om Patel and the organization aimed not only to expose people to Indian weddings and culture, but also to make those who grew up with it feel nostalgic. He also wanted to bring a piece of home to those who were away from it.
“That’s what Indians are really known for, making sure that everyone is welcome, making sure that everyone is home together. It doesn’t matter where they’re from,” Om Patel said.
Archie Patel hopes to host the event next spring and encourages more people, both of Indian and non-Indian descent, to join in the festivities.
To contact the features editor, email [email protected].
For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, and follow us on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on X and Instagram at @mtsusidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
