Cosmo Real Bride: Two weddings, two cultures

Susie engagement ring

When it came to planning a wedding, we always knew we wanted to embrace both cultures that we are a part of. Avik's family in India is very large and many of his elders would not have been able to travel abroad. So we decided to have our formal, official wedding in the UK in July before having a second celebration in India later in the year. If you're getting married and have the option of having two celebrations, why not? Everyone always says the day goes by so quickly. This allowed us to extend the celebrations.

Our UK wedding was a very traditional British ceremony. We had a 1pm service in the family church that my siblings and I were all baptized in, followed by a reception at Hampton Court House just around the corner. My wedding dress was simple, short sleeved, with a lace bodice and an open back. Avik wore a tailcoat. It was one of the best days of our lives, so far!

Susie and Avik were married in Susie's family church

Susie and Avik at their UK celebration

Five months later we flew to India, ready for the second part of the celebrations. Our Indian wedding included four main events Mehendi, Sangeet, Gaye Holud and the reception and spanned two full days with multiple outfit changes and a guest list of around 400 people. A modest affair compared to some Indian weddings which can last up to a week and bring together more than 1,000 guests.

The first was Mehendi, a prelude to the wedding where henna is applied to the hands and feet of the bride as well as her female relatives and close friends. It is a way of wishing the bride good health and prosperity as she makes her way to marriage.

Susie and Avik at their sangeet

The Sangeet followed, with the men joining for an evening of dancing, food and drinks. It is traditional for the bride and groom to perform a dance. So we called on all our friends who had traveled to India with us. It's safe to say that skill levels varied wildly, but it definitely added to the fun and enjoyment of it all. For this, I wore a beautiful lehenga, an ankle-length skirt decorated with beautiful and intricate embroidery.

The next day began with Gaye Holud, a ceremony that symbolizes purification through the application of turmeric powder on the couple by close female family members. Shortly after, I was taken to get ready for the wedding reception. A man and his children did my hair and makeup. They didn't speak English, I didn't speak Bengali and I had no idea what they were doing, a very different experience to our wedding in the UK, where I spent a relaxed morning with my bridesmaids. honor at my side.

I replaced my simple yellow sari for the Gaye Holud with a traditional red and gold sari. In Indian culture, white symbolizes mourning, so it is very unusual for a bride to wear white on her wedding day. Instead, red is the traditional color of the bride's formal wear, often with gold details and jewelry incorporated into the outfit. Red is considered an auspicious color in Hinduism, symbolizing fertility, prosperity, new beginnings and love.

Avik's mother had enlisted the help of her many cousins ​​to find all my outfits for the wedding. I did my fitting about five days before the actual wedding, and had everything back within 24 hours. Luckily they fit well and I loved them all.

The reception included traditional Indian rituals, including the father of the bride verbally giving his blessing and accepting the marriage, as well as calling down the blessings of our ancestors. Watching my father repeat after the priest and trying to speak Sanskrit is something I will never forget; think Joey Friends trying to learn French with Phoebe.

With my family, a group of our closest friends traveled from the UK to India. I was able to show them around Calcutta, which has become a very special place for me. Having them with us to share a crazy but wonderful experience definitely made it even more special.

Alexandria Dale is a digital fashion editor at Cosmopolitan & . Covering everything from interesting things to know to the latest fashion news, there's nothing she loves more than finding a dupe of a must-have designer item. In addition to discovering new brands, she is passionate about setting trends that are definitely worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience across digital and print publications including Glamor and Ok!