The Catholic / Christian
wedding is held in the church and before the matrimonial ritual,
the groom sends a car for the bride to be picked up while he waits
for her outside the church. She is welcomed with a kiss by the
Bestman and handed over a bouquet of posies.
The Catholic matrimonial ritual begins with the couple walking
down the aisle. The matrimonial mass begins with hymns and selected
readings from the Bible. Like in all Indian matrimonial rituals,
this community too, has an interesting lecture with an emphasis
on the sanctity of marriage given by the priest.
The holy matrimonial alliance is then completed by the ‘Solemn
Promise’, ‘The Nuptials’ and the ‘Blessing
& Exchange of Rings’. During the ‘Nuptials’
rites the priest asks the couple whether they have come of their
own free will to be married and just like in every other Indian
community; they are even asked to agree upon honouring and loving
each other for the rest of their lives. During the ‘Solemn
Promise’ the wedding vows are taken after the couples join
hands. This is followed by the exchange of wedding rings.
Another common feature of the Indian community that has been extended
to the Christian community’s matrimonial alliance is the
Mangalsutra. In the Roman Catholic Saraswat Brahmin community
this is known as ‘Piduk’. In the Syrian Christian
community the groom presents his bride in church with a sari.
This is known as 'Mantra Kodi'. A Taali, a leaf shaped gold pendant
with a cross sealed on it, is created with strands drawn from
this sari by the groom’s sister.
The Christian matrimonial ceremony observed in the church is simple
and also involves the exchange of wedding bands and marriage vows
by the bridal couple.
Like all weddings in the Indian community, the holy matrimonial
alliance in Catholic weddings is followed by a reception for celebration.
Christian matrimonials reach its optimum at the reception by a
live band. The newly married couple is greeted at the venue with
showering of confetti. The toast master then proposes a toast
in the honour of the newly weds. This community lives up to its
name by all the dancing and merriment that follows, until it is
time for the newly weds to leave. At this juncture the bride throws
her posy of flowers behind her. The girl who catches it will be
the next in line for a matrimonial alliance in the community.
