I just recently returned from India, where I attended my friend's sister's wedding. Of course I have heard stories about Indian weddings, but my goodness, I can't even fully explain all the greatness of it. And the one I attended was a shorter one! Day 1: The night I flew in from India there was a party for everyone to meet. Most of us were traveling from America and only knew a few people. It was a nice little cocktail party with an open bar and endless food. It was a great way to start the events slowly for all of us who were not accustomed to everything. Morning of Day 2: The henna event was probably one of my favorites, because when us Americans think of Indian weddings, we think of henna. It took the bride about two hours to get her henna done, and it was spectacular! Everyone else is also allowed to get it done, even the men. I waited until after I ate a little because I figured I wouldn't be able to eat with the henna all over my hands, and boy was I right. It took the lady about ten minutes to complete my henna and I had the front and back of my hands covered. It was so amazing! I never realized that real henna first turns a bright orange after the original layer peels off. You then have to treat it with lemon and sugar and not wash your hands until the next day in order for it to get the dark brown color. The darker the brown, the more your mother-in -law loves you, or at least that's what the legend says. After more food and drinks this party was over and everyone got to go back for a little relaxation before the real party began. Evening of Day 2: This event was just incredible and I got to wear traditional clothes. It is essentially the cocktail party and reception but it lasts all night and it is before the wedding. There were waiters carrying around different bottles of whiskey, and a waiter that had traditional chai that he would pour into a clay cup. The hors d'oeuvre were out of this world. I am a gluten-free (not by choice) vegetarian and I went completely off my diet for this event, and I am sure glad I did. The naan and roti cooked in the traditional way were delicious. I mostly had lamb for the meat, which was quite fatty, but also so tasty. There was another open bar in addition to drinks being passed out like the hors d'oeuvres. The main part of this night are the dances that people preform. In India the people involved will practice for weeks. I was part of one, but obviously couldn't practice with people because of my location. I actually thought my friend was kidding when he told me that we had to do a dance, so I didn't learn it until the day before I left when he sent me a snapchat of other Americans practicing the dance. All the dances were so amazing!! I loved hearing the traditional music and watching the traditional dances. After these dances are done, there are Indian drummers that come in. Apparently they come to all Indian weddings. They have huge drums and curved drum sticks and they just get right up in your face and play music. You can sit on the drums and stand on them, but you have to pay them more to do all those things. It was insane to say the least! I took the first bus back to the hotel because the actual ceremony was early the next morning, but other people in my group stayed out until around 4! These parties are no joke. Day 3: The ceremony was back at the same location as the night before. Typically it is for close family and friends only, but all of the Americans were invited so that we could see a traditional ceremony. It starts with a parade in the streets with the groom on a horse and someone holding an umbrella over him. The drummers were back and also a band, not an American type of band though. We all just walked on the street to the entrance while everyone was cheering and dancing. Once we got to the location of the ceremony there were two other bands, both military ones that played more calming music for the rest of the day. The bride came in under rows of flowers. First her and the groom took pictures with the family and they put flowers on each other. Next was the actual ceremony. I could not understand exactly what was happening unfortunately, but it was still such a great experience to watch. There was a fire and the bride, groom, and both families kept pouring something into the fire. Then they walked around the fire and we all threw flowers at them. It was a lot nicer than I am able to describe, and I would definitely advise seeing one in person if you get the chance. Once the ceremony as over, it probably took about 45 minutes, the rest of the afternoon was a nice brunch. There was still an open bar and tons of food passed around. Everything was so delicious, and this was definitely the most relaxed day. I believe that it needs to be this chill because 90% of the people are hungover. Honestly, this wedding experience as so amazing that I wish we had weddings like this here in America. The Indian's know how to throw the best parties and weddings, hands down.