Wedding Cakes - A Delicious Tradition

A delicious cake crowns the great day of the couple in the Christian weddings. However, many other communities also order wedding cakes to add beauty to the celebrations.

Here Is a Short Guide to the Wedding Cake!

1.      Cutting the cake:

Cured in every detail, the couple cut the cake in any Matrimony. The bridegroom along with their right hand cut the first slice.

2.      Order:

According to the etiquette, the bride’s mother-in-law must serve the first slice. Then give the other slices to other relatives, in the order of importance.

3.      Cake topper:

These are the statues of the newlyweds to put on the cake. Ironic, classic, funny, romantic... now the cake toppers are a must for the wedding!

Types of Wedding Cakes:

1.      Classic wedding cakes: It includes three, five or seven stories cakes. It is the quintessential wedding cake, the best known. The cakes are superimposed on one another and this is supported by a structure.

2.      American Wedding cake: Spongy inside and covered with a creamy paste. Elegant and monumental as the classic wedding cake, also has a facility plans.

3.      Wedding cakes plan: As the word suggests, has a single plan. Hearts, roses and flowers are the great protagonists of the cakes of this type.

4.      Anglo-Saxon Wedding Cakes from Great Britain: These cakes have a pyramidal shape. Adorned with ribbons and flowers, and is constituted by cylinders or cubes stacked in descending order.

5.      Wedding cake hat: The base of the cake is a hat, which is generally round and five feet wide. The wedding cake hat is usually of three stories and is not supported by any structure.

Cutting the wedding cake is one of the highlights of the wedding and, indeed, a necessary moment to capture, only to be treasured for the life. So make sure that you preserve the moments of your Matrimony by clicking it.

Author: Rashmi Karan

Bengali Wedding Shopping

Wedding shopping is an important part of the wedding preparations in India. Indian wedding shopping is not just limited to bridal fineries and jewelry, but there are other important things as well. In a Bengali Matrimony function, there are many rituals, pre and post marriage and requires numerous things. In addition, wedding shopping is done for the bride and the groom’s relatives and friends as well.

Kolkata, the capital city of Bengal is the ideal shopping destination for Bengali wedding shopping. Bengali Matrimony shopping requires saris for the bride for different rituals. The Bengali bride wears traditional Banarasi saris for the wedding night. There are many shops in selling saris for bridal wear. The shops in Gariahat Market in South Kolkata have exclusive collection of wedding saris. North Kolkata has markets like the College Street and Hathi Bagan Market selling exquisite wedding saris. 

For the other rituals, the bride wears usually handloom cotton saris from Bengal. These handloom cotton saris are available in all shades. There are many shops in Calcutta selling cotton saris. Wedding shopping for saris for Bengalis also requires gifting to the mother-in-law, groom’s sisters, relatives and friends.

Gold jewelry is a must for Bengalis to flaunt in weddings. Kolkata is known worldwide for lightweight gold jewelry. The market of Bow bazaar is rightly called the gold lane, because it has chain of shops selling gold and diamond jewelry.

Apart from the traditional markets, the shopping for Bengali wedding can be done from wedding malls that have come in the new urban localities of Kolkata. From simple bindi to expensive saris, the malls stock all the essentials of wedding shopping. Shopping for cosmetics, readymade kurta, furniture and jewelry is done under the same roof. In addition, these shopping malls are convenient for the new age professionals who are hard pressed for time.

Author: Shipra Sinha

Some Important Pre-Wedding Rituals in Bengali Wedding

Ashirwad:

Generally, there is no concept of engagement in a Hindu wedding. People often associate engagement as fixing of a wedding. In Bengal matrimony, Ashirwad is the ceremony, which is similar to the engagement ceremony and is organized two-three day prior to the wedding day. Ashirwad is a confirmation of the marriage alliance. During the Ashirwad ceremony, the groom’s family visits the bride’s home, where they shower the bride with lots of blessings and gifts, which include saris for the bride, jewellery like gold ring, chain, etc., sweets, betel nuts, etc.

The Ashirwad ceremony is conducted in the presence of a priest who worships the idol of Bhagwan Narayan. Similarly, the bride’s family visits the groom’s home and gifts him gold ring, gold buttons, sweets, watch, etc.

Gaye halud:

 

Also known as haldi or turmeric ceremony in Bengal Matrimony where turmeric paste is massage all over the body of the bride and groom at their respective homes. Turmeric is an antiseptic, and is believed to bring a glow on the face of the person, who is about to be wedded.

Dodhi Mangal:

 

Dodhi Mangal is celebrated in the wee hours of the wedding day at both bride’s and groom’s houses. I missed the previous rituals in my friend’s wedding, so I decided to follow all the customs of the wedding. It was a new experience for me, when ten married women of the family accompany the bride and groom to a nearby pond, and are made to bath in the sacred water. I did not know the motive of this ritual, as every ritual has some story related to it. My friend’s mother told me that this is done to invite Goddess Ganga to the wedding. After the bride and groom take bath, they bring back a pitcher of water with them, and take bath again. The bride and groom are given food, which mainly consists of fried fish, rice, curd and chiruya.

After the completion of the pre-wedding rituals of Bengal matrimony, the Bengali Marriage was conducted in the evening.

Author: Rashmi Karan