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A RIOT OF COLOR, TYPE & IMAGE, THE INDIAN WEDDING INVITATION ALSO SERVES AS A MAP OF CULTURAL VALUES, FAMILY TIES AND UNABASHED JOY.
Marriages in India are still arranged. While marriages formed out of love do happen more often in the growing Indian economy, they are not the norm. It is an accepted fact that one's parents or "elders" will play an important role in the selection of a marriage partner. A marriage in India is viewed not just as the sealing of a lifelong bond between a woman and a man but a merging of their two families. To some extent, this merger is based on the compatibility of the couple, but the primary issues considered are religion, caste, class, social status, wealth and the bride's beauty.
In India, marriage is viewed as a grand and memorable social event. It is also a matter of social standing-the grander the wedding, the greater the stature of the family. It is no surprise that every aspect of an Indian marriage is carefully thought out and planned for months-sometimes years-in advance. This includes the design of the wedding invitation.
A LITTLE HISTORY
In pre-modern India, marriages were arranged within extended families or small villages and towns where everyone knew each other. There was no need to inform anyone, because everyone already knew of the event. The parents of the bride and groom would simply visit family members and friends as a courtesy to tell them the happy news.
With economic progress, people began to move away from their ancestral homes into larger cities for work. The family unit was no longer contained within the village. This made oral invitations impractical and, coupled with the spread of printing in India in the early 2Oth century, gave rise to the use of printed announcements.
ELEMENTS OF TRADITION & INNOVATION
The traditional wedding invitation in Southern India is not a card but a printed leaflet that borrows its form from the earlier tradition of oral announcements and handwritten letters (see figure ia). The invitation follows a traditional template and is enclosed within a large decorative border. It begins with an incantation to the family's ancestral god at the top of the invite, which is followed by images...