Although many people in the United States often think of the traditional Christian ceremony when they think of weddings, this type of wedding is not the only one that is ever performed. Throughout the world, different countries and religions celebrate marriage in vastly different ways. From sending out your Sikh wedding invitation card, to the day of the actual wedding, there may be a lot of differences in Sikh tradition than what many Americans are used to.
One interesting thing about the Sikh wedding is that it takes place over several days, instead of just being a one-day event with the ceremony and reception. Many traditional events are performed in the days before the wedding in order to prepare for the actual event. For example, the parents of both sides must participate in a ritual that gives their consent to the marriage, whether it was an arranged marriage or not. This includes the in-laws going to visit the to-be bride and groom and giving their blessings by offering gifts of food or clothing.
While this may not be mentioned on your Sikh wedding invitation card, another tradition to prepare for the wedding often includes the reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, which is like the Sikh bible. Each family should perform this part separately – the readers in the family will read the entire text over the course of two days, while those that are not reading will provide the readers with nourishment. This could serve to remind those in the wedding party of the text and part of the meaning of the marriage.
There are many things that traditional Sikh families may do in preparation for a wedding that those in other religions may not have even realized, and you probably won’t find a complete itinerary on a Sikh wedding invitation card as many of them are intimate moments between the families. Visit regalcards.com for more information.
