I will be traveling to India soon to get married

[cocoadrilla01]

Hello,

I am recently married to an Indian man and we are planning on going back to India to have a wedding there as well. I have met his mother and father when they traveled here so I am semi-comfortable with them, but what I was wanting to know is what is expected of me.

I do not want to commit any international "faux pas." I am good at being respectful but we are going to be meeting a lot of people. I have researched the wedding ceremony that we will be performing but the reception is expected to have 500-600 people attend and I am a little worried.

I have asked my husband all of this and he has told me a little but I want to be very well prepared so I do not dishonor his family in any way. It is already hard enough on him by marrying me (a white Christian girl). I do not want to do anything that reflects badly on him or his family.

Any help would be very greatly appreciated.

[rayb]

You're a brave person, and good for you for embracing your husband's culture and family. I've been involved with many inter-national relationships (two of my own), and it has seemed that Indian-Anglo unions present more adjusting problems than most. Ultimately, it is the bonds of your individual relationship that matter, but it has seemed to me that Indian folks are more resistant to Westerners entering the family than other nationalities.

Having said that, you will find that the respect the family and guests have for your husband will usually be extended to his new wife, and your concerns will be understood by most. Though not as unusual as what you will experience, I still recall being thrust into a room full of my wife's marriage guests of about 100+ strangers in a Manila reception hall, the only non-Filipino and the only one wearing a suit, back in 1990.

Which Indian political leader was married to a Russian husband back in the 1960's or so? At the time, through my Western eyes, that seemed unusual to me, but now that one sees so many Russian tourists all over Europe and Asia, the Russians seems to be taking the place of Americans, Germans and Australians as the most common foreign visitors in many parts of the world.

--Ray B

Hello,

I am recently married to an Indian man and we are planning on going back to India to have a wedding there as well. I have met his mother and father when they traveled here so I am semi-comfortable with them, but what I was wanting to know is what is expected of me.

I do not want to commit any international "faux pas." I am good at being respectful but we are going to be meeting a lot of people. I have researched the wedding ceremony that we will be performing but the reception is expected to have 500-600 people attend and I am a little worried.

I have asked my husband all of this and he has told me a little but I want to be very well prepared so I do not dishonor his family in any way. It is already hard enough on him by marrying me (a white Christian girl). I do not want to do anything that reflects badly on him or his family.

Any help would be very greatly appreciated.