Last weekend, we were invited to the wedding reception of a college friend of the KoH's. The bride and groom were married in India, where their families are from, but live here. It was what I can only describe as a traditional cultural event. Being a gringa to the nth degree, I have no actual experience as to how traditionally traditional this was since I've never been to India and I'd never been invited to a similar event. So I guess I can't comment on it other than by using my own definition of 'traditional'. It was an arranged marriage where the bride met the groom at their engagement party, the actual wedding was a two week affair in India involving both the bride and groom's entire extended families, there was traditional cultural dress, Indian cuisine, Indian music, and lots and lots of a language I don't understand. For us, it doesn't get more traditional than that.

While in school, the KoH affectionately nicknamed the bride and her sister/cousins/friends the "Indian Contingent". This was something they never objected to, but perhaps decided to take a small moment of revenge in inviting us to the wedding because the three of us and one other family constituted the entirety of the non-Indians there. We had a blast. There was fantastic food, gorgeous saris, great music, and lots of love and family.

The Dormouse was fascinated by the dresses and jewelry, especially the bejeweled gowns worn by the bride and her sisters and layer upon layer of bracelets and bangles they wore. At one point, while we were eating, I looked over at her and saw a cloud come over her face. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I should have worn a nicer dress."

"Oh honey, everyone thinks you look lovely and you're dressed exactly like you should be."

"But I don't have any bracelets. I should have at least worn a bracelet."

Great. So we're going to be dealing with THAT now are we? I hate to even think about the requirements for her prom dress one day.

She did get over it, however, and became the darling of the bride and her bridesmaids. They brought her orange soda, food, candy, and oohed and awwed over her dancing, which, even I have to admit, was pretty creative: