Hindu wedding ceremonies often involve hundreds of people and are opulent affairs. Lasting several days or longer, the couple is often introduced to each other for the first time. The ceremony incorporates ritual and ceremony with celebration. Invitations are extended to family, friends and relatives. Most celebrations incorporate an element of nature by taking place in an outdoor venue such as a courtyard or garden. Finding a place that can host such an extravagant affair can sometimes be a challenge.

With several hundred people attending, sometimes as many as four hundred, venues capable of hosting these weddings are somewhat limited. However, there are sites throughout the US and in Arizona that offer both indoor and outdoor spaces for hundreds. Wedding ceremony halls offer an indoor shelter from the summer heat and depending on the venue can seat hundreds of guests. Food and refreshments can be served outdoors or in the wedding ceremony hall.

There are thirteen phases of a Hindu wedding and oftentimes there will be a break for food part of the way through the ceremony. The rites begin with the groom and his relatives arriving at the entrance of the wedding ceremony hall. A priest chants sacred mantras while the bride's mother blesses the groom.

The bride arrives in an outfit provided by her parents. However, during the ceremony, she changes into a sari of red, white and gold given by her husband to connote fertility and purity. This also symbolizes the bride becoming part of the husband's family and moving away from her own family.

The marriage is completed when family and elders throw flower petals on the couple. Flowers are an integral part of the ceremony and are often a prominent part of the lavish decorations that accompany a Hindu wedding. During the ceremony, the couple exchanges flower garlands.

Food is another important aspect to a Hindu wedding. Before the ceremony, food served is vegetarian. Anything considered an aphrodisiac is absent, including alcohol, garlic and onions. Instead of a cake, the bride and groom exchange five bites of a sweet food mixture of honey and yogurt. Food is offered during the ceremony and after.

When the reception begins, there is a stage for the couple that is elaborately decorated. The decor is a reflection of the groom's taste and the taste of his family. The food is laid out opposite the stage for guests to enjoy. At the reception, the couple is given blessings and gifts from guests and relatives that may not have been at the ceremony.

No matter where the wedding takes place, Hindu wedding celebrations are among some of the most beautiful and elegant in the world. The community of friends and family shower the couple with warmth and blessings that they carry with them throughout their new life as they get to know one another.

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