Ghidul 5 - Henna party 2

An idiot’s guide to an Indian wedding

4. Groom’s Mehendi

Well clearly this is the opposite of the Bride’s version. In this case though, the groom doesn’t get any henna on his hands!

Since it was hosted at our apartment. I expected to meet very pissed off neighbors the next day due to the loud noises.

Finally, the groom will receive his presents, from both his and the bride’s parents. His presents will be pale in comparison to the bride’s. Its quite normal for him to receive tons of wrist watches, clothes, money and so on.

There is also a special custom to give the groom’s mother a special present, maybe as a ‘thank God you’re done raising him!’ kind of present! This is usually clothes. By the end of the wedding, my mother estimated that she would not need to buy any new clothes for the next five years.
The groom’s sisters also gave him presents as well and maybe they threatened to show everyone his naked baby photos.

Sometime while all of this was happening, the bride’s cunning sisters (or cousins) will steal the groom’s shoes and hide them. In order to get them back, the groom must pay the girls whatever money is demanded. This is a very old Indian custom, aimed at bleeding the groom dry!
Women not involved in the stealing process busy themselves by creating a pattern of colored rice on the floor. Regular uncooked rice is dyed in various colors and then used to make a design. After the ceremony, this rice is washed to get rid of the color and then donated to a poor person.