Our Indian wedding ceremony will be performed by a Pundit (Hindu priest) under a mandap, a raised four-pillared structure. The ceremony and prayers will be performed in Sanskrit and last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The ceremony will include an opening prayer, prayers offered to the holy fire, and the tying of a knot between the bride and groom’s scarves. The climatic moment of a Hindu wedding is when the bride and groom walk seven circles around the fire and exchange vows. After this, the groom will give the bride a necklace made of black beads, and place a red powder into the part of her hair, signifying she is married. A program with explanations of the Hindu ceremony traditions will be provided.
Our American wedding ceremony will be performed by an officiant, the groom's sister, and last about 30 minutes. All guests are expected to arrive and be seated at least 10 minutes before the ceremony begins. Guests will be expected to turn off cell phones and be present with us. The biggest moment of the ceremony is when the bride and groom exchange vows and place wedding bands on each other’s fingers. The ceremony ends when the bride and groom kiss and are pronounced a married couple.
We want all of our guests to feel comfortable during both ceremonies. Feel free to wear what makes you the most comfortable and fits the dress code of our event. Indian ceremony: Women are invited to wear their choice of Indian attire (sarees, lehengas and salwar kameez) or formal/semi-formal attire (cocktail dresses). Men are invited to wear their choice of Indian attire (sherwani, kurta pyjama or Indowestern) or formal/semi-formal attire (suit). American ceremony: Both women and men are invited to wear formal/semi-formal attire.
Following our Indian ceremony and lunch, there will be a shuttle from the Renaissance Milwaukee West Hotel to our next venue, The Atrium. Shuttle times will be posted on our schedule. The shuttle will also transport guests back to the hotel at the end of the evening. Feel free the take the shuttle or drive yourself!
Renaissance Milwaukee West Hotel: There is plenty of free day parking in the surface lot outside the hotel. There is a ramp available for overnight parking- this will cost a small fee per night. The Atrium: Public parking is available for guests in two locations- the Shorewood Village Hall public lot off N Frederick Ave, or the Atwater Elementary School public lot across from the venue off Capitol Dr.
We want all our guests, including parents, to enjoy a day/night of relaxation, fun and uninhibited partying! To allow for this, our event will be adults only.