Dream Backyard Traditional Guyanese Wedding
Trishana and Andrew’s Story
Wedding and reception venues are an important topic of discussion for most couples. They toil to choose a venue that’s the perfect size, in the ideal location, and with the perfect ambiance.
Luckily for Trishana and Andrew, they found just the place for their dreams: their own backyard. After all, what other venue can be cozier and homier than their own home?
In another stroke of luck, they also managed to find the best wedding coordinator team possible: their family. Trishana and Andrew’s family placed all hands on deck and contributed to the planning, decoration, food, and much more.
A Fairytale Ceremony
Guyanese wedding ceremonies are colorful, festive, and fun occasions. But more than that, they are also full of meaningful traditions. These make the couple feel connected with generations of Guyanese before and after them.
Grah Shanti
Like any traditional Guyanese wedding, Trishana and Andrew began with the Grah Shanti.
“Grah” means planets while “Shanti” means peace, so Grah Shanti is a ceremony to bless the soon-to-married couple with a peaceful home.
A priest is called to check if the alignment of planets bodes well for the couple’s future. He also performs rituals that can lift any potential obstacles in the couple’s way.
With their fates according to the planets checked and approved, Trishana excitedly adorns her traditional Indian wedding dress to begin the ceremony properly.
Varmala (Jaimala): the Exchange of Garlands
Early in the ceremony, the bride and groom give each other flower garlands. This symbolizes their acceptance of each other.
The flowers represent life, beauty, and excitement looped together on a string. It is symbolic of how the bride and groom are similarly about to be “tied together” as one.
Kanyadaan and Hastmelap
One of the most meaningful events is the Kanyadaan.
The Kanyadaan is an emotional ceremony where the bride's father officially "gives" his daughter to the groom. It is a statement of trust - the father can rest easy knowing the groom can and will ensure his daughter's future well-being.
Upon accepting his future wife, hastmelap immediately occurs.
Simply translated into English, hastmelap means "joining of the hands." The bride places her right hand over the groom's right hand while the groom's mother or sister ties the ends of their scarves together. This symbolizes their joining as one and is literally "tying the knot!"
Surya Darshan, Dhruva Darshan, and Sindoor
As the ceremony begins to wind down, the couple looks to the sun and polar star to seek blessings. This is known as Surya darshan and Dhruva darshan, respectively.
The sun blesses the couple with creativity and passion, while the polar star will aid them in remaining steadfast and focused on their life together.
Afterward, both sets of parents bless the couple with rose water. Then begins one of the last parts of the ceremony, sindoor.
Sindoor (or “Kumkum”) is a red powder considered a symbol of marriage for Indian women. The groom applies sindoor to the parting of the bride's hair and places a mangal sutra (necklace) on her.
Indian Wedding Ring Exchange
Last but not least, what’s a wedding without a ring exchange?
As traditional in all wedding traditions worldwide, the couple exchange rings to symbolize their lifelong commitment to each other.
And finally, the ceremony was over! Congratulations to the newly married couple!
A Romantic Reception
As the sun set, the lights went up inside the reception tent of the traditional Guyanese wedding.
The party began with a grand entrance of parents, groomsmen, and bridesmaids and ended with the stars of the day: Trishana and Andrew. The couple then proceeded straight into their romantic first dance.
Afterward, close family members came up to the mic to share stories and wishes for the couple.
And finally - it was time to turn the music up! The speakers boomed with a mix of west Indian music as the couple, and all their loved ones danced the night away.
Enchanting Photography and Videography of Traditional Guyanese Wedding
Weddings are beautiful affairs all on their own. When you add the involvement of both the bride and groom’s family and the comfort of their own backyard, it results in an occasion truly worth remembering.
Beautiful events deserve only the best photographers and videographers who know how to capture the highlights without disrupting the ceremonies.
That’s exactly what it felt like for Trishana and Andrew working with Happy Films:
“Happy & Kush did a great job providing cinematography services at my wedding. They showed up on time and were patient with us even when we were running behind. Our families can’t stop raving about how beautiful our wedding video turned out. Thank you so much, Kush & Happy, for doing such an amazing job! You two are so talented!”
Happy Films is the leading expert in Indian event photography and have captured many traditional Guyanese weddings, from Trishana and Andrew’s to Davina and Sanjay’s and so many more couples.
Contact Happy Films today to see how they can be there for your upcoming events, and visit Happy Films Blog for more stories!