A Wedding in Jaipur, undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences, on a life changing visit to India.

The first stop on my visit to India, Jaipur, The Pink City, quickly stole my heart with its bright colors and rich culture.

The wedding festivities were in full effect as soon as we arrived. I’ve been fascinated with Hinduism for as long as I can remember and I marveled at the wedding traditions I was so lucky to be a part of.

A trip to the Amber Fort was the first of many historic sites. A gorgeous landmark, with cascading walls contrasted by the lush greenery surrounding it. What better way to enjoy the amazing view but to ride atop colorfully adorned elephants!

A very wobbly ride, but still a highlight of my trip to experience the view from above these majestic animals. A truly unforgettable experience.

Sad to admit that I deeply regret not purchasing the lovely photos the random street photographer so kindly took of my elephant ride. I’m always the first to be a sucker for such tourist traps too! I mean hey, it was a total of probably $5. I swear I did intend to purchase the photos, as indicated my by not so shy posing for the camera, enjoying the faux paparazzi attention. It just so happened right when I was about to buy the photos our guide reminded us not to entertain the street vendors. Seriously one of the funniest moments of the trip is about an hour later on the drive home is when the same street photographer managed to catch up to our van on his scooter holding up my photo asking if I still wanted to purchase! Holy I almost died of shock! I mean I wasn’t going to have the driver pull over for it but DAMMIT I should have bought that picture! Oh purchase regrets.

The wedding ceremony itself was magnificent. My friends and I all dolled up in traditional saris and Indian dress. The place was a gorgeous palace like venue, fit for royalty.

I truly felt like a Maharani walking the halls in my silk sari, which I might add, I had no idea was such an art to drape on. Thank you to the lovely ladies who helped us drape our saris!

The groom’s entrance on a tall white horse accompanied by an entourage of loud, energetic friends and family and a band! Now that’s an entrance! But oh the bride! My beautiful friend Shivali. She looked beyond beautiful cloaked in red and gold. The jewels she wore must have weighed a ton!

Such a magical experience and I will forever be thankful I was able to be a part of it.

Stelavie