There was dancing. Everyone danced. For three days they danced. And sang. And discreetly slipped envelopes to the groom’s mother and father. In between the dancing and singing, there was food. Good. Delicious food. There was also key moments like the mehndi party, the sangeet, the sehra and baraat and of course, the gurdwara.  There is no celebration if there is no gurdwara.

And because it was an Indian wedding. People came from near and far. They came from California. From England. From India. Family. Friends. And surprisingly, strangers. Indians who heard there was a wedding. They attended. And the groom’s family prepared for hundreds of people they didn’t know to dance at their son’s wedding.

An Indian wedding is so much more than a wedding. It’s a community event. A family reunion. A debutante ball in which the next generation dances with their counterpart. Many bonds are formed. And at the center of it all, is the bride + groom.