Indian weddings are huge events that typically last several days, each day featuring rituals and ceremonies steeped in tradition. As experts in professional Indian wedding photography, we understand how important it is to respect these traditions when capturing photos of this important event.

The Indian community in Melbourne

India is the third most common birthplace for Australian residents born overseas, after England and China. This population is growing rapidly, with the number of Indians living in Australia growing by 30% between 2016 and 2018.

Indian migrants particularly love Melbourne: there are more Indian migrants living in the Victorian capital than any other city in Australia. The strong presence of the Indian community here is obvious and can be seen all over the city, from Indian restaurants to grocery shops.

The Indian community in Melbourne are also keen to buy their own piece of the city, buying houses at a higher rate compared to the Australian-born population. You’ll find a strong Indian presence across the city, but particularly in Dandenong, Footscray, and Docklands.

Indian weddings in Melbourne

Indians are famous for their large and lavish weddings. Family and community are very important in Indian culture and this is reflected in the scale of Indian weddings. Although Indian weddings in Australia in many ways are similar to Indian weddings in India, there are some important differences.

Often, Indian weddings in Melbourne are a mixture of Indian and Western cultures and traditions. For example, in Western weddings guests are expected to sit down and watch the wedding ceremony, whereas in Indian weddings it is common for guests to continue to mingle and eat throughout the ceremony. In Indian weddings in Australia, you will often find the ceremony is conducted in a more Western fashion, with guests being expected to sit and pay their full attention to the ceremony.

This is largely down to personal choice: your wedding can be as Western as you want it to be. In this context, Indian wedding photography should emphasise the importance of both Indian traditions and Western customs.

Indian wedding traditions

India has a rich culture where tradition is very important. Weddings are no exception, with many important traditions associated with these events. Here are some of the many traditions you may see captured in Indian wedding videography.

Multiple-day weddings

In the West, a wedding generally takes place all on one day. However, the usual tradition in India is for weddings to last several days. Most commonly, an Indian wedding will be spread across three days.

However, not all of these three days involve all guests. The first night of the wedding is usually a private affair that involves just the couple, the bridal party and close relatives. On this first evening, a priest will perform the ganesh pooja ceremony, a sacred ceremony to pay reverence to the Hindu god Ganesh.

On the second day of the wedding, the bride will be joined by her female friends and family members for the mehndi ceremony. As part of this ceremony, the women’s hands and feet will be painted with henna patterns. That evening, all of the wedding guests are invited to the sangeet, a celebration with eating and dancing.

Finally, we come to the third and final day of the wedding festivities. This is when the main wedding ceremony takes place, followed by cocktails and a large reception. Sometimes, certain guests are only invited to this third day of the wedding.

Indian weddings signify families joining together

In Indian culture, a wedding is not just about the union between a couple. It is also about the two families coming together, and so the role of family members in the events and ceremonies is very important.

This union between families starts with the engagement, which represents an agreement between not just the future bride and groom but between their families. There then follows a series of rituals in the lead up to the wedding and across the wedding itself. These rituals signify formalising the union between the two families.

Rituals before the wedding

The rituals that lead up to the wedding start 15 days before the wedding, with Barni Band-hwana. In this ceremony, the family ties a Mauli (a piece of thread) to the hands of the groom and his parents. This signifies asking the gods for a safe wedding day.

Another ritual that is held in the lead up to the wedding is Mayara. This is called the “Maternal Uncle’s Ceremony”, and the bride’s uncles bring gifts for the mothers of both the bride and the groom. Traditionally, these gifts include the dresses they will wear to the wedding.

The ceremony is traditionally held in Mandap

Another important Indian wedding tradition is that the ceremony must take place under a canopy called a Mandap. This is a four-pillared structure rather like a gazebo, and it's built specifically for the ceremony.

Traditionally, the Mandap will be built outside. However, if it cannot be built outside for whatever reason, it will be constructed indoors. It is also ornately decorated with fabric, curtains and flowers, and the four pillars represent each of the bride and groom’s parents.

Family roles in an Indian wedding

As mentioned, family is a very important aspect of all Indian weddings. As such, family members have important roles to play during the wedding. In the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom’s parents and siblings all stand by the altar, close to the couple.

Often, the bride’s maternal uncle will escort her down the aisle, as her father will already be at the altar. The bride’s brother will also place rice in the hands of the bride and groom. They then throw the rice in the ceremonial fire pit.

What to wear to an Indian wedding

Indian weddings are full of colour, from the decorations to the bride’s gown. Wedding guests are usually attired in bright, colourful clothes. Female guests will wear saris and lehengas in bright colours. It is considered disrespectful to wear black or white to an Indian wedding, as these colours are seen as negative. It is also poor form to wear red, as the bride will usually wear a red dress to the wedding ceremony.

Indian weddings are lavish, colourful events that are steeped in tradition. Indian wedding photography can capture some of the many special moments that occur across many days of ceremonies and rituals.