Kathakali dancers | travel with pallavi

A trip to India isn’t complete without experiencing an Indian wedding. This time I get to attend my first Catholic Indian wedding. Guests from US, India, Kuwait, Poland, Ireland and other parts of the world are gathering at the Infant Jesus Church for Sangy (Sangeeta) and Zach’s wedding. A beautiful morning for a wedding.

Flower girls – January 5, 2012

Twin power! Flower girls lead the wedding procession for this Catholic Indian wedding.

Oops! Flower spill – January 5, 2012

Whoops! A little flower fumble livens up the wedding procession…

Father and blushing bride – January 5, 2012

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sangy so happy. She is our glowing bride in true Keralan style – biggest smile ever!

The Kiss – January 5, 2012

The KISS!! And it’s official! Sangy and Zach met at work in an ad agency in NYC. I remember Sangy telling me a few years ago, how this shy colleague kept showing up by her desk. Now I get to see Zach kiss his beautiful bride. Incidentally, the priest is from Kansas and happens to live in Cochin. Oh what small global world we live in.

Traditional Keralan dancers and drummers – January 5, 2012

After attending mass, we head to the Le Meridian Hotel for a lunch reception where we’re greeted by the booming sound of traditional Keralan drummers and dancers. The music and dancers are fierce. A nice taste of what’s planned for the evening reception.

Classic Kathakali Dancers – January 5, 2012

True to the reputation of Indian weddings, the evening reception is filled with dancing. Here are Kerala’s classic Kathakali dancers. It’s a dance form that originated over 500 years ago that combines drama, dance, music and ritual. The dancers are wearing the traditional Kerala state sari (white and gold).