Outsiders’ idea of Indian weddings is limited to Bollywood and the image that they have of an Indian wedding in their minds is of loud music, costly decoration, traditional attires, lots of booze, late-night parties and of course, delicious food. However, India is a culturally diverse country and while the principles of marriage are the same across the country as per the Hindu beliefs, the traditions and rituals vary from region to region. South Indian marriages are way different from how we have marriages in the northern part of India. Whether you are an Indian from the northern part of the country or an outsider, understanding different cultures and rituals is always enriching. If you are about to attend a South Indian wedding for the first time, there are things you need to know before heading straight to the party.
There are a lot of differences between North Indian marriages and South Indian marriages starting from the timing of marriage to attires, music, ceremonies and food. A South Indian wedding invitation is just your entry ticket for attending an entirely different kind of wedding. However, you need to do a lot of preparation to gel with the community and be a part of the cultural festival as beautiful as a marriage ceremony.
Friendly Advice: Do not rush to the tailor to get your sherwani stitched, you might not need it.
We have prepared a list of ways that will help you in understanding the difference between North Indian Weddings and South Indian weddings.
Marriage Timing
One of the biggest differences that you will find in South Indian weddings is the timing of the wedding. If you are habitual of waking up late in the morning, attending a South Indian wedding is going to be a task for you. While marriages in North India start in the night and go on till the next morning, South Indian marriages start early morning and all the ceremonies are completed by 10 am at max. In ideal cases, South Indian marriages may start as early as 4 am. So, set your alarms if you don’t want to miss the function.
Dresses and Attire
If you have attended only North Indian weddings till now, you might think that donning a suit or a sparkling sherwani is the only way to attend a wedding. However, the dresses that people wear to South Indian weddings are much sober than that of North Indian weddings. The guests wear a white shirt and a silk Dhoti called veshti to the marriage. The bride has to wear a Saree gifted by the groom’s family whereas the groom wears a shirt along with a dhoti as well.
Food Menu
There’s a huge difference between the staple diet in North India and South India anyway. While wheat is the most grown crop in the North, the South is mainly popular for its rice production. This difference is there to be seen in marriages as well. Chapati, Poori, spicy curries, exotic drinks and sweet dishes from the menu of a North Indian wedding. Whereas in a South Indian wedding, Dosa, Uttapam, Jalebi, Vada and Upma are the dishes that are commonly served. The spices and the cooking oil used here is a lot different from the way dishes are cooked in the North.
Length of Marriage
While looking at the timing and the length of just the marriage ceremony, one may reach the conclusion that North Indian weddings are longer in terms of timespan. But the reality is that various ceremonies that are conducted ahead of the marriage start 15-16 days ahead of the ceremony. Different rituals are performed on different days to keep you entertained.
Music
Music is another important aspect that is another integral part of Indian marriages be it north or south. However, there’s a stark difference between the kind of music played in North Indian and South Indian marriages. While North Indian marriages generally have loud party songs or Punjabi songs that the guests shake their legs to. Whereas in the case of South Indian marriages, it’s all about tradition and culture. You may get to listen to a Carnatic style song or simply a classical song. People are greeted with the tunes of Shehnai while entering the marriage hall of Mandapam.
Eating With Hands
Another major difference between South Indian and North Indian weddings is the way the guests are served food. In the case of North Indian marriages, there’s a buffet system where the guests are served food in a buffet system. The guest can take the items they want to eat. Whereas in South Indian weddings, food is generally served on banana leaves. There’s no plate system and the guests eat all the food with their hands. No spoon or fork is involved.
The Makeup
Another key difference is the way the bride and the groom dress up and do the makeup before the wedding ceremony. In the case of North Indian weddings, the bride spends hours in the parlour for makeup. From a heavy Lehenga to heavy jewellery and layers of makeup, the bride is presented as a queen. Whereas in South Indian weddings, the bride’s dress is very sober. This doesn’t mean the absence of makeup but South Indian brides carry minimum jewellery and limited makeup. The same applies to the groom as well. You won’t see South Indian grooms in heavy Sherwanis or suits like you see in North Indian weddings.
