The Wedding.

This post is long over due, and it comes with the most sincere apologies. Ive been telling everyone, and sending out emails to "Keep an eye out for the pictures..." but it never came, and you have my crazy hectic busy schedule to blame. Although its almost been a month already, which is hard to believe as it is... this wedding was not just any ordinary wedding, it was an experience.. and that of a lifetime. It would be impossible to blog about every single thing that happened, and every single emotion that I felt through out the four days that I spent with Kris's family. The pictures will have to speak for themselves. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the actual wedding, but I had over seven hundred pictures on my camera from the four days before, so the ones you see here will give you just a slight clue to how outrageous the actual thing was. If everyone could get just one chance to experience another culture the way I did, I would tell them to just go for it, because literally the time I spent there was life changing. I got to see Kris through a whole new set of eyes. I had one moment during the wedding, as I was observing Kris standing next to his sister and Mom, and thinking back to the last four days that I spent with his family....where I literally felt my love growing for him, my heart started racing, my pulse beat faster and faster, and a quick "what would I ever do If I lost such a wonderful man" ran through my mind. I always talk so much about how grateful I am for this and for that... but this moment, this moment was different then anything Ive ever experienced. One filled with so much gratuity, one that will stay frozen in my memory for the rest of my life here on earth. The appreciation that I felt for Kris, for his sister... for their family, for letting me be such a big part of everything that went on. It brought tears to my eyes, and a smile to my heart.

The brides Henna

Keeping it moist with lemon and ucoliptis oil

Shim

The boys and bride

Getting ready for the first of many prayers

beautiful

one of the many ceremonies

Nick

Brother and sister, covered in Haldi, a yellow paste thats smeared all over the bride by the female members of her family. ( I got to take part in the action as well) Afterwards the whole family has a Haldi fight there was yellow paste everywhere!

The boys dancing covered in Haldi

The little girls turn...

Mother of the bride

Myself, Shim and Zen

The women of the family are invited to bring the bride gifts of money and clothing in bowls that they carry ontop of their heads to the mother of the bride who blesses the gifts. They dance and sing and the atmosphere is pure love and laughter.

The first night.

The bride...the house (s) were decorated in Malas (yellow and red flowers) lights and colorful fabrics.

Just one of the many outfits that I wore that weekend.

The night after the wedding, a week with out alcohol or meat... we celebrated the ending with music and drinks.

I have one person to thank for this whole expierience, and thats Kris... without him, without his courage to bring me home to his family I wouldnt of been able to take part in such a beautiful event. I learned, I laughed, I was loved... and the best of all... I felt like family.