Over memorial day weekend I accompanied Carla (along with Mike and Katie) to a three day wedding event on the Hudson in New York. To kick it all off on Friday night the family held a Mehndi ceremony in the beautiful barn at Oak Hill. These celebrations are traditionally women only, but Shane and Samar invited the men to participate as well. I had never witnessed a ceremony like this, and it was so cool to get to observe many unique traditions.
The barn was covered with beautiful fabrics and details:
The women lit candles as Shane made his entrance:
Shane, his groomsmen, and his family were led in by a drummer.
Samar made her entrance shortly after Shane
They made their way up to the upper level of the barn and sat in this swing. Family and guests then had the opportunity to come and bless the couple.
While Samar and Shane were receiving blessings, guests had the opportunity to adorn themselves with henna.
There were traditional dance performances upstairs. Everyone had a blast with these!
Samar performed a dance for her groom-to-be, and then the two of them shared a dance together.
This ceremony was an amazing experience, and I am so glad that I got to share in it. Be sure to check out more images on the blogs of Carla, Mike, and Katie!
Next Up: Samar and Shane’s Saturday wedding ceremony at Oak Hill.
by Graham
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