A Multicultural Wedding at the Hindu Temple of Canton

This lovely couple were married in a beautifully ritual-filled ceremony at the Hindu Temple of Canton. They began the day with a wonderful Chinese tradition in which the groom came to retrieve the bride from her home. The groom had to jump through all sorts of fun and whimsical hoops to get to his bride – paying off her friends and family, doing push-ups (!), singing, a poem recited in Chinese received by much giggling from her family and friends, and a marriage “contract” giving him a large amount of responsibilities! They served each other soup, and served her parents tea to honor them. It was a lovely mix of fun and tradition.

The bride arrived at the temple and performed Gowri Pooja, a special ceremony for the bride only, and then joined the groom in the many rich Hindu wedding traditions that made their marriage whole, sacred, and blessed, including Rakshabandhanam, Subha Muhurtham, and Talambralu. Of course not only was the ceremony visually beautiful, but everything involved had meaning. The priest was generous and explained the meanings and history of many of the rituals, symbols and prayers to the guests, which included fruit, fire, rice, and florals. A beuatiful cake by Zingerman’s rounded out the amazing Indian luncheon. It was such a lovely day celebrating with family and friends from around the world, and the bride and groom could not have been happier! We got to end the day in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town for photos of the happy couple in their colorful wedding clothing, and they finally had a quiet few minutes to truly appreciate what an amazing day it was together!